Patrick "Pat" Field (1945)

"Pat" Field, RHS '45, was an all-star athlete at Redstone in 1945 and the University of Georgia from 1947 to 1950 after service in the US Army during WW II.

Following high school and after his discharge from the Army, he received a football scholarship to the University of Georgia.  He played for the Bulldogs under Coach Wally Butts from 1947-1950.

In 1947, he punted the football 96 yards against Georgia Tech in the Thanksgiving Day game in Atlanta.  In 1948 and 1949, he led the nation in punting, while the Bulldogs won the SEC Championship in 1948.  In 1949 and 1950, he was picked on the all Southeastern Conference team as a punter.  In 1950, he received the Alter Jenkins trophy as the most valuable back on the University of Georgia, and Punter of the Year for the SEC.

For more information on Pat, click here.

Mac Marshall

(1949)

Ron Tracy

(1950 - 1951)

"Other (greats) include Mac Marshall, a halfback from Filbert #1, (1949) and Ron Tracy, a guard from Filbert #1 who played in 1950 - 1951."
Joe Cindrich commenting on his Filbert #1 team mates.

Oslavsky brothers

John and "Jake"

"Also from Filbert #2 were two Oslavsky brothers, Jake and Bill (?), the older one played at King's Point Academy.  Jake played end and punted at Indiana University in 1959."
Joe Cindrich about the Oslavsky brothers.

Bob Locke

"Bob Locke was from Grindstone and one of the best fullbacks as well as one of the best punters I've seen.  He could have gone to the pros, but, he chose to play baseball instead.   He helped RHS win the WPIAL in 1952.  He went on to play in the majors for the Cleveland Indians."
Joe Cindrich about his teammate.

As Joe told us, Bobby did choose Major League baseball over football. He started his career with the Cleveland Indians.  Locke was originally signed by the Indians as an amateur free agent in 1953.  He made his big league debut with them at the age of 25 on June 18, 1959 against the Boston Red Sox.

Forty-Five Years Ago - August 1956

* Bobby Locke, the former football and baseball star at Redstone high school, is already a 15- game winner this season for Reading in the Class A Eastern League. Big Buck Grover, former all-around athlete at Brownsville high school, sports a 9-7 pitching record with Lafayette in the Class C Evangeline League.

You can find out more about Bobby's Pro Baseball carreer here.

Joe Cindrich (1949 - 1952)

Joe Cindrich, class of 1953, was a 1952 All-American and the only athlete, among many good ones, to achieve this lofty honor.  Many experts consider the Filbert lad to be the best tackle Fayette County has ever produced.  Joe's skills were only matched by his durability as a player.  He played every minute of every game in his senior year.

As documented in a local newspaper "It will be the University of Pittsburg for Joe Cindrich, all-state tackle from the Redstone high school.  Joe was sought after by close to 40 colleges and universities since he graduated from Redstone last May.  After starring in the Jaycee all-star game last week, Joe decided to continue his athletic career for Coach "Red" Dawson of Pitt."

After one year at Pitt, Joe played for the US Marine Corp. out of Paris Island.  Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury that would plague him the rest of his outstanding football career.

After his Marine career, Joe attended Indiana University.  Cindrich, by then a 225 pound, 6-2 inch lad, was considered a prime figure in the critical guard picture for Indiana.  However, after a football drill, Cindrich said the knee had been bothering him again and decided to drop out of the sport.  He had endured two operations in an attempt to straighten his knee out.

To learn more about Joe's football career after high school and his impressive scholarly accomplishments, view Joe's resume.

Frank Filchock

(1952 ?)

60 Years Ago – November 1943

* Frankie Filchock, who hails from Braznell and was one of the best backs to come out of Redstone High School, is now going great guns for the Memphis NATTC team. The former district star went on to make a name for himself in the collegiate (Indiana) and professional world (Washington Redskins).

Fifty Years Ago - July 1950

* A former Redstone High School football star has been reinstated to professional football.  Thirty-three year old Frankie Filchock, former New York Giants backfield ace, was reinstated yesterday by Bert Bell, commissioner of the National Football League.  Filchock was barred from professional football three years ago when he failed to report a bribe offer.  He admitted having received and rejected a bribe offer without reporting it to the league.  The intent of the bribe offer was to entice Filchock and teammate Merle Hapes, who was also suspended, to "throw" the championship game between the Chicago Bears and New York Giants.  The Bears won the game 24 - 14.

Filchock, a college star at Indiana University, played with the Washington Redskins from 1938 through 1945 and with the Giants in the 1946 season.  In 1944 he edged teammate Sammy Baugh for the league passing championship.

