Saturday, September 3, 2011

Tempers flare at Neil C. Brown Stadium

Washington competed better against Clairton this year but still lost, 42-12, as the Bears upped their win streak to an impressive 32 games.
Things got a little testy between the teams, and even some fans. Here's an excerpt from a story sent to the Observer-Reporter from our good friends at the Daily News in McKeesport.

"Most of the evening’s drama occurred before and after the contest. (Washington head coach Mike) Bosnic had words with Clairton fans about an hour before kickoff, and some bad blood spilled over following the game. Clairton and Washington players had to be separated after shaking hands.
Also, a group of Clairton fans was waiting for Bosnic by the Washington locker room.
“It’s not bad blood,” Bosnic said. “It’s just football.”
The Clairton coaching staff was upset that Washington left its varsity team in the game against the Bears JV unit in the fourth quarter.
“I’m just trying to make my team better,” Bosnic said. “I don’t really see what’s so bad about that. To do what they did after the game is unbelievable.”
Nola didn’t exactly see things that way.
“Their coach said that he wanted to keep his team from getting demoralized because of the score and that’s why he left his starters in,” (Clairton coach Tom) Nola said. “You shouldn’t have a first team in against a JV team.”"

29 comments:

prexie said...

lost all respect for clairton. coles did not even shake hands at the end he just walked down the line talking crap.their coaches let this stuff go and even encourage it. as far as jv playing get over it. lets go fort cherry

Anonymous said...

Why should you give up and put your second team in just because the other team is letting up? I have coached and been in position to destroy teams and called off the dogs many times but never did I expect the other team to give in and take out their starters. Also, I was at the game and Clairton never had there 1st team out until halfway through the 4th quarter. Nola displayed little class as he stirred up his players and coaches after the game and sat back and watched the fight. What a classless program. I am ashamed to be a Clairton fan. Also, shame on the fan who threatened Wash High's players during pregame. Good luck Bears and hopefully you learn from your mistakes. Hopefully we can merge with TJ and get a real coach soon.

mike_kovak said...

I spoke with Coach Bosnic, whom I consider a stand-up guy and a laid back indivdual, Saturday night and while I won't divulge particulars he told me was simply standing up for his players before the game.

I also have absolutely no problem with Washington leaving first stringers in the game. The Prexies are trying to get better. Playing against a talented team like Clairton, even backups, can help in that objective.

Joey Niklas said...

Is Anon 9:29 a real Clairton fan or poses to be one? I've never seen someone wished we'd merge w/ TJ in my life.

Another black eye man. That's all I can say. I talked to some folk about this yesterday. I'd rather be talking about the game and how Clairton looked a little vulnerable against the misdirection run game.

It sucks. Best of luck to the Prexies the rest of the way.

Justin98 said...

Its not giving up when the opposing team puts its JV team in, it's the winning team having some mercy on the other. And when that happens the other team should recognize that and do the same. So what does Wash High get out of Scoring on Clairton's JV team? Scoring on a bunch of freshman is a confidence booster to the Wash Hi Varsity? They had their 260 pound FB running against 14 year old kids weighing 120 pounds thats bush league. Clairton only dressed 25 kids because of injury and suspensions so they really didn't have a true 2nd team...most of those kids were freshman 3rd string guys. Also you would think after last year when Clairton was up 41-0 in the 4th and they took a knee on the 1yd line with a few mins left Bosnic would remember that and take that in to consideration...obviously not. And Mr Anonymous since your a spineless coward and wont say your name if your so ashamed to be a Clairton fan take your soft sensative ass over to TJ now and cheer for them right now... Prexie if Fort Cherry is your best hope to beat us your going to be let down buddy not with that defense.

Anonymous said...

I love how the wash hi folks come on here acting all innocent like your team didnt do anything. i watched as clairtons ad had to run onto the field and yell at washingtons players and coaching staff to get off the field because they kept barking and threatening clairton. you people are a joke, get your facts straight.

Anonymous said...

