Joseph E. Ahrensfield
- Post by: mcalibrary
- January 11, 2024
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INDUCTEE
Joe Ahrensfield has had the good fortune to be able to be on championship teams at every level of his playing and coaching careers. As a high school football player at Mount Carmel Area, Joe was a letter-winner on MCA’s 1970 Southern Division Championship team. As a senior in 1972, Joe was one of the main cogs on the 12-0 Eastern Conference Championship 11. Joe was a starter at offensive guard and linebacker for that Tornado edition that defeated Valley View 20-12 to win it all. Archie would help lead the offense to over 260 yards rushing per game and over 33.5 points scored per game. Joe led the defense with 5 interceptions, while holding the opposition to less than 87 yards per game on the ground. Ahrensfield would win the mike Terry Award and was named to the First team All Anthracite and Susquehanna Valle All Star teams.
Joe also made his presence felt on the hardwood for Mount Carmel Area. He would establish a new single record for rebounds when he pulled down 27 vs Schuylkill Haven in 1973. He helped the 1972 team into District XI playoffs only to come up short in a game with Northampton by a score of 44-72.
Following graduation, Archie later enrolled at Shippensburg University and would letter for all four years as an offensive guard. Jose was part of a rebuilding program at Sip going 2-9, 3-8, and 4-7 under Coach Gene Epley. As a senior under Coach John Marks, The Red Raiders improved to 9-2-1 and would play East Stroudsburg for the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Title. Since the game ended in a tie, and no rules existed at the time, both schools shared the PSAC title.
Following graduation in 1977, Joe would spend one year At Big Spring Middle School before returning to MCA. He took on a position with Coach Joe Jazz Diminick and would stay on until 1992. In 1993, Arch left with Coach Carm to coach at Cardinal Brennan High School, and from there continued on to Danville from 1995-99. While at Danville, the Ironmen won the Susquehanna Valley Conference Championship in 1998 and 1999 and would compete for District IV AAA championship in 1997, 1998, and 1999.
In 2000, Joe again went with Coach DeFrancesco to Shamokin where he stayed through the 2006 season. .In 2007, Archie returned ‘home’ to MCA as a freshman line coach and varsity assistant for Coach Mike Brennan. Joe is married to the former Linda Michak, and, they are the parents of a daughter, Kaitlyn, a junior Business Administration major at the University of Pittsburg.