Port A - Smethport alumni soccer this Friday

Alumni soccer teams from Port Allegany and Smethport will clash on Friday evening, Aug. 1, to renew their high school rivalry while raising money for a good cause.

The game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. opening kick at the Smethport Area High School field, with warmups at 7. While there's no charge for admission, the group plans to give all proceeds from donations and concession-stand sales to Tristyn Dennis and his family.

According to Todd Mealy, one of the organizers, the idea grew out of local open-field sessions and pickup games which typically drew anywhere from 30-50 participants. With many former varsity players from Port and Smethport involved, the next logical step was to play for bragging rights.

"We're friends with them – of course, not on the field – but we've all known each other for years and years, and our programs started at about the same time,” said Mealy, a 2008 Port High grad and the Gators' first Big 30 All-Star in the sport. “We decided, there's enough of us in the area every year, why don't we just play a game?”

The two squads met for the first time last August, with the Hubbers claiming a 2-1 nailbiter. The group decided to add a fundraising component this year, taking their cue from the success of Port's alumni football games.

They chose to give whatever they raise to Tristyn Dennis, the son of Larry and Natalia Dennis of Smethport, who continues to undergo treatment for leukemia through UPMC Pittsburgh.

“I had heard about the Dennis family and what they had done for them at the football game,” Mealy said. “We have no overhead, no costs besides the insurance policy.”

Noting that the concession stand will feature the Corner Pizza Company's namesake item, he added, “I'm looking for $200 and upward. That's my goal, which isn't a gigantic number, but would be an awesome start for our first year of trying to donate.”

The rosters include several other Big 30 All-Stars, including Port's high-scoring tandem of Scotty Brookens and Tyler Kittilson and Smethport's Dario Caminite, the 2012 Olean Times Herald Player of the Year.

“It makes for an exciting game. You have college-quality players out on the pitch all at once – over half of us played in college,” Mealy said. “We're definitely competitive. We definitely do not mess around as soon as we step on the field.

“I think it's going to be another really exciting, really fun game.”

For more information, contact Mealy (814-558-5823) or Bryan Nelson (814-331-1113).

Projected lineups:

Port Allegany

Forward: Scotty Brookens, Dane Kio, Tyler Kittilson

Midfield: Jon Burkart, RayPaul Gascon, Derek Johnson, Todd Mealy, Ben Osani, Tyler Payne

Defense: Kyle Conway, Logan Hutton, Johnny Marks, Jeff Michener, Max Parana, Jason Roush, Zach Sigafoes

Goalkeeper: Frank Austin, Ryan Sabolcik

Smethport

Forward: Steven Alfieri, Chris Healy, Tyler Koch, Brandon Wright

Midfield: Dario Caminite, Levi Lewis, Justin Lund, Steve McFall, Bryan Nelson, Derek Nelson, BA Sizemore, Todd Willis

Defense: Andy Clark, Trevor Rowand, Matt Rusciolleli, Josh Tanner, David Taylor, Tommy Weaver

Goalkeeper: Adam Groshek, Colton Horning