Rec Sports

Steeped in football tradition, Jeannette community rallies to keep longstanding youth program going

Published

5 months ago

August 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dan Cooper sat in a locker room at Clarkson Field for three weeks in July waiting to recruit young football players.

The days passed and only a few kids signed up at the practice site for the Jeannette Midget Athletic Association.

As a July 21 deadline approached, Cooper, president of the association and head coach of the 11- and 12-year-old team, knew the program was in jeopardy.

“It’s just getting tougher and tougher to get kids to come out and play,” said Cooper, 61, who has been involved with the program for almost 50 years.

Located on the outskirts of town, Clarkson Field is a staple of the 73-year tradition of Jeannette youth football.

Inside the locker room, football pads are stacked high in front of wooden lockers containing generations of signatures from young Jayhawks.

In black lettering, a signature from Terrelle Pryor — who is a symbol of Jeannette’s football success for his time in the National Football League — is etched on a corner locker.

As news spread of the youth season’s uncertainty, the community rallied together to keep the tradition alive.

People took to Facebook, encouraging friends to join the team, and donated money to help kids pay to play.

The program needed a turnout that would allow it to compete in the Big East League, comprising East Allegheny, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Kiski Valley, McKeesport, Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford, Woodland Hills and Jeannette. School districts like Gateway, Franklin Regional and Penn Trafford are about four times the size of Jeannette.

Answering the call, 60 players split by age group across four teams will represent Jeannette youth football this season.

The heartbeat of Jeannette

The Jeannette City School District district offers basketball, golf, soccer and tennis, but the pride of the small town lies in football.

Located in the heart of town, McKee Stadium — where Jeannette football players of all ages play — a sign hangs high, outlining the high school football program’s success. The sign reads: two-time state champions, 10-time WPIAL champions and 781 wins (the most in Western Pennsylvania).

“It’s the heartbeat of our city and school,” said Thomas Paulone Jr., who is the high school football head coach.

A Jeannette native who started playing football at 7 years old, Paulone, 33, said when someone is born in the city, it is almost like a birthright to play football. Paulone went on to be the quarterback and captain for the high school team.

After coaching football at Chartiers Valley High School and Waynesburg University, he returned to Jeannette as the head coach in fall 2022.

“It’s a blessing to be back and give back to the program that gave me so much,” Paulone said.

The youth football program — which dates to 1952, according to the Jeannette Area Historical Society — became a pillar of the community. Boys at the elementary level flock to the field every fall to carry on the legacy of successful Jayhawks like Pryor.

As a high school quarterback, Pryor took the Jayhawks to the 2006 state championship game, where they lost. The team returned the following year to capture Jeannette’s first state title.

After graduating in 2008, Pryor went on to be the starting quarterback for Ohio State University before playing in the National Football League for seven seasons on teams such as the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. Pryor did not respond to a request for comment.

But Pryor is not the only Jeannette alum to get a taste of the NFL; Dick Hoak, a 1957 graduate, played for and coached the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Demetrious Cox, a 2012 graduate, made appearances on the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals after playing on the defensive line as captain at Michigan State University.

“The success that Jeannette has had for decades would not be there without the midget program,” Cox said. “That was my first real experience of football.”

While Cox was playing professional football, he said, he could always tell which players had been in the sport since a young age.

“It gives you another edge for success,” he said. “That’s where the seed is planted.”

More than just a head start

Courtney Lyle’s son, Carter Cononico, 11, has been playing with Jeannette for five years. The Hempfield resident has been the team mom for three of those years.

Lyle’s devotion to the Jeannette program leads her to help the team no matter the circumstance.

After she was diagnosed with breast cancer on Father’s Day of last year, Lyle continued to carry out her duties as team mom. In this role, her responsibilities include washing all the players’ uniforms and planning team-bonding events.

One week, Lyle ensured the players had clean jerseys to wear before dashing off to the hospital for a surgery.

The team gave back to Lyle by wearing pink jerseys with her initials stitched across the top during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They a hung a banner at the stadium that read, “We wear pink for Courtney.”

“I bawled my eyes out,” she said. “I loved it, and I felt really appreciated.”

With the parents working the concession stands, supporters in the bleachers, coaches on the sidelines and players on the field, Cox said everyone became a family during his years in the youth program.

