JERRY VESHIO
QUAKER VALLEY COACH
director Mike Mastroianni then went to the press box for the Quakers’ new coach.
Veshio was the PA announcer for Quaker Valley’s home games. He is a retired teacher and administrator in the Quaker Valley district who watches his grandkids five days a week. He hadn’t coached high school football in 31 years.
Veshio agreed to take over the team — and the next four months were a magical, mystical tour for Veshio and Quaker Valley. A team that had been to the WPIAL playoffs a grand total of five times since the school opened in 1956, won WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships. For Veshio’s accomplishment, he is the
“This should be at least a made-for-TV movie,” Veshio said with a laugh. “I don’t know if there are words to describe it, in my opinion. I’ve tried to use all the adjectives — unbelievable, improbable, unlikely.”
They all fit. Veshio has been Quaker Valley’s boys and girls track coach the past 20 seasons, winning some WPIAL championships in that sport.
He also was Quaker Valley’s football coach from 1984-86. But who could’ve dreamed up the story that this 65-year-old man would be standing on a snowy field last Saturday, celebrating a state championship with Quaker Valley? Veshio had booked a scuba diving trip to the Cayman Islands for him and his wife the first weekend of December.
but they were a well-balanced team that was excellent defensively. Quaker Valley won the WPIAL championship by the oddest of scores, a 2-0 victory against mighty Aliquippa.
“I think a key was simplicity,” said Veshio. “We didn’t do a lot of exotic things or change a lot of things.”
Veshio gives credit to his assistant coaches. All of them had worked under Tortorea and Veshio said he wouldn’t have taken the job if they all wouldn’t have stayed. Veshio got a little emotional after the PIAA championship and also when he was told he was Coach of the Year. Veshio is a former Quaker Valley player, but he he insists he will not coach again. He took the job for only one season.
“I’ve had 60-something guys come up to me who went to Quaker Valley with tears in their eyes over what this team did,” said Veshio. “I’m proud beyond belief because maybe I brought whatever intangible, whatever little ingredient to this cake mix that made for a special bake. My heart just jumps out of my chest for this whole community.”