The Tri-County Football Coaches Classic will have a new game director. Bill Ellis is succeeding Gary Cathell, who stepped down after being named Butler High's football coach several months ago. Ellis is no stranger to the contest since he did the announcing for the five previous games. The sixth annual game is scheduled for June 15 at Trinity. A former Ringgold School Board member, Ellis is best known for his 30 years in the rodeo business. "I've been involved with corporate public relations all through my rodeo career," said Ellis. "Our Dodge Truck Rodeo program is now the longest running program in the Chrysler Motor Corporation." A steer wrestling champion 35 years ago, Ellis still is involved with rodeos at the age of 56. He competes in team roping and judged a rodeo in Allentown over the weekend. Ellis is in his second year as director of operations at Turf USA. He replaced former Ringgold High football coach-athletic director Chuck Colborn, who holds the same jobs at Albert Gallatin. A Monongahela youth football coach for 10 years, Ellis will be coaching defensive lineman for Colborn next season with the Colonials. Ellis' son, Leif - a grid standout at Ringgold and Geneva College - is an assistant at Beaver Falls High. The night before the game, seven coaches will be inducted in the newly-created Tri-County Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame at a banquet at Hugo's Restaurant. The coaches include Monessen's Joe Gladys and Jack Scarvel, Charleroi's Rab Currie, Bill Connors, Don Bartolomucci, Jim Garry and Bill Power. Currie and Scarvel are deceased. The coaches will be honored at halftime of the game with their plaques being displayed at Hugo's Restaurant. The Philadelphia Eagles' recent minicamp proved costly for Monessen's Jamie Reader. Reader, a fullback, and free agent tackle Artis Hicks were Residence Inn parking-lot burglary victims near the airport. The two were victimized a few days before a playbook was taken from linebacker Shawn Barber's Cadillac SUV. Reader and Barber, however, didn't file police reports until Barber's loss was reported. Police said cell phones, Reader's passport, a paycheck and his checkbook were recovered. Hicks lost a portable stereo system. And thanks to Jack Backo of Belle Vernon, who says there is a difference between good sound reasons and reasons that sound good!

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