As the Abington and Cheltenham high school football teams face off for the 104th time on Friday, August 26, local historian Chuck Langerman shared with us a 1969 “instant classic” from the teams’ longstanding rivalry.

According to Langerman, on Saturday, November 22, 1969, Abington entered the game with an 10-0 record and ranked one of the best football teams in the state of Pennsylvania.

The Ghosts had recently surpassed a then-Delaware Valley record of 28 consecutive victories over three seasons. The team had a bevy of Division I recruits and were predicted a four-touchdown favorite.

Langerman writes:

Cheltenham struck first with quarterback Kevin Murray connecting with Steve Yost (pictured below) on a 45-yard touchdown catch and run. Senior Joe Sciolla ran the two-point conversion in, and the Panthers led 8-0.

The Ghosts countered with two touchdowns to take the lead, 14-8, after three quarters. Abington appeared on its way when Cheltenham basketball star Lorrie Slade picked off a pass and scampered 55 yards to deadlock the score at 14 apiece. Both defenses stiffened and with less than a minute remaining, Abington star Rick Wilson booted a 27-yard field goal, enabling Abington to escape from Wyncote with a 17-14 win. It was a moral victory for the Panthers in a game that was not supposed to be that close!

For more on Friday’s game, including two coaching firsts, you can read our previous coverage here. According to Abington High School’s athletic director Charles Grasty, the game will be livestreamed live on the Abington School District YouTube channel.

To watch last year’s contest on August 26, you can watch the Youtube video below:

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