About the Book
The TRUE story of Pennsylvania's 1957 Cass Township High School Football Team (American Football) that beat every team they played that year. Incredibly, they not only won every game, but they were so tough on defense, their opponents did not score a single point! Cass won the playoff game 2-0 in the cold, rain, and mud with only 15 seconds left. Attention-grabbing pictures documenting the football games and the 1950s are included. This small football team played their games on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and even played "Monday Night High School Football." In December 1957, the ankle-deep, muddy field was speckled with white snow. It was a cold, dreary, rainy, Saturday afternoon. It had snowed earlier that week and the ground was frozen. That is, until the day before, when it had warmed up and started to rain. By game day, the frozen tundra of a football field had turned into a giant sea of mud. Two great high school football teams in the coal regions of Pennsylvania were about to face off at Pottsville's Veterans Memorial Stadium. It was a special play-off game for the championship of the Southern Division of the PA Eastern Conference. Cass Township, UNDEFEATED, UNTIED, and UNSCORED UPON, had a 9-0 record: the tiny community school with only 55 seniors in the graduating class, and 20 members on the varsity squad, had a championship match-up with Shamokin, a much larger regional school with 10 wins and 2 losses. The book starts with a flashback: Chapter 1, Coach Pat Dreams The year was 1999. Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame coach Pat Droskinis was 83 years old and lay in his bed drifting in and out of consciousness. The old coach knew he was dying of cancer, but wasn't ready to call it quits. Not yet! He had whipped prostate cancer into remission twelve years prior, but the disease returned with a vengeance. Lucid moments at this stage were rare, and he knew his days were numbered. Still, he "kept the faith." Suddenly, some familiar voices and noises startled him. He opened his eyes and saw a few of his favorite football players. Gathered at his bedside were members of the legendary Cass Township championship football team that he coached back in the late 1950s... It is not just a sports book - the 23 chapters contain fascinating historical references about the football games and the 1950s, including the music, the cars, and the news of the day. In chapter 19, The School Board President, Jimmy Ryan, introduced three U.S. presidents campaigning in the local PA coal region area. He was that powerful. One player went on to play in the National Football League, and the Canadian Football League: his story is told in Chapter 22, The Future NFL Player. Chapter 23, Coach Pat's Life, is all about Pat Droskinis' journey from 10 years in the PA coal mines to 25 years in the classrooms and ball-fields. Appendix A, "About the Players," includes information about all varsity players: Appendix B, "Names and Statistics," lists the names, jersey numbers, and astonishing records. " ...Bouncing footballs do strange things. This one shot right back toward Shamokin's end zone, and Russ Frantz, Cass team co-captain, tried desperately to grab the muddy ball before it rolled out of the end zone, for a touchdown. However, it rolled off his cold and wet fingertips and out of the end zone near a bank of piled up muddy snow."
About the Author: Lieutenant Colonel (U.S. Army retired) Jim Droskinis, son of the late Minersville and Cass Coach, Pat Droskinis, is a 1971 graduate of Minersville Area High School in PA. He attended Penn State University and graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement and Corrections. While on active duty, he attained one of his Master's Degrees in Personnel Management from Central Michigan University. Within a year of graduation from Penn State, Droskinis joined the U.S. Army as a Private First Class. Droskinis graduated from Officer Candidate School (OCS) in 1977 at Ft Benning, GA, and was commissioned an infantry officer. He then attended Airborne training and Infantry Officer Basic Training at Ft Benning. He retired in 1999 as a Lieutenant Colonel at U.S. Army Forces Command Headquarters (FORSCOM), with over 23 years of combined enlisted and officer, reserve and active duty, military experience in a wide variety of senior staff and command positions. He served with the Aviation Brigade, 7th Infantry Division in combat operations in Panama during "Operation Just Cause" in 1989. He lived in Washington, D.C. and nine different states, as well as in the Philippines, with his wife, Kathi, and their two children, Erik and Melissa. He coached and played Army softball and football for over 20 years at every post and base that he was assigned. In his second career, as a businessman, he entered the defense contracting arena, where he served for 16 years in senior management positions for both large and small corporations. One interesting highlight in 2008-09: he worked as an International Business Manager, living approximately a year in both Baghdad, Iraq and Kabul, Afghanistan, including business at both U.S. Embassies. That makes a total of three active combat zones where Droskinis served his country, as a soldier and as a defense contractor. His combined military and civilian experience totals 39 years' service to the Department of Defense. He recently retired, but remains active. Droskinis is an avid sports car enthusiast. He is on the board of directors for the Peachstate Corvette Association, volunteers at the Fayette Humane Society, and is the president of his homeowners association. Jim and his wife of 41 years, Kathi, have lived near Atlanta, GA, in a small town called Sharpsburg, since 1994. They have four grandchildren. Over the years, they have enjoyed time with dozens of dogs and cats (only five presently).
