Rowe High School - Viking Saga Yearbook (Lakeville, OH)

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Hirsimaki Named to All-Ohio First Team An individual record that will stand in the “books” of Rowe basketball for years to come; this very well describes the record that Fred Hirsimaki will leave behind him here at Rowe when he graduates this year. At the close of the season each year all the coaches from all over the state send in a list of their ideal players, and out of some 25,000 class B players our own Freddie Hirsimaki was picked on the first team. Fred scored more points than any other player on this first team. He scored 419. There is no doubt in anyone's mind who has seen Hirsimaki perform, that he is the greatest offensive player that Rowe has ever had (barring none), but if Fred had not been on this Rowe team of '43 chances are that he would not have set the record he did, because this team composed of three seniors, one junior and one sophomore, is the greatest team that Hirshey has ever turned out. Dwane Wheeler, forward, was named to the All Ohio honorable mention group. Last year he was chosen on the third team. Dwane scored 279 points to average 12 points a game. Thus these two “All State” players have scored 698 points this year, in the last two years, 1,069. Two 100 Scores The people that thought it impossible for a Class B school team to score over 100 points got the surprise of their life at Rowe Hi gym on the nite of February 5, as the classy Vikings scored 102 points against Pierpont (46 of these points were whipped in by Hirsimaki). This “century” score smashed all previous records by tens. And then—after everything had gotten all quieted down about the big score these boys had made, they off and “dood” it again. This time at the expense of Kingsville; in the first tournament game at Jefferson as they swept over the Kings by a 101 to 35 score. These record scores will undoubtedly stand for a long time. Never before in the history of Ashtabula County Basketball has a team had such a scoring power as Rowe has possessed this year. Ping Pong Clair Bunnell upset the dope bucket in the ping pong tourney this year, as he carried off high honors. Clair's battle was against the stiffest kind of competition as he whipped 4 foes (among them Robbie Puffer, the 1942 champion). Little Jerry Puffer carried away the runner-up spot when he met Bunnell in the finals.

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First row: Fred Hirsimaki, Duane Wheeler, David Jacobs, Richard Wheeler, Robert Puffer. Second row: Jerry Puffer, Phillip Puffer, Charles Sippola, Coach Charles Hirshey, Richard Olson, Tom Kantola, Ted Hirsimaki. Basketball Team RECORDS OF ROWE TEAMS Year W. L. Total Points 1938-39 18 7 Rowe 1082 Opponents 748 1939-40 19 3 799 579 1940-41 1G 2 704 470 1941-42 19 3 855 554 1942-43 21 3 1256 740 Total 93 18 4695 3091 INDIVIDUAL SCORING G. F. T. Hirsimaki 187 45 419 0. Wheeler 117 45 279 R. Wheeler 84 27 195 R. Puffer 47 25 119 Jacobs 49 9 107 Sippola 27 13 67 J. Puffer 14 0 28 P. Puffer 8 4 20 Olson 8 3 19 Rowe—1256. 542 Opponents—740. 172 1256 Rowe Ave.— -52.3. Opponents— -30.8. ◄ ■ 24 ■ ►

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Rowe Track Wartime Style Track at Rowe (1943 style) took a beating when county officials announced that due to a shortage of players and trackmen in the county that there would be no 1943 Jefferson Track Meet. Rowe, one of the potential powers of track and field in the county, however, will hold a meet on May 8 to take place of the Jeff Tourney. Coach Charlie Hershey invited 28 teams to participate in this racing carnival. Out of these it is expected that probably 8 teams will be present at the Rowe Relays. With Rowe and Spencer looming as the threats of the meet. Hershey’s “ace-in-the-hole” is his brother, Fred. Fred, having swept through the intra-murals at will, looms as leading contender in the half-mile, shot put and discus. Incidently he now heaves the shot about 42 feet and its going out farther all the time. Another Rowe threat is Robbie Puffer in the 440 and half mile. TRACK First row: liichard Armstrong, Howard Irish, Robert Puffer. Allan Ritari, Kay Graff, Richard Olson. Omer Kirk. Allan Punker. Second row: Ray McVoy, Dean Reckwlth. ('lair Bunnell, David Jacobs, Charlie Slppola, Mr. Hirshey. Third row: Robert.Schlaich, Richard Wheeler, Dwane Wheeler, Fred Hirsimaki, Robert Crawford. IIASEBA LL First row: Richard Wheeler. Dwane Wheeler, Fred Hirsimaki, Edward Molsio, Allen Punker. Second row: Mr. Hirshey, Robert Puffer, Charlie Sip-pola, Philip Puffer, Ray McVoy, Jerry Puffer. This year the Vikes started out with a potential game winning baseball combination. They won every game before the tourney started, knocking off North Kingsville twice, Edgewood and West Springfield. Then came the tourney and with it Edgewood, Rowe’s oldest rival, as a first game opponent. Rowe s fate was written at this first game in a slow drizzle. For ten innings these two teams battled on even terms as again and again Rowe’s Freddie Hirsimaki and Edgewood’s Billie Shaylor mowed ’em down. For these long ten innings it rained on one of the greatest pitchers’ battles ever seen in the Tourney. In the last half of the tenth it happened after both teams had been deadlocked by a one-all tie, Billie Shaylor hit a drive to left field good for three bases; then he scored on a fatal error to win the game by a 2 to 1 score. Baseball 42-43