The Mike Terry Awards

Since 1962, the Mount Carmel Lions Club has sponsored the celebrated Mike Terry Awards, which are given to the outstanding back and lineman of the regular season contest between the Mount Carmel Area Red Tornadoes and the Shamokin Area Indians.  The award winners are chosen by a committee of Lions Club members based on the players' efforts during that game. 

The awards are given in memory of the legendary Mount Carmel Tornado football coach Mike Terry, who tragically passed away moments after his team won the annual Thanksgiving Day game between Shamokin and Mount Carmel in 1961.

We congratulate both players on being awarded this prestigious honor.  

The 56th annual award recipients for the 2017 season are:

John Ayers and Michael Hood

Lion Bob Lapinski is the Mike Terry Awards Program Chairman

 

The 57th Awards Dinner will be held at the Mount Carmel Eagles on Thursday, February 14, 2019 at 6:30 PM.

The 55th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 54th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 53rd Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 52nd Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 51st Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 50th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 49th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 48th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 47th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 46th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 45th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 44th Annual Mike Terry Awards

The 43th Annual Mike Terry Awards

A History of Winners

 

 

 

2017 - J. Ayers, M. Hood

2016 - B. Anderson, J. Ayers

2015 - J. Ayers, M. Duran

2014 - G. Barwicki, D. Farronato

2013- J. Jones, Z. Wasilewski

2012 - V. Candelora, L. Klingerman

2011 - E. Joraskie, C. Shustack

2010 - C. Shustack, M. Stutzcavage

2009 - J. Pellowski, M. Sinopoli

2008 - T. Demko, M. Wasilewski

2007 - S. McCollum, J. Pellowski

2006 - J. Goins, J. Pachuski

2005 - J. Dowkus, D. Pellowski

2004 - D. Letcavage, A. Parkansky

2003 - D. Letcavage, T. Wargo

2002 - D. Letcavage, S. Matzura

2001 - S. Matzura, D. Shinskie

2000 - S. Matzura, J. Veach

1999 - J. Veach, V. Yasenchak

1998 - J. Parisella, N. Sebes

1997 - R. Leshinski, S. Sinkovich

1996 - J. Scicchitano, B. Veach

1995 - J. Costello, B. Veach

1994 - S. Sheptock, B. Veach

1993 - M. Higgins, S. Sheptock

1992 - M. Kogut, J. Sinkovich

1991 - M. Kogut, J. Sinkovich

1990 - T. Kulick, J. Sinkovich

 

 

1989 - D. Fantini, T. Mazzatesta

1988 - T. Mazzatesta, M. Merlo

1987 - B. Kaminski, K. Shedleski

1986 - M. Ahrensfield, T. Glowatski

1985 - M. Ahrensfield, M. Ficca

1984 - M. Diminick, R. Varano

1983 - L. Guarna, J. Keating

1982 - L. Guarna, R. Varano

1981 - M. Kraynak, F. Sheptock

1980 - B. Kent, R. Zaleski

1979 - E. Diminick, G. Zimmerman

1978 - J. Corbaccio, G. Meredith

1977 - G. Kent, B. Zavarick

1976 - B. Bolick, C. Else

1975 - D. Chucoski, R. Savitski

1974 - J. Girolami, B. Williams

1973 - L. Cole, K. Diminick

1972 - J. Ahrensfield, J. Muolo

1971 - P. Pachutski, L. Zlocki

1970 - J. Halcovich, H. Hynoski

1969 - G. Diminick, M. Semicek

1968 - D. Lentini, R. Veach

1967 - J. Ambrose, J. Shirmer

1966 - J. Haffey, B. Hamernick

1965 - J. Buchinski, B. Wanzie

1964 - W. Altomire, J. Kovach

1963 - T. Beierschmitt, A. Zielinski

1962 - R. Grossman

The awards were named after Mount Carmel Coach Mike Terry who succumbed to a heart attack after the Thanksgiving day football game against Shamokin in 1961.