Sam Meloni

(1952 ?)

Willie Dileo

(1952 ?)

George Dileo

(1952 ?)

Jim Freeman

(19?? - 19??)

Al DeFigio

(19?? - 19??)

Ronnie McCune

(19?? - 19??)

The following is from an old newspaper clipping (unfortunately, the date is not known): 
Ronnie McCune, who starred in the Redstone high school backfield in the 1952 Big-Six championship team, is considered by many as one of the best running backs to come out of Redstone.  He will continue his education this fall at prep school and the following year enter the University of Tennessee.  

Ronnie has another year of high school, but is ineligible for athletic competition because of age.  Rather than he finish at Redstone and remain out of football, Ronnie will play the grid sport at a prep school this fall.

Frederick "Fred" H. Mazurek (1957 - 1960)

Fred is easily one of the best all around athletes to play any sport at Redstone Township High School and arguably all of Fayette County.  After graduating from Redstone in 1961, Fred attended the University of Pittsburgh.

The Mid Mom Valley All Sports Hall of Fame site capture's Fred's accomplishments well:
Fred was born on March 21, 1943, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, of Polish ancestry, the son of Joseph A. and Alberta Mazurek. A coal mining father, Joe did a bit of catching for Johnstown in the old Middle Atlantic League and with Washington of the Penn State League.  If you saw him play, you remembered his "hustle".  He played hard.  Between 1930 and 1950, Joe played for 22 coal-mine teams.  Joe is a member of the Fayette County Baseball Hall of Fame.   Later, as a school board member, Joe made it possible for other Redstone athletes to play sports by scraping up money to revamp the athletic program.  From child prodigy to cultured adult, Fred did things in the tradition of his father's excellence.  A gifted athlete and prodigious academic student, Fred Mazurek has become a legendary figure in the Mon Valley.  In Fayette County, Fred is rated by many sports enthusiasts as the County's greatest all-around athlete.  He knew what he wanted out of life early and knew what it would take to get there.  Besides athletics, Fred found the energy to become a talented piano player.  He could have been a concert pianist if he had specialized in this.  As senior class president and straight 'A' student, Mazurek was a natural leader.  He graduated from Redstone High School in 1961.

As a star football player, Fred from Redstone High School in Republic near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, was compared to a fellow quarterback in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, one Joe Namath.  A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer said of Fred, "The Redstone fire brand does many things on the football field and does them better.  He is an excellent ball handler, the equal of Namath, and he runs as good as any halfback, kicks off, is a great passer and does his team's punting.  Mazurek's high school coach, Joe Bosnic, called Fred, "the best athlete I've ever coached and I've coached some good ones!"  Coach Bob Sturm of Pittsburgh North Catholic said of Mazurek after defeating Redstone, "Fred can beat you more ways than any kid I've seen in quite sometime.  He can run, he can pass, he can kickoff, he can punt, and he can kill you with field goals.  And then, on top of that, he's a great defensive player."

The University of Pittsburgh out-recruited 80 other schools for the football services of Fred Mazurek.  Coach John Michelosen was attracted to Fred for his "quickness" saying "He's got a lot of quickness that would make him a really good ball-carrier."  He changes direction extremely fast.  Mazurek learned to maneuver in childhood games when he played touch football with his dad as the designated quarterback.  At Pitt, Mazurek's trademarks became speed and adaptability.  At the end of the 1963 football season, there was not a better quarterback in the United States than Fred Mazurek.  Fred's quarterback coach at Pitt was "Bimbo" Cecconi, a member of the Mid-Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame.

Fred teamed with Navy's Roger Stauback in the East-West game in 1965, Fred scored the only touchdown for the East team that lost 11-7 in a pouring rain storm.  Mazurek had the distinction of being the second Pitt player to gain over 3,000 yards in three seasons.  In Mazurek's senior season, the Panthers took a pratfall, and finished with a 3-5-2 record.  For Mazurek it was one injury after another.  He spent the entire season recuperating.

Fred was drafted by the Washington Redskins as a receiver.  As a Redskin, he was reunited with one of his old Black Hawk teammates, Don Croftcheck.  Fred wore the number 20.  As a receiver, he caught two passes for a total of 28 yards and returned two punts for a total of nine yards.  Additionally, he returned kick offs, 21 for a total of 505 yards.

More on Freddie's athletic career.

Fred's baseball stats while at Pittsburgh University.

Fred's stats from his Redskin career

Charlie Packan

(1956 - 1957)

Quarterbacked the Black Hawks in 1956 and 1957.

