Labor Day was upon us this past weekend, and school is back in session. Even though summer isn’t officially over, the mindsets already have turned toward the fall season.

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column - a trip back in time to the 1960s, 70s 80s and sometimes beyond - I’ll take a look at some early September sports happenings that triggered some memorable seasons as well as some vintage items.

Where were you in 1977?: It was a classic year for Penn State and Notre Dame, which both pieced together record 11-1 seasons. The Fightin’ Irish were the national champions and the Nittany Lions finished No.5 in the polls.

Notre Dame began the year with a 19-9 win over Pittsburgh Sept. 10, but they then suffered a loss at Mississippi the following week. Third-year head coach Dan Devine was already under some fire for 8-3 and 9-3 seasons the previous two years, but he did end the ‘76 season with a win over Penn State in the Gator Bowl.

The Irish then ripped off 10 straight wins culminating in a 38-10 win over Texas in the Cotton Bowl, vaulting them from No. 5 to No. 1. Joe Montana began to build a reputation as a comeback and cool-under-pressure quarterback and defensive lineman Ross Browner won the Outland Trophy.

Jerome Heavens and Vegas Ferguson were the running backs, and both likely have been forgotten over time.

Penn State began its season with a 45-7 blasting of Rutgers on Sept. 2, and the Nittany Lions opened the year as the 13th-ranked team in the country. They suffered a blow in week four when they dropped a 24-20 decision to Kentucky at home.

From there, they marched through their next eight opponents, culminating in the Sun Bowl with a 42-30, shootout victory over Arizona State.

Chuck Fusina was their quarterback and Curt Warner – remember him? – was the lead back. They also featured local products running back Mike Guman (Allentown Central Catholic), tackle Keith Dorney (Emmaus), and linebacker Matt Millen (Whitehall). Wide receiver Jimmy Ceffalo (Pittston) also added some hometown flavor.

Swamp Fox: On Sept. 3, 1983, Marion Campbell, nicknamed “The Swamp Fox” who succeeded Dick Vermeil, won his first game as a Eagles’ head coach with a 22-17 triumph over San Francisco. Vermeil stepped down in September citing “a burnout” from coaching, and compiled an overall 54-47 record in seven seasons.

Campbell struggled to a 17-29-1 record in three seasons during December 1985, and David Shula was the popular choice to replace him. Who did? The Eagles began a unique run with the legendary Buddy Ryan.

Shake, Shake, Shake: In early September of ‘77, Disco still had a hold over the country.

On the charts during the first week of September, KC and the Sunshine Band were jumping with “Shake Your Booty” along with Andy Gibb’s “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” and the Emotions “Best of My Love” were controlling the top of the month.

We all became enamored with Meco’s “Star Wars Cantina Band,” which helped set afire that saga.

Another Classic Game: Friend and head coach Eric Snyder recommended another game he played as a youth, and another that I didn’t have.

“NBA Bas-ket” by Cadaco was a game that initially emerged in the early 1970s, and was still on the market in the early 2000s.

There was a court with six holes apiece on either side in which you could shoot a small round ball toward a basket. A backdrop of logos from all the NBA teams provided the perfect scenery. If you had an earlier game, you could see some of the classic NBA teams from the 70s, such as the Kansas City Kings and Baltimore Bullets.

You and your opponent could see how many baskets you could make in a time period.

Back to School: It was the traditional week when everyone goes back to school. There are plenty of memories along the way, and probably too many to mention.

Some recently recalled ones included book covers. There were the traditional brown bag ones, and those that were sponsored by local businesses. Remember those? I recall the blue and white business covers.

There also were the Friday pizza lunches in my Catholic elementary school in Nazareth when we lined up on my school stage to get our pizza. The kitchen was located just off the stage. The pizza slices were thin and would be considered cardboard slices today.

Back to the Beatles: Unknown to many, The Beatles played their last US venue and last concert 56 years ago this week at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on Aug. 29, 1966.

The Fab Four played in front of 25,000 fans, 7,000 short of a sellout. Attendance for concerts began to diminish in some cities, citing John Lennon and George Harrison’s sharp criticism of the country’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

At Candlestick, the Beatles played just an 11-song set, and their breakup was apparent.

They did reunite in January 1969 to play a final set on the roof of the Apple Building in London. According to several records, they only played a 10-song set with their swan song being “Get Back.” However, some publications list “The Long and Winding Road” as their finale.

Final Summer Thoughts: When you were younger, do you remember catching fireflies? We would see their “lights’ and rapidly scramble to catch them, and then place them in a glass jar. We would watch them move around the jar. It was simple, and now you wonder why we did it.

Also, I remember returning glass bottles in the paper six-pack holder to the grocery store for a handful of cents. Again, it was a simple task, but one that we looked forward to doing. The challenge was not to break any bottles before you got there.

Do You Remember? Every week, I’ll mention a likely forgotten player or manager from yesterday. Do you remember Eagles’ tackle Stan Walters? He was traded from the Bengals to the Eagles before the 1975 season, and became an All-Pro left tackle who started 122 consecutive games before his retirement in 1983. Walters’ notoriety was raised when he served as Merrill Reese’s color commentator in the radio booth from 1984 until 1997. Walters was known for his brash and frank style behind the mike.