Manhattan High School - Blue M Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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28 S I DIANS UF '43- HE LARGEST turnout for football in the state reported at Manhattan High last fall and with a complete eleven of lettermen to form the nucleus of the squad, Lud Fiser and Bill Clark produced a team that fought its way through one of its tough- est schedules to emerge undefeated and untied, Central Kansas League champions, and rated as second in the state by the Topeka Daily Capital. The '43 team was the first undefeated, untied team in the school records and only the second unbeaten one. Manhattan scored 217 points to their opponents forty-seven. Curiously enough, the play which net- ted the most touchdowns bore the name 217 . The numerous scoring sprints ranged from line plunges to a ninety-yard gallop kickoff return in the Wyan- dotte game. Deceptive Play The team was the lightest in years, but, out- weighed in almost every game, the Indians com- pletely baffled their opponents with their decep- tiveness and perfectly executed ball-handling. When opponents got in the team's way and tried to hold them back, the Redskins became an irres- sistable force, unequaled ln precision, deception, perserverance, and speed. The Indians were never behind in a game, and always took the initiative and tallied before their opponents. From the first touchdown, scored by Kenyon Whitney in the Lawrence game, there was never any doubt that Manhattan High School was being represented by one of the greatest teams in the in- Perfect Season b Teamwork stitution's history. Spo1'tswriters were amazed at the offense of the team and exclaimed that hours on top of hours must have been spent in perfect- ing the unerring attack-and they were right! For the Indians. no weather was too unfavorable or no hours too long. There were nine tough teams to scalp and a determined tribe was going to do it. The boys accomplished more than any other team in the school's history, but the best was the defeat of the age-old rival. After losing for eleven straight years to Junction City, the Indians broke the jinx in a thrilling, rough battle on the Blue Jay field. After that game, it was but a matter of time until the Redskins took over the league crown. Two very capable boys, Bob Srack and Harold Fielding, led the team as co-captains this year. Srack did a superb job of calling signals, and Field- ing was the offensive excavator who cleared the way for the touchdown jaunts. Many Honored After the season was over, extra glory was heap- ed upon ten of the Redskins. Never before had the team made such a clean sweep of the all-conference team or placed so many on all-state elevens. Man- hattan High placed two on the all-state first team, more than any other school: one was named on the second team and two received honorable men- Left to Right-Webster, Srack, Elmer, Fielding, Miller, Cook.

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A 'T S-' 5 JAL. A 1 1 11 v lllVll N uc D1 un 1 1 1 L 111 n nu M11111, 1 OND I Nl 1 1 ll mu 1 H11 kmr, l N11 r H1rr1 r 1 N11 1 111 I mpg l11ll11t11l111 Nl ryVNh1tn USING A FUNDAMEN TAL FREEDO IGHPOINT of the year of 1943 44 was on Feb ruary twenty frfth when the Journalrsm classes celebrated the twenty flfth year of publr catron of the Mentor wrth a ten page Srlver Annr versary edrtron There were other speclal edrtrons rncludrng an extra for the C K L football cham pronshrp Chrrstmas and the Tormentor the Aprrl Fool edrtron They also publrshed a srx page pamphlet durrng Educatron Week Next to the Annrversary Edrtron whrch was plan ned weeks rn advance the hrghlrght of the year was the publrcatron of the Blue M Numerous ac trvrtres were worked out to rarse money to rmprove the Blue M over prevrous years These 1ncluded a dance after a basketball game sellrng tlckets on commrssron sellrng prctures from past Blue Ms a rummage sale srgnrng the Whrte M and a play presented dur rng actrvrty perrod Everyone worked at these varrous enterprrses wrth the result that they were an overwhelmrng success Another b1g Job was keeprng the ser vrce 11st Re cent graduates of MHS each week recerved a Men tor whrclr rncluded a column tellrng what other S6lV1C6 men were dorng and rf possrble where they were Keeprng the lrst of men and their ad dresses was made more drffrcult because they were be1ng moved around a great deal In an attempt to clarrfy these drffrcultres the Journalrsm classes 1n co operatron mth the pr rncrpal superrntendent and the pr rntrng and 'nt departments sent out Chrrstmas cards rn December and rncluded a ques tronnarre askrng rf the Mentors vsere berng received Agarn thrs vear 10111 nalrsm attr acted enough students to Justrfy tuo classes In the publrcatron of the Mentor our future Journalrsts were grven ex perrence rn exercrsrng the fundamental freedom of the press Publrcatron was alternated between the classes for greater effrcrency and to drvrde the work more equally among students Edrtorshrp was passed around among the students each one edrt rng at least one page under the drrectron of a board ot publrcatron made up of tv1o students from each class They v1ere grx en expeuence rn all phases of newspaper work On March f11 st Mrss M11 ram Dexter took a posr t1on at Kansas State College be1ng replaced as Mentor sponsor and Journalrsm teacher by Mrs Elrzabeth Ellrson However Mrss Dexter sponsored the Blue M In addrtron to all the extra money makrng actrv rtres there were the regular Blue M sales Blue M Queen contest Blue M assembly and the Srgnature Party The Srgnature Par ty was the clrmax of the year for the Journalrsm students the Blue M s were out . - - 1 , ff N X N . he 4 5 1 X 1 K 7 A - , 1 . 