“The midgets mean everything to not only myself but also to the community,” he said.

Dwindling numbers

Cooper recalls a time that the program had almost 100 players — that was 10 years ago.

Since then, fewer and fewer kids join every year because parents are busy with work, do not want their kids to get hurt or the kids themselves show no interest in playing.

“I just think it’s a changing societal time,” he said.

Financial limitations also were among the reasons the program struggled this year.

Some parents cannot afford the registration fee or think it’s too expensive, Cooper said, but he needs to charge a certain amount because of the costs to keep the program afloat.

For each of the three home games, he hires referees at a cost of about $1,400, five security guards at $1,500 and an EMT, which costs about $300. The association also stocks the concession stand and pays for players’ uniforms, including helmets, shoulder pads, mouthpieces and jerseys — everything but the cleats.

To mitigate financial constraints, the association offered discounted registration fees and allowed parents to hold off on payments until August. Previously, players had to pay $200, but Cooper lowered the price to $100 this year.

“We do our best. We don’t want to turn those kids away,” Cooper said. “We want to help the kids. It’s about the kids; it’s for the kids.”

The financial strains youth sports impose on families in Jeannette are compounded by the decreasing number of people who participate in those programs.

Jeannette’s population decreased by nearly 1,000 in 10 years — from 9,654 in 2010 to 8,780 in 2020 — according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates put today’s population at roughly 8,500.

Likewise, enrollment at Jeannette City School District is down. The number of students enrolled declined from just over 1,000 in 2020 to 940 last year, according to the district.

“Our program was built on brothers and cousins playing together, and a lot of families moved away, so we lost a lot of that,” said Darius Brown, the assistant coach for the high school football team.

Community health

Much like how the community has not let the youth football program die, they have rallied behind business and industry in the town.

Once a major producer of glass, Jeannette struggled to survive economically after the industry’s decline. It’s a problem the town still grapples with, said Carole Babish, president of the Jeannette Business Association.

Transformation is occurring, nevertheless, and new opportunities are emerging. The future of business in Jeannette, according to Babish, is retail.

“We’ve had several new businesses open up in the city, which, I think, is encouraging,” she said. “If anything, the business district is coming back.”

DeNunzio’s Italian Restaurant, just two blocks north of McKee Stadium, is representative of how sports, business and community coalesce in the town.

“The Jeannette restaurant has been a mainstay in our town for so many years,” said Anthony M. DeNunzio II, nephew of owner Ron DeNunzio.

Opened in 1977, DeNunzio’s has since expanded to Monroeville (1997), Unity (2004) and a wholesale foods warehouse that does business in three states.

But the true heart of DeNunzio’s remains in Jeannette.

“It’s the place to go before the game. It’s a place to go after the game,” DeNunzio II said. “We’re all together. Everybody’s a Jayhawk.”

To keep traditions like these going, Kristie Linden, program manager of The Jeannette Initiative, is on a mission to secure a Main Street Matters designation for the city. The program, operated by the state, provides funding and support for community revitalization efforts.

She said the designation, if earned, would mark a major achievement in getting the central business district “back up on its feet.”

“We want this to be a town where, when the kids graduate high school, they have a reason to stay here,” she said. “There is so much community pride here, and a big part of that is the community rallying around our Jayhawks. Sports is the lifeblood of the town. It is the thing that brings all of us together and makes us have an identity together.”

‘A tragedy’

Kiaira Jackson works closely with students as the student and family liaison for the school district. She gets a firsthand look at what the youth football program provides the kids.

In addition to character building, the program gives them an outlet for their energy and ties them to the community’s longtime tradition. The program also is an incentive for kids to attend school, she said, because if they don’t show up to class, they can’t play in games.

“Without it, some of the students would not have positive role models,” Jackson said. “It gives our students a lot to look forward to.”

Additionally, there are limited opportunities for after-school programs in Jeannette, said Kelly Bender, executive director of the Mosaic Community Development Center. Incorporated in 2021, the development center grew out of the Mosaic Community Church as a response to community needs and with the mission of building community relationships, Bender said.

The center runs tuition-free summer and after-school programs for kids in third through eighth grades.

