Lewisburg High School - Oneida Yearbook (Lewisburg, PA)

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'll Football at Lewisburg High School was first sanctioned by the school administration in 1914. But there were Lewisburg teams as early as 1905, teams not truly representative of the high school in an era before P.l.A.A., established rules, conferences, and all the formal organization that makes scholastic athletics tick today. Maybe it was more fun in those days. Ceratinly is was less formal, sort of a pick-up a team and let's play world of the sandlot variety. What about 1905? Well, that was the year when Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as President of the United States, with Charles W. Fairbanks as Vice President. That same year, the first Rotary Club was founded in Chicago by Paul H. Harris. And, in case you have forgotten, Lee DeForest was working on the vacuum tube which was to make possible a thing called radio. Meantime, back in Lewisburg, some young men were trying to make football possible in their home town. The game played that year by a mix of town boys and high school athletes was closer to rugby than the football game as we know it. The ball was bigger, the equipment less than desired, and the action rugged. Unfortunately, there were no official scorers in those days, and most of the action went unreoorded or appeared only as a brief report in the local weekly newspapers. , ant 1917 Backfield Alvin Wagner, Emil Gedrich, William Irvin , and Sam Smith. GREEN DRAGONS 1917 Team Captain 81 Coach Captain Cyrus L. Johnson and Coach Malcolm E. Musser. A 2 IN THE TBEGINNING

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,,g--- DEDICATED TO A 'VIAN GF MANY SEASONS Sud Thomas Sud Thomas has been a part of the Green Dragons on and olf the grldrron srnce 1918, more than a hall century He rs a gentleman and a true Sportsman, and we hope this small honor Indicates how much gratitude and respect so many players, coaches and fans have for hrm 1

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Row 1 - lleft to rightl - Dale Wagner, John Kling, Bill lrvin, Cy Johnson lCaptainl, Donald Johnson, Max Reed, John Purnell, Horace Hann. Row 2 - Alvin Wagner, Emil Gedrich, Davis Arnold, Sam Smith, Harry Johnson, Charles Purnell, Albert Johnson, Leiser Eisenhauer. Row 3 - Malcolm Musser, Coach. by AI Wagner During the summer of 1914, a group of Lewisburg High School boys, who liked the game and wanted to play, canvassed the merchants of town to ask for financial help to buy needed equipment. Since only enough funds were collected to buy balls, the boys had to furnish their own equipment. About 20 boys reported for the first practice, which was held on the former municipal playground, across the Buffalo Creek bridge. During the 1914 season, three games were played -- two with Bucknell Academy and one' against a fraternity team. All those who participated were high school boys, mostly sophomores and juniors. The seasons of 1915 and 1916 showed a little more progress, both in the interest of the boys and the general public, but the team did not get any financial support from the school board. To make a better appearance on the field, squad members bought white sweatshirts and had their mothers sew green piping around the neck and down the front. Two away games were played in 1915 -- against North- umberland and against Dickinson Seminary in Williamsport. Starting with the 1916 season, more boys came out for the team and more games were scheduled. Because so few nearby towns had football teams, the schedule had to include teams from more distant communi- ties. Thus games were played with such high schools as Lock Haven and State College, and included two games per season with Dickinson Seminary, now Ly- coming College. No games were scheduled in 1918 since some of the key players had enlisted in the army when World War l broke upon us. However, 1919 was a banner year. The schedule was enlarged to include Williamsport High School and Sunbury High School. At the close of school in June, 1917, the football squad met and decided each would strive to save enough money out of his summer earnings to buy regular football jerseys in the fall. Not only did the team appear for the 1917 season in all-Green iersevs, but also the outfits included green and white stockings. School colors were worn with pride. The '14 and '15 teams did not have a regular coach. The boys would get together and make up their own plays and the captain of the team would assume the responsibility of a coach. Then, in 1916, Dr. Malcolm Nlusser, who was then a Bucknell student, became the unofficial coach and gave the teams the inspiration and leadership they needed. 3 THE YEARS THAT WERE ...1914-1919 Football continued for a few more years until soccer took its place as a fall sport. In a few years, football was reinstated and Mose Quinn, a former Bucknell quarter- back, was hired by the administra- tion as the first paid football coach at L.H.S. lt is interesting to note that, although only 16 boys signed up for the football team in 1914 and that very little publicity was given to high school football, each suc- ceeding year saw more and more boys signing up for the sport. Few of us who played on those early formative teams little realized that football at Lewisburg High School would attain the popularity it now has, nor that it would become as successful as it has under the present system. 1917 Linemen . llelt lo righll - John Kling, Cyrus Johnson, Dale Wagner, Max Reed, John Purnell, Horace Hann, Charles Purnell.