FAMILY AFFAIR: “Your recent columns on Bradford High’s great
football teams of the past have motivated me to write you about my
brother, John Monti, and our father, Nick Monti Jr.”
That’s the word today from Joe Monti of Orlando, Fla.
He continues, “I believe the last two undefeated and untied
Bradford High football teams were the fall ’71 and fall ’48 teams.
My brother John was a senior on the ’71 team, and our dad Nick was
a junior on the ’48 team.”
“They may be one of the few (maybe the only?) father/son
connections to two undefeated Owls teams.
“My dad, a halfback, made second-team all-state during his
senior season, and went on to play semi-pro ball and then played
while in the Marines before going to combat in Korea. He is now
retired and living in Warren. Has been there since 1982.
“My brother was a flanker and then fullback on the Tom Mealy
teams, and thus mostly blocked. But in seven years of playing
football, he averaged returning every other kickoff all the way
back for a touchdown.
“In my humble opinion, he was the best kickoff returner ever
(pre-Dante Hall), and was a very good receiver and blocker, too.
Would have been a great runner as well had he not been behind the
exceptionally good Tom Mealy.
“But that was a pretty good problem for the Owls to have,
eh?
“John is a pharmacist, and has been living in Meadville since
the late ’70s/early ’80s.
“Just wanted to add my two cents’ worth about the Owls’ glory
days. I was too fat and lazy to play football myself. Also, I
attended high school mostly in Warren, so it’s probably just as
well that I didn’t play, or I might have had to kick some Owl
butt.
“Thanks for the chance to brag a little about my dad and
brother, though.”
We hope to finish off our backlog of Bradford High football
memories soon.
BACK WHEN: Howard G. Heysham wants to pick our readers’ brains:
“Can any of your readers name the guys who were on the police force
in the ’40s and ’50s? Like Johnny Colosimo … and one that was named
Woody.”
“Also long ago, I wanted to see if any of your readers remember
the old ice house at Elm Street, and the old railroad
spurline.”
