It was billed as WVU’s Homecoming, but it felt more like a Monongah High Alumni Reunion.

I had dinner at the Cracker Barrel on University Town Centre hill off the Star City Bridge I-79 exit with my sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, who was there with her daughter, Renee, a WVU Ruby Memorial Hospital pharmacist, and Bob Kasper, Class of 1950, my best friend since we were 5 years old at Sts. Peter and Paul School.

I live in Tallmadge, Ohio and Bob lives in South Lyon and Presque Isle (Grand Lake), Michigan, his winter and summer homes. Bob comes to Mountaineer Field with me for a game every year; I go to his home on Grand Lake to play golf and reminisce every summer.

After Bob and I parked in the Light Blue Lot and started walking toward Mountaineer Field for the Kansas State-WVU football game, we came across Monongah Mayor Greg Vandetta, Class of 1975, married to Monongahfest president Debbie Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973.

They were with folks with Monongah connections throughout their tent, including Debbie’s cousin, Ron Manzo, Class of 1969, a retired coal miner, and his wife, Fairview High grad Janice Manzo. Ron is a nephew of Ernie “Frog”, Joe, John “Duke” Manzo, Class of 1945; and Raymond “Pigeon” Manzo, Class of 1947.

Ron and Janice have five children – Andrew, Evan, Aaron, Ashley and Jared. They have two grandchildren in Illinois. Andrew works at The Villages, Florida Daily Sun newspaper and beats me in golf when Paula and I are there for the winter.

Mayor Vandetta is the cousin of Frank Vandetta No. 4.  

The first Frank Vandetta was born in the early 1900s. The second was Frank Junior Vandetta,  born in 1928. The third is Frank Vandetta III,  born in 1955. The fourth is Frank Anthony Vandetta IV, born in 1990. The fifth is Frank Charles Vandetta V, born in 2015.

The 5^th Frankie Vandetta’s parents are Frankie Vandetta (No. 4) of Monongah and Stephanie Kishbaugh Vandetta, who once lived in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Papa Frankie Vandetta is a North Marion graduate and member of the Monongah Volunteer Fire Department.

Frank No. 4's parents are Frankie Vandetta Jr. (Frank No. 3), a Monongah High graduate married to Brenda Sturm Vandetta. 

Greg and Debbie’s son, Greg Vandetta II, and Janelle Vandetta were wed amid a snowstorm.

I went to Monongah High with Carl Vandetta, Class of 1948, and passed by his house many times on my way to my Uncle Frank Loss and Aunt Gezala Futten Loss’ home in Mill Fall. Aunt Gezala was a sister of Fairmont barber Si Futten and my mother, Lena Futten Olesky, who was married to John W. Olesky, Sr.

Wait, I’m not finished.

Also tailgating was the family of my cousin, Irene Fazio Preolitti, Class of 1966, who lives in Traction Park, Monongah, with husband Mike Preolitti, Class of 1962. Irene’s siblings (and my cousins, of course) are Dave Fazio, Class of 1968, married to Cora Fazio, who runs Fazio Eldercare on Stoney Lonesome hill; Mary Chris Fazio Ramsey, Class of 1969, married to Tom Ramsey and living on Pike Street in Monongah in the home once owned by Helen and Steve Kerekes; and Steve Fazio, Class of 1975, whose wife, Nancy, is deceased.

They are the children of the late Frances and Renzy Fazio, both Class of 1937, who owned Fazio Grocery at the bottom of Jackson Street hill at the Thomas Street intersection.  Frances was the sister of John W. Olesky Sr., who was the father of John Olesky, Jr., Class of 1950, who publishes this Monongah High Alumni blog. Helen was Frances and John’s sister.

Wait, there’s more.

Edwin Birdsell, Class of 1973, and son Jim Birdsell, a North Marion grad, also were tailgating before the WVU game.

Jim is Monongah Fire Department Captain. Jim and wife Angela Birdsell live in Millersville, West Virginia. Jim works in parts at Leslie Equipment. Edwing grew up on Park Avenue by Mount Calvary Cemetery as a son of Zelda and Byron Birdsell, Class of 1947, a long-time Monongah mailman.

Byron’s brother, the late Bill Birdsell, Class of 1950, married Fairmont Field Club pro Reggie Spencer’s daughter, Barbara, and became a golf course maintenance guru in Florida where Bill’s son is in charge of the greenkeeping at the University of Florida. Both Bill and Barbara are deceased.

Sandy Weils Shaffer Cook, Class of 1959, and husband Bob Cook, who live in Fort Myers Beach, Florida also were there, in Section 107 (Jackie and I have our season ticket seats in Section 105). Both sections are in the East stands, which has been improved tremendously, expanded and given a new entrance away from the students’ entrance as long as retirees don’t mind climbing 44 concrete steps to get into the stadium.

I’m sure there were other MHS Lions on the WVU serengetti parking lots. I just didn’t run into them. This time.

I don’t think there was anyone left in Monongah while the fantastic, electric, thrombosis-stirring game was lighting up Mountaineer Field. Even God parted the clouds and allowed sunshine to beat down on our faces in the East stands.

But, along with 61,700 Mountaineer Field fans, we were treated to a fantastic comeback by WVU in a 17-16 victory. The Mountaineers never led until their final score of the game. It was the first time WVU has beaten Kansas State since 1930 (the Mountaineers lost to the Wildcats in 1931, too, and then 4 straight years under Dana Holgorsen against 72-year-old coaching legend Bill Snyder).

It was the most exciting WVU Mountaineer Field victory that I have seen in 20 years, topping even Pat White’s amazing freshman season, when he came into the game against Louisville after Adam Bednarik was injured, late in the third quarter with a two-touchdown deficit, and won the game in overtime. Pat started every game after that at WVU, and became the first college football QB to win four bowl games in his college career.

It was the first time since I had my Pacemaker inserted into my body a few years ago that I didn’t need it to keep my heartbeats at 60 or more per minute.