The Hisiro family: Charleroi stars (part 2)

Several generations were successful in a variety of athletic endeavors.

In part one of this story, the Charleroi High School football career of Tom Hisiro was explored. A two-way star, he was named to both the UPI and AP All-State teams for his play as a tight end and defensive end. He wasn’t only one of the school’s finest gridiron players ever, he is also a member of a family with a rich tradition of sports excellence.

In that last Sports Stew column, Tom’s brother John spoke of just how talented Tom was. John also has a lot to be proud of, but he enjoys focusing on his many family members who have excelled in sports and in life much more than bragging about his own accomplishments.

John and another brother, Carl, both did quite well as high school baseball players and members of the Charleroi Magicians. Carl, now a retired attorney, graduated number one in his law class.

“I had two tryouts with the Pirates and one with the Yankees,” John recalled, but then he quickly and modestly moved on to mention two other very talented members of his family.

“The really good ones were my grandchildren, Gunnar and Morgan Riley. They were named Charleroi’s outstanding athletes and scholars in their senior years. I believe they are the only brother and sister to get the top student/ athlete award in their senior year at CHS.”

Gunnar was a captain of the golf team for two of his four seasons at Charleroi, and was the baseball team’s captain during his senior season as well.

“Gunnar was the (Class AA) runner-up in the WPIAL as a golfer, and he was also a four-year starter in baseball at Charleroi,” John continued. “He attended Methodist University. He got his PGA (Professional Golfers Association) teaching license. He was an assistant at St. Clair County Club.”

He also worked at Jupiter Hills’ prestigious golf courses.

Gunnar’s performance in the WPIAL individual championships at Sewickley Heights Golf Club saw him shoot an impressive 75 to tie another golfer. He became the runner-up, though, after playing one extra hole to break the deadlock. He remained positive, realizing his 75 was a mere three strokes over par on a very difficult course.

“When I was an assistant golf pro at St. Clair, I was on staff with Taylormade and wore their dress apparel and exclusively used their equipment,” Gunnar recalled.

Turning to his granddaughter, John proudly stated, “Morgan was All-Section twice and All-WPIAL in soccer, but she was also a fabulous softball player, her preferred sport. At Mount Union (Alliance, Ohio), she was Freshman of the Year in the Ohio Athletic Conference. She was the team captain as a junior.

“She was just 11 home runs and 33 runs batted in away from the school record when COVID hit and knocked out her last two years. She would’ve set the school record there.”

She played in a national softball all-star game as well.

Morgan stated, “I would say out of everything, I’m most proud of being the Rookie of the Year my freshman year of college. I feel like I worked so hard my whole life playing this sport that meant so much to me, and I was finally able to display that in college.”

She enjoyed considerable success off the field, too.

“When Morgan was a senior and she was playing travel softball for the prestigious Pittsburgh Power team,” John continued, “she did a photo shoot at the Wild Things Field for Dick’s. She was depicted on a huge sixfoot banner being congratulated by her teammates after hitting a home run. The banner was a Christmas holiday display hanging from the rafters at all 500-plus Dick’s stores throughout the USA.

“This past Christmas the banner was again featured at various Dick’s stores in our area. It was a thrill walking into the store and pointing out that was our granddaughter. We got calls from friends all over the country telling us they saw her banner.”

Another time she was selected to be a cast member to be in the television series “A League of Their Own,” but had to bow out due to obligations to her Children and Youth workplace.

Her success was far from surprising to any Charleroi fan. In her high school junior season, the star third baseman hit an astronomical .537, helped by a torrid 16game hitting streak. She led all Cougars in a ton of categories — hits, doubles, homers and runs batted in.

Morgan now works in Pittsburgh for PNC in its fraud department. Gunnar works for a large insurance firm in Pittsburgh.

John, who retired 22 years ago as a school superintendent, said, “Both of my grandchildren have done extremely well. I’m always very proud of them.”

In short, this family is the very representation of Charleroi sports through and through.