Jeff Petrucci returns to Charleroi Area High School

There will be a new, but very familiar face on the Charleroi Area High School football sidelines this fall.

Jeff Petrucci, a lifelong resident of Charleroi who was a star running back for the Cougars in the mid- to early 1960s, will serve as a volunteer coach with Charleroi in 2001. Petrucci will be involved in all aspects of the game with an emphasis on the Cougar passing game and quarterbacks. He joins fourth-year head coach Jim Dumm's staff.

'I've known Jim a long time and actually coached against him when I was the head coach at Belle Vernon and he was an assistant coach at Elizabeth Forward,' Petrucci said. 'Jim is a very intense person and dedicated coach.'

As a star running back, quarterback and high school and collegiate head coach, Petrucci's football exploits have earned him induction into five prestigious athletic halls of fame. He is already a member of the Charleroi, California University of Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania, and Mid-Mon Valley athletic halls of fame. This September, he will be part of Belle Vernon Area football's second hall of fame class.

Petrucci switched to the quarterback position at Cal U and led the entire National Athletic Intercollegiate Association (NAIA) in total offense in both 1967 and 1968. Labeled 'The Charleroi Cannon' in old newspaper clippings, Petrucci was Cal U's starting quarterback for three seasons. His 2,944 total offensive yards in 1968 remains a school record and among the top five in PSAC history. He led the 1968 Vulcans to the PSAC-West championship and a memorable 28-28 tie with East Stroudsburg in the 1968 PSAC title game.

After his playing days, Petrucci served six years as an assistant coach at Ringgold High School, where he helped groom legendary NFL star quarterback Joe Montana. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last summer, Montana singled out Petrucci for his efforts along with Paul Zolak and Chuck Abramski.

Petrucci was then the head coach at Belle Vernon Area High School for six years from 1975 through 1980. He compiled a 46-16-1 cumulative record at BVA with three straight conference titles from 1977 through 1980. He also coached the first two undefeated regular season Leopards teams in school history.

Petrucci returned to his collegiate alma mater in 1981 and success was also immediate. His initial Cal team recorded the school's first non-losing season in 11 years. Cal finished second in the rugged seven-team PSAC-West and almost upset eventual national semifinalist Shippensburg for a share of the league title. He was named College District Coach of the Year by the Washington Knights of Columbus.

Two years later, he guided the 1983 Vulcans to a 7-3 record, Cal's best showing in 20 years. Cal outscored its last five opponents that year by an average of 45-9.

Petrucci's 1984 team started 1-3 but won its final seven games en route to the PSAC-West and PSAC titles. Petrucci's 1987 team was lightly regarded but recorded a 6-5 record which was the last winning season for Vulcan football heading into 2001. Some of the star quarterbacks Petrucci produced at Cal U included Chuck Colborn, Kevin Russell, Brendan Folmar and Sam Mannery. He retired after the 1992 season to pursue a career as an administrator at Cal U and is the university's director of annual giving.

Petrucci returned to college coaching from 1996 through 1999, serving as an offensive consultant with Washington & Jefferson College. At W&J, Petrucci worked under former head coach John Luckhardt and current Presidents head coach John Banaszak. He worked with quarterbacks Jason Baer (Connellsville) and current W&J All-American Brian Dawson. Both Dawson and Kevin Russell, star quarterback of Cal's 1984 title team, are graduates of Thomas Jefferson High School. Russell is the first-year quarterback coach at Cal U and regularly visits Petrucci.

Besides returning to the high school level for the first time in more than 20 years, Petrucci will help Cougar senior quarterback Jared Dumm, the head coach's son. Petrucci said his family had a big role in him returning to coaching after a one-year layoff.

'My youngest daughter (Jordan) is a senior cheerleader at Charleroi this year and said she always wanted to cheer a game with me on the sidelines,' Petrucci said. 'Plus I also think it will be neat for my wife Melanie to be in the stands with both of us involved in the game. It has been a long time since I've coached a player at the high school level. I'm sure it will be interesting and also fun.'

The football fun and frenzy begins in earnest at the end of this month.