Benedictine High School - Benedictine Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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A real boys' coach! the city since the Senate was formed. Joe received his early education there. He I I I I ujbe L f v ,A 5 BEmEDrcTw55' H0914-f FOOTBALL coAcH...A 5Tl2lCT DlSC1PLlNA!2IMt HE is VEIZTK POPULAR. WITH THE SKJDENT I-A Y' THA TICKLES fs ,Z ,, tc? E G Quzrus was sfeefzso we BENGALS F02 me REST '11ME,7I9 AM UNBEATEN, UN- 'HED FOOTBALL EEQJIZD p io wwe GAMES LZ' E+ i wifi h mn In one Yam HE seweo uv THE BAsacsT5ALL,BA5'E5ALz. AND FOOTBALL cnAMPionsmPs ron Bsnavvcma- Only these words quite properly describe Benedictine's chubby head football, basket- ball, and baseball coach, Joe Rufus. The likeable guy whose driving manner and friendly grin will stand out in the memory of every Benedictine student and graduate accomplished a most remarkable feat in 1948. Within the period of one year, the teams under his guidance sewed up the Cleveland Senate championships in football, basketball, and baseball for Benedictine- the first time such a thing was done in Probably the football victory was the most brilliant because it was the Bengals' first. Working together, Rufus and his boys gave us an undefeated and untied record in ten games, including the first win over Latin in 18 years and a victory over South in the Bengals' first Charity Game. The secret? Hard work in the coach's own words. A great believer in team play, Rufus builds his teams as a unit rather than around an individual star. Born in Mingo Junction, Ohio, in 1918, i Mm ,... started his college training at Notre Dame, but transfered to Ohio university after the first year. Here he was Don Peden's first string fullback. From 1941 to 1945 Joe found nknderate success coaching three downstate high schools. In 1945 he came to Benedictine as assistant. Two years later he became head coach. Joe is living only a few blocks from the school with his wife Stella and his two children, Joseph Jr. and Mary Kay.

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I I I I in-1 Only a minute remained! The fans were already leaving the Stadium! And then it happened! Gil Verderber, Benedictine quar- terback, fired a pass in the end zone, and Jim McNeeley, Bengal fullback. soared up to catch the ball as two South High players vainly charged in to stop him. This only touchdown of the game plus the extra point pushed Benedictine into its first Charity Game victory. In the upper right picture, the victorious Bengals give a shout of joy in the locker room after the game. Even eight-year- old Mike Borovich, the Bengal mascot, has a huge victory smile. Varsitg Men Earn All-Star Berths For Season's Work Un Gridiron Not only did the Benedictine varsity gain honors for its season's play, but individual members of the team ranked high on city and school all-star squads. Linemen and backs shared the spotlight on the following honorary clevens. PLAIN lllCAl.l'lR All-East Se- nate picked Stackolich, Borovich, Powell, Verderber and lriberatore. The PRESS All-Scholastic named Gembarski, Stackolich, Borovich and rmvolljrht- rnicss All-East Senate team had the same as the All-Scholastic plus Liberatore. The NEWS All-Scholastic chose Borovich, Powell, Gembarski, and Liberatore. The Catholic Universe Bulletin's All-Catholic was the same as the News All-East Senate plus Noll. The International News Service gave All-State Honorable Mention to Powell. Alternates for the annual North-South game in August are Powell and Verderber. l,atin's All-Opponent Team was chosen by the sports editor of the Latineer. lt listed Powell, Borovich, l,iberatore, and Verdcrber. The St. Ignatius All-Opponent Team was chosen by the sports editor of the Eye. On it were Stackolich, Boro- vich, and Liberatore. Niles Mc- Kinley All-Opponent Team named Powell, Liberatore, Noll, and Sha- ker. East Teeh's All-Opponent team had Stackolich, Borovieh, Gembarski, Verderber, and Libera- tore on it. Bengals Shut 0ut South Flyers 7-0 To Capture Triple Crown For '48 .lim my lVlcNeeley's sensational catch of a desperation aerial thrown by Gil Verderber within the last minute of ploy t'e.itnred Benedictine's greatest athletic triumph of the I9-I8 football season: a win over the South lligh Flyers in the 19th annual Charity Game by the score of 7 to 0. Thus it was that Benedictine High became the first school in the Cleveland Senate to become champions of all three major sports at the same time. This Charity Game triumph came as an anti-climax to a already thrill-packed season. In our opening game of the season we defeated Holy Name for the first time 23 to 0. Latin also fell before our Terrible Tigers for the first time. Add to this our close wins over John Adams and St. Ignatius. Not only do Mc-Neeley, Verder- ber and Ed Belin, who made the extra point, deserve congratula- tions, but the whole squad. They united to give 45,000 fans what the Plain Dealer called the most exciting finish in Charity Ganr history. AM I swusn! one Fon EACH X X -SEASON J -yu f , X 1 , T '9 481k X f- -Xt fy, if imma! - 1' ,S f 6 - j f f B' - , Q, X l f X . BAfi4eigAL 9 48 ,e , x r J cv s I F M is W QASE ALJ 1 P, h Q .Z ' f ,.,t .t.. .... , f ' I x A I . ,I y -P A. ..,.- We , if, .t..,.. l el f ' '

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.g ' .- B VN the namfe Wolf -Elma CQmJrnu nity of QABBQY and the 1 Faculfy of B enled iCt in2 High Ho,-.ol,V I wish to extend to each student' and to Higs: dear ones at: home, tn ,falnd to all our WFki1a4nWdS,, my best wi-sihles For the. co mi -ng Jf0yQu1sf SQ agso n- Ma yi: that P-eKae ey QF4 the 'lfnfwafntf 'C'lnr'ils1t -H1 lv yfouvr Heeirfsu during- these: holy days, and my if Q-veffflgw ing.0 cqming, New Yearlf .-. . , . -