Blackstone out at Millersport

JoeGatto · Post by **JoeGatto** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:20 pm

Hilltopper....you are right on. Sounds like a coach I'd want my own son playing for, one who understands and accepts kids wanting to play multiple sports.
As far as lifting in season, we allowed our baseball players to go to weight lifting whenever it didn't conflict with baseball practice or games. However, it wasn't a two way street. The football coaches (particularly Blackstone...who was just an assistant) wanted them there all the time regardless of their other athletic commitments. If he wants to encourage kids to get in the weight room that's one thing, but yelling at them while they were at baseball practice was totally uncalled for and selfish.
What are we teaching our kids if we pressure them and encourage them to quit other sports just to devote all their time to our sport of choice for them? I think we are teaching them how to be quitters and we are not building men of integrity and character. A coach who truly cares about the kid will encourage them to keep their commitments and wish them the best of luck and support them in their other sports endeavors.

lover · Post by **lover** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:56 am

plain and simple if you played football he had use for you. Or if you were in the lower levels and had the potential to be a good football player he would take notice. However, he would do almost anything to keep you off of the basketball court and baseball field.

JohnKnight · Post by **JohnKnight** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:23 pm

He used to love baseball!

Seated: Larry Blackstone (bat boy), Terry Whitlock (clubhouse boy). First row: Gene Alley, Tom
Butters, Tony Asaro, Larry Shepard (manager), Clyde Sukeforth (coach), Bob Burda, Rex Johnston.
Second row: George Spencer, Frank Bork, Larry Elliot, Fred Green, Tom Parsons, Gary Rushing,
Frank Herrera, Ron Blackburn, Tiny Tunis (trainer). Back row: Elmo Plaskett, Buddy Prichard,
Steve Blass, Dick Lines, Bob Priddy, Orlando McFarland, Felix Santana.

hilltopkid · Post by **hilltopkid** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:44 pm

Oakland Raiders Draft Picks-1968

1 Eldridge Dickey, QB, Tennessee St.
2 Ken Stabler, QB, Alabama
3 Art Shell, T, Maryland State
4 Charlie Smith, RB, Utah
5 John Naponic, T, Virginia
7 John Harper, C, Adams State
7 George Atkinson, DB, Morris Brown
9 John Eason, TE, Florida A&M
10 Rick Owens, DB, Pennsylvania
11 Marv Hubbard, FB, Colgate
11 Ralph Oliver, LB, San Diego State
12 Larry Plantz, WR, Colorado
13 Larry Blackstone, RB, Fairmont St.
14 Ray Carlson, LB, Hamline
15 Mike Leinert, RB, Texas Tech
16 David Morrison, DB, SW Texas
17 Steve Berry, E, Catawba

OH YEAH? WELL HE LIKED FOOTBALL BETTER! ALTHOUGH HIS BROTHER, RICHARD DID PLAY FOR THE REDS ORGANIZATION.

Army · Post by **Army** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:25 pm

hilltopkid wrote:Oakland Raiders Draft Picks-1968

1 Eldridge Dickey, QB, Tennessee St.
2 Ken Stabler, QB, Alabama
3 Art Shell, T, Maryland State
4 Charlie Smith, RB, Utah
5 John Naponic, T, Virginia
7 John Harper, C, Adams State
7 George Atkinson, DB, Morris Brown
9 John Eason, TE, Florida A&M
10 Rick Owens, DB, Pennsylvania
11 Marv Hubbard, FB, Colgate
11 Ralph Oliver, LB, San Diego State
12 Larry Plantz, WR, Colorado
13 Larry Blackstone, RB, Fairmont St.
14 Ray Carlson, LB, Hamline
15 Mike Leinert, RB, Texas Tech
16 David Morrison, DB, SW Texas
17 Steve Berry, E, Catawba

OH YEAH? WELL HE LIKED FOOTBALL BETTER! ALTHOUGH HIS BROTHER, RICHARD DID PLAY FOR THE REDS ORGANIZATION.

Hilltop,
Wasn't he a twin brother? I met him at Wellston in 1974.

Here is a part of a post I cut and pasted on here that I placed on the Wellston Thread about Larry.

Apollo Creed,

I know

I like Wellston playing against there former SEOAL foes again, those teams bring back memories, but would have rather seen the AD pick up a few teams that they may be able to compete against as you stated.

Did you know that Wellston has had seven head coaches in 17 years? Do the math, there is no longevity or stabalization at Wellston to get a program really started.

Apollo, when they do get a decent coach they usually run him off or the coach leaves for a bigger or better school to coach at. One coach who was at Wellston when I was in school helped heal our program after we had a coach the previous year that went 0-10 in the 72-73 season. Likewise our B-Ball Program went 0-18 that season too. The coach Wellston hired was Jody Michaels who was a Jackson Alum. He brought assistants, Larry Blackstone a Bloom Carroll alum, Fairmont State, WV alum and Vietnam Army Veteran. Blackstone was a first team NAIA All-American. His Fairmont Teams record went in 67;
1967 Fairmont State "Falcons" (11-0)

9/16 West Virginia Tech W, 42-7
9/23 Bluefield State W, 52-13
9/30 Salem W, 21-13
10/7 West Virginia Wesleyan W, 48-0
10/14 Glenville State W, 21-0
10/21 West Liberty State W, 20-0
11/4 Waynesburg W, 7-0
11/11 Central State (OH) W, 8-0
11/18 Concord W, 23-20
11/25 Northern Michigan W, 21-7 (NAIA Playoffs)
12/9 Eastern Washington W, 28-21 (NAIA Champions Bowl)

Larry also was the head coach at Jackson and Wellston later on. If memory serves me right he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the old AFL but got sent to Vietnam.

