Eyes rivet between the action and the scoreboard during high school basketball games, and at Shikellamy High games that scoreboard is usually operated by former Shikellamy District and St. Monica’s School principal Ted Andrewlevich.
Because he wanted to live in the city where he worked, Andrewlevich moved to Sunbury from his hometown of Mount Carmel after accepting a teaching position in Oakland Elementary in 1963.
“I told my lovely wife, Cyn, that I wanted to live in the place where they gave me a job. I wanted to get to know the people where I was working,” Andrewlevich said. “In my mind, being involved with the place you work gets you to know the people and the way they look at things, the way they function. I wanted to be one of them, so I am, forever.”
Andrewlevich got so involved that he ended up helping with the scoreboards at Shikellamy basketball and football games for the past 55 years. And singing the National Anthem at basketball games, too, for the past 20 years.
“I just enjoyed that time,” he said of his 55 years on the scoreboard and the 20 singing. “It’s just so nice to watch the young people play ball, to watch them grow from ninth grade to senior year. It’s really neat. They have a love, a passion for the game.”
This will be Andrewlevich’s last year of basketball scorekeeping and singing, although he’ll continue helping out as a football scorekeeper. With six grown children all living out of the area and eight active grandchildren, it’s time for him to cut back.
“I enjoyed watching my sons play and my daughters cheer,” he said. “I met a lot of great coaches, referees, newspaper reporters and, recently, TV people.”
“He’s fun,” said fellow scorekeeper Bob Balonis. “I have a good time with him. I like to joke with him.”
Over 55 years, basketball uniform styles have changed, and the number of referees increased from two to three. But the athletes’ motivation and competitive spirit was just as intense … and the scorekeepers had to bring their A game each time.
Andrewlevich remembered one night when the scoreboard went kaput, right at game time.
“We had no board,” he said. “Of course, they didn’t want to cancel the game because they were ready to go. Somebody ran to the art room and got white paper, and we held up the scores in front of the fans. They gave us a whistle and a stopwatch, and that’s how we did it. We blew the whistle a minute before the end of the quarter to let the official know.”
At a game about 30 years ago, Andrewlevich was asked to fill in for the athletic director. Two fans yelled derogatory comments to one of the officials.
“The referee stopped the game and said, ‘Ted, you need to tell those people they have to leave,’” Andrewlevich recalled. Fortunately, as he approached the hecklers, they left the bleachers. “They knew what they did was not a good thing, and they left, thank goodness. He was a good referee, too. He was a funny guy. The kids loved him. He was very personable.”
One aspect Andrewlevich particularly enjoyed about the games was when a player with less experience subbed in for one of the stars.
“You can just feel the kids rooting on those bleachers for him to get the basket,” he said. “And when he gets it, they go nuts.”
Andrewlevich began singing the National Anthem after the person who was scheduled to sing failed to show up.
“The athletic director at that time, Charlie Schlegel, was really upset because there was no back up,” Andrewlevich said. “I said to Charlie, ‘I can sing the Anthem.’ He said, ‘Okay, but don’t screw it up.’ I sang, and when I finished, he said, ‘Nice job. Now I won’t worry anymore.’ Been singing it for 20 years.”
A former Marine, Andrewlevich gives his all each time he sings.
“He gets a little nervous before it,” Balonis said, adding with a laugh, “After he’s done, I give him a rating.”
One time, the battery on the microphone died, but Andrewlevich continued singing.
“Some of the people joined in, which really made it great,” he said.
At a wedding shortly after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the groom’s father asked Andrewlevich if he’d sing the National Anthem, saying the guests, still reeling from the emotions of the attack, needed a patriotic lift.
“Our country was in trouble, and everyone knew it,” Andrewlevich said. “I sang, and I’m telling you it just changed the attitude from negative to positive.”
“He does a really nice job with that,” Balonis said. “He takes great pride with it. There are people that come looking for him (to sing).”
Andrewlevich is looking forward to golfing, spending time with his family and continuing with his other activities, including with the Sunbury East End Fire Company. Both he and Balonis, a former math teacher at Shikellamy High, enjoy their involvement with school activities.
“I really encourage people to sing the National Anthem. I think it’s a great song, and it’s for a great country. I just love it,” Andrewlevich said. “As far as the scoreboard goes, if you love basketball, you’ll love doing the board.”
