In memory of George Barron

Editor:

I remember climbing into a bus with my dad in early December to go to the Eastern Conference Football championship playing a team called Blakely (which is now part of the Valley View School District). I can remember it was played a neutral site. Of course there was plenty of adult beverage to get everyone in the mood to cheer on the Blue Raiders to victory.

To this day I’m still trying to figure out where the playoff game was played. We had a great team that only had a slight blemish, a tie with Mahanoy Area. But because we played and beat large schools, our point total was greater than Mahanoy’s and we were on to the Eastern Conference Championship against Blakely.

Our team was great and had such fine players as Semko, Jones, Lindenmuth, Titus and Klotz to help lead the way. But then there was the “Night Train Rambler,” George Barron. At 6 foot 4 and 245 pounds, he was a sight to behold. After breaking through the line defensive backs bounced off him like bowling pins. When he turned the corner he outraced everyone into the end zone. As a linebacker on defense he was a wrecking machine from sideline to sideline. As a basketball player he was a force inside both scoring and rebounding. And as a trackster, well, in as kind a word that I can use, he was freakish! He threw the shot over 50 feet and also ran the 100 yard dash in 10.1 seconds. His shot put record was held for 57 years!

I was told he was a hell of a baseball player too. When he was in Little League he couldn’t pitch because the coaches were afraid he would injure the batters if hit by a pitch. George just passed away about a week ago without a WHIMPER! I know there were familial situations which are none of my business, but my God not a mention about the greatest athlete to wear the blue and white. There were some other Raider athletes who were deserving of recognition, being multiple superior performers in maybe two sports, but all three like he was. Sorry, not even close.

For you younger student-athletes who never had the chance to witness this man child in action, you missed someone really special.

Gary Williams

Tamaqua