Hubbard beat him out for the position, Number 44.

Also Coach Michaels brought Coach Bill Fyffe, another Jackson Alum, O.U. Alum and USMC Veteran with him. Coach Fyffe would also serve as Head Coach at Wellston later on and defeated Coach Larry Blackstones Jackson Ironmen Team. We also had Steve West a Wellston Alum as an Assistant. The first 4 years Coach Michaels was at Wellston they went 3-6-1 tied Jackson 8-8 in 73-74 season, then 5-5, 6-4 and 7-3. Later on Wellston would have Coaches Jenkins, Tustin, and others Michaels would bring and they did a complete turn around in Wellston Sports, that would get the kids excited and know they could compete in the SEOAL. That was a total change fom the 69-70 / 70-71 / 71-72 / 72-73 seasons at Wellston in the SEOAL. I believe he left after the 79 or 80 season?

JohnKnight · Post by **JohnKnight** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:50 pm

yes, his twin brother Barry was pretty good too and is the DC at Johnathan Alder and was a head coach in Hilliard.

Army · Post by **Army** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 4:44 pm

JohnKnight wrote:yes, his twin brother Barry was pretty good too and is the DC at Johnathan Alder and was a head coach in Hilliard.

JohnKnight,

Larry was a great coach and mentor. I and my whole classmates respected him both on the field and off the field. One time in PE-Class we were playing volleyball and myself and one other person set it up and spiked the ball in his face. It knocked his glasses off. The inital reaction was, we all started laughing. The next thing we know his face got all red, as he was putting his glasses back on and he chased me and the other kid all the way down past the old Texaco Gas Station outside the Wellston Gym, when the H.S. was on Pennsyvania Ave. I believe if he would of caught us, he would of got us down on the ground in the headlock.

But those days are long gone. Today a kid would be trying to have something like that be put in the newspapers and have that person be dragged into court. Plus trying to get a person of that situation fired.

If memory serves me right, I do remember myself and the other kid having to run extra laps that evening in FB practice. Those were the days, long gone and only fond memories.

I wonder why

Awe...it was all in fun. Again, Larry is a class coach and person.

In my view, the problem is, there are to many (Mommy's Boys) playing sports now days and if they don't get to start or, they get there feelings hurt in practice, they are ready to quit or transfer at a moments notice.

It's called maturity. Something lacking desperatly in our schools today.

ARMY

hilltopkid · Post by **hilltopkid** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 5:14 pm

Army,
JK already answered your question about the twin. That family is loaded w/ athletes. There younger brother Richard played baseball in the Reds organization. He had kids that played basketball at OU(daughter-Erin) and sons (Justin and Brian) who played b-ball at Canisius(sp?), Rio Grande and Marietta. There oldest sister's boy is about 6'9" and played b-ball at Fairmont too. Barry had a daughter that played Volleyball at Fairmont and one is married to an NFL player.
I'd have to say they have pretty good bloodlines.
As a side note-their father, Dean who recently passed, worked on the farm daily, and in the fields well into his 80's. He was remarkable man. Bailed many a bail of hay w/ him driving the bailer, you had better not get behind or he'd bury you. :-D

Ironman92 · Post by **Ironman92** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:16 pm

Hey JK....what team is that?

Is that "THE" Steve Blass?

Awesome picture...My God that good looking boy in the front row has big arms...beside the boy with spaghetti handing from his shoulders! lol

JohnKnight · Post by **JohnKnight** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:28 am

the 63 Columbus Jets. They were before the clippers. Coach told me he wrote an essay about how he loved baseball to get the honor of being the batboy and how he followed many of those guys; careers for years after he was batboy.

Army · Post by **Army** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:04 pm

JohnKnight wrote:the 63 Columbus Jets. They were before the clippers. Coach told me he wrote an essay about how he loved baseball to get the honor of being the batboy and how he followed many of those guys; careers for years after he was batboy.

JohnKnight,

Larry was a great coach and super guy, I respect him a lot, and only wish him the best.

ARMY

JohnKnight · Post by **JohnKnight** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:23 pm

Lots of people hate him too. He is a black and white guy! No gray area for Coach Blackstone.

That sure looks like the Steve Blass!

http://z.lee28.tripod.com/sbnsforgottenintime/id7.html

JohnKnight · Post by **JohnKnight** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:26 pm

The legend of Steve Blass Disease!

http://www.thebaseballpage.com/columns/ ... 000601.htm

MTSWNGRVSG · Post by **MTSWNGRVSG** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:11 pm

Just a question. Was Bill Stewart, new WVU Head Football Coach, an assistant for Coach Blackstone at Salem College?

JohnKnight · Post by **JohnKnight** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:31 pm

Absolutely! He showed me around the place when I was went there to visit but left that spring to coach elsewhere. NC I think. My buddies who were there a year before me told great stories of Wild Billy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Stewa ... l_coach%29

I got an email from Larry today, Bragging on Coach Stewart!

MTSWNGRVSG · Post by **MTSWNGRVSG** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:46 pm

That was what I thought. Had some high school teamates that went to Salem starting in 78. They were recurited by Alta but Blackstone came in by the time they got there in the fall of 78. Stewart getting the job at WVU is a great story.

Is Coach Blackstone looking to coach again next year somewhere else?