“A big part of our mission is the education, but … we ultimately want to raise up the next generation in Jeannette,” she said.

Bender knows firsthand what it’s like to have to cancel a season of youth sports. She serves as the president of the Jeannette Soccer Club, which was unable to enroll enough players to have a U10 team last fall.

She noted financial and transportation obstacles among the many barriers kids in youth sports face.

The development center does what it can to provide students with transportation from its programs to sports practices, but there are other kids in town who may have a hard time finding a ride, she said.

“I think football, as well as other youth sports and activities, provide a lot of the youth of Jeannette valuable lessons,” Bender said.

Cox, who made lifelong friends while playing youth football, said the program also serves as an outlet for camaraderie for the kids.

“It’s never a good idea to strip the kids of an opportunity to excel in something,” he said. “That would be a tragedy.”

Keeping the tradition alive

With the help of the community, the youth football program has yet to fade away.

“You’ve seen how many people — when they realized that this program could possibly be gone — how many people jumped up and started rallying to help. That right there showed me what it meant,” Cooper said. “We all keep fighting to keep this thing going, but it’s tough.”

Cooper does what he can to keep the team thriving, from providing the players with a free meal once during the season to helping them get rides to practices and games.

With parents volunteering their time, Jackson sending messages to parents about registration and Cox helping young athletes stay in shape, the community is behind Cooper in keeping the program alive.

“It takes a community. It takes a lot, and some of these kids are really dedicated and for things to keep going where they’re going, it would be a very sad day,” Cooper said. “It keeps kids off the street. It keeps kids in a healthy frame of mind and body. It’s camaraderie. It’s a tradition here in Jeannette.”

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New Floral Shop Aspen and Willow Brings Vibrant Arrangements to Green River

Published

5 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

New Floral Shop Aspen and Willow Brings Vibrant Arrangements to Green River

Tracy Hafner, Owner of Aspen & Willow.

GREEN RIVER — Save The Date Floral has spread its roots to Green River with the opening of Aspen and Willow Floral Studio, a full-service flower shop that has fresh floral arrangements and a personal story of love and loss.

Owner Tracy Hafner, who opened Aspen and Willow in late 2025, is no stranger to small business ownership. She also operates Save The Date Floral in Rock Springs, which offers similar products and services. Although the two shops are separate businesses with different websites, Hafner refers to them as sister stores that share a commitment to quality and community.

With 35 years of experience in the floral industry, Hafner opened Aspen and Willow after receiving requests from Green River residents for another local flower shop. The business, located in the former Rose Floral building, has already garnered positive feedback from the community.

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“We’ve had very good responses on our Facebook posts, and many Green River residents are excited to have us here,” Hafner said. “The support has been overwhelming.”

Hafner is also dedicated to giving back to the community. She supports local youth sports leagues, including hockey, baseball, and softball, as well as other small businesses.

“We want to be good stewards of the community,” Hafner said.

As Aspen and Willow continues to grow, Hafner plans to expand services, including floral arranging classes for residents interested in learning the art of flower design. She also hopes to hire additional staff to assist with operations.

The name Aspen and Willow is a tribute to Hafner’s late husband, who passed away in April 2024. The name honors their childhood memories of playing in aspen trees and willows, serving as a lasting homage to her husband’s memory.

Aspen and Willow is located at 2 East Flaming Gorge Way in Green River. The shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Grand Forks County Commission discuss new position and funding sources for Youth Assessment Center – Grand Forks Herald

Published

37 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

GRAND FORKS – Grand Forks County commissioners on Tuesday approved a new position for the Regional Youth Assessment Center, though the topic prompted discussion on whether other entities that utilize the YAC should contribute funds to the facility.

The additional full-time staff position at the YAC was included as part of the county’s 2026 budget to address the state’s desire for more full-time positions at the facility. The vote on Monday was to approve an employee status form related to the position.

Commissioner Terry Bjerke expressed concern over approving the position, however, largely because of the already high expenditures from the department compared to its revenue. He said expenses are approximately $2 million, while revenue is a little over $600,000. He added he would prefer if some of the cost of the position was covered by YAC partners, like the state.

“As far as I’m concerned, if they want to hire another person there to take care of all this, I’m more than willing to take the check from the state to pay for it,” he said. “I don’t think it should come from the county taxpayers.”

