08/20/2026
THE FOUNDATION: THE 1990 COLTS
The Team That Reached the Top
The 1990 C**ts set out on a mission.
Coming off a District 11 Class A Championship, Marian was hungry for more. The program had already established itself as one of the most respected in the region, but this group was determined to take the next step.
By 1990, 65 Marian athletes had gone on to play college football on scholarships, including 25 in just the previous four seasons. The foundation had been built. The expectations were high.
The C**ts prepared for the season with a major preseason scrimmage against big-school Easton. The performance gave those around the program reason to believe Marian was in for another strong season.
But no one knew just how good these C**ts were about to become.
A Fast Start
The C**ts opened the season against Wilkes-Barre Meyers and wasted little time making a statement.
Marian raced to a 23-0 halftime lead before cruising to a 29-13 victory. The first touchdown of the season was especially memorable—a brother-to-brother connection as senior quarterback Mike Makovec found freshman Mark Makovec for the score.
The C**ts dominated on both sides of the ball, piling up more than 300 yards of total offense while allowing just one first down and 40 total yards in the first half.
Next came North Schuylkill.
Again, Marian took care of business with a 27-8 victory. The defense was the star, allowing only 73 yards for the entire game. Senior J.D. Hackenberg led the defensive effort while also helping anchor an offensive line that continually opened opportunities for Marian's talented skill players.
Mike Makovec, Joe Gillespie, Rich Miller, and Jerome Hunsinger all benefited from that line play.
And the C**ts weren't keeping their success to a select few. All 45 players in uniform saw action.
The Money in the Bank Begins to Pay Off
The next challenge was Blue Mountain.
Nearly two years earlier, after Marian's 1988 playoff loss to Panther Valley, Coach Stan Dakosty had offered a prophetic message:
"I told our players after the game that this is not the end; it's the beginning... This year was really money in the bank."
In 1990, that investment was beginning to pay dividends.
The C**ts overwhelmed Blue Mountain 47-6, scoring on their first five possessions. Brian Rafferty, Mike Hosak, Joe Gillespie, and A.J. Serina all found the end zone during that stretch.
That balance became a defining characteristic of the 1990 team. Eleven different C**ts carried the ball in the game.
But the biggest test of the young season was still ahead.
A Game of Character
Pottsville.
The C**ts took an early 6-0 lead on a Gillespie touchdown, but the Crimson Tide eventually fought back and took a 7-6 lead with just nine minutes remaining.
Now, Marian had to respond.
Mike Makovec led the C**ts down the field on the final drive, getting help from his teammates throughout the possession. Makovec rolled to his right and found A.J. Serina for a 20-yard gain, putting Marian at the one-yard line.
Rich Miller finished the job.
His touchdown gave the C**ts a 12-7 victory.
Afterward, Dakosty spoke about the adversity his team had finally been forced to face.
"We've talked so much about adversity, how our team would handle it, that it had to happen sooner or later... We beat a 4-A team that has great tradition on their home field."
He continued:
"This proves we can come back. It was important that we pull together, and we did."
The C**ts had passed their first major test of character.
Nobody Could Keep Up
Marian entered its Week 5 matchup against 4-0 Lourdes Regional with plenty of momentum.
The Morning Call wrote the following morning:
"People who haven't seen the Marian football team play this year can't really appreciate how good the squad really is."
They were about to find out.
The C**ts scored eight touchdowns in a dominant 54-0 victory.
Even more impressive, those eight touchdowns came from eight different contributors: Makovec, Hunsinger, Gillespie, Tony Vecolitis, Rafferty, Miller, Chris Lewis, and Mike Abrachinsky.
The following week brought another major challenge when the Mt. Carmel Red Tornadoes came to Men of Marian Stadium.
For the first time in the history of the matchup, Marian defeated Mt. Carmel.
And they did it convincingly.
The C**ts rolled to a 41-6 victory, holding the powerful Mt. Carmel offense to fewer than 150 yards while recording five sacks—three from Hackenberg and two from Mike Hosak.
Electricity in C**t Country
At 6-0, the C**ts turned their attention to Panther Valley.
The Panthers had been a thorn in Marian's side for years. But everyone around the program was beginning to realize that this Marian team was different.
The C**ts dominated Panther Valley 46-0.
"Our team was as ready to play this football game as any game since I've been at Marian High School," Dakosty said.
"The emotion and intensity at the school this whole week was great to be a part of. Today there was just electricity in the air."
That electricity was evident throughout Men of Marian Stadium, which had become standing-room-only 30 minutes before kickoff.
The C**ts continued their march the following week with a 36-7 victory over West Hazleton, receiving major contributions from several of the team's unsung heroes, including Mickey Gelatko, Bobby Wargo, Jerome Hunsinger, and Tony Vecolitis.
Marian then handled Mahanoy Area 41-14, improving to 9-0.
"They played hard; we played hard; it's a rivalry and that means it's always going to be a good football game," Dakosty said afterward.
