Bradford Era – St. Bonaventure rising senior Darion Gregory has earned a pair of prestigious academic honors by being named to both the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field All-Academic Team as well as the CoSIDA Academic All-District Cross Country/Track & Field Team, officials announced Thursday. Gregory, a native of Smethport, is now one of the most decorated Bonnies student-athletes in recent memory after previously being named to the…

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Bradford Era – by Jeff Uveino The Lady Hubbers will feature an athletic group that brings speed to the basepaths. If its inexperienced pitching staff can catch up to its lineup, an upward climb in the conference could result. Front row (from left): Danielle Nelson, Ashley Day, Coryn McClain, and Kristen Dunn. Back row: Hope Peterson, Eva Gifford, Elizabeth Hungiville, Serena Smyntek, Charity Lapp, Celeste Austin, Maddison Faes, and…

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Bradford Era – by Marcie Schellhammer The average time a person stays at a job in the U.S. is 4.1 years. But Fran DeLancey is anything but average. DeLancey retired last month after 43 years at The Bradford Era, where he was the Smethport-area correspondent. He described some of the changes he’s seen over his career. When he started, correspondents called in their stories over the phone, “and then…

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Bradford Era – by Jesse Kolodkin Curwensville kept the game close but Smethport’s offense would not be denied on the way to a 46-27 playoff win. Smethport got off to a fast start, scoring twice before Curwensville scored once and taking a 12-0 lead. Noah Lent and Ryan Mason were finding lanes in the ground game and Lent took a great shot to Brandon Higley for a 25-yard touchdown….

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Bradford Era – by Fran De Lancey Jamie Pierotti, the guest speaker at the annual fall dinner meeting of the McKean County Historical Society Thursday, highlighted the history of The Backus Company in Smethport whose founder, John C. Backus, invented the automatic pinsetter for bowling in 1905. A prolific inventor, Backus contracted with another Smethport firm, Holmes and Gilfillen, to manufacture the pinsetter. “These original pinsetters were used by…

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Olean Times – by Jeff Uveino      With only three returning starters on each side of the ball, Adam Jack’s team will feature plenty of new faces this fall. Luckily for Jack and Smethport, however, his returners were some of the Hubbers’ most valuable players a season ago. Senior quarterback and reigning Big 30 Pennsylvania Player of the Year Noah Lent will lead a Hubbers team that hopes to…

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Bradford Era – by Nate Steis      Growing up just a few blocks away from a golf course has turned out to be a blessing for Connor Alfieri. The Smethport product will soon enter his second year golfing for the California University of Pennsylvania (CalU) Vulcans men’s golf team. His father, Tom, first introduced him to the game as a youth, as the duo would spend time at Smethport…

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Bradford Era – by Jeff Uveino      His 5-5, 145-pound frame might not stand out on the street. But as Braedon Johnson has shown throughout his career, it’s tough to miss him on the football field. Johnson starred at Smethport in four varsity seasons, growing into the team’s top offensive weapon while anchoring the Hubber defense from the secondary. He got two more chances to showcase his defensive talent…

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