Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

Page 24 text:

men in their tracks. In the backfield there were Dan Talbot, Grant, E. Talbot, J. Cough- lin, Corcoran, and R. Hall. Dan Talbot was the fastest man in the backfield and was an excellent broken field runner. He made a good many touchdowns and when he got go- ing it took a good man to catch and tackle him. Grant was the old ramrod and was used for line plays. He hit the line like a sledge hammer and something had, to give way. He was great as a ground getter. He played a wonderful game in the backfield and deserves a great deal of credit. E. Talbot played the quarterback position and handled the team like a general. He will be a great man for Mr. Dower next year. J. Coughlin played a great game at halfback. He hit the line like a shot and nobody could stop him. F. Corcoran played a fine game and proved to be one of Mr. Dower ' s fastest and best backfield men. R. Hall played but a few seconds before he got injured but during that time he proved to be a good backfield man. He is only a Sophomore and will be a great help to Mr. Dower in the future. Haggerty was the Wakefield manager and played in the back- field until he fell below in his studies. He played a good game and proved to be a good manager. John Maroney played a good game in the Ijackfield until he was forced to give up football. A great deal of credit should be given Mr. Dower in building up the team. Tliere was nothing that he would not do that would bene- fit the team. Much credit should be given Paseiualino and Ingerton who came down to practice every day and helped get the team in shape although they did not get into the game very often. They showed that they would stick by the team even if they did not get a chance to play. The work of the girls who sold tags for the benefit of the football team was wonderful. They showed the riglit spirit and should be given a lot of credit. These girls were re- warded for their work by getting W ' s and numerals. The football men to get their W ' s were Capt. G. Hall, Grant, D. Talbot, Corcoran, Coughlin, E. Talbot, Smith, Clemons, Mulliii, Crosljy, Sidney, Fuller, Capt. King of next year ' s team, Fitzgerald, Martin, and Manager Haggerty. The girls to receive their W ' a were Margaret Corbet, Arlene Gardner, Mar- garet Bucknam, Selena Kalaher, Brcta Heur- lin, Helen Jones, Muriel Kingston, and Harriet Dolbcarc. The girls to receive their numerals were Ruth Murkland, ' 2:5; and Helen Denne- hey, ' 22. The team loses Capt. Hall, D. Talbot, Grant, Mullin, Fuller, Crosby, J. Coughlin, Corcoran, Smith, and Manager Haggerty by graduation. For next year Mr. Dower will have to build a team around Captain-elect King, Sidney, Martin, E. Talbot, Clemons, Fitzgerald, and R. Hall. The f scores: Sept. 24- -Wakefield 6 St. John ' s Prep. 19 30- -Wakefield 7 Woburn 14 Oct. 7- -Wakefield Winchester 7 12- -Wakefield Lowell 25 15- -Wakefield 42 Stoneham 22— -Wakefield Amesbury 14 28- -Wakefield 7 Watertown 7 Nov. 5- -Wakefield 26 Melrose 12- -Wakefield 7 Arlington 19- -Wakefield 14 Lexington 7 Tot al 109 Opponents 93 CAPT. HALL. In the aljove article it will be noticed that Capt. Hall has Jiot made any mention of him- self. Hall made an ideal leader. He was pop- ular, and never asked a player to do anything that he himself would not do. Capt. Hall was a savage tackier, and though handicapped by injuries, he never grumbled. His wonderful interference gained many yards for his back- field, while his presence brought new life to the whole team. Gritty, modest, unassuming, Capt. Hall deserves all that is said about him, and tlien some. By W. J. L UNFAIR CRITICISM Where have Wakefield High School ' s crack athletic teams gone? Where are- the teams that ))rought championship to Wakefield and filled the cases in Room 1 with cups and trophies? Are there no more Dignans, Dug- gaiis, Goodwins or Burkes, no more Harring- tons, Scanlons, Keadys or otlier stellar per- formers for W. H. S.? In the past few years the standing of Wake- field High School has taken a decided drop in athletic circles. The track teams have won no outstanding victories either in dual meets or in tlio interseholastic meets in Boston; the basel)all teams have been fair, but tliere have been no cups or pennants coming to the town, the football team is something now and is 20

