Red Lion Area High School - Lion Yearbook (Red Lion, PA)

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It Yen tor Sports It was August 19, 1949. Most students had not yet thought of toting that mountainous stack of books for another nine months, and their mothers had not yet enrolled in the course on How to Get Iunior to School on Time in Ten Easy Les- sons. But not so the sports-minded, for on this fatal date Coach Nitchkey issued the call for football players. The following week, the fellows who have since distinguished themselves on the field and on the bench, lined up for scrimmage. On the sidelines, the gridmen of 1930 and 1960 inter- rupted their recollections and expectations to shout words of advice or admonition. Red Lion is truly sports-minded. All year 'round the local fans follow our athletic activities with great enthusiasm. An unexpected victory, the arrival of new equipment, a conference title, a spectacular play-all are sources of joy to the entire town. The people take pride in the teams' records victorie of good sportsmanship as well as the s they chalk up for the Gold and Black. Taking advantage of this interest, the student council has expanded the pep assembly idea both indoors and outdoors. tOn several occasions it was had be junior-s The out of pep thought that the roof of the auditorium en raised perceptably as the combined enior high students raised their voices.l door series was highlighted by a number rallies downtown fone of which was broadcast over a local radio stationl which fea- tured, i by con n addition to the cheerleaders, addresses imunity officials and the coaches, the band, and our mascot-Leo the Lion. A na' Lural interest, spurred on by frequent pep rallies and our teams' fine records, has resulted I in wholl ehearted support of our athletic program by both our students and the townspeople. Left: Lion fans carry posters to class in pre-game victory campaign. Center: Mr. MilIer's guests give a cheer in French at an outdoor pep meeting. Right: Leo the Lian advises team through interpreter Engles at Student Council sponsored pep rally in the Square. E 1 1

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BEHIND THE SCENES lll B. L. ll. S. Top: Temporary gloom on the bleachers. Center: Townspeople mingle with the students at a big pre-game rally at the Square. Bottom: Waiting at the back door. 19

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Kiick-011 ut 2:15 From the confab on that hot August afternoon, Head Coach Nitchkey and his assistants, Mr. Haugen and Mr. Yost, brought forth the 1949 football team. Footballs soon began to fill the air as the boys practiced. Punts . . . passes . . . tackles . . . plays . . . placements . . . filled their days and their dreams. The recruits for the team went into stre-nuous training to get in tip-top shape for the coming grid season. The fellows soon lost all those extra pounds which had been gained dur- ing the summer. The four returning lettermen, Ronnie Holtz- inger, Dale Kinard, Gene Neff, and Bob Norris, all seniors, formed the nucleus around which the team was built. Besides the Varsity contenders, many boys, especially junior high, were also to receive valuable training on the junior varsity squad. Although they played no games, their time was not wasted, for by scrimmaging with nearby teams, they were preparing themselves for future seasons. These fellows, approximately forty in number, worked under Coaches H. Myers and Zeigler. For over a month they practiced only blocking and tackling before starting any plays. In their scrim- mage with Stewartstown they outscored their opponents, but the West York scrimmage was broken up by rain before much was accom- plished. This was the only action the Iay-Vees saw, but the Varsity played a nine-game schedule. Under a blazing sun on the seventeenth of September, in the midst of hot dogs, cokes, and cheers, a whistle blew and the 1949 gridiron season was underway for Red Lion High. Lititz was the scene of the first game and when it had drawn to a close, Red Lion had been nipped by a one-point margin. The first touchdown honor of the year went to Ronnie Holtzinger while the other tally in the Lititz game was made by Norris on a quarterback sneak. Next, as fate luckily turned the tables, the Hill- top boys won a close tilt by the extra point mar- gin which was supplied by Dale Kinard. Holtz- inger and Neff crossed the goal line in this battle under the lights at Susquehanna Township. Meeting a fast Manheim Township eleven in Left: Ropp makes the third and final plunge to pay-dirt against Manheim. Center: The Varsity cools off at quarter-time. Right: Line forms to the right at the local smorgasbord. I i Q... u 5