Pennsylvania Coaching Legend Mike Pettine Passes Away

[BigDrop]

http://usatodayhss.com/2017/legendary-pennsylvania-football-coach-mike-pettine-sr-dies-at-76

One of the greatest coaches American high school football has ever seen.  326-42-4 with 45 and 55 game winning streaks along with four PA 4A state championships.  Sixteen of his thirty three years of coaching were undefeated.  As the article notes a great deal of his success was before there was ever even a state title game. I am honored that a good friend (who grew up in PA) and I saw Mike Pettine's Central Bucks West in a playoff game in 1998.  To this day they were one of the best high school football teams I have ever seen.  Mike Pettine retired on a 45 game winning streak.

[Mjd33]

15 minutes ago, BigDrop said:

http://usatodayhss.com/2017/legendary-pennsylvania-football-coach-mike-pettine-sr-dies-at-76

One of the greatest coaches American high school football has ever seen.  326-42-4 with 45 and 55 game winning streaks along with four PA 4A state championships.  Sixteen of his thirty three years of coaching were undefeated.  As the article notes a great deal of his success was before there was ever even a state title game. I am honored that a good friend (who grew up in PA) and I saw Mike Pettine's Central Bucks West in a playoff game in 1998.  To this day they were one of the best high school football teams I have ever seen.  Mike Pettine retired on a 45 game winning streak.

Rip. That 98 team was beast. I think the entire O line went D1. Who did u see them play in 98? 

[The Stache]

I have his video.  Good coach.  Legend in Pa

[Cossacks]

RIP, coaching legend!

[BigDrop]

19 hours ago, Mjd33 said:

Rip. That 98 team was beast. I think the entire O line went D1. Who did u see them play in 98? 

They beat Parkland at Neshaminy.  By 30 or so points.  O line was incredible.  I remember looking at the Parkland players when they walked off the field at the end of the game.  Everyone that I looked at had a red "crease" in his forehead from where his helmet had been rammed against it.  One of the CBWest players went to VA Tech.  Don't remember who but because I have a neighbor and good friend who graduated from there I paid special attention to him.

[Nolebull813]

Did he retire after the 99 season? They came down to Florida and played some dud team in 2000. I don't know how good CBW was that year though. 

Did they ever play any out of state teams during Pettine's tenure? 

[BigDrop]

7 hours ago, Nolebull813 said:

Did he retire after the 99 season? They came down to Florida and played some dud team in 2000. I don't know how good CBW was that year though. 

Did they ever play any out of state teams during Pettine's tenure? 

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/preps/football/year-by-year-rankings.htm

USA Today National Top 25 from 1982 up to and including MIke Pettine's retirement at CB West:

1985 #10

1986 #9

1987 #7

1991 #3

1997 #4

1998 #7

1999 #4 (last year)

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/high_school/20170226_Pettine_made_unforgettable_mark_at_Central_Bucks_West.html is from the Philadelphia Daily News yesterday.  In the article about Mike Pettine, George Curry from Berwick is mentioned.  I did not realize that he passed away last year.  Two incredible losses to high school football.  

Most USA Today Top Ten finishes from 1982-1999:

De La Salle 9

Central Bucks West 7

Valdosta 7

Berwick 6

Note:  Berwick was 3A in PA and CB West was 4A.  To the best of my knowledge they never played each other.

[Adam Kurkjian]

9 hours ago, Nolebull813 said:

Did he retire after the 99 season? They came down to Florida and played some dud team in 2000. I don't know how good CBW was that year though. 

Did they ever play any out of state teams during Pettine's tenure? 

CBW lost in the state finals in 2000 in a really memorable game vs. Erie Cathedral Prep.

Not sure of OOS games, but Berwick, the team Big Drop referenced, had a couple against St. Ignatius. Think they split but not sure.

[BigDrop]

16 minutes ago, Adam Kurkjian said:

CBW lost in the state finals in 2000 in a really memorable game vs. Erie Cathedral Prep.

Not sure of OOS games, but Berwick, the team Big Drop referenced, had a couple against St. Ignatius. Think they split but not sure.

I saw the first game, at Berwick, which Iggy won.  I believe it was '97 because Iggy also played Canton McKinley who won USA Today's national championship.  That was a great St. Ignatius team  who, I believe, only lost to McKinley.  Berwick was a great high school football town.