Page 23 text:

Lee, North, Seabury, Martin, Paon and E. Hall. CxVPT. IRVING PATTERSON, ' 22. Note: The reference to Capt. Patterson was put in witliout liis knowledge as he did not want to sign his name to any praise for him- self. — Editor. FOOTBALL Football men were failed out for practice on September 14, by Coach Dower. There were a large number on the squad and three teams were formed. It was expected that Wakefield would have a championship team as most of last year ' s team were back again. The veterans were D. Talbot, Grant, Mullen, Ileustis, King, Fuller, Sidney, and Capt. G. Hall. Among the new men the ones showing the greatest promise were Crosby, Martin, E. Talbot, J. Coughlin, Corcoran, demons, Fitzgerald, R. Hall, and Smith. The team practised hard for the first game which was to be with St. John ' s Prep, at Dan- vcrs. This game was some ' ' game. The Prep. School students were very much heavier and older than the Wakefield team but even at that Wakefield gave them a good go for the game which St. John ' s Prep, finally won by a 19-G score. On Wakefield ' s first play a for- ward was thrown by D. Talbot to R. Hall, who was away out by the sidelines. R. Hall raced almost the length of the field for Wakefield ' s first and only touchdown. Wakefield had to pay very heavily for tlie touchdown, as R. Hall was tackled by a St. John ' s Prep, man just as he crossed the goal line and when he fell his arm twisted and broke just above the wrist. R. Hall was out of the game for the whole season. This accident seemed to take the heart out of the fellows and it was a long time before they could hit their stride again. The next game was a league game with Wo- burn at Wakefield. Woburn had a team of veterans. Wakefield ' s line-up was changed after the St. John ' s Prep, game as many of the boys Avere laid up with injuries. R. Hall was out and Grant, also. Some of the boys played on their nerve. The game was hotly contested and Woburn finally won, 14r-7. The fellows seemed to be timid about going in, Wakefield lost a poorly played game to Win- chester, another team in tlie Mystic Valley League. The score was 7-0. They also lost to Lowell at Lowell by a 25-0 score. After the Lowell game the boys showed more fight and won from Stoneham 41-0, They lost a hard-fought game to Amesbury at Amesbury. Tlie Wakefield boys fought like tigers and Amesbury could not do anything until the last period when its team tired out the much lighter Wakefield team and got both its touchdowns. Amesbury had one of the best teams in the state. The next game was with Watcrtown and end- ed in a tie. The next game was against Wake- field ' s strongest rivals, Melrose. Wakefield mopped up the field with the Melrose players and easily won, 26-0. The ' next game was with Arlington which Wakefield won 7-0. Wake- field played a very good game. Tlie end of the season was in sight and the last game came. Wakefield was up against Lexington who had one of the best teams in the State. The Lexington boys had not been scored upon until they went up against Wake- field. The game was at Wakefield and was witnessed by hundreds of people. The park was packed like a beehive. The Wakefiebl team played hard from the start and it was not long before Red Grant crossed the goal line for the first points to be scored against Lexington that season. The Wakefield Team fought like a warrior and finally beat the strong Lexington Team by a 14-7 score. The team had a very good season in spite of injuries and hard luck. Crosby played a won- derful game at center the whole season and it took a good man to get the best of him. At guard there were Fuller, King, and Fitzgeralil. Fuller played liard all the season and was i big factor in the center of the line. Captain- elect King played a wonderful game and was always a hard worker. He was a good tackier and when he hit a man that man felt it. He proved to be one of the stars on the Wake- field team. Fitzgerald is a Sophomore and ought to be a valuable man for Coach Dower in the coming years. At tackle there were Sidney, Martin, Heustis, and the Old Keck Mullin. Sidney and Martin played well at this position. Heustis proved to be a valuable player as he broke up the opponents ' plays before they got started. Keck Mullin was the old reliable. He was slam bang all the time and broke up the opponents ' plays be- fore they had time to tliiuk. Keck Mullin played a strong game and deserves a lot of credit. At end there were demons, Smith, and Capt. G. Hall. Clemens is very small but that did not make any difference. He would get the biggest man if he had to and he would get him hard. Smith was a very good tackier and always nailed the opponents ' backfield 19

