Remember When?: Montana’s greatness no surprise
By The Valley Independent
Joe Montana’s success hasn’t come as much of a surprise to Chuck Abramski, Jeff Petrucci, Fran LaMendola and John Kendra among others.
They were the four coaches who worked with Montana in his years at Ringgold High School.
“Before the football season started I told one of the Pittsburgh newspapers that he would be the best quarterback in the state,” recalled Abramski, the outspoken former head grid mentor of the Rams.
Montana lived up to the publicity by throwing for over 1,000 yards for the second straight year in leading Ringgold to an 8-1 season and a share of the Big 10 Conference championship with Monessen and Thomas Jefferson.
After losing 8-6 in the 1973 season opener at TJ, the Rams won eight straight en route to the best record in the school’s history.
Two games stand out when Abramski talks about Montana.
Both involved neighborhood rival Monessen, which dominated the Big 10 in the 1970s.
The first was Montana’s debut as the Rams’ starting signal-caller in his junior year, in the third game of the season.
After opening with losses to Elizabeth Forward and Fox Chapel, Abramski switched his No. 1 quarterback Paul Timko, a senior, to tight end to make room for Montana.
The move paid dividends right away as Montana completed 13 of 22 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns including six for 133 yards and three scores to Timko to pass the Rams to a 34-34 tie with the heavily favored Greyhounds.
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