You guys are so funny.. every time the Bears play a washington co team, i look at this blog & laugh at you fools as you dig for any reason to bash Clairton.. get a life!! Cant wait for a merger or conference realignment so my Bears no longer have to endure this unwarranted ridicule..u guys can stick together & argue about inferior talent.. good luck Fort Cherry, ur only hope.. Truth is the Bears respect them & some are even friends with star QB T Garry, but you guys will find every reason to portray the Bears as villans i'm sure..

Great White Killershark said...

None of these postings say what is going on here! who did what --was it a jv game? ----did wash high put jv,s in the varsity game 42-12 loss ?
NONE of these postings tell me what be going on here !"HELLS BELLS " as Neil C.Brown always used to say to his bear players when they messed up WHAT BE GOINGS ON HERE????
BEARS only have 26 players I,am told by good Bear source !

Sarcastic Sword said...

Why is Clairton always involved with pre-game crap? Happens every year in a few games... You guys are too good to need to "mind-screw" an opponent? Win with class and dignity...Yet, when the criticism comes your way for not being classy, you always act like you are being picked on....And it starts from the top with Nola....If he demanded proper behavior, it would occur. So he must be ok with it....If hes not ok with it, then stop it.

it is what it is said...

@ Great White:

Clairton was up 36-6 in the 4th quarter and put their freshman team in. When Clairton put their freshman team in, thats when Bosnic decided to not only leave his starters in, but bring #44 Joe Phillips (Wash High's D-1 recruit) in from the off the bench to run at a bunch of 120 lb. freshman.

Clairton didnt like that.

Clairton scored a TD with 39 seconds left and then took a knee on the ensuing conversion.

Washington didnt like that.

Words were exchanged after the game. Wash High coaches screamed and Clairton coaches, Clairton coaches screamed back. A Wash High player had to be restrained. End of story. Both sides at fault, not just Clairton...not just Wash High.

This always happens when Clairton is involved because Clairton comes in with a reputation that preceeds them...so when something small happens everyone makes a big deal about it. I have seen this at so many high school games yet nothing is ever said about other teams.

Oh well...dont really care...Clairton has never worried about what others have though...I'm sure they arent going to start now.

Joey Niklas said...

@sarcastic sword,

Clairton players(it was the fans) wasn't involved in any pregame stuff. Friday Night was one of the quietest pregame warmups I've ever seen for the Bears. But I hear what you're saying about previous pregame stuff though.

Anonymous said...

It's such a shame that 1 program year after year does such a dis-service to it's boys. Winning is great and such a winning streak is to be commended, but it is continually tainted with these incidents. Teaching young men and women sportsmanship is THE primary purpose of high school athletics, and these young men will suffer in the future from the example provided by the Clairton coaching staff.

Sarcastic Sword said...

@Joey....I misinterpeted what happened....thanks for clarifying and acknowledging that players in prior years had done something like this....

So the next question that needs asked is why are so-called adults directing trash talk at teenage players from the opponent? Sad situation when poor adult behavior takes away from a fine performance by their team...

Anonymous said...

@ anonymous 9/5 1:24

Dont give me this "dis-service" crap...come on. Again, you people act like this doesnt happen to any other team. Here is why Clairton always seems to be "involved" in these incidents. Ask ANY team on Clairton's schedule who their biggest game of the year is against and all of them will tell you Clairton. When you are playing your biggest game of the year tempers are going to flare, words are going to be exchanged, people are going to talk. Clairton, week in and week out, gets every teams best shot because EVERYONE wants to be the team to knock of the Bears. Every football team hypes themselves up for that game against Clairton. So what is Clairton supposed to do...just lay there and take it? Of course not, Clairton is going to talk back and defend themselves and get their team just as ready as their opponent. That is why Clairton is always the villain. Clairton just deals with it...they like that role and they play well in it.

mike_kovak said...

So the Bears have never talked first? Ever?

Joey Niklas said...

@Sarcastic Sword

What was said pregame wasn't all that bad. It was some minor heckling about Washington not gaining a first down last year. I'll be the first to admit that even I was trash talking on my facebook. I have a few Washington alums as friends and it was fun going back and forth.