Page 25 text:

making a good sliowing, fully as well as could be expected. Football teams are not made in two or three years. It takes time. AVhat is the answer? Is it the fault of the school, the teachers, the coaches or the pupils themselves? The faculty members are as much in favor of athletics as the pujjils; coaches are a matter of choice and Wakefield High has had as good coaching as could be obtained. The fault must lie with the pupils or atliletes. Perhaps it is that training for competition is not to the liking of some of the boys. At- tendance at dances or late hours, smoking and other attractions seem to have the edge on ath- letics at the high school at the present time. Once in a while there is an outstanding star on a team but a well-balanced team is something that seems to be lacking. It may be that the social aml)itions of the athletes exceed their atlilctic ambitions or ability. The above criticism of our athletics ap- peared in the Wakefield Daily Item some time ago. The writer was at first inclined to pass it by as one of the many references to the good old days stories of wonderful teams we used to have , whicli are lieard about town from time to time. In fairness, however, both to the boys who have done and are doing their best and to the several coaches who have worked hard, a few fac ts should be presented to show that our athletics are far from being in a bad way or even on a decline. By the law of averages, Wakefield High or any other school cannot expect to win every game every season nor can any school expect to put on a winning team every season. Some team must lose every time some other team wins. We often lose sight of this fact. So even if the insinuation that we have not had winning teams of late were true, we might be reconciled by the fact that by the law of tilings, it was our turn to be on the losing side. Anyone who wislies to look up the records of our baseball teams for the past three or four years will find that they compare favor- ably with those of other years. Last year the team won eleven games out of fourteen games played. In 1920 the team won fifteen out of twenty. These ought to be classed as winning teams. Wakefield Hgh has had a football team for four seasons. Eeeords show that every year except 1919 the teams won more games than they lost. In 1919 they lost four and won three. These are pretty satisfactory records. In the Annual Schoolboy Meet Wakefield won sixth place out of fifteen schools compet- ing. In, track as also in all our athletics,, we are obliged to compete with more schools larger than ours than with those of the same size or smaller. Yet despite this handicap, Wakefield High does not need to apologize nor feel anything but proud of her records. In reference to the stars produced, the criticism is a bit contradictory. It notes an absence of stars and then admits that we do have an occasional star. We do not strive to produce stars in high school ath; letics, but if we did, here again the law of averages forbids our producing stars every season. A high school of less than three hundred boys competing witli schools three and four times our size cannot be expected to develop stars year after year and furni.sh photographs for the Boston papers. If we do liave an occasional star we are doing well. But in this connection it is interesting to note that many of the records made by our boys in the past have been broken by the keener competition of the last few years. To a careful observer, there are two very encouraging features apparent in our ath- letics at the present time. First, the number of boys being barred from athletics by the scholarship rule is growing smaller each year, despite the fact that the rules have grown more stringent and are be- ing rigidly enforced. Second, there is a growing spirit of fair play and at desire for cleaner athletics not only in our own school but also in tlie other schools of greater Boston. This is a goal far more worth striving for than a winning learn. Wakefield High is not slipping — but going strong. But after all we all expect to liear in ten or fifteen years from now about the good old days and wonderful teams and stars — it is the way of the world. ARTIIUE A. FULTON. SHADES OF MAN When a man has no pep, they say that he ' s colorless. When he ' s mad, they say he sees red. When he ' s a coward, tliey say that he is yellow. When he ' s straight, they say he is white. When he ' s loyal, they say that he is true blue. When he ' s inexperienced, they say that he is green. VIRGINIA ULRICI, ' 25. 21