I've written sixty plus blog stories/ essays in the last three years. Some were not sports-related, but many showcased athletic teams and individual players in the "Big 30" area through five or six decades.
I've tried to recognize both sides of the Pennsylvania-New York border, highlighting some of the players who achieved individual accomplishments and teams who have put together a year(s) of being one of the top teams in the area.
Crosby Alle-Catt baseball, Smethport High School football, Coudersport High School basketball (boys and girls), Olean High School wrestling, Emporium basketball, Hinsdale Central basketball and Bolivar-Richburg football are several of the teams that have been profiled.
Combine those squads with individuals like Don Hoak, Bob Torrey, Don Hurlburt, Terry Zink, Tom Irons, Bob Dunsmore, Josh Kinney, Jeff Nix and Stew Barber and the depth of writings have been quite wide-ranged in both subjects and locations.
I graduated from Otto-Eldred HS (Pa.) and admittingly I've tried to include many pieces about teams and players that I watched or heard about as I was growing up and also those individuals who I was fortunate to call teammates.
That list includes former O-E standouts like Kerry Snow, the Miller brothers (Mike and Jeff), Randy Nuhfer, Barry Houben, Danny Fuss, Mike Welch, Tom Sherwood, Eddie Crandall, Jim Miller, Steve Gross and John Hepfer among others.
Rarely, have I ever used the word "best" in a description.
I've added the name of O-E's John Oszustowicz to many of my pieces (HS football, basketball, Alle-Catt baseball, youth league baseball, etc.), but never in a solo story and I don't really have a good response to "Why have I waited this long?"
There are those who have been avid followers of O-E sports for decades and are familiar with eras that I never saw. I can confidently state though that any list of top athletes who wore a Terrors' uniform, John Oszustowicz's name has to be there.
Personally, what makes this long wait even stranger is that one of my best high school friends and a teammate of mine from little league baseball through our high school years was John's younger brother, Len.
John was one of the top pitchers in the area from youth league to college. Len was an outfielder. Johnny was a right-handed hitter and Len, a lefty bat, who probably hit more balls in to the Eldred Park's right field tree tops that safeguarded the street that ran behind the town's ballfield than any other left-handed hitter.
The Oszustowicz brothers were both integral parts of athletic programs that were very successful in the late 60's and 70's, a period of years that has been rivaled by very few Terrors' teams.
Like many of us, John's athletic career began early and in our part of northwestern Pennsylvania that meant Potter-McKean baseball with Eldred, Port Allegany, Coudersport, Shinglehouse, Austin and Roulette. The year is 1964. Tom "Tut" Hanks struck out 12 in Eldred's win over Port Allegany. Tom Lawrence and Johnny "O" had two hits each.
Three years later Johnny's brother, Len, and I would play on the P-M- all star team. Jim Turner and Ed Harrington were our coaches.
Henry Fallenstein pitches and hits Port Allegany to a league championship.
Bradford High picks up the golf win over O-E. Bob Krall has the best round for the Terrors at the Pine Acres Golf Course.
Johnny's senior year with teammates Steve Gross, Neil Trask, Jeff Fowler, Jim Slavin, Steve Smith, Fred Williams and other talented players go 8-1 with the only loss, a nail biter at Emporium.
8-1, 1969-70 O-E football team- left to right are Jim Slavin. Neil Trask, Steve Gross, Fred Williams, John Oszustowicz and Jeff Fowler.
John Crissafulli (Allegany)
The Big 30, '69-70 team with Fred Williams, Steve Gross, Jeff Fowler and John Oszustowicz representing O-E. Kevin McBride, Mike Metzler, Mickey Donovan and Henry Bzdak were Olean Bishop Walsh representatives. Bob Falk of Port Allegany, Jerry Scutt (Portville), Jim Zoschg (Emporium) and John Bink (Franklinville) were also some of the top area players named to the squad.
Oszustowicz was also one of the Big 30's best punters.
'69-70 Border Conference All Stars, front row- Oszustowicz, Jim Slavin, Steve Gross. back row: Jeff Anderson, Jeff Fowler, Fred Williams and Tom Eley.
Left to right: Jim Zoschg (Emporium), Bill Huffman (St. Marys Elk County Christian) and Brian Hart (Bradford High)
Portville's holiday tournament with the Panthers picking up a win over undefeated Coudersport in the first round and O-E beating Alfred Almond in the opener. Don Dibble lead Portville with 22 points in the first game. Coach Deland talks about the finals' matchup (below). I honestly don't know who won the tournament although I have to think Portville was tough to beat at home. I'm sure someone will recall the O-E vs. Portville game.
The Dibble brothers hit for 50 points to lead Portville from a halftime deficit to an 18 point win. Dan and Don Dibble and Chaffee were named to the all-tourney team that included Oszustowicz and Nuhfer of Otto-Eldred and Schaub of Coudersport.
Early season area scoring leaders with Oszustowicz in the seventh spot and Don Hurlburt and Tom Oakley of Hinsdale in the fifth and 13th slots. O-E's Bill Rote is also in the top 15. North Tier League's Mark Harrington (Oswayo Valley) is second at 29 ppg.
Top team marks, '68-69
'69-'70 North Tier All Stars: 
Front row, left to right-Rich Bisso (Emporium), Tony Flint (Port Allegany), Judd Schager (Emporium). Back row- left to right, Rob Maynard (Smethport), Tom Ripple (Austin) and Johnny "O" (O-E)
Eldred did not have an Alle-Catt team during Tut Hanks' and Johnny's early 70's summers. The two players first played for Shinglehouse and a few years later played for the Allegany team. Here's Allegany winning their sixth straight game with Johnny shutting out Scio, 1-0. Terry Zink's single scored Dick Bzdak for the game's only run. Scio had only one runner reach second base.
Oszustowicz with a 2-1 win over his former A-C team, Shinglehouse. Johnny had an outstanding disposition and was well-rounded in all aspects of every game he ever played. I played some Alle-Catt ball behind John as an infielder and never recall him contesting a call or showing any outward anger. Playing middle infield with John on the mound meant a pretty light night- not many balls hit in your direction.
Allegany with a 10-8 win over Fillmore in a game played in Eldred. Paul Bzdak went four for five and Len Oszustowicz went three for four for Allegany.
An incredible pitching performance by Oszustowicz- 22 strikeouts in an eleven inning win over Cuba. He struck out the side in the fourth, fifth and sixth (nine consecutive). Allegany picked up four runs in the 11th with Dick Bzdak plating two with a double. Joel Zink went 3-6 for Allegany.
Oszustowicz leads Mansfield to conference finals as a pitcher and outfielder.
NOTE: Crosby's Jim Thomas struck out 20 on the same day.
