South Kent High School - Yearbook (South Kent, CT)

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1935 SOUTH KENT YEAR BOOK 1935 Wuirrsmoan, WALLE11, TOWNSEND, CAPTAIN Mu.Nia, BARTINE, MARTIN, MR. WAGNER TENNIS ENNIS at South Kent has always meant a good deal of hard work. As usual, this season was prefaced by brushing, rolling, and marking. Much of the unnecessary top soil has been blown off the courts during the past years, however, and there is now a good, hard surface of clay. Mr. Wagner has filled the vacancy left by Mr. Patterson as coach of tennis, this season. His enthusiasm, not only in helping the squad with their difficulties, but also in the care of the courts, has proved to be a valuable inspiration. The improvement shown by members of the team is sufficient witness of his efforts, and the squad wishes to thank him for the interest he has taken in the sport. Because there is more material out for tennis, as this publication goes to press, than ever before, Mr. Wagner has seen ht to add a number six man to the team. This position will be filled by either Whittemore or Leonard, each of whom played on the second team last year, and who, together with Edmunds and Baldwin, will compose the second team this year. Milne, honorary captain, who has taken over the duties of manager, has been improving steadily. He is holding No. three place at this writing, but can be page sixtyfsix

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1935 SOUTH KENT YEAR BOOK 1935 By concentration on batting, we got the best of Kent High on May lst. However, the fielding was very weak. Captain McCoun showed his strength to the admiring audience by hitting a triple. On Father's Weekfeiid, May 4th, the team came through in fine shape, beat' ing Gunnery 7f6 for the first time in five years. This was in every respect a good ball game. Gunnery made their last two runs in the seventh inning and just missed tying the score. McCoun came through again for two more threefbaggers. The team showed improvement all around. The Kent 2nd Team defeated us 14'13 on the home diamond in a very sloppy game. Kent got fifteen hits in five innings, and we got fourteen errors. However, South Kent garnered 14 hits on the offensive, but faulty base running cut down the score. The next week, the team lost a hard, close game to Kent, 3fO. Merrell and Los pulled a double play, and Newhall caught a hard liner, while McCoun allowed only five hits. South Kent had fifteen men left on the bases. Three major victories followed, Canterbury was downed at South Kent when the home team hit ten times safely with Merrell and Moore hitting triples, McCoun blowing himself to a pair of doubles, while Newhall singled twice out of two trips to the plate. Canterbury was not able to bat against speed and McCoun had little trouble in holding them to three hits and retiring 11. On May 22nd, Pawling, fresh from a victory over Hotchkiss, played the team on home grounds where was witnessed the closest and most exciting game ever played at South Kent. With the score tied 4f4 for four innings, two extra inf nings had to be played before the deadlock was broken when Newhall crossed the plate on an error for the