Great PA Teams: PITTSBURGH ALLEGHENY 1919

Tagged under: District 7, Great PA Teams, News

Billy Splain | January 26, 2026

1919 was a vintage year in Pennsylvania scholastic football. Harrisburg Tech created an  unbelievable record in the state’s capital city. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, on the old North Side, until 1907 the separate city of Allegheny, a squad from Allegheny High School was smashing every opponent and compiling an equally amazing season.

Allegheny may have been the greatest team ever produced in the Steel City.  No team before or since has been as impressive. Allegheny overwhelmed nine opponents and then traveled to West Virginia to play a nationally-touted team, Parkersburg, winning 12-0.

The Pittsburgh city schools were members of the WPIAL until 1928. The football championship of the league in the years before the establishment of the Gardner System was determined primarily by a committee of Syracuse University alumni who awarded the Syracuse Cup, intended to be emblematic of the WPIAL championship. In most years, a playoff was arranged, but, in 1919, Allegheny was declared champion without such a game.

Allegheny had many stars, including big tackle Rags Madera, who is considered one of the best-ever tackles at Penn State, despite breaking his hip at Harvard half-way through his sophomore year and never playing football again. He went on to become an intercollegiate boxing champion for the Lions. For Allegheny, he punted and kicked off, in addition to his brilliant tackle play.

Jimmy Robertson, a darting ballhawk and field general, became a star at Carnegie Tech and a teammate there of Harrisburg Tech’s Cy Comfort. Carnegie defeated Pitt for the first time, 6-0, in 1923. Captain Jimmy, a four-year starter, scored the touchdown.

180 pound end Pete MacRae was All-Pennsylvania and considered the best scholastic terminal he had ever seen by no less an authority than the legendary Pop Warner, then head coach at Pitt. He gave up only three yards at his end position all season. MacRae became captain at Syracuse and is recognized as one of the Orangemen’s all-time great ends.

Center Ed McMillan went on to Princeton and captained the 1925 Tigers. Again, McMillen is rated among Princeton’s very best at his position.

In the season’s opening game, Allegheny smashed North Braddock Scott, 61-0. Rayen of  Youngstown, an Ohio power in those times, was beaten 27-0. Pittsburgh’s Westinghouse, destined to be the WPIAL’s co-champion in 1921 after a scoreless playoff tie with Rochester, went down 33-0.

Pittsburgh Fifth Avenue, with the bruising Basista, a later star on W & J’s Rose Bowl co-champions, and the 1920 WPIAL runner-up to Washington, was a 20-0 victim.

Allegheny was scored on once, in the final regular season game – a field goal from the 40 yard line by Wilkinsburg’s Gaskill in a contest Allegheny won 53-3.

The much anticipated game at Parkersburg involved the local Big Reds, rated the West Virginia champions after an impressive win over Morgantown.

In days when automobiles and busses were few, some Allegheny fans hopped a Pennsylvania Railroad freight train and rode down the Ohio River to the game site in a box car.

It snowed heavily on the morning of the game. After the field was cleared, a steady downpour of rain began.

In the first half, Parkersburg appeared to dominate the bigger Pittsburgh team, reaching into Allegheny territory several times, including losing the ball on downs at the 15, before being thwarted when within striking distance of the Allegheny goal. Allegheny once reached the Parkersburg 30.

A renewed Allegheny team came out for the second half. After a series of Big Red punts saved the day, Madera blocked and recovered a punt at the 20. Allegheny was held inside the ten, but Parkersburg fumbled on the second play. Harry Buehler picked up the ball and sprinted around end for the go-ahead touchdown.

From this turning point, the Pittsburgh eleven totally dominated the game, repeatedly moving into Parkersburg territory. Another blocked kick resulted in a 32 yard drive that culminated when Chick Titzel carried off-tackle for the marker that clinched the win.

Parkersburg attempted an aerial assault, but conditions and the Allegheny defense prevented any progress. Allegheny was marching at the Big Red 30 when the game ended.

Rags Madera was brilliant in the game and was rated the best tackle ever seen in the Ohio Valley city. Fullback and Captain Titzel was also outstanding.

Rot Tillotson coached this powerful eleven. His ability to fire up his team probably turned the tide against Parkersburg. Locals commented that Allegheny acted as though Tillotson had charged them with dynamite as the second half began.

https://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt:MSP117.B022.F01.I01

Allegheny High’s regular 1919 lineup:

E                      HUNTER                    160

T          Rags    MADERA                   185

G                     KRESS                        170

C         Ed        MCMILLAN               180

G                     PAPAPANU               158

T                      HARTMAN                180

E          Pete     MACRAE                   180

B         Frank   ROSS                          140

B         Jimmy ROBERTSON             155

B         Harry   BUEHLER                  158

B         Chick  TITZEL                       150  ©

Other important players on this team included Gergach, Buck, Heckel, and Franklin.

The amazing Allegheny 1919 season record:

61        NORTH BRADDOCK SCOTT                     0

33        PITTSBURGH SOUTH HILLS                     0

27        YOUNGSTOWN Ohio RAYEN                    0

33        PITTSBURGH WESTINGHOUSE                0

43        PITTSBURGH PEABODY                            0

45        TURTLE CREEK                                           0

25        PITTSBURGH SOUTH                                 0

20        PITTSBURGH FIFTH AVENUE                  0

53        WILKINSBURG                                             3

POST SEASON

12        PARKERSBURG West Virginia                   0

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