By Edward Master
I first met Michael Rapp when I was in elementary school. We were each attending grade school at the Foxburg building, which at the time served as a sixth-grade facility for the ACV school district. Mike was in Mrs. McCardle’s class, across the hall from me. I was in Mrs. McCoy’s room. The other grade-six was Mr. Zizzis on the first floor.
We didn’t have much room for a playground on the hill, so we may have had an occasional game of kickball. I remember a one-time music class of square dancing. One ‘excitement’ was watching a train zig-zag back and forth up the hill. The other every-day excitement, especially in winter, was traversing the long set of steps in front of the school, with one hand rail in the center.
After Foxburg, we moved to Parker to junior high school. At Parker, Mike and I started playing basketball together. A few times in junior high, I’d take the bus to Emlenton with Mike after school and we’d walk down Hill street to the high school to watch a varsity basketball game. My older brother Jack played two years, as a junior and senior. Mike’s mother, MaryLou, would feed us after we got home from school. She often sat in the kitchen with us and we’d chat. I don’t ever recall making the visit to the Rapps as an overnighter. I usually got a ride back to Turkey City with my brother.
At least by junior year, Mike earned himself a nickname, The General. I wish I could say I gave him that moniker, but that honor belongs to one of our coaches—Jan (J-B) Gallagher. I’m guessing that name was bestowed on Mike when he took over the point guard slot on the basketball team. J-B was a great one for cliches or sayings related to his teaching duties as he was our math (trigonometry) teacher, too! Ya gotta spend enuff time!
So, Mike became The General, but quite different from the guy with the white mustache selling insurance on TV. His crowning point was probably directing the 1966-67 squad to an undefeated home record and overall 18-4 mark. Individually, Mike took home the MVP title of the 1966 Christmas tourney at Keystone High. We knocked off Keystone and then Cranberry for an early Xmas present.
The odd thing about the nickname was one nickname that never was. At the time, a band (the Jaggerz) had a local hit on the radio called “The Rapper.” But, for whatever reason it never took hold for, especially after acquiring Mr. Gallagher’s ‘General’ title. I guess we had our share of adventures (?) though, a spinout on I-80 on a return trip from Youngstown on icy roads and a ‘trip’ to the Old Log Inn near the old Emlenton air strip. A Grassy Flat swim after summer rec and a pre-wedding meet for a mutual Oil City buddy. Gone and what can never be forgotten.
Mike later played a bit of baseball at Robert Morris College. His two sons, Brett and Bryan, became quite the hockey players for the Meadville Bulldogs.
Speaking of sports
The Bucs are getting close to turning the corner. Let’s now see if the Steelers can and if the Pens follow suit.