Middletown High School - Optimist Yearbook (Middletown, OH)

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Paul Lawson, Captain Shifting directly from the gridiron to the basketball court, Lawson upheld and added to his outstanding athletic record. This is Ruben's second year on the Middie varsity as a forward, and unhappily his last. He was consistently a high scorer, and his ,ability to locate the hoop will long be remembered. Fast and shifty on his feet, Paul played equally well on offense and defense. His intercepting of Portsmouth's passes nearly proved disastrous for the state champions. Lawson had the distinction of leading both the football and basketball teams. Gerald Horn Geraldine , the curly headed Middie guard, after battling through the pre-season practices for his position, held it easily after the first game. Jerry , playing most of the time near the center of the fioor, had few opportunities t.o score, but his presence was felt in his superb guarding at all times. An enemy forward seldom slipped past Jerry , and when he did, he had to be a good forward. Horn played in nearly every quarter of every game, and in victory or defeat performed equally well. Merle Wendt No matter what brand of ball his teammates were playing, or who the opponents were, Merle could always be depended on to turn in the same steady performance. Although a guard, not a game went by in which Wendt did not score, and in more than one he topped the scoring column. In addition to his stellar offensive play, it was his defensive play which many a time kept the lVIiddies in the race. The best part of it all is that he'll be back next year to earn his fourth letter in basketball. Boll Millan Millan is a newcomer to the ranks of the Middie varsity, and he has still another year to perform for the Purple. Although he did not have much experience, Millan always gave his best, and was one of our most reliable players. His defensive play was of a high calibre, and he always could be counted on to add a few points to the score. Bob played well in several games, and helped hold the champion Portsmouth team to a 19 to 17 score. He should be a mainstay in next year's aggregation. 51241

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J. B. MclVIann Our fighting football quarterback emerged with the opening of the hardwood season as an equally scrappy forward, and added to his already impressive athletic record. Jason , during the first half of the season, shared high scoring honors with Lawson, but played his best game against Kiser, when he led the Greenemen to victory with nine points. J. B. could always be depended on to play his hardest in every game, and as a forward he was all over the floor and usually succeeded in sinking his share of buckets. Trumon Gray Trumon, Coach Greene's human sky-scraper, was the awe-inspiring Purple center who overtowered all his opponents, and who scored continuously by reaching up and dropping the ball through the basket, rather than shooting. Gray was at his best in the Franklin game, scoring a total of ten points, but at Norwood he displayed his foul- shooting ability to the tune of four hits out of four chances. During the entire season his shooting was most accurate and he rarely failed to grasp an opportunity to register a foul shot. Solomon Back Although having very little previous experience, Back performed like a veteran. Sol is a south paw, and this was an asset to him, for he often slipped through the enemy defense for a bunny shot. He handled the ball in fine fashion at the pivot post, and delighted in tossing those overhead shots into the bucket . Sol was particularly outstanding in the Roosevelt game when he ranked high in the scoring column. He works well in the zone defense, and a score was not often made in his territory. Donald Selby Selby was a good substitute at either a guard or a forward position. Although short, he was very speedy and handled himself well. He was particularly adept at dropping long-range shots through the hoop. Regular at practice, he was always willing to work for the good of the team. He played his best game at Springfield when he was called on to replace McMann, who was injured. Under fire Selby was cool and determined, and kept playing steady and consistent ball. f1251