One More Regular-Season Test
The C**ts welcomed Bishop Kenrick, a team from the Philadelphia area, to Hometown.
Marian sent another message.
The C**ts dominated 46-0, showing that their success wasn't limited to the Coal Region.
Then came the regular-season finale.
Tamaqua.
Nearly 6,000 fans packed the area to watch the latest chapter of the crosstown rivalry. Marian once again controlled the game, defeating the Blue Raiders 21-0 and finishing the regular season a perfect 11-0.
Afterward, the team celebrated in the locker room.
Dakosty looked around at his players and said:
"This is unbelievable... I've been in a lot of locker rooms in the past 14 years, but I don't think I've ever been more proud of a team."
The C**ts had completed a perfect regular season.
But their ultimate goal was still ahead.
A Setback, Not the End
The Eastern Conference semifinals brought a daunting opponent: Hanover Area, a Class 2-A powerhouse.
The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 12-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Marian answered with a late touchdown from Rafferty, but there wasn't enough time to complete the comeback.
The C**ts suffered their first loss of the season.
Hanover Area would eventually go on to win the Class 2-A state championship.
For Marian, however, the season wasn't over.
The C**ts still had one more opportunity to reach the state championship game.
They traveled to face Canton in the Eastern Pennsylvania Class A final.
This time, there would be no hesitation.
Marian handled Canton 34-14, earning its place in the PIAA Class A State Championship Game.
One final obstacle remained.
The State Championship
Marian vs. Farrell
Farrell entered the state championship game 13-0.
Newspapers across Pennsylvania considered the Steelers the best team in the state, regardless of classification. There were even reports that Farrell's head coach believed Marian shouldn't even show up.
The C**ts showed up.
And they came ready to play.
The championship game was held in Middletown, and Farrell struck first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 61-yard punt return.
Marian answered with a Makovec to Miller connection to knot the game 7-7.
The C**ts battled and eventually took a 14-7 lead when a tipped pass from Makovec found Mike Hosak.
Then came another unforgettable play.
Sophomore Matt Mace scooped up a Farrell fumble and raced 13 yards into the end zone.
Suddenly, Marian led 21-7.
Farrell would score a late touchdown, but the C**ts had already done enough.
The final whistle sounded.
Marian Catholic High School was the 1990 PIAA Class A State Champion.
The underdog had defeated the juggernaut.
The C**ts had reached the top of Pennsylvania high school football.
A three-town parade awaited the champions after the game, a fitting display of the pride Marian football had created throughout the Coal Region.
And the head of the PIAA, who witnessed the championship game, called the Marian-Farrell matchup the best football game he had seen to that point.
For a program that had spent years building itself into a powerhouse, there could be no better ending.
A Championship Team
The postseason honors reflected just how talented the 1990 C**ts were.
Joe Gillespie and J.D. Hackenberg earned First Team All-State honors, along with selections to the Pottsville Republican, Standard-Speaker, and Times Leader All-Star teams. Hackenberg was also named Times Leader Defensive Player of the Year.
Mike Hosak earned Second Team All-State honors and was selected to the Pottsville Republican, Standard-Speaker, and Times Leader All-Star teams.
Mark Makovec earned Third Team All-State recognition, a Pottsville Republican All-Star selection, and was named Player of the Year by both the Standard-Speaker and Times Leader.
Additional All-Star selections included:
Brian Rafferty — Pottsville Republican, Standard-Speaker, Times Leader
Bob Wargo — Pottsville Republican, Standard-Speaker
Bill Gill — Standard-Speaker
Jerome Hunsinger — Times Leader
Rich Miller — Times Leader
A.J. Serina — Times Leader
Joe Gillespie — Times Leader
The honors didn't stop with the players.
Coach Stan Dakosty was named Pottsville Republican Coach of the Year, Standard-Speaker Coach of the Year, Associated Press Small-School Coach of the Year, and Pennsylvania Football Coaches Coach of the Year.
But Dakosty never viewed the championship as his accomplishment alone.
In a 1991 article reflecting on the season, he said:
"I have good people who work hard... They want to win. My coaches often have great demands put on their time but they take a lot of pride in getting their team ready. It's a No. 1 staff."
The team's Scholar-Athlete was Brian Rafferty, who was also selected as the Schuylkill Chapter No. 25 Scholar-Athlete, representing the county. Rafferty was the first and only Marian athlete to receive this award.
The Greatest Chapter in C**t History
The 1990 C**ts were the product of years of preparation, talented players, dedicated coaches, committed administrators, supportive families, and a community that believed in Marian football.
The investment had finally paid off.
Decades later, Dakosty still remembers what that season felt like.
"It is really hard to explain the pride, excitement, and enthusiasm of the school at that time... it is a feeling that could not be replicated."
The 1990 C**ts didn't simply win a state championship.
They became the first—and to this day, only—Marian football team to stand at the top of Pennsylvania.
And when the story of the greatest teams in Marian history is told, there is no question that the 1990 C**ts are in the conversation.
THE FOUNDATION
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