Litchfield High School - Wickiup Yearbook (Litchfield Park, AZ)

Page 43 text:

E A C H AFTER- NOON the Owls nimbly s t e p p e d through tires to prepare themselves for quick footwork on the football field. Coaches Are Pleased and Optimistic alluring the summer before football season opened, Mr. VVest and l spent many hours in organizing a style of football to meet the needs of the squad members. XVe knew we would have a limited number of boys, but With careful planning they could be developed into a strong competitor for the Vllest Central title. VVith this in mind, We chose a single Wing type of attack, a shift formation, a new method of signal calling, improved huddling procedure, and a new style of defensive signal calling. l 355 Looking back over our most suc- cessful season, We give credit not only to the boys that lettered but to each member of the team. VVithout the good sportsman- ship, team Work, and the determin- ation to win against strong oppos sition, Litchfield could not have finished in third place. The football team will feel the effects of the graduating seniors, but with the return of experienced players together with promising freshmen, l,.H.S. can surpass this season's i'ecord. -Cozzrfz Koflnnfimz.

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ONE OF THE MANY TENSE MOMENTS in the Litchfield-Scottsdale football game when the Owls holcl the Beavers for the fourth clown on the Litchfield goal line. The final score, Owls-0, Beavers-ll. :ind then came the climax. XVe had to win from Scottsdale in order to tie them for second place lvehind Carver. Scottsdale, under those circumstances, could not afford to loses There was tension and drama in the air. lfrom the opening whistle to the final play the stands were in an uproar, and during many tense moments hearts stood still. :Xt half time the score was ll-U5 and when the teams lined up for the second half, we in the stands felt something had to give sooner or later. lt was a see-saw hattle all way through. Scottsdale's coach reached deep down into his hag of tricks in order to find a scoring combination, hut our lioys seemed to sense the plays, and our opponents were stopped cold. Many times it seemed our hoys had victory within their grasp, hut they could not quite reach the coveted goal line. 'lihe fans sensed the hattle of wits of the opposing coaches, and the constant roar of the spectators and the hard determined play of the hoys kept the crowd on its feet. But, try as they would, neither side was alwle to cross the goal line which would have meant victory and glory. X'X'e had to settle for a tie game, hut we were proud of our hoys, every one of them, and of our coaching staff.

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if 'mit Burfkfield, left to right: Watt, left half, Stone, right half, Galindo, fullback, Wood, quarter back. Line: Mcglillan, endg Johns, tackleg Shroyer, tackleg Sheppard, guard, Zeigler, centerg Webb, gfuardg Rey- nol s, end. arious Combinations Win . . . A smooth and deceptive backfield running from a box formation that could strike both sides of the line or shift into an unbalanced single wing formation characterized the 1952 Litchfield football team. This strategy gave the Owls versatility as well as a main- enance of strong power plays. The successful execution of any play is largely dependent upon the line also, foi without proper blocking, touchdowns would not be possible. The backfield and line work- ing as a single unit made Litchfieldls victory a reality. The graduating class of l953 takes with it eight members of the football team. TQSQUIVEI., a three-year letterman, was a Very Capable player and was exceptional in safety position on defense. YVA'1 1', with four years of varsity football, was an experienced player and a hard runner and often figured in scoring plays.