East High School - Exodus Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

Page 23 text:

’48 FOOTBALL SQUAD Bottom Row: Dave Sugiuchit Lee Webb, Ray Smerritt, John Maesta, Mills Milite, Frank Fischer and Ed Zitko. Middle Row: Manager Jim Newland, Tony Ventresca, Bill Mallory, Ray Grabowski, Co-Captain Lou Ralston, Tom Krantz, Ray Soeder, Co-Captain Joe Somich and Manager Paul Tepley. Top Row: Coach Tom Corbo, George Smith, Vern Hicks, Dick Walker, Bill Wotowa, Jim George, Paul Kolach, Bob Center and Coach Earl J. Ocker.

Page 22 text:

’48 - ’49 BASKETBALL SQUAD Bottom Row: Manager Jim Newland, Bob White, Jim Doi and Manager Paul Tepley. Middle Row: Bob Stakolich, Captain Chuck Kehoe, Coach William Fleishman, Paul Kolach and Steve Lesiak. Top Row: Dick Kleiver, Bill Parsons, Jerry Misch, Ralph Simmons, Jack Farrell and Ray Soeder.

Page 24 text:

SPORTS REVIEW By DICK GOODRICK During the tenure of the January '49 class, the sport world of East High was in the midst of a renaissance. The awakened interest and marked im- provement of this period was evident during the closing games of the '45-'46 basketball season. Under the book tutelage of Coach Greg Conly, the Blue and Gold hoopsters gained their famed title of The Spoilers. Chief reason for this was the 47-42 upset of a title hungry Glenville quintet. That season the cagers closed with an even 500 per cent- age in Senate competition. Further advancement of the Deckerites' basketball prestige came with the '46-'47 season which brought East its first cage crown in 23 years. At the helm of the Bomber squad was Wil- liam Fleishman, basketball tutor recently re- turned from the war. Mr. Fleishman's per- fecting of Mr. Conly's prodigies earned for him the title of Scholastic Coach of the Year. In the Bomber's drive for the East Senate laurels, 11 quintets were sent reeling. Fore- most among the Deckerites' victories was the 53-42 defeat of the highly touted Benedictine squad. This upset ended the Bengals’ 3-year reign on Cleveland's Senate hardwood as well as a 29-game victory streak. Keynote of the awakened sports interest was the colorful parade of East High stu- dents that preceded the play-off for the city title. Although the Bombers were set back, 34-32, that title contest has been written into the sports annals as the greatest play-off in the history of the school. The contest was not decided until the last few sceonds when an East push shot circled the rim and rolled off. Even though the '47-'48 edition of the court- men captured only a wobbly win over John Hay and a surprise upset of West High, the season was a credit to the school, because of the fighting spirit of an inexperienced squad plus the all-out backing of the student body. To the commendable performance of the basketball squads of the past three years, the January class of '49 contributed three out- standing players, Alex Gundic, Steve Lesiak and Dick Reid. Gundic was unanimous choice for All-East Senate guard spot when he performed with the pace setters. Marked improvement in the progress of the football power was heralded by the 46 ball club under the tutorship of Coach Conly as- sisted by Line Coach Earl J. Ocker. The 46 gridders rolled over Shaw, 25-6, in the tra- ditional opener and continued their blister- ing pace as they captured the runner-up laurels in the East Senate. The following year an inexperienced squad had to be content with a 19-12 victory over Glenville for their season's harvest. Team spirit and student backing was again the highlight of the season. At the gathering of the harvest, Coach Conly announced his re- tirement and Tom Corbo entered the sports picture at East High. With Coach Corbo came his modified T which the Bomber backfield utilized as they roared to a 377 percentage figure. Contributing to the power of the Blue and Gold gridders were Forty-Niners Tom Krantz and Co-Captain Lou Ralston. Ralston was nominated by several scribes for the '48 All-Scholastic tackle position. Mirroring the sports revival at East was the return of baseball after an absence of six years. Tutoring the Eastites in this sport was Coach Earl J. Ocker who piloted them to the number two spot in the East Senate loop. The season, which was given a special send-off by President Bill Veeck of the pen- nant-winning Cleveland Indians, was fea- tured by last minute rallies. Bill Lang and Ralph Gabella were the Forty-Niners who saw action with the baseballers. State acclaim for shot-putter Dick McWil- liams added to East High's prestige in '46. Although the following '47 and '48 seasons were barren of district track awards, the thin- clads gave creditable performances in local meets. Dick Pritchard, dashman, Lou Ral- ston, shot-putter, and Dean Tsantilas, half- miler, are Forty-Niners who burned up the city's cinder paths. Pritchard's speed was recognized when he was asked to compete on an all-star relay squad in a National AAU Meet at Baldwin-Wallace College. Thus the Forty-Niners have seen many changes in the world of sports at East High, and thus they have added to the time-hon- ored list of outstanding athletes their full share of heroes on gridiron, hardwood, dia- mond and cinder path.