GOLDEN AGE: Bradford’s football finale with cross-state rival
Olean, N.Y., can be the coup de grace for the local football team –
and was certainly true in the 1930s.

Today, we pick up Bill Moore’s saga of Bradford High football
powerhouses of the 1930s with the season-ending contest against
Olean in 1937.

The Owls, you may remember, went into the game not just
undefeated but having given up only 12 points all year. And they
added Olean to their shutout list 19-0.

Bill writes, “The Era’s front page headline the next day read:
‘Overflow mob of 5,000 watch Joe Pascarella, young sophomore facing
Olean for the first time, pitch two touchdown passes to Dominic
Bizzaro in the first half … Pascarella completes 12 of 16 for 183
yards for an aerial bombardment the likes of which no Bradford team
has ever displayed.'”

The 1938 season picked up where ’37 left off: The Owls beat Erie
Tech 40-6; Johnsonburg, 21-0; and Warren, 26-14. “The team then
traveled to Jamestown with their 5-0 record; played under the
lights there and came away with their first win over that school
since 1901 -ð41-19.

Bill picks up the story: “On Armistice Day 1938, the Owls were
in Olean for their last game. They set another attendance record
there. Seven thousand in Bradner Stadium was the largest in Olean
history. Bradford won 24-7 to become the only unbeaten team in
Northwest Pennsylvania.”

“The Era headline: ‘Joe Pascarella, ace back, scores first
points for Bradford in third period; Owls tally 15th successive
game without defeat.’

“Sports Editor Nelson would go into the locker room after big
games to give readers a feel for the excitement being generated by
the Owls. After the 1938 win over Olean, he reported one voice
could be heard over all the others in the visitors’ room –
‘Pascarella yelling over and over, “We won again for good ol’
Bradford.”‘

“Nelson mentioned one of Joe’s trademark punts for 65 yards
which put Olean in the hole followed by an interception by Patsy
Piganelli, ‘the Baker boy,’ and scores by Giancotti, Williams and
Wise. ‘Giancotti and Pascarella again played the entire game
without relief.’

“Bradford had the greatest offense in Northwest Pennsylvania
that year of 1938 – 2,490 yards gained with an average of 356 yards
per game and 127 yards given up. They also averaged 30.1 points per
game.”