Derry Borough High School - Derrian Yearbook (Derry, PA)

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FOOTBALL RESUME CContinuet-D 'Ina ' ' t. FOOTBALL SQUAD L.E. lEarnh:irt ' Sylvesterlf Ifennem in' L.'l'. Humphreys llelle llonne IMG. MPBl'00Ulv Gray L. Akins' Henry R.G.E.G:islml'i'o J. Allison' R.T. Gillis' H. Allison' R.E. Rooney' Fritz Q. Bi'idi.te ' Winirard' L.H. Toth' Gontz' R.H. Walters M:i5:retti F. Toner' ll. G2lShZll'l'0' Received letter ziwiirtls Football Team ln Action Well-conditioned and looking much better, the boys returned to the New Derry field the next week as hosts to Saltsburg. Humphreys, stellar tackle, put Derry ahead when he blocked a punt and fell on the ball over the goal line. A thirty-yard run by Bridge and a fourth-period drive added two more scores. giving Derry their only victory of the season, 19-0. Another road journey took Derry to Ligonier to battle an ancient rival. Lig- onier, with the best team in years, broke the jinx to score a 6-0 victory for the first time in three years from Derry. Buell took a lateral pass and raced thirty yards for the only score. In the final period the light Derry team marched to Ligonier's ten-yard line, but a fumble stopped the drive and prevented a score. Bridge, the light Derry quarterback, starred offensively. An invading Leechburg Class A team, which had held the powerful Vande - grift team to a 7-6 score, was much surprised when the game ended with a score of only 14-73 for Leechburg had come to Derry set on a one-sided display, but Derry made them struggle for their close victory. Toner, Akins, and Humphreys starred defensively. Walters made it tough for Leechburg offensively and climax- ed the afternoon with a forty-yard run for Derry's only score. With the stonewall defense of Derry's line. the classic battle with Blairsville on Armistice Day has already gone down in history. Outweighed fifteen pounds per man, the Derry forward wall held Blairsville to two first downs. After watching this masterful exhibition displayed by the Derry line, Coach Bucci ex- claimed after the game, We had no luck, boys! Derry made eleven first downs in rolling Blairsville all over the field, but two breaks gave them a 13-0 victory. Rooney, a freshman end, and E. Gasbarro, Akins, and Magretti-all sophomores --aided in making this history. The usual banquet given by the lVlen's Club on December G proved to be a real event. It was a Corrigan Affair, in which the boys treated the patrons for the patience displayed by them as they stood by us in defeat. Mr. Abraham, capable attorney from Greensburg, was the principal speaker. Doctor Witherspoon, president of the Men's Club, gave gold footballs to the seniors, after this, letters were distributed bv Mr. McKelvey and Coach Bucci. Besides the players, June Craver and Helen Stiffler, cheerleaders, and Anthony Mastrorocco, manager, also received letters. l Il TY-SIX

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Football Resume On the sporting page of the Latrobe Bulletin was announced the initial call for football practice one week before the opening of school. A squad of thirty' small, inexperienced boys reported the following day. People who had seen the football teams of the two previous years make history for Derry shook their heads as they watched the perspiring candidates preparing for an attack on their suicide schedule. Derry had little hope for the seven difficult games ahead of them. Little wonder that our backers refused to give us a chance, for they realiz- ed how seriously graduation had taken its toll of stars that had shone on the grid- iron for Derry. Only three lettermen remained to carry on the blue and white. Despite the lack of experienced boys and the fact that the boys were small. Coach Bucci, assisted by Mr. Williams, molded a team that retained the respect of the fans and the pride of the school. Even though they won only one game. they gained more morally in losing six games. This team deserves much credit, for the courage they showed Saturday after Saturday in holding to small scores the teams that outclassed them. No opponents can truthfully say that they won any game easily. This suicide schedule opened on September 17 against our neighboring eleven from Derry Township. a team with a potential victory behind themg but the game gave promise that our boys could fight until the last minute. The big Township boys were not long in scoring two touchdowns to take a 13-O lead, but the plucky Derry boys displayed their conditioned spirit by marching sixty yards and climaxing that drive with a pass from Toner to Walters for a score. The 26-7 score against Derry was no disgrace. On the following Saturday, encouraged by the showing on the previous week, the Blue and White Ramblers invaded Trafford to oppose a team that had been together for four years. Trafford also wished to avenge a defeat suffered by them the previous year. They won 7-O, but not until Derry had threatened at least four times: and due only to misfortune did we fail to score. The next week found Pitcairn visiting Derry for the first time in many years. Too much Ventresco explains the defeat. For the first time this season Derry took a 7-O lead at the half but faltered in the last half. Ventresco, romping over for three scores, gave Pitcairn a 19-7 victory. X . l M Q 1... A i gg -.ii as ef' iF 1 1 . F ' QW .,g.., .?'Q'3L.,. FHEER LEADERS James VS'herry. June Crnver. Isabel Lyons, Helen Stifflr-r FIFTY-FIV li uf

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Basketball Squad With mostly inexperienced boys, Coach Bucci's chances for a winning team were slim. Nevertheless, he lost no time in molding five boys into a team that brought glory to the school and pride to the players. Our stellar center, Walters, who led in scoring for the team, was the third highest scorer in section XIII, and just one point out of second place. Tom Wingard. who sank goals with either his right or left hand, played an important ro'e in De-rry's most successful basketball season. With no previous varsity experience, Bob Gontz was in tiptop form when Derry met Derry Township: and his ten points helped to upset this team. Boyd Baughman, playing his first season of varsity barketball, was the best ball hawk of the team. Time after time, Boyd took that ball from the reach of boys much taller than he. It was Boyd who held Johnston, the scoring ace of Ligonier, to two foulsff--his total score of the evening. One of the best defensive guards ever turned out by Derry was Brick Toner. All Pat needed to say was, Red, do this g and it was done. Since Brick was seldom removed for a substitute. he was an iron man who formed an important cog in our team. Henry will leave a big hole in Bucci's lineup for 1940. When anyone was ejected from the game because of personals, the coach always signalled for Tony Sylvester to substitute. Kenneth Fulcomer will be remembered for his all-around playing against Hurst when he substituted for the ailing Wingard. Ken, for making live goals that evening, is given the credit for Derry's decisive win. When several of the regulars hit a slump, Hugh Akins was brought up from the Junior Varsity. This candidate showed himself worthy: for in an important game with Ligonier, he scored the first three points, which helped to lead the Derry boys to victory. , Although George Toth was probably the smallest player, he will be remem- bered for that football-like pass down the floor to Walters at Youngwood. This goal helped Derry to climb the steep ladder in section XIII. Although Tom Henry and Dominic Gasbarro, seniors, did not see very much varsity service, they helped a great deal to toughen the boys for varsity battles. Holmes Yealy and Dalton Bryson, who started out with a bang, were hard , pressed by other candidates but will probably make varsity history nsext year. QQ f f Personnel: + X V Forwards: Wingard, tGontz, Fulcomer, Akins, Yealy. Centers: iWalters, Bryson, Hen- ry Guards: i'iBaughman, Toner, 'tSylvester, Gasbarro. Managers: :fiBridge, Werner. Coach: Bucci Assistant Coach: Williams. VARSITY SQUAD Front Row: Boyd liaughrnzin. Henry Toner, Thomas Wingnrtl, Robert Gontz. Gem-go Toth' K,.nm.th FUI, eomer. Coach Bucci Back Row: Dominic Gzusharro. Tony Sylvester, Dalton Bryson, Robert Walters, Holmes Yenly. Thomas 5 Henry FIFTY-SEVEN