By L:ynn Saternow

Herald Sports Editor

AS I READ the interesting Associated Press story comparing Pitt running back LeSean McCoy to former Panthers great Tony Dorsett in Wednesday’s Herald, I couldn’t help but recall vivid memories of Dorsett both in high school and college.

First of all, the AP story erred in saying that Dorsett went to Aliquippa High School, because he played for Hopewell. However, it has always bothered me that on TV he tells people he hails from Aliquippa (the town, not the school).

I guess it’s like those of us that grew up in Hickory Township. When asked where we were from, we often said Sharon because we figured few people had ever heard of Hickory.

One of the greatest Sharon High victories in history came in 1971 when the Tigers defeated Dorsett’s undefeated (8-0) Hopewell team, 19-6. Of course it didn’t hurt that junior Dorsett suffered a concussion in the second quarter and left the game. Most people felt Hopewell would win the WPIAL championship that season.

Of course with Sharon doctors (and No. 1 fans) Joe Conti and Leonard Pleban tending to Dorsett, you can bet they wouldn’t recommend that he return to the game. It was a real blow to Hopewell fans, who filled 13 busloads to come to Sharon.

Still, before that time Dorsett had carried only 4 times for 6 yards against a swarming Tigers defense.

Hopewell came back the next year to whip Sharon, 34-18, as Dorsett scored 4 touchdowns. One of the members of the Sharon team was Randy Holloway, who went on to become a teammate of Dorsett at Pitt.

Then when Dorsett was in college, I went to the 1975 Pitt-Notre Dame game at Pitt Stadium with former Sharon and Pitt star John Stevens, his now-wife Sherry and her former college roommate and my then-girlfriend Margie Bost.

Being a big Notre Dame fan, I was crushed when Dorsett set rushing records against the Irish by rolling up 303 yards in a Pitt win. Big John was in his glory that day of course.

The next season, Dorsett led Pitt to the national championship, including a romp over the Irish in South Bend.

Of course from there Dorsett went on to the dreaded Dallas Cowboys and became a Hall of Famer.

It’s obviously very premature to compare the sophomore McCoy to Dorsett, one of the greatest college running backs in history. But McCoy, like Dorsett before him, has Pitt fans excited about the new season. They are ranked in the top 20 in some polls and could have a banner season.