Fairmont High School - Maple Leaves Yearbook (Fairmont, WV)

Page 19 text:

1978-A rebuilding year for the Polar Bears? Coaches, fans even the players them- selves believed it. After all, how often can a state cham- pionship runner-up team re- peat such a terrific season? It would take a team with confidence and talent, a coach who could raise the students to their feet every time he stepped onto an au- ditorium stage, and fans who would sit for hours, often in the rain, just to see their team play. It would take an encore season-a command perfor- mance. And we had it all. After last year's 11-1 season and a loss of many talented seniors, the Polar Bear grid- men had very few high hopes. Thoughts turned to- ward working twice as hard as they had last year to please their fans. When the Bears had warded off Indians, Bearcats, and Tigers, skeptics said it was luck. But they were hungry for more. By the end of the Cinderella fortune, it was the real thing. In fact, it was so believable that the Bears no longer played for their fans, they played for themselves as well. As the team grew in con- fidence, their respect for their leader was apparent at pep assemblies. Like good news, it spread to all of us in the form of increased school spirit that lingered on even af- ter the play-off loss to Parkersburg. Coach Bob DeLorenzo's enthusiasm was captured by all when he entered two simple words into our vocab- ulary ... Number ONE-maybe it doesn't mean much to the average person, but to a Bear Backer, those two words summed up the 1978 football season, the Polar Bear team, and their fans. PREVENTING A BEE TOUCHDOWN, senior Lee Campbell gets a hand in the matter. ATTRACTING A SWARM OF BEES, Leroy Campbell, senior, tries to stay on his feet. Football Feature 13

Page 18 text:

SHOWING HOW IT'S DONE, senior Boo Linear rushes for yardage against East Fairmont. AMIDST CRIES OF WE RE NO. 1, Polar Bear gridmen stampede onto the field. IT'S ANOTHER ARMSTEAD TOUCHDOWN as Mark Delligatti, junior, helps out the referee in the 6- point call. IN THE WEST-PARKERSBURG MUD BOWL, a grimy Boo Linear, senior, slithers past Big Red defenders. 12 Football Feature

Page 20 text:

©MMAND PERFORMANCES continued What do Teddy Bears, hill- billies, snazzy dressers, and silence have in common? They all brought school spirit and enthusiasm to our East- West Week command performance. With the theme The Bears Can Be It, but the Bees Can't Bear It, the week was com- posed of four spirit days and a silence day which boosted enthusiasm for the annual SPIRIT LINKS remain an East-West activity. Seniors Anthony Finamore and Kim McDowell and freshman Shelly Delligatti spread the links which fell short to East Fairmont. clash. Even though we lost the spirit link contest for the first time in years, spirit still ran high as balloons soared into the clear sky throughout the game. Seniors Dee Ann Proz- zillo as Miss Spirit and Deb- bie Morgan as the Dead Bee contributed to the West cheering effort. East and West ... a tradi- tional rivalry. A traditional football game. And for the second year in a row, we suc- ceeded. We swatted those Bees. FRESHMAN COACH joe Naternicola concentrates on the Bee-Bear action as his son enjoys balloons and shakers. BLUE AND WHITE BALLOONS proved popular attractions at the game. Freshmen Susan Cronin and Laura Domico purchase balloons to show their support. 14 East-West Week