Most former coaches talk about their winning
teams, but Joe Cutrona thinks his greatest claim to
fame was introducing Beaver County to the one handed push shot in
basketball during his playing days. He did that in 1931 while playing
for Freedom High School. Up to that time,
the standard shooting style was the two handed set
shot. Coach Walter Braden of Freedom High taught Joe the new
one handed push shot, and the agile Joe made good use of the new
style by sinking seven out of ten attempts in the game against
Midland. Joe also starred in football, baseball, and track. He
played quarterback at Freedom High and set a one game scoring record
for a Beaver County player by chalking up 43 points in a 1930 game
against Shenango. He led the county in football scoring that year
with 86 points and also led his section in basketball scoring. Joe
played quarterback on the 1933 and 1934 Duquesne University football
teams that compiled a 17-3 record and whipped Miami, 34-7, in the
1934 Festival of Palms (now called the Orange Bowl). Joe’s
29 year coaching career started in 1935 at St Veronica High School
in
Ambridge, where his first team won the district Catholic high school
football title and his next team tied for the honor. After eight
years at St Veronica, Joe was head football coach at North Catholic
High School in Pittsburgh for two seasons, winning the PCIAA state
title in 1943. He then coached football, basketball, and baseball at
Monaca High School from 1954 to 1963, spending most of his time as
head baseball coach. Joe was president of the Leetsdale Little
League for 25 years and served on its Board of Directors.
Most former coaches talk about their winning
teams, but Joe Cutrona thinks his greatest claim to
fame was introducing Beaver County to the one handed push shot in
basketball during his playing days. He did that in 1931 while playing
for Freedom High School. Up to that time,
the standard shooting style was the two handed set
shot. Coach Walter Braden of Freedom High taught Joe the new
one handed push shot, and the agile Joe made good use of the new
style by sinking seven out of ten attempts in the game against
Midland. Joe also starred in football, baseball, and track. He
played quarterback at Freedom High and set a one game scoring record
for a Beaver County player by chalking up 43 points in a 1930 game
against Shenango. He led the county in football scoring that year
with 86 points and also led his section in basketball scoring. Joe
played quarterback on the 1933 and 1934 Duquesne University football
teams that compiled a 17-3 record and whipped Miami, 34-7, in the
1934 Festival of Palms (now called the Orange Bowl). Joe’s
29 year coaching career started in 1935 at St Veronica High School
in
Ambridge, where his first team won the district Catholic high school
football title and his next team tied for the honor. After eight
years at St Veronica, Joe was head football coach at North Catholic
High School in Pittsburgh for two seasons, winning the PCIAA state
title in 1943. He then coached football, basketball, and baseball at
Monaca High School from 1954 to 1963, spending most of his time as
head baseball coach. Joe was president of the Leetsdale Little
League for 25 years and served on its Board of Directors.