Tri State
Mini-marathon aiding 'a magical place'
Run, walk to benefit Greenway Avenue Stadium renovations
Kevin Spradlin
CUMBERLAND - Mark Manges had a moment of internal conflict last week after
reading Mike Calhounıs comments regarding the renovation of Greenway Avenue
Stadium.
Manges, a former All-American quarterback whose team went 34-5 over his
four-year career at Fort Hill High School, freely opposes most anything if
it comes from an Allegany High School affiliate. But the message conveyed by
Calhoun, Allegany principal, was that no renovation should begin until the
project can be done in its entirety.
"I agree with Mike Calhoun on that," Manges said. "I didnıt think Iıd ever
say that (but) it shouldnıt be done until itıs done the way it should be
done. Donıt do it half-way. Don't cut anything. Just be patient. First off,
let's rally the people. Letıs try to get behind this all the way and letıs
try to get this right."
Manges can get away with that level of honesty - he and Calhoun are friends.
Run, walk to benefit Greenway Avenue Stadium renovations
Kevin Spradlin
CUMBERLAND - Mark Manges had a moment of internal conflict last week after
reading Mike Calhounıs comments regarding the renovation of Greenway Avenue
Stadium.
Manges, a former All-American quarterback whose team went 34-5 over his
four-year career at Fort Hill High School, freely opposes most anything if
it comes from an Allegany High School affiliate. But the message conveyed by
Calhoun, Allegany principal, was that no renovation should begin until the
project can be done in its entirety.
"I agree with Mike Calhoun on that," Manges said. "I didnıt think Iıd ever
say that (but) it shouldnıt be done until itıs done the way it should be
done. Donıt do it half-way. Don't cut anything. Just be patient. First off,
let's rally the people. Letıs try to get behind this all the way and letıs
try to get this right."
Manges can get away with that level of honesty - he and Calhoun are friends.
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And the cause around which he, Calhoun and others want the community to rally is a single one - save The Stadium.
So Manges, with a new knee, and his wife, Janie, and mom, Norma, will be one
of at least 138 runners and walkers who participate on Saturday in the first Cumberland City Mini-Marathon at The Stadium.
"One of the great benefits of that is that the doctor tells you (that) you can not run," Manges quipped. "So Iım gonna stick by that and listen to my doctor."
It's not too late to register for the run or walk. Those who want to be involved can drop off an entry form and entry fee to co-race director Fred
Cook by noon Friday at 327 N. Centre St., Cumberland. People also can register on Saturday beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Manges hopes that the community rallies and supports the 2.62-mile run and 1.5-mile walk, which both begin and end inside Greenway Avenue Stadium. The
52-year-old real estate agent enjoyed some of the best years of his life there. He thinks many others feel the same way.
"It is such a magical place, a beautiful place," Manges said. "And the fans
make it so. When you're young, you really disregard what the support from the community means to you because itıs always been that way."
Manges coached football in Prince Georgeıs County and remembers the response he got when he asked about game attendance.
"Two, two-fifty," he was told."I said, 'thousand?'"
"They all cracked up laughing," said Manges, who learned games averaged 250 fans.
"It's amazing," Manges said. "A lot of young people take it for granted thatthis is the way it's always been and our support will be there. As you get
older, support from the community is amazing when you get out of this area."Cook, who along with his wife, Della, Bobbi Moose and George Brown, isorganizing the event. He cited a national statistic that four out of every10 students drop out of high school.
"Extracurricular activities will help children stay in school," said Cook, acancer survivor who only recently took up running. "We want to try and helpeverybody."
Pre-race favorites in the 2.62-mile run are Allegany sophomore Ian MacFawnand Cumberlandıs Paula Bridges. The oldest pre-registered walker is a
74-year-old Cumberland woman. The youngest is a set of 6-year-old twins."Thatıs quite a span there," Cook said. "That kind of tells you what the
affection for the stadium is."
The Stadium, he said, is "a place for overachievers to overachieve. One ofthe things I like about The Stadium (is) if a child wants to participate -
thereıs band, thereıs the game, the drill team .... whatever they want to do,thereıs something for them to do. They even have a kid that, maybe he can't
do anything else, but when Fort Hill scores, they give him a flag and heruns up and down the track" in celebration.
