Kankakee High School - Kankakeean Yearbook (Kankakee, IL)

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DANVILLE DOYNNS KAYS The Danville Maroons stopped the Kays brief one game winning streak the following week when they entertained the Kankakeeans. The Maroons dealt the Kays their lone defeat 6-0 in a closely con- tested game. The Kays regained the form they exhibited against St. Pats Oc- tober 2, when thex' downed Thornton Fractional of Calumet City 21-0. 3,500 homecoming fans watched the hard lighting Kays blank the Meteors in a bitter battle. Quarterback Chuck Boudreau ac- counted for all three Kankakee touchdowns, scoring two himself and passing to end Phil Vllerbiski for the third. Hal Reed, the Kays place kicker, booted three extra points. The Streator Bulldogs followed the Meteors into Alumni Field and met with the same fate after a determined rally. The upset- minded Bulldogs rallied in the second half, scoring 13 points after the Rays had collected what appeared to be a comfortable 19 point lead. The stubborn Kay line then dug in, preserving the Kankakee lead and sending the Bulldogs home licking their wounds with a RUFUS HAI RSTON PHIL WIERBISKI 19-13 loss. Kankakee Daily journal Photo CHARLES BOUDREAU

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PEI? Firxl R0-xt'-Reed, Dee, Iiellephant, Stneve, VVcrbiski, Soncie, Lockwood, Hickman. .S'1'wullrl lxfme -f'-- Xlgr. Xkeeks, Devine, llecker, llunigan, 1'utnam, Coy, lloudrcan, lironillette, Walling, johnston, Xlgr. llall, Nlgr. lfhrich. Tlzird Rnreiklgr. Siegle, Coach Lile, Beiers, Rielly, Lanone, Marshall, Sulflette, VX'agner, Nichols, Coach liacexich. lfmzrflz Rmt'+Tantier, Scime, Hairston, Young. Longtin, Green. BURTON STU EVE Co-Captain -2. f. 131 JOE 11l'iL1,lfPH.-NNT C0-Captain f VARSITY FooTBA1.L The year 1953 brought a new look to the Kankakee High School football scene. 'l'he Kankakee coaching staff was not only all together different, but the Rays themselves looked far different from the.varsity squads of previous years. Un- der their new coachesn Bron llacevich thead mentorj and his assistant, Forrest Mickey Lile. the Kays displayed a rockem sockem brand of football hereto unknown to Kan- kakee fans. The Fighting Hays compiled an excellent 7-1 record, topping a formidable array of'opponents. Coach 1lacevich's powerful machine scored 28 touchdowns for a total of 186 points while holding their opponents to a meager 4 touchdowns and one lone extra point for an eight game total of 25 points. lfive of the Kays' seven opponents failed to score. llalfback Rufus Hariston led the individual scorers with 9 touchdowns for a total of 54 points. Equally out- standing for the Kays was fullback Morris Decker, the Sophomore Sensation, who averaged 7.8 yards per carry in 93 attempts for an overall total of 732 yardsg and Junior quarterback Chuck lloudreau who completed 37 passes. 8 for touchdowns, out of 96 attempts for a total 564 yards. In the line two standout performers were the Kays' tackles and C0- captains, seniors .loe liellephant and Burton Stueve. ST. l'A'l'S FIRST VlC'l'IM The Kankakee Rays opened their 1953 season September 18 at Alumni Field against inter-city foe St. Patricks. Rufus llariston scored 5 touchdowns as he and his teammates routed the green Irish 33-O. Pngft' 7':t'e11i,v-thf re I f

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1,5 X 1 l 4' f i st-a 1 i - ' ? .f'f fT '7f :'rt,:i'f ' X , X 31, E -, ,, v X , . N Kankakee llaxly Journal Photo l f' Y. HAI l.liY Xl .XRSH .'Xl.l. ROC ER XYA Ll.l NG 4 , . . . . . lZl'.l.X llll-.Rl'., Kl.XRKllf JN. lu-Xl.l. The liays successfully closed their home schedule October 23, when they drubbed llelvidere -lb-6. A lJad's night crowd of 2,500 watched the Northerners fall before the on-slought of the powerful Kankakee attack. Then the following week the liankalteeans traveled to L'r-. bana, where they easily downed the Tigers 41-0. The victory over L'rbana was doubly rewarding since the Tigers had pre- viously beaten llzmville, the only conqueror of the powerful liankakeeans. Thirteen seniors. eight of them regulars, played their hnal game for the Maroon and lllue, November 6, when the Hays journeyed to Klarmion Klilitary Academy. The cadets, like the Kays tlve preceeding foes. succumbed 20-0 to end one of the most successful football season in the history of Kan- kakee lligh School. .-Xt the close of the season. the Kays' co-captains llurton Stueve and blot' liellephant were honored for the line football they played. llellephant was selected by the Champaign-l'r- bana Gazette as the tirst string right tackle on their all state team. Stueve was voted Most Yaluable l'layer by his team- mates. xg? L ROBICRT COY lx XX ! Kankakee llaily journal Photo