Monessen High School’s Class of 1962 claims some of the best athletes in the school’s long and storied history — Paul Barton, Eric Crabtree, Ben Jones, Lee Laszewski, Allen Leshor, Bill Malinchak, Suzy Williams.

OK, so why is Suzy Williams listed with those men who helped the Greyhounds win the WPIAL Class AA football championship in 1961 and force powerful Uniontown to a playoff game for a sectional championship in basketball in 1962?

Consider this:

• Williams, now Suzy Broadhurst of Pittsburgh, was one of the top amateur golfers — male or female — in western Pennsylvania for nearly 30 years.

• She won her first women’s club championship in 1958 at age 14 at Monongahela Valley Country Club and repeated in 1959 and 1962. She also won the women’s club championship six times at Nemacolin Country Club (1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970). She set a new course record at MVCC with a 72 in 1961.

• In 1959 she was the Second Flight winner in the U.S. Golf Association Girls Junior Championship at Manor Country Club in Norbeck, Md., where she set the women’s course record with a 75. In 1960, she competed in the USGA Girls Junior Championship in Tulsa, Okla., and in 1961 again qualified for the USGA event at Broadmoor Golf Course in Seattle. She won the Consolation Stroke Play Medal at Broadmoor.

• Her success continued after graduation from Monessen High School as she won the Point Judith Invitational in Narragansett, R.I., in 1963 and 1964; competed in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship from 1963-65 while attending The Pennsylvania State University, and from 1964-66 was the winner of the Women’s Western Pennsylvania Golf Championship.

• She was a member of the winning foursome representing Pennsylvania in the Walter Hagen National Women’s Foursome Championship. In 1975 she won the first of eight women’s championships at St. Clair Country Club. In 1985 she was honored as co-chairperson of the USGA Girls Junior Championship at St. Clair Country Club and from 1985-1885 she was an active member of the USGA GJC Committee.

• Active with multiple community programs and the recipient of numerous awards for her volunteer work and service, Broadhurst is a member of the board of directors of Eat ‘n Park and serves as director of corporate giving with the restaurant chain’s Hospitality Group. In 1999 she became the first woman to be inducted into the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame.

While Broadhurst’s athletic achievements actually began before she entered Monessen High School, one of the most successful chapters in the school’s history kicked off in August 1961 when the football team began pre-season practice at Memorial Stadium. Joe Gladys was in his second year as head coach and his assistants were Joe Koval, Al Romasco, Frank Castiglia and John Kosh.

The Greyhounds rolled to a 10-0-0 regular season record by scoring 357 points and allowing only 20 against Perry, Monongahela, Duquesne, Peabody, Brownsville, Clairton, Johnstown, Charleroi, McKeesport and Donora.

Halfback Ben Jones won his second straight Mon Valley Conference scoring championship with 103 points, seven more than the previous year. He and teammates Eric Crabtree and Bill Malinchak gave the Hounds a clean sweep of the top three spots in the scoring derby.

The season culminated Nov. 24, 1961 as the Hounds defeated Wilkinsburg 7-6 before a record-breaking crowd of 18,666 chilled but thrilled fans at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The victory brought the WPIAL Class AA title to the Mon Valley for the second time in three years and the third time in nine years, as Charleroi gained the honors in 1959 and Donora shared the crown with Har-Brack in 1953.

Wilkinsburg carried a 9-0-0 record into the finale and was a slight favorite.

Faced with the task of coming from behind for the first time that season, Monessen rose to the occasion after giving up a touchdown to the Tigers in the third quarter.

Paul Barton, who shared quarterback duties with Lee Laszewski, provided the margin of victory as he kicked the extra point that broke a 6-6 tie after Jones ran 48 yards for the touchdown that equalized the score in the final period. Barton, it should be noted, set a WPIAL record for kicking extra points that season by sending 35 through the uprights. Fullback Terry Howard scored Wilkinsburg’s touchdown.

In addition to Barton, Laszewski, Jones, Crabtree and Malinchak, other seniors on the championship team were fullback/linebacker Mike Nicksich, halfback Philip Reed, tackle Anthony Vitale and Tim Lender.

Underclassmen playing key roles in the championship season were Jim Saxon, Gerry Francia, Claude Garry, Jim Lhota, Eton “Buster” Karenchak, Ralph Nuzzaci, James Frezzell, Ron Chomko, Terry O’Toole, Doug Crusan, Stan Hamlin, Tom Hotz, Jim Beeler, Wayne Ciepela and Barry Yagodich.

While Barton and Laszewski alternated calling the signals and Nicksich was an excellent blocker at fullback, Jones and Crabtree were the halfbacks. Karenchak at center anchored a solid offensive line that also included Saxon and Malinchak at end, Lhota and Vitale at tackle, and Francia and Garry at guard.

The 1961 Greyhounds produced a number of players who later starred on the college level and three who advanced to the National Football League. Malinchak played for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins. Crabtree toiled for the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, and Crusan, a sophomore on the championship team, played for the Miami Dolphins.

Monessen continued its winning ways in basketball in 1961-62 and forced a playoff for the Section 5-A title by jolting heavily favored Uniontown 72-59 in the league opener. The Red Raiders avenged the upset with an 80-47 romp at Uniontown the second time around and the teams finished the section campaign with 13-1 records. Tony Caterino was at the MHS helm. His assistants were John Dacko and John Novakovich.

The rubber match took place Feb. 27, 1962 at the Pitt Field House, and the Greyhounds and Red Raiders gave the 4,340 fans more than their money’s worth as Uniontown squeaked out a 70-68 decision to advance in the WPIAL tournament.

Hamlin paced Monessen with 19 points, Malinchak had 17, Leshor scored 15, Crabree clicked for 12 and Jones was held to a season low of five. All-stater Don Yates sparked Uniontown with 24 points. Ron Sepic chipped in with 17. Allyn Curry, playing with a broken index finger on his shooting hand, managed 11, and Pete Smith had 13.

Monessen narrowed its deficit to 69-68 when Jones stole the ball under the hoop and scored with 46 seconds to go in the game. Uniontown went into a freeze and only five ticks remained on the clock when Sepic was fouled. The 6-4 Raider center sank the first half of the one-and-one task but the second shot missed and Crabtree grabbed the rebound. He flipped the ball to Hamlin at mid-court and Hamlin drove to the keyhold where he passed to Jones. Jones let go with a desperation shot that rolled off the rim at the final buzzer.

Monessen finished the season with a 16-7 overall record. Others who had a hand in the success were Bill Kachmarik, John Tweardy, Ken McGee, Mike Kurey, Ron Chomko, Bil Hughes, Gary Stapleton,

Elmer Gagatko, Doug Crusan, Dave Urchik, Bill Tewardy and Tom Maatta. John Dento and Tom Wanko were student managers.

Crabtree and Laszewski were honored as Monessen High’s top athletes at the annual all-sports banquet May 8, 1962 in the school cafeteria. Laszewski was cited as the outstanding senior and scholar-athlete, while Crabtree received the all-around athlete trophy.

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