And with those teams come memories - exactly the kind of memories Manges has. His favorite? Playing a tough Allegany team in the Turkey Day game his
senior year. The Campers, then 8-1 on the season, had not allowed an opponent to score more than 14 points a game.
"We beat them, 50-12," Manges said. "We had a great group of seniors. It was just a special moment. We knew that this was the ultimate moment and we had
beaten a tremendous Allegany team."
And it was that way for almost every game, Manges said, and every player."Whether you come down those 52 steps or you resent who comes down those 52
steps, when you get in that stadium, itıs special - because of the great people, coaches (and) players that have participated,² he said.
Manges, drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the NFL draft in 1978, was a standout signal caller at University of Maryland. He was a
Heisman Trophy contender before breaking his hand in the third game of his senior year.A rally to support The Stadium could be another way to chalk up another victory for the fiery competitor.
Kevin Spradlin can be reached at kspradlin@times-news.com.
So Manges, with a new knee, and his wife, Janie, and mom, Norma, will be one
of at least 138 runners and walkers who participate on Saturday in the first Cumberland City Mini-Marathon at The Stadium.
"One of the great benefits of that is that the doctor tells you (that) you can not run," Manges quipped. "So Iım gonna stick by that and listen to my doctor."
It's not too late to register for the run or walk. Those who want to be involved can drop off an entry form and entry fee to co-race director Fred
Cook by noon Friday at 327 N. Centre St., Cumberland. People also can register on Saturday beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Manges hopes that the community rallies and supports the 2.62-mile run and 1.5-mile walk, which both begin and end inside Greenway Avenue Stadium. The
52-year-old real estate agent enjoyed some of the best years of his life there. He thinks many others feel the same way.
"It is such a magical place, a beautiful place," Manges said. "And the fans
make it so. When you're young, you really disregard what the support from the community means to you because itıs always been that way."
Manges coached football in Prince Georgeıs County and remembers the response he got when he asked about game attendance.
"Two, two-fifty," he was told."I said, 'thousand?'"
"They all cracked up laughing," said Manges, who learned games averaged 250 fans.
"It's amazing," Manges said. "A lot of young people take it for granted thatthis is the way it's always been and our support will be there. As you get
older, support from the community is amazing when you get out of this area."Cook, who along with his wife, Della, Bobbi Moose and George Brown, isorganizing the event. He cited a national statistic that four out of every10 students drop out of high school.
"Extracurricular activities will help children stay in school," said Cook, acancer survivor who only recently took up running. "We want to try and helpeverybody."
Pre-race favorites in the 2.62-mile run are Allegany sophomore Ian MacFawnand Cumberlandıs Paula Bridges. The oldest pre-registered walker is a
74-year-old Cumberland woman. The youngest is a set of 6-year-old twins."Thatıs quite a span there," Cook said. "That kind of tells you what the
affection for the stadium is."
The Stadium, he said, is "a place for overachievers to overachieve. One ofthe things I like about The Stadium (is) if a child wants to participate -
thereıs band, thereıs the game, the drill team .... whatever they want to do,thereıs something for them to do. They even have a kid that, maybe he can't
do anything else, but when Fort Hill scores, they give him a flag and heruns up and down the track" in celebration.
And with those teams come memories - exactly the kind of memories Manges has. His favorite? Playing a tough Allegany team in the Turkey Day game his
senior year. The Campers, then 8-1 on the season, had not allowed an opponent to score more than 14 points a game.
"We beat them, 50-12," Manges said. "We had a great group of seniors. It was just a special moment. We knew that this was the ultimate moment and we had
beaten a tremendous Allegany team."
And it was that way for almost every game, Manges said, and every player."Whether you come down those 52 steps or you resent who comes down those 52
steps, when you get in that stadium, itıs special - because of the great people, coaches (and) players that have participated,² he said.
Manges, drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the NFL draft in 1978, was a standout signal caller at University of Maryland. He was a
Heisman Trophy contender before breaking his hand in the third game of his senior year.A rally to support The Stadium could be another way to chalk up another victory for the fiery competitor.
Kevin Spradlin can be reached at kspradlin@times-news.com.
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Cumberland City Mini-Marathon
at
The Stadium
Location: Greenway Avenue Stadium in Cumberland, MD
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. for run and walk.
More Information
at
The Stadium
Location: Greenway Avenue Stadium in Cumberland, MD
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. for run and walk.
More Information
Photo by Kevin Spradlin