The documents included in the meeting’s agenda do not include a salary for the added YAC position.

Commissioner Cynthia Pic pointed out it would be difficult for the commission to deny the employee status form because the position was already approved in the 2026 budget.

“A majority of the adolescents that are served in our Youth Assessment Center are citizens from Grand Forks County,” she said.

County Administrator Tom Ford said Robin Spain, YAC administrator, has already hired someone to fill the new position.

The vote to approve the status change passed 4-1, with Bjerke dissenting. Other commissioners said they were open to discussing possible negotiations for more funding from the state or other YAC partners.

In related business, Director of Facilities Bill Gerszewski and Sheriff Andy Schneider shared the status of the new sheriff’s office building, including some repair items that still need to be completed by the building contractor, Heartland Acres Development.

“Some of them have been met, Of 19 items that I had, we are solid with six completed,” Gerszewski said.

Most of the fixes, Gerszewski and Schneider said, that still need to be done are for bigger or more difficult problems, like a roof leak. Schneider added the contractor has been keeping up with more regular maintenance.

Schneider also said he is unsure if the sheriff’s office was able to make requests for maintenance on certain issues because the county is only leasing the building right now.

“We can make a request for certain things to be changed, but if they weren’t part of a (request for proposal) or if they’re not really impacting overall business, can we really request that at this time?” he said.

Bjerke suggested discussing how long the county plans to lease the building with Heartland Acres, saying leasing it for longer than necessary was “money going down the drain.” According to the lease agreement, rent on the building is $519,000 a year with an additional cost of $12,000 a year for maintenance.

The lease also includes an option for purchasing the building as soon as five years after it went into effect, though Schneider said he would like his department to spend more time in the building,

which it moved into in June,

before considering an eventual purchase.

“I’d like to at least see two years out of the place before we’re talking about buying it,” he said. “That’s just me personally.”

In other news, the commission:

Approved designating State’s Attorney Haley Wamstad as parliamentarian and adopting Roberts Rules of Order.
Approved designating Alerus Bank, Choice Bank and Old National Bank as depositories.
Heard from Grand Forks County Water Resource District Chairman Bob Drees about the usage of the county’s public campgrounds in 2025. He said there are plans to raise camping fees for 2026 to help offset operating expenses.
Approved reappointing Kayla Hochstetler and JoNell Bakke to the Grand Forks Human Service Zone Board.
Approved reappointing Sam Landman to the Grand Forks County Weed Board.
Approved awarding a $272,445 contract to High Point Networks to perform network equipment upgrades throughout county buildings. The project is being funded with a $386,000 cybersecurity grant.
Denied approving Juneteenth, Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Dec. 26 as paid holidays for county staff. The agenda item was introduced by Pic. The vote failed 1-4, with Bjerke, Mark Rustad, Bob Rost and Kimberly Hagen dissenting.
Approved a supplementary agreement for the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office’s lease with Heartland Acres Development for the correctional center. The agreement reflects that the county paid off the remaining balance for accessories to the building, like fencing.
Received correspondence from the Eagles 4-H Club thanking the commission for sponsoring the club’s 4-H awards.
Received correspondence from Houston Engineering Inc. about a proposed roadway improvement project at the intersection of U.S. Highway 2 and North Columbia Road. The project is being done between the city of Grand Forks, the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The engineering firm requested comments from the county on the project in case it would affect any properties or proposed developments from the county.

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CK wins thriller in consolation championship | Sports

Published

45 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Playing in the consolation championship at the 17th Annual Tom Kleist Fourth-Grade Christmas Tournament on Dec. 28, Christ the King-White (CK) defeated Southwest 14-12 in a thriller. The CK roster includes Arlo Borjas (5 rebounds, 2 steals), Ryan Shields (steal), Liam Alvarado, Lucas Rodenberg (4 points, 10 rebounds, steal), Christopher Jensen, Teddy McClelland (10 points, 3 steals, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks), Leo Antonelli (4 rebounds), Brian Cook, Henry Jurewitch (steal) and Jack Gallagher (2 rebounds, steal) and Coaches Jack Danaher and Buzz McClelland. The Southwest roster includes Liam Kilstrom (2 points, steal), Grayson Daly, Wally Doran (2 points, steal), Noah Beninato (2 rebounds), Sammy Wrenn (steal), Kenny Roe (7 rebounds), Sam Colomb (3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, block), Hayden Bixler, Emmett Avros (2 rebounds, steal) and Bobby Goyke (5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals) and Coaches Nick Roe, Adam Goyke and Dan Colomb. (Review photo)

