The airtight Plexiglas here has showcased everything from 18th century dueling pistols used by pioneer Gen. Lachlan McIntosh (he won), to a bikini worn by Amber Brkich, of modern-day "Survivor" fame (so did she).

Now, it's time for the Beaver Area Historical Museum to spotlight the fields of battle where champion athletes ruled.

The new exhibit at the museum on East End Avenue runs through the fall and hails sports legends from Beaver, Bridgewater, Brighton and Vanport. The towns that comprise the Beaver Area School District have produced champions who've made their mark in high school, college, the pros and the Olympics.

Who was the All-American linebacker at Penn State University who played for the Buffalo Bills, but only after he had skinned his knees at Bouquet Park and flashed his smile in the 1969 edition of Shingas?

One of those is John Skorupan, the former Buffalo Bills and Penn State linebacker, who is now a supervisor in Cranberry township.

Mr. Skorupan attended Beaver Area High School and spent time at Bouquet Park, the playground at Fifth and Beaver streets, where many of the museum stars spent their childhoods.

His picture is in the 1969 edition of Shingas.

What in the world is Shingas?

Shingas, the name of the Beaver Area High School yearbook, was a Delaware Indian warrior who was the brother of King Beaver, the Indian chief after whom the town was named.

Mr. Skorupan still tracks news involving Beaver and sadly, he says, the most recent hometown dispatch was depressing.

He was referring to a report that Beaver officials were offering a $500 reward for information about arson and vandalism. "Bouquet Park, that's where we hung out and played."

Mr. Skorupan, 55, played eight years in the NFL, breaking in with the 1973 Bills led by O.J. Simpson. Mr. Skorupan's jersey number? Fifty-five.

He still gets lots of requests for autographed cards, footballs and the like. When he got one from the museum officials, he said yes in about a second -- about the same time, he recalls proudly, that it took him to take down Steeler Franco Harris during a 1975 "homecoming" game at Three Rivers Stadium.

Mr. Skorupan donated a Bills jersey, football helmet and a couple of game footballs from Penn State and the Bills. But the man he donated them to, museum exhibitor Chuck Snitger, says there's no doubt which bit of memorabilia was the linebacker-supervisor's favorite donation. "The Franco picture. That's the one John likes," says Mr. Snitger.

Still, the man who many credit with prompting the Penn State moniker "Linebacker U" was happy to help out. "You only get a request from your hometown once. It's an honor to be asked."

The centerpiece of the exhibit is dedicated to two Major League baseball stars -- pitcher John Burkett, of the Boston Red Sox, and third-base coach Joe Lonnett, of the Pirates. Both are retired.

The favorite of Mark Miner, the museum foundation president who arranged the show, is behind this showcase. It's a handwritten note from Pirates great Willie Stargell to Mr. Lonnett.

A less obvious, and close second, would be the ribboned medals and the frayed track spikes of Bill Butler.

Mr. Miner's research shows that in 1927 Mr. Butler was the fastest 440-yard college sprinter in America. He made his mark at a NCAA-like track meet at the University of Nebraska. A graduate of Beaver Area High School, Mr. Butler also ran track at Geneva College, establishing records there in all three sprint events -- the 100, 220 and 440.

It's one of Mr. Miner's favorites "because as a black American in the '20s . . . he faced far more obstacles in accomplishing what he did."

The showcase devoted to Mr. Butler is also an example of why small-town museums like this are so valuable, he and Mr. Snitger agree.

They reveal the hidden gems that lie beneath the "stars" like Skorupan, Burkett and Lonnett. And as a rotating exhibit, Mr. Miner says, this one typifies why this museum that opened in an old railroad freight station eight years ago was once named the best local museum in America.

Here are some of the stars that are part of the exhibit:

.....Hugh Mulcahy won 45 games for the Phillies and Pirates, and Doug Piatt, a high school teammate of Mr. Burkett, pitched for the Montreal Expos.

.....Judith Hult Deibel was a 1954 Beaver High graduate and 1956 Olympic gymnast.

.....Joe Hamilton and Pat Tarquinio were two of the most successful coaches in Pennsylvania high school football history. Mr. Tarquinio amassed 241 wins at Beaver after earning All-America honors at Juniata College and coaching at Ellwood City. Mr. Hamilton starred at Geneva College and has coached at Blackhawk and several other local schools.

.....The Beaver Bobcats won the state PIAA Class AA ice hockey championship in 1991 and repeated the feat 10 years later.