Don Croftcheck

Redstone High School, ? - ?
Played Guard and Linebacker at Indiana University, (1962-1964)
First Team All-America in 1964
Blue-Gray Game in 1964
Senior Bowl in 1965
College All-Star Game in 1965
All-American Bowl in 1965
All Big Ten, (year ?)
Drafted by the Redskins #8 in 1965.  Wore jersey number 54.
NFL, Washington, Chicago (1965 - 1967)
Delta Upsilon All Century Pro Football Players
      - Don Croftcheck, Indiana ’65 OG-LB
      - Washington Redskins 1965-66; Chicago Bears 1967

Web-Master's note: We would like more information on Don.  If you can help us, we would greatly appreciate it.

Hall of Fame Seasons

1930 Season

Seventy Years Ago - November 1930

* In sports, two local high schools rested atop the Fayette county football standings in the first week of November.  Redstone Township High School (7 - 0) has the top rank in the county.  The team has scored 171 points and given up only 20. A close second is Brownsville High School (6 - 0), which has outscored its opponents 108 - 8.  Third is Fayette City, fourth Belle Vernon, and fifth Georges Township.  At the bottom of the list of 16 county high schools is North Union, which has been outpointed 140 - 6 in six games.

Seventy Years Ago - December 1930

* The WPIAL has issued a surprising announcement by decreeing that the Class A football title would be awarded to the winner of a showdown between Redstone township and Monessen high schools.  The decision was the most far-reaching ever attempted by the league and establishes a precedent in the league.  Not since 1924 when the western Pennsylvania teams played for the Syracuse trophy have playoffs been deemed necessary. However, the committee using the point scoring method worked out by Ralph Gardner of New Castle found that Redstone and Monessen were so close together in the final reckoning that only a playoff would definitely decide the championship.  Both teams are undefeated this season, but Monessen has been tied twice (by Class B Waynesburg and by Class A Canonsburg.) No date or site has yet been determined for the championship contest.

Seventy Years Ago - December 1930

* The showdown is over.  7,000 fans were in attendance at College Field in Washington, Pa. as Redstone township high school met Monessen high school for the 1930 Class A WPIAL football championship.  Redstone, a slight pre-game favorite, suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of the still undefeated Monessen squad.  Final score was 12 - 6.

1943 Season

Brownsville Time Capsule #196, "60 Years Ago Today, September 1943"

* Paul (Noodie) Johns led the Brownsville Brownies to victory with three touchdowns and five extra points as the undefeated Blue and White ran roughshod over the previously unbeaten Redstone Black Hawks, 48-22, at Brownie Stadium.  A crowd of 5,455 watched the powerful Brucemen score at will, while also being treated to some spectacular plays by Coach Gus Cardarelli’s Black Hawks.  The Redstone boys tallied 22 first downs to only 8 for Brownsville, with Pat Field leading the way for the Hawks, but the Brownies consistently broke long runs to seal the victory.

It was Parker Davis Night at the stadium, as the Brownsville right halfback will be inducted into the United States Navy next week.  The 18-year-old running back, having recovered from an ankle injury that limited his play last week, scored twice and was awarded the game ball after the contest.

1944 Season

60 Years Ago – November 1943

* The Redstone Black Hawks brought their most successful season since 1934 to a close with a surprising 13-7 victory over the Johnstown Trojans at Point Stadium in Johnstown.  Coach Gus Cardarelli’s boys ended their season in a blaze of glory as they played one of their best games against the up-staters.

1956 Season

The Black Hawks got off to a rough start with a 45-14 away game lost to Johnstown High School.  They lost seven fumbles on the latter's field.  Coach Dave Hart's Trojans were just too strong, taking a 20-0 lead in the first quarter and never looking back.  The score at halftime was 32-0.  Black Hawk quarterback Charley Packan was injured on the second defensive play of the game, further handicapping Coach Joe Bosnic's boys' efforts.  The first touchdown for Redstone came in the third quarter when Lou DeSimone, who shifted to quarterback, hit Al Apicella with a 66-yard scoring pass.  The other tally came in the final quarter when Johnny Rohaley intercepted a Johnstown pitchout and scampered 48 yards for a touchdown.

The following is from an old newspaper clipping, date unknown:
The Redstone Black Hawks rebounded from last week's shellacking at the hands of Johnstown.  Coach Joe Bosnic's Black Hawks defeated the Trinity Hilltoppers, 21-7, at Washington.  Jim (Casey) Jones, 190-pound back, was the big gun for Redstone as he tallied twice and battered the Trinity forward wall repeatedly.   Quarterback Charlie Packan connected with Jay Olsavsky on a pass play for the other Black Hawk touchdown.