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Legends of the Fall - Mike Terry

By Ken Culton

For The News-Item

"Most of us knew Mike Terry as Mr. Football. He established great fame for Mount Carmel as a town for football. Every coach whose team played against Mount Carmel had the greatest respect for him and his ball club. They would marvel in amazement at how he would manage to achieve such success, season after season, in turning out winning ball clubs for years. His position as head coach for Mount Carmel football teams was a tedious job, but he loved it and he really showed us that. He had to take a great deal of ridiculing by grandstand coaches and others. He would always take it in stride, thinking people had a right to their opinion. He was a man who was very thoughtful toward other people and he would do anything in his power to help his boys find places in life. Because he was such a great man, we shall never forget him."

 

Click to enlarge

These are the words of Ron Grossman and Wayne Wrona, Mount Carmel High School class of 1963, written after their beloved coach's death in 1961.

The '61 Thanksgiving Day game between Mount Carmel and Shamokin had just ended. Mount Carmel came from behind to defeat the host team, 19-13, and Coach Terry was boarding the team bus to take his victory back home.

But Coach Terry would never make it onto the bus, suffering a fatal heart attack. Just like that, an already legendary coach was gone at the age of 52.

He may have died on that cold, crisp afternoon, but his memories will live on as long as Mount Carmel Area High School plays football.

Terry's football days started at Mount Carmel High School. He led his team to the 1927 state championship, scoring the touchdown and throwing for the extra point in beating Bellefonte, the Western Conference champs, 7-6. He was selected to the Big 33 team after that senior season.

After graduating in 1928, Terry enrolled to play football at the University Pittsburgh. Not wanting to be an interior lineman, he left Pittsburgh and went to play at Villanova. His decision to leave Pittsburgh for Villanova was a good one. He was a two-time All-American as an end.

Back then, they called it the All-America Board of Football. On the board at that time were several prominent names. Three of those names were Christy Walsh, Glenn Warner and Knute Rockne. To be selected by the likes of these men would have been quite an honor.

Immediately after graduating from Villanova in 1932, where he played baseball and participated in track as well, Terry took over the position of head football coach at Kulpmont High School. He coached at Kulpmont for 15 years before taking over the program at Mount Carmel in 1947.

At Kulpmont, he coached the legendary 1938 team that won the state championship, defeating Ferndale, 50-19. He compiled a 94-40-9 record for those 15 years.

In his 15-year tenure at Mount Carmel High School Terry won 102 games, lost 54, and tied 10, winning the Eastern Conference Championship in 1954.

Not only did coach Terry win football games, but he produced many great football players as well. And the list is long: Ed Kaminski, 1940, first-team All-State; Stan Maddish, '42, second-team All-State; Joe 'Jazz' Diminick, '44, honorable mention All-State; Clem Tromascewski, '45, first team all-state; Bernie Berkowski, '45, second team all-state. All of the aforementioned players were from Kulpmont.

And at Mount Carmel: Glen Adams, '48, second-team All-State; Bob Pollock, '52, first-team All-State and All-American; Tom Vershinski, '54, first team All-State and All-American; Dan Ficca, '56, two-time first team All-State and All-American; and Jim Darrup, '58, third team All-State.

But coach Terry didn't gain the respect of everyone he met because of his wins on the football field or the number of all-staters he coached. He won everyone's respect because of the man that he was.

In the era in which he played football he was considered a huge man, 6'2" tall, 200 pounds. But his kindness and heart were much, much bigger. "He was a mild, kind, soft-spoken man," said his wife, Binnie Terry. "Never was there an unkind word from him or even an unkind thought. That's why everyone respected him so much."

Jazz Diminick put it this way: "He was the epitome of coaches. We respected him so much that we would have run through a wall for him. When he coached, he didn't tell you what to do, he showed you what to do."

Diminick added, "Before I was to coach my first game at Coal Township, coach Terry called me on the phone to wish me luck. Here was my old coach, who I respected greatly, calling me to wish me luck. That's the kind of man he was."

The respect and admiration that players, coaches and fans had for coach Terry was most evident when he was laid to rest. Letters from representatives and senators were received at his home. Players, coaches and many fans, not just from Mount Carmel and Shamokin but from many schools and towns in the surrounding area, came to pay their respects.

So when the next Mount Carmel Area football player receives the Mike Terry Award, surely we will be reminded of the words of Ron Grossman and Wayne Wrona, and remember the man.

Mike Terry, a coal region legend.

 

Used by permission of the News-Item.

JK 2018