Carrick High School - Carrickter Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 12 text:

Above is the 1956 edition of Carrick's Golden Raiders, Section Two Champs. Left to right in the front row are Tony Ruscitto, Jim Gruber, Jim Laurent, Dick Atkins, Dennis Knetzer, Al Klein, Tony Perella, Bob Mervosh, Tom Dudich, Rege Auen, and Jim Hall. Second Row: Manager John Miltenberger, Ron Betz, Jim Parne, Mike Frank, John Motzer, Bob Fiedler, Ron Tritschler, Ed Michaels, Bill Bracken, Stan Speer, and George Kern, Third row: Coach Al Davic, John Gaughan, Paul Papariello, Jim Sloan, Frank Heinecke, Jim Nelson, Phil Lavelle, John Fedor, Jack Giarruso, Paul Ladner, Don Taylor, and Coach Ralph Zahniser. Back row: Jim Carson, Bob Campoli, Gib Gavran, Bob Minsterman, Ken Heider, Gene Lisotto, Dale Pinkerton, Mike Koem- pel, Bill Keppel, Dale Lippert, and Norb Lippert. Winning Teams Resulted Carrick fans shouted with joy as Frank Heinecke smashed across from the two yard line, making the first score in the Carrick-Westinghouse City Cham- pionship Game. During the tenseness of halftime, Coach A1 Davic talks to the Raider team. Standing to the right are Tom Sertik, Cin coatj Ed Michaels, and Don Taylor. In the foreground are Paul Papariello, Mike Frank, and Bill Bracken.

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Adding stamina to the Carrick squad are John Motzer, endg Paul Papariello, guardg and Don Taylor, halfback. Pictured below are end Jim Parne, center John Gaughan, and halfback Rege Auen. ACIIVC in the backfield are these Raiders: Ed Michaels, halfbackg Norb Lippert, fullbackg and Frank Heinecke, quarterback.

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The life of the 1956 Raiders actually began on August 25, the opening of Make-'em - or - Break -'em week atCamp Kon-O-Kwee, near Zelienople. During the week at camp the Raiders saw visions of future success as they crushed Mars High, a class A school, in scrimmage. These visions began to come true as Carrick met New Castle with boldness and brawn. Beaten by only one point, the Raiders left the double A school and went on to blank out Brentwood's Spartans, 20-0. Hopes of defending the Triadic Championship, however, fell as Carrick bowed out to an ex- perienced Baldwin team. Onward to victory, they trounced Langley by a 23-0 score, and edged out Allegheny 21-19 by a last minute field goal mastered by Frank Heinecke. Then, in the absence of Coach Zahniser, who had been taken to the hospital, his Golden Raiders managed only a 14-14 tie with Perry's Commodores. But there was heartbreaking news to come. OnOctober 20th, the day after the Perry tie, Carrick players and fans got word that Ralph Zahniser, their beloved coach, had died of a heart attack. But on they went. Though saddened by their loss, the Raiders fought as hard as ever, now under the leadership of Coach Al Davic. And with vigor they toppled Oliver and then Fifth Avenue. They now reigned as Section Two Champs, and were preparing for the forthcoming battle with Westinghouse, the battle for the City Championship. However, as in the two years previous, Carrick came out Discussing Raider strategy, Coaches Al Davic and Earnest Slessinger confer with manager John Milten- berger. Coach Slessinger, former Fifth Avenue mentor, will be head coach for Carrick teams of the future. During the years he was at Taylor Alderdice, his teams twice defeated Westinghouse in playoff football games. second best, as Westinghouse was the 20-6 victor. Buried by a host of Raider defensemen, Bulldog quarterback Tom Pitts fights hard to keep possession of the pigskin. Westinghouse held the ball most throughout the game, making 13 first downs to Carrick's 5. C. H. S. 12 20 0 23 Westinghouse back, Bob Tedesca, chalks up extra yardage before being stopped by Carrick reserve guard, Jim Nelson. New Castle Brentwood Baldwin Langley Opponent C. H. S. Opponent 13 21 Allegheny 19 0 14 Perry 14 26 32 Oliver 0 0 14 Fifth Avenue 7 6 Westinghouse 20