In September of 2021, a reunion was held to remember a great team, a great game, and a great coach.
The members of that great team that gathered 55 years after that great game were the Coughlin Crusaders.
The great game was played on Thursday, Nov. 24, 1966, against another great team — the Kingston Huskies.
The great coach who guided the Crusaders, Joe Moran, passed away this week at the age of 92.
The reunion was an opportunity to celebrate that victory once again, but it was more of a tribute to Coach Moran — yes, a great football coach, but more importantly, a gentleman and a real role model who lived an exemplary life.
The newspaper report of the Wilkes-Barre Record said, “Kingston put on a tremendous second-half surge, but fell short of its mark, as the fired-up red and blue-shirted Crusaders of Coughlin High School mustered a 20-19 victory yesterday for the Wyoming Valley Conference Championship.”
Coach Moran and several of his former players from that 1966 Wyoming Valley Conference Championship football team attended the reunion — about 40 team members, coaches, and guests — to celebrate their victory over Kingston on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 1966, at what is now Spartan Stadium.
Here’s the second paragraph of that Wilkes-Barre Record story:
“A throng of 12,763 gathered at Kingston Stadium for the annual Turkey Day clash and found that the fray lived up to expectations. Rooters from both schools stood for the last three minutes as the action didn’t cease until the final second.”
“Coach Joe Moran’s Crusaders copped the school’s first championship since 1957 and it was Moran’s first title since assuming the coaching reins in 1960. His 1964 squad just missed honors as the result of a lone setback to Meyers — circuit champs that year.”
I remember Coach Moran refuted the attendance figures — he said there were more like 15,500 at the game. He said the stands were filled and special bleachers had to be brought in to accommodate the overflow crowd. He said more people stood all along the field to watch the title game.
But here is what made Coach Moran even more proud.
Coach Moran said he had 50 players in uniform for that game. He said 32 of them went on to graduate from college, including five from Ivy League schools. He said team members became doctors, lawyers, educators, architects, corporate executives, and civic leaders. He said several players entered the military and served in Vietnam.
“They were a very unique group for sure,” Moran said. “They were amazingly successful on and off the field.”
As he spoke, you could see, hear, and feel the pride in Coach Moran’s voice.
Coach Moran said his players are now living all over the country.
“We will talk about the team, the game, and the coach,” he said of the reunion. “We certainly have a lot of great memories together.”
A few of the players arrived early that day — Bruce Evancho, a defensive end who chaired the reunion planning committee; Joe Duffy, running back; his brother Tom Duffy, the quarterback; Jim Blaum, the valuable punter for the team; and Mike Lowery, center and co-captain.
All of the players commented that Coach Moran was not only a great coach but also deeply cared about his players and worked tirelessly to help them get into college.
Joe Duffy said, “That was one of the greatest high school football games ever played. And the game clock was kept on the field. We never knew how much time was left in the game.”
Evancho added, “I’ll never forget the crowd and the police escort we got.”
Football games were played on Turkey Day back then. Thanksgiving dinner would wait until “the game” was over. Thousands of people crowded into stadiums to watch these games, and seldom did they disappoint.
This week, that game will surely be talked about a lot. But there will also be much said about Coach Moran that goes far beyond football and athletics.
While proud of his numerous academic achievements, Coach Moran was best known for his lifelong dedication to athletics and the young people he coached. He was instrumental in shaping high school athletics throughout the Wyoming Valley.
In recognition of his lifelong contributions, Coach Moran was inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
Coach Moran’s coaching was guided by a simple philosophy — “It’s for the kids,” the obituary reads. “Whether on the sidelines or officiating, he always took time to teach, encourage, and make sure every athlete had a fair chance.”
And he was proudest of his family — he would always provide updates on all whenever he had the opportunity.
While Coach Moran will be missed, he will be remembered forever.
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