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Joe Perry Little, Jr. Obituary

Published

54 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Joe Perry Little, Jr., age 85, of Knoxville, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2026. He was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Sparta, Tennessee. He was an Eagle Scout, competed in 4-H and Future Farmers of America programs, was selected to the Tennessee American Legion Boys State, and served as a page in Washington, D.C., for Congressman Joe L. Evins.

Joe earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nuclear engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and the engineering co-op program.

He began his career as a nuclear engineer with Dupont at the Savannah River Plant and subsequently spent the majority of his career as a nuclear engineer with TVA and thereafter with various contractors in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, including Lockheed Martin, Bechtel Jacobs, and Pro2Serve.

Joe was active in the Farragut community where for many years he coached his children’s youth sports with the Cedar Bluff Farragut Optimist Club, served on the Town of Farragut’s Municipal Planning Commission, served as an elder and Sunday School teacher at Farragut Church of Christ, and was most recently a member of the Hardin Valley Church of Christ.

Joe was a loving husband, father, and grandfather; he was considered a true gentleman by all who knew him. Most recently, he prioritized time with family including regularly attending his seven grandchildren’s many, varied activities.

Joe is preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Mary (England) Little. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Becky (Ford) Little; his sister, Bettye Evans; children, Ford Little (Malinda), John Little (Jennifer), and Mary Helen Story; grandchildren, James Little (Georgia), Matthew Little (Audrey), John Grant Little (Anna), Carlen Little Sutcliffe (Langston), Rebecca Story, Sarah Frances Little, and Stacy Story; and great-grandchild, Chloe Little.

Honorary pallbearers include James Little, Matthew Little, John Grant Little, Stacy Story, Dick Anders, Jack Bender, Bob Boruff, Tommy Gordon, Eldredge Kennedy, Phil Manness, Bill McKissick, and Howard Rosser.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to the wonderful staff at NHC Farragut as well as caregivers, Cathy Van Winkle, Jenny Escobar, and Kara Hartmann.

The Little family will hold visitation at Hardin Valley Church of Christ, 11515 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Saturday, January 10, 2026, and a memorial service at 3:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Joe Perry Little to the Trinity Health Foundation, 525 Portland St., Knoxville, TN 37919, or Hardin Valley Church of Christ, 11515 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Online condolences may be made at www.rosefuneraltn.com

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Posted online on January 06, 2026

Published in Knoxville News Sentinel

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North Charleston plans youth development park with community partners

Published

1 hour ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — North Charleston and surrounding communities will soon have a central hub for community connection and wellness focused on helping underserved youth in the area.

The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, The Sandlot Initiative and the City of North Charleston are partnering on the project, which has been in development for more than five years.

“We want to impact kids’ lives,” Andy Brusman, founder of The Sandlot Initiative, said.

Building connections through sports

Brusman said the initiative aims to connect communities through sports, where children focus on teamwork rather than differences.

“You have a black child that’s playing second base. You have a white child that’s playing shortstop. Neither one is looking at black and white. They’re looking at a double play partner,” Brusman said.

The hub will address what Brusman identified as a key issue for underserved youth: unstructured free time.

“It brings you discipline. From a young age, you’ve got to be able to learn how to manage your time, your schedule, and how it interacts with everything else that you’re doing,” he said.

Expanding beyond sports

While the center will start with sports programming, organizers plan to expand into mentoring, wellness and academics.

“If you can continue to build on that and add things, like getting them exposed to coding at Clemson, you’ve set that child up to understand what they can achieve going forward,” Brusman said.

The partners believe the hub will provide a safe space for children in the community.

“Soaking it all in, because at the end of the day, is the end goal here, is just give them that place to go, a safe place,” Brusman said.

The organization is currently fundraising to build two baseball and softball fields and a training facility.

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