1973 MHS state title coach’s son foregoes baseball for military

Chance Mazza, son of Cheryl and Rick Mazza, on the football coaching staff at Monongah High for the 1973 state football championship, is foregoing a college or pro baseball career to join the military. Says Rick: “I’m proud” of Chance, who learned to speak Chinese and reads up on diplomacy and foreign diplomacy.

Chance, a 6-foot, 175-pound baseball star for the North Rowan High School Cavaliers in Spencer, North Carolina, sees his future in military intelligence. He says he’s already been accepted  for that training, starting July 15 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After basic, his next stop will be Fort Huachuca in southeastern Arizona, just 15 miles north of the Mexican border. That's the home of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command.

He is an expert on overseas stocks and Russia-Crimea relations. He collects World War II artifacts. And is a Cold War historian. His prize possession is a Russian KGB trenchcoat.

His goal: The best CIA agent ever.

And his hangout is Joe’s Crab Shack in Spencer, North Carolina, and his favorite singer is Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra.

Chance averaged .451 batting in his three years for North Rowan, and almost reached .500 in his senior year. He was named to the 2014 All-Rowan County Baseball team by the Salisbury Post. In 2007 as a 12-year-old, Chance had 8 hits, including 2 homers, in the championship game of the Last Call Open Tournament in Thomasville, Georgia.

Rick and Cheryl have another son, Shane.

Rick’s sister is Linda Mazza Shelosky, who has lived in Monongah for more than 40 years and is a Fairmont East High grad. Her father was Jimmy Mazza, who passed away in 1973. Rick’s phone number is (704) 645-9119 if you want to re-connect with him.

Rick’s parents are Ginny Retton Mazza and Jimmy Mazza, who met when Jimmy was played for the Grant Town Pirates semi-pro baseball team.

Andrea Shelosky and husband Tim Matthews of Monongah are Rick’s  aunt and uncle.

Rick in recent years has been dealing with cataract eye problems and heart issues that put him in the hospital.

Rick Mazza, who is Mary Lou Retton’s cousin, became Melbourne Central Catholic football coach in 1986. Melbourne CC won one game in the three seasons before Mazza came aboard as a WVU graduate who had four undefeated seasons at Shady Side Academy, a junior high in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania. At Pittsburgh’s Duquesne High, Mazza continued the school’s existing victory streak to 24 games. He also coached at Saucon Valley High in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania.

Rick also coached at Pittsburgh Duquesne High, where he continued the school winning streak to 25 games; in Fort Worth, Texas junior varsity; Gunn Junior High in baseball and volleyball; at East Row High in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Mike Argabrite is listed in the Marion County sports history book as head coach of the state champ 1973 team, but Rick said they were co-coaches, with Rick handling the offense and Mike handling the defense.

Chance Mazza

Mike and Rick had tremendous help at quarterback in Jay Feltz, son of Jim Feltz, who coached Monongah High to 1952 and 1955 state football titles. Jay was West Virginia Amateur Athlete of the Year for 1973 and played for the University of South Carolina. Jay still holds the record the longest punt in South Carolina history – almost 80 yards!

Mike Argabrite, who lettered in football and track at Fairmont State, and signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, was inducted into the Fairmont State Sports Hall of Fame the same year as Monongah High’s Jim Lipinski.
Argabrite led the Falcons in receiving in 1970. He holds the single game record with 4 interceptions against Concord in 1971.  Argabrite is also the record-holder for return yards in interceptions for a career, with 311 yards on 15 interceptions. In addition he is the single season record-holder for return yards on interceptions with 128 yards in 1969 on 5 interceptions. Mike was named the WVIAC 'Trackman of the Year' in 1970. He qualified for the NAIA National Track Championships in Billings, Montana in 1969 and 1970. He holds the conference track record for the 440 yard dash with a time of 47.6 seconds. Argabrite was named first-team All-Conference in track in 1968, 1969 and 1970.

Linda Mazza Shelosky married Bernie Shelosky, related to Rick Mazza of North Carolina, Andrea Shelosky and husband Tim Matthews of Monongah, Larry Mazza of Fairmont and Tom Shelosky and wife Phyllis of Monongah.

Rick, Chance’s father, was East Rowan coach 11 years ago.

You can read the Salisbury, North Carolina Post article on Chance heading for a military career at http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20140611/SP02/140619961/