Threats family tradition carries on at Shenango

By JOE SIMON

New Castle News

The Threats family lineage was news to Ryan Mayo when he took over as football coach at Shenango High School.

Not being from the area originally, Mayo knew very little about the history of Lawrence County. That changed rather quickly after he picked up last year’s football program.

“Take one glance at the part of the program where it has the records, and you know the Threats were pretty good football players,” Mayo said.

The most recent to showcase his skills is George Threats III, a junior running back/linebacker for the Wildcats. He will start at fullback for the Wildcats when they travel to Avella on Friday night. There’s an excellent chance his father, George Jr., and uncle, Barry Threats, will be on hand when that game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

The two are part of a rich family history. George Jr. played the same positions as his son (linebacker and running back) for the Wildcats from 1981-85, while Barry set numerous school records, many of which still stand, from 1984-1987. The common interest — and competitiveness — creates some friendly banter during family gatherings.

“We get on him all the time,” said George Jr. of messing with George III. “When we’re all together, on a holiday or something, we go back and forth. We taped every game he (George III) played in, so he likes to break out his film and start talking.

“He’s a hot dog, but there’s no mustard to it.”

George III isn’t the only one who likes to joke around and brag a little bit. Last year around this time, George III said he and his dad made a trip down memory lane.

“He went out to the elementary school and got out a little projection screen with the films on it,” George III recalled. “He had a whole bunch of his tapes and my uncle Barry’s tapes, and we sat down there all night and talked about it.

“They always talk about the good things; they don’t ever want to talk about the bad things. It’s always what they did good this game. They’re always fooling with me, telling me I’ll never be able to do this or that, but I know they’re just messing around — they want me to do better than what they did.”

That’s not an easy task considering the past of the Threats family.

The family has been part of Lawrence County sports for five decades, starting with George III’s grandfather, George Sr., who was a standout basketball player at New Castle High in the mid-1960s. In 1967, at the age of 20, he was killed in the Vietnam War. He was the first Lawrence County soldier to die in battle.

“It was one of the largest funerals in New Castle,” said Connie Palumbo, who coached George Sr. in basketball at New Castle. “He was an outstanding young man and a heck of a basketball player.”

Barry’s name probably triggers the most memories. The former running back, who played at Pitt following his high school career, is still the Wildcats’ record-holder in points scored in a single season (138), touchdowns in the regular season (23), single-season rushing yards (1,443) and highest single-season average yards per carry (9.1). All those marks came during the Wildcats’ playoff season of 1987.

If Shenango is going to make a similar postseason run this year, George III likely will need to play a big role. Senior running back Anthony Kosciuszko will be out for at least two to three more weeks with torn ligaments in his hand, leaving a gaping hole in Shenango’s now-inexperienced backfield.

Mayo said the vacancy will force some younger players to step up, including Threats. He said the 5-9, 230-pound junior is ready for the challenge.

“He’s been the biggest surprise of two-a-days,” Mayo said. “He’s always had the ability, but at times he didn’t have the technique or didn’t give it his all on every play. But this year, thus far, he’s really done a great job, and that’s part of the reason why he’s become a prominent player here for us.”

Pinpointing exactly what caused the change in work ethic is tough. George Jr. said he too has noticed a difference in his son, and he thinks he knows where the motivation derived from.

“I think, really, it’s the fact that he realized that his time is winding down,” George Jr. said. “He needs to make a push and he’s realizing he has to do (the work) now to get where he wants to be.

“He’s kind of coming into his own.”

The Threats pedigree does mean something to Mayo, when it comes to evaluating talent. He said it never would influence his decision on whether to start him or not, but the successful background does tell the coaches the potential is there.

“Of course, it raises the expectations a little bit,” Mayo said. “But at the same time, you have to go by what you see in person. It does factor into the equation, but at the end of the day, it’s what the kid does on the field, not what the parents did.”

That’s fine with George Jr. He doesn’t want George III to receive a free pass simply because of the Threats family’s success. He hopes George III makes a name for himself, so to speak.

“I would be extremely proud if he does better than myself and Barry,” George Jr. said. “But instead of putting that pressure on him, I tell him to be the best he can be. We always tell him to give it his best and leave it all on the field.”

It’s a motto that has worked well for the Threats family.