I could be totally wrong about this but I believe Berwick had several open games each year.  Curry didn't hesitate to play the best teams he could find which included St. Ignatius and the Buddy LaRosa games at Cincinnati's Riverfront stadium.  I don't think CB West had any open games-certainly not like Berwick.  

[Adam Kurkjian]

Also loved watching those CBW offenses. They'd chip away with those long, grueling drives where they'd shift, motion and show about 10 different formations on one drive. By the end of it, the other team's front seven was confused and sucking wind, down by a touchdown but probably felt like three. CBW physically and mentally wore you down.

[sausmann9]

HUGE loss for the sport even though he was retired he was still walking the sidelines with his oldest kid when he was still at West and occasionally along side his old player Dick Beck at North Penn.  I grew up less than 40 minutes from West so I was fortunate enough to see at least one game a season of them when younger.  Everyone in Eastern PA would try to catch a CB West game when they could, his offensive line play was amazing.  Pettine Sr was an unbelievable coach that took a not-so-big public school and turned it into a 2 decade old asskicking machine.  His 1998 squad may have been the best team w/ all 5 linemen going D1 and their fullback Beast Armstrong going to Michigan I think.  In 1999 they played the catholic school from my home town in Bethlehem Catholic high school at Lehigh University and this was one of four games that ESPN followed for that season.  His offense had 80+ different formations per game and it was a sheer nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.  I still watch his teams play when we break out some old high school games.

For those of you that got copies of his games from me, you most likely got a copy of that 99' West v Erie Prep title game, that was Pettine at his best.

For those of you that saw this season's PIAA 5A state title game between Harrisburg PA and Archbishop Wood - you see the direct effect of Mike Pettine Sr during the offensive line play of Wood.  Wood's OL coach was/is Mike Carey, Mike Pettine's star player back in the 80's who played at Pitt and then came back to coach w/ Pettine Sr.  Mike Carey has been coaching AB Wood's offensive line for the last 6 seasons, its awesome to watch them in motion. 

[Mjd33]

I didn't know Mike Carey was at AWood as assistant. BC arguably played their best game against them on the road in the opener. Blackshear and Webb were problems to deal with .... both good players. 

[sausmann9]

8 minutes ago, Mjd33 said:

I didn't know Mike Carey was at AWood as assistant. BC arguably played their best game against them on the road in the opener. Blackshear and Webb were problems to deal with .... both good players. 

Carey's been there for about six seasons or so.  Did you notice how crisp the line play was being executed, that's their claim to fame for sure.  

 

I have some of Pettine Sr good games and ESPN specials on him and his teams.  drop me a PM if interested in seeing any of them.

[BigDrop]

7 hours ago, sausmann9 said:

HUGE loss for the sport even though he was retired he was still walking the sidelines with his oldest kid when he was still at West and occasionally along side his old player Dick Beck at North Penn.  I grew up less than 40 minutes from West so I was fortunate enough to see at least one game a season of them when younger.  Everyone in Eastern PA would try to catch a CB West game when they could, his offensive line play was amazing.  Pettine Sr was an unbelievable coach that took a not-so-big public school and turned it into a 2 decade old asskicking machine.  His 1998 squad may have been the best team w/ all 5 linemen going D1 and their fullback Beast Armstrong going to Michigan I think.  In 1999 they played the catholic school from my home town in Bethlehem Catholic high school at Lehigh University and this was one of four games that ESPN followed for that season.  His offense had 80+ different formations per game and it was a sheer nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.  I still watch his teams play when we break out some old high school games.

For those of you that got copies of his games from me, you most likely got a copy of that 99' West v Erie Prep title game, that was Pettine at his best.

For those of you that saw this season's PIAA 5A state title game between Harrisburg PA and Archbishop Wood - you see the direct effect of Mike Pettine Sr during the offensive line play of Wood.  Wood's OL coach was/is Mike Carey, Mike Pettine's star player back in the 80's who played at Pitt and then came back to coach w/ Pettine Sr.  Mike Carey has been coaching AB Wood's offensive line for the last 6 seasons, its awesome to watch them in motion. 

sausmann9, really enjoyed your post.  Thank you for sharing.

[Adam Kurkjian]

Also enjoyed the documentary on his last year, "The Last Game." Entire thing is on YouTube if you've got time to kill. Believe the Bethlehem Catholic team they played in the playoffs beat Moeller but lost to Iggy that year. Not sure, though. Check that, they've gotten rid of it. But there's a lot of other places to find it.