(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to many sports locally and nationally, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next edition’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from July 30, 1988).

By Bill O’Gurek

Staff Writer

HERSHEY - Heavy rains may have put a damper on the annual Big 33 Football Classic here on Saturday night at the Hersheypark Stadium, but the weather certainly couldn’t do anything to take away that good old-fashioned Anthracite football pride.

True, the lightning and thunderstorm chased away the crowd in excess of 19,000, but the hearts of Marian, Panther Valley and Anthracite fans were there to stay. More importantly, they were pounding the same beat.

Erick Hackenberg of Marian and Jimmy Paluck of Panther Valley showed why they were selected among the Commonwealth’s best athletes, both having a hand in Pennsylvania’s rain-shortened 21-13 victory. And if the second half were allowed to go on as scheduled, we’re sure the “Anthracite Connection” would have had much more to say about the game.

Hackenberg, from his starting quarterback slot, was instrumental in two of the three Pa. touchdowns. And Paluck, playing tight end and on the special teams, caught a crucial first-down toss from his Marian teammate in the 71-yard drive that ended at the half and allowed the Keystoners to go up by eight.

After a 90-minute delay, the game was officially called at 10:40 p.m., leaving a lot of disappointed players, coaches and fans to scatter through the rain-drenched stadium.

Md. Strikes First

The visitors, who won last year’s game by a 26-22 margin, got on the scoreboard on their first possession, taking a 3-0 lead with 7:58 left in the first quarter. Leslie Shepard, a prized wide receiver who’s headed for Miami of Florida, proved to be a sensation for the opposition.

He hauled in a Marcus Lewis halfback pass on a gain of 41 yards, moving the ball to the Pa. 15. Two plays later, the visitors had a first-and-goal from the five yard line.

Pennsylvania featured an awesome defense headed by Notre Dame-bound Troy Ridgley of Ambridge. He had six tackles (four solo), including some crunching hits in the succeeding drive. Ricky Sayles of McKeesport, bound for Penn State, sacked Maryland QB Matt Kastantin on third down, moving the ball back to the 10 yard line, and the visitors’ placekicker, John Duke, booted the 26-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead.

Pennsylvania’s second signal caller, Bruce Keys of Erie Tech, who plans to play under Gerry Faust at Akron, got the Keystoners on top on Pa.s’ second series. He fired a pass to Reading High’s coveted receiver, Rich Reyes, who went untouched on a 74-yard play. Anthony Guadagnino of Easton, whose mother is the former Roseann Coppola of Tamaqua, booted the first of three successful PATs with 5:36 on the clock to make it 7-3.

In the second quarter, Maryland once again took the lead, when Keys was intercepted on a pass intended for Paluck. Andre Vaughn, future Maryland University gridder, picked off the pass that Palick said “was thrown behind me” and returned it 20 yards to the Pa. 7. Two plays later, Shepard caught a TD pass from Kastantin (Davidson-bound) for a TD, with Duke’s placement giving Maryland a 10-7 lead with 11:15 left in the half.

Rocket Scores Two

Wilkes-Barre Meyers superstar, Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, headed for Notre Dame with Ridgley, showed his stuff from this point on. With Hackenberg leading the offense, the Keystoners marched 57 yards to go in front for good.

Ismail, a speedster who won the state sprinting championships this spring, took a pitch from the Marian QB, rode several key blocks, including one from Paluck around the corner, and scooted 34 yards to the Maryland 16. Hackenberg, who’ll play under Coaldale native George Welsh of Virginia, then picked up 14 yards and a first down on an option play that pushed the ball to the visitors’ two yard line, before Ismail hit paydirt with 9:30 left in the half, followed by Guadagnino’s boot.

Afterwards, Hackenberg, asked about his option role (uncharacteristic at Marian), said, “It felt really good. I was making the right reads.”

Before the Pennsylvanians stole the show, Shepard had another opportunity to show why he’s destined to make Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson happy, as he hauled in another pass from Kastantin. On third-and-22, he caught the bomb for a first down, followed by a 43-yard field goal by Duke that got Maryland within one, 14-13, with 4:08 left in the half.

Hackenberg was never any better in the following drive, which covered 71 yards. He ran for 10 yards to the Maryland 34 with 1:53 left, and then connected on a 13-yard pass play with Kenny Morgan of Pittsburgh North Catholic, headed for Syracuse. With 47 seconds on the clock, the Marian signal-caller ran for a seven-yard pickup, and two plays later, faced with a third-and-three situation, found Paluck open for a first down that kept the drive alive.

“We were in our two-minute offense, and I knew I had to go to the (first-down) marker,” said Paluck, bound for Missouri. “The strong safety had me covered but Erick put the ball on the money. I was glad my first reception as a tight end was thrown by Erick.”

With 11 seconds remaining, Hackenberg tossed a screen to Ismail, and the speedy back zoomed into the endzone for the tally.

Head Coach Mickey Gorham of Meyers said he was happy with his team’s showing, saying, “It’s a shame we couldn’t play the second half, but I’m more happy that no one got hurt.” He called his team’s play “exciting and explosive.”

Hackenberg, who alternated the offensive series with Keys, said the Keystoners were prepared for a strong second half. “Coach (Gorham) had us in great shape and we were hoping to open things up in the second half. But overall, I’m happy we won. Everybody on this team will be friends for a long time, and that’s important.”

Paluck, too, was pleased. “This was like an appetizer, I guess. I can’t wait to get started at Missouri,” he said about his future. “I liked tight end because I got to do a little bit of everything.” In addition to his offensive and special teams play, he also held for the three PAT conversions.

GAME NOTES ... Hackenberg led Pa. offense with 101 yards. He was 6-for-11 for 68 yards passing and rushed four times for 33 yards. Ismail carried four times for 48 yards in addition to catching three passes for 18 yards, including the TD pass. Bob Samuels of Farrell High, bound to make Joe Paterno happy at PSU, had 28 yards on four carries and returned three kickoffs for 87 yards. Ridgley led the defense with six tackles and a fumble recovery. Paluck had one assisted tackle ... Other Anthracite players who played were Matt Greco of North Schuylkill (Syracuse), Ron Reagan of Berwick (Maryland) and Tim Samec of West Hazleton (Virginia) ... Hackenberg passed to Morgan for 40 yards to the Md. 12 yard line late in first quarter but hosts turned ball over on downs when a fourth-down pass was dropped ... Marian’s Stan Dick, 1988 Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association president, presented Coach of the Year Awards prior to game ... Joe Leonzi, Paluck’s skipper at PV, and Panther AD Charlie Williams were among those on hand, as were hundreds of area fans.