Former Pottsgrove Falcon Tastes University Rivalry

If the old saying is true, and familiarity does breed contempt, few schools should accrue the animosity the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University share. Located roughly 60 miles apart, the universities' aptly titled Backyard Brawl is one of the most bitterly contested football games in the nation.

Pottsgrove High School head coach Rick Pennypacker experienced the rivalry firsthand during his playing days at West Virginia under legendary coach Bobby Bowden.

"The Backyard Brawl is so intense," Pennypacker said via e-mail. "We just do not like Pitt. We respect them, but just do not like them. And the feeling is mutual. I will never forget the first meeting as a freshman. The upperclassmen said there are two things you have to know when you come here. First, you play as hard as you can on every play and the second, you hate Pitt."

With a quick jaunt down Interstate 79 -- which separates the two rabid fan bases -- the affair takes on a brother versus brother kind of timbre.

"I have friends that went to Pitt and I think their school is a great place," Pennypacker said.

But that mutual respect is not enough to bring decorum to game day.

"The Backyard Brawl can get very nasty with signs and T-shirts," said Pennypacker.

One of Pennypacker's former charges got his own first taste of the Brawl during the game's 104th iteration. Albeit a mere dusting on the tip of his tongue, former Pottsgrove High School standout Terrell Chestnut had to watch the game -- a nail biting 21-20 win for his West Virginia comrades -- from the stands.

After he elected to undergo surgery in August to fix a nagging shoulder injury, the defensive back took a red shirt year to strengthen, focus on academics and prepare to earn a spot on the Mountaineers' secondary for next season.

"Rehabbing every day," Chestnut -- in a phone interview on Monday from Morgantown -- said when asked what he had been doing during his recovery from surgery. "Everything's been going well … Last week was the first time I was able to run since football camp, so that's been tough on me because I'm so out of shape."

With his on field time having been severely limited, Chestnut has been making the most of his opportunity away from the gridiron.

The transition from high school to college can be tough for any student, much less one shouldering the expectations that come with being a Division I athlete. Particularly challenging can be the new academic rigors that await.

"It was a struggle at first," Chestnut said. "In high school I really didn't have to study as much as I do now. But everything's coming along."

While currently enrolled in general study classes, Chestnut hopes to begin studying psychology next semester with medical school as his goal.

"I want to pursue my dream in football and see where it takes me," Chestnut said. "But at the end of the day, it's all about the education I receive."

The Mountaineers played a key role in Chestnut's Morgantown naturalization, providing support and a firm foundation during the tumultuous time of fluid expectations new college students might experience.

"I have a good relationship with everybody on the team," Chestnut said. "Everybody is close … It's almost like I never left home -- my team back at Pottsgrove -- like I'm at school."

He said the transition from high school to college ball was easy due to the folks who surround him.

"They're all great people," Chestnut said. "We all have the same mindset - to win championships and win games and represent the state of West Virginia. I can't speak highly enough about this group of people."

With past trials and tribulations behind him, a bright future at a respected institution ahead, Chestnut is eager to make an impact.

"I have the opportunity of a lifetime out here that a lot of people dream of having," Chestnut said. "I have the opportunity to do something very special for myself as well as my family. And I know I have the support of everybody back home and that's what gives me drive to keep going."

Chestnut said he wants to be a positive role model for others.

"If you put your mind to the subject, follow your dreams and follow your heart, it will take you to where you belong," he said.