I'll be the first one to defend minor trash talking during pregame warmups and the first to criticize when stuff goes over the line IE postgame pushups and waiting at the bottom of the hill in their endzone at Fort Cherry. If Clairton players didn't shake hands at the end of the game like prexie is saying, then that's something worth looking at.

R. Keith Taylor said...

I sit here and never comment on the Clairton stuff, mostly because I don't care. However, after reading this blog for three years or so (how long has it been Mike?), it always seems Clairton is the victim. When you win year in and year out and the blowouts continue to mount, people will always say you are classless. Well, in defense of Clairton, sometime you can't stop playing football. With this being said, there is unwritten protocol that always needs to be followed i.e. not throwing etc. So I defend Clairton's demeanor on the field, but year after year I hear things like the kids doing pushups and the fans being testy etc. Clairton is going to win games in A ball, heck they proved they can do it against what we all think will be a decent AA team, but its time for some accountability from Clairton.

Anonymous said...

Fc is a good team but still behind clairton. the fc/wb game was something like 38-14 at the half, the heat and the lead got to the defense for the second half and the rangers just watched time run out

Anonymous said...

Mike of course not...

But why dont you ask your buddy Bosnic why he waited until Clairton put their freshman in to put Joe Phillips into the game? Phillips didnt play a single down until that point. Why?

Anonymous said...

The truth is the Clairton coaches were upset because Wash High showed they are not invincible and they are worried about their stats. Wash High moved the ball all over the field and the game was actually more competitive than the score. Wash High had some bad snaps and fumbles that really hurt them.
I saw what happened before the game. A Clairton fan was screaming at a Wash High football player. Typical Clairton intimidation tactics. I applaud Bosnic for shutting the guy up. That kind of garbage has no place in high school football. The guy should be ashamed of himself.

Anonymous said...

@anon 9:53

The reason why Philips didn't run with the first team is because he's not the first team fullback. He hasn't been the entire season for that matter. He has been working with the 2nd's whenever he practices. The truth is the reason why he was in at the end when some of our two's went in was because that's who he works with during practice.

Anonymous said...

Leave the starters in and people complain pull them and people still complain. Maybe just put in the cheerleaders and them they could complain there were girls on the field. People are never happy ! Talking crap is part of the game from high school to the pros, get over it.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute...Joe Phillips is a senior D-1 Recruit. Thats all we have heard this entire off season. So now all of the sudden he is a 2nd stringer? Come on...

And I have to ask...what game were you watching that Wash High was moving the ball all over Clairton? OUTSIDE of Wash High putting in Phillips when Clairton's freshman were on the field, Wash High had two big plays...a screen pass that went for about 35 or 40 yards and a blown assignment in clairton's secondary that went for a TD...THAT WAS IT. Did you forget about the TD that Clairton gave away by fumbling on the 1 inch line? That game SHOULD have been a mercy rule and would have been early if not for that fumble. Closer than it looked??? PUH-LEASE!!!

mike_kovak said...

Phillips suffered a stress fracture (right ankle) and had not practiced much heading into the opener.

That information can be found here.

A-Wild said...

Can Clairton merge with EF please? Soon?

Joey Niklas said...

Clairton merge with EF??? Why???

Anonymous said...

Clairton parents and their coach Mr. Nola embrace this kind of nonsense. I feel the WPIAL should step in and perhaps educate Mr. Nola on sportsmanship. I witnessed the FC debacle 2 years ago.
Should the Bears move up a classification?
Aliquippa is a single A school in regards to numbers and would destroy Clairton.

Anonymous said...

If Clairton had guts they would play up a classification and get whooped by Burgettstown.

Crypt Keeper

Anonymous said...

Man,I saw a team give Clairton a battle last night and saw some of the most disgusting fans that I have ever seen.Clairton fans.Cursing ,grabbing body parts,F this ,F that.Not only adults but both men and women.Their nonsense seems to be all over the net and the same names defending them on them.PIAA do something with this public menace known as Clairton.