Somersworth High School - Hilltop Echo Yearbook (Somersworth, NH)

Page 86 text:

SE p . VARSITY Kneeling, left to right - J, Xenos, L. Casey, R. Vachon, P. Marashio, D. Vallee, G. Panteledes, R. Demers Standing Manager J. McLeod, R. Ouellette, Captain C. Smirles, J. Francoeur, P. Hennelly, Coach Francoeur. Football . . The Somersworth High School Hilltoppers surprised their most ardent supporters by com- pleting a very successful season in which five victories were registered as against only two defeats. Among the victims were Kennett of Conway, Sanborn Seminary, Manchester West, St. John's of Concord, and Pinkerton Aca- demy. Spaulding of Rochester and Exeter, the only two Granite State elevens able to com- pile unbeaten and untied records, were vic- torious over the Somersworth eleven. There were but three veterans of the l956 season among the 56 candidates who ans- wered the coll for practice late in August. Kennett was soundly trounced 27-6 as Cap- tain Smirles scored 3 touchdowns and ran for ll8 yards in the opening game of the season at the Noble Pines. 82 Two generations of Francoeurs Coach Francoeur and Jeffrey

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A series of unfortunate incidents slowed down the development of the inexperienced squad. Roland Martin, sophomore defensive star suffered a fractured clavicle and was lost to the team Everett Graves the lone veteran lineman and regular left tackle was forced to give up football the following week when an old knee inyury put him out of ac tion Ronald St Laurent reserve quarterback was also lost to the team with a dislocated shoulder The coaches headed by the veteran Jeffrey F Francoeur who was assisted by Ralph Ro well and Merle Eggert worked overtime to tind the right combination for the all impor tant Exeter game The Hawks struck twice for a l2 0 lead in the first three minutes of play and then held on to eke out a l27 victory over the scrappy and courageous Somersworth eleven The Toppers missed at least three scoring chances in the second half Richard Ouellette scored the lone Somersworth touchdown Playing uninspired and listless football the team bounced back to defeat a weak San born Seminary team 20 to 6 at Kingston the following week Touchdowns were scored by Hennelly Francoeur and Smirles Finally the Somersworth team started to of Richard Demers Lawrence Casey Paul Marashio George Fournier and Ronald Can ney stopped the West attack cold while Smirles Ouellette Francoeur Ferland and Xenos gained over 300 yards in a 20 0 rout at Manchester ln one of the most exciting games of the year the Hilltoppers managed to outscore a fighting St Johns of Concord team 20 l8 for their fourth victory of the year Lawrence Casey left tackle recovered a St John s fumble in the end zone for one of the three Somersworth touchdowns The Spaulding Red Raiders state cham pions for two yea s won their snxth consecu tive game of the season and their l4th in a row over a two year period by defeating a stubborn and hard fighting Somerswortn elev en 26 6 at Rochester in a driving rainstorm CAPTAIN COSTA SMIRLES All State Fullback JEFFREY FRANCOEUR All State Quarterback I ' I I ' ' I I I . I - I I I I ' V . 4. - -N? work as a unit. The five-man defensive line iw, . --. -L44 . W 1 I , I 1 ' . I I I I I I I ' . . I - Y . F . , i I ' 83