1, A , G ,V 1 qi. l Ii. 1 v 1 1 ,ll 5 1 V' ' T - f ' X 1 Tl fl Vi' I .f l A ' V X . .2 . K K s 5 1 .1 . f Y g .- J x ' , 1! V. 1 ,. ii' A K : gb . I Q. I la. ,I s , 1 1... -1 . 1 .sf ' 1 - ls., , 'gl Qi... 1 1 - . r u h V 'I , . I 'I. I .kg . ' K .' 1 r 14- , iq -' . L ' 11 - ' If gy' lokfg . f Q. A i x . I 'I U i , . t L. 1 I i , K knri as gt ' ' ,1 ' f .- if - I 1 1 . ' f Q , , -1. , ,. , f-4 X .- 'l'Ol' l' Nlilr. S1-1-111111 Rowf-W'z lt1-rs. W'ls11n, lin ' -lu, , 1, '1-s, S111-11s1v11, M rs, l'Illis1n1, Miss D1-x11-1', .'1': -I , -11 1 , l lt'lll-IIK. Fi 'st Row Bl: ssvy, M 'I. '11, D0 111111, S14 ' , '1-1', VY: llu-V. H1-1-al. ll1sl11-1-p. Slit' 'A 'II,. Sv -111111 R1111' VY 'l1s11-r, Schibh-1', Kim-1', Esvhv I rg. H:1wI1-3. H111 11111. G111-1'1':11l. ll1-s, C11 11'11, ' ' vh , Allen. D1':1y1-1', S y 1-, 1 's. Fi sl R,lHV'GilI0, Petrich, Sz1l1'1-11, l'111't1-1'. A1111-11, .' -1-1-1111, li1'1-11-1-1', lil 11: 1-s, v lf- 1r , 1- 11 , '1- 1- -s1v1. 11 in pi1-l111'1- lla 11 , ' ' 1-y. n u A ' u ' V C ' . n 1 - ' I .' . . 1 ' . - ' - . .' ' - ., -' . .K 1- . . . ' . . . . ' ' ' , I - 1 u ' ' A4 ' Y! .' . . . Y u' w Q' I v ' . ' 1 I I '. ' .- , . . ' v, ' 1 1 ' I ' 'V I 1 I ' , 1 v n v v y ' - 7 I I ' ' 1 ' u ' 1 ' Y .. . . . , . . . Y ' .

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29 U DEFEATED C AMPS Squad of Stars- Is Key tion. Harold Fielding was selected as an all-state guard and Ronnie Webster was named as an all- state half-back. Howard Elmer made the second team as an end and Bob Srack and Jim Drown were given honorable mention. Fielding, Webster, Cook, Srack and Elmer were on the all-conference first team with Miller. Drown and Whitney in second team positions. Harold Cary and Ted Grimes re- ceived honorable mention. Webster was selected as the all-league captain. ANY CHANGES were made in the positions before the scheduled season began. All of them turned out well, and one especially produced great results. Bob Brewer, when a freshman, start- ed playing at an end position and stayed there through his junior year, failing to earn a letter. This year he was switched to tackle. There he earned a starting call and was outstanding in many games. Non-League Victories For the first time Manhattan scheduled a game with Wyandotte High School of Kansas City. One Wyandotte player remarked at the conclusion of the game that the Indians football squad could pass as a track team, since they repeatedly ran off for scores. Lawrence was also trimmed in a non- league counter. The Lawrence squad was cham- pion of its conference. The league race was only between two teams. The others were fighting it out for placing honors. Like Salina, however, the Indians had a tough time in defeating the one team that lost every game. Clay Center allowed both teams only one touchdown, al- though Manhattan played them during a heavy rain on a muddy, slippery field. Ted Grimes saved the day in that game when he caught a speedy Clay Center back who was touchdown bound, and the Redskins never again came close to being at least tied. Dramatic Finale After some tough and a few easy games, five C. K. L. teams had been removed. One, Salina, was left. Neither team had been beaten or tied and they were even in the league standings. The winner had undisputed possession of the league crown . To the loser went the laurels of losing only one game. Many games of fierce competition were behind that one, and they were boiled down to a contest between two formidable teams, Salina and Manhattan. The Maroons were heavy, but com- paratively slow. The Indians were light and fast. Griffith field was the scene of the encounter. A crowd of 6,500 screaming, hysterical homecoming fans jammed into the stadium and the two teams clashed. The Indians struck quickly a few min- utes after the opening gun and later tallied again: then the superior weight of Salina began to wear the Redskins down. The teams exchanged blows, but the Maroons pushed over into paydirt on a pass. Then, in a mighty drive which saw eleven boys playing as one, Webster scored the last touch- down of the season. The Salina Maroons, suppos- edly an immovable object in the path to the C. K. L. championship had been removed, and the Indians were the idol of the league. I..-fi to Right- Mumzvr, llri-wer, Drown, Cary, Grimes, Whitney.