It is no coincidence that Beaver Falls High
School baseball enjoyed some of its greatest success during Joe Smartz's
tenure as head coach. From 1965 to 1978, the Tigers won
217 games while losing just 78 en route to capturing six section
titles, one WPIAL runners-up, and two WPIAL championships. A
native of Nanty-Glo, Joe came to Beaver Falls in 1962 and was junior
varsity coach under
Leland Schachern. When Schachern retired,
Joe became head coach and in his
first year Beaver Falls advanced to the title game before losing to
Arnold High School. The Tigers would go on to reach the title game
in five year increments, defeating Bethel Park in 1970 and
California in 1975 in a hard fought 13 inning, 1-0 decision. Joe
became the only coach to win WPIAL titles at both Forbes Field and
Three Rivers Stadium. Joe graduated from Nanty-Glo High School in
1948, lettering in both basketball and baseball. After serving four
years with the Air Force, during which he played baseball, he
entered Indiana University, where he graduated in 1958. Joe was the athletic director at Beaver Falls
for more than fifteen years, and was the assistant AD for twelve
years prior to that.
It is no coincidence that Beaver Falls High
School baseball enjoyed some of its greatest success during Joe Smartz's
tenure as head coach. From 1965 to 1978, the Tigers won
217 games while losing just 78 en route to capturing six section
titles, one WPIAL runners-up, and two WPIAL championships. A
native of Nanty-Glo, Joe came to Beaver Falls in 1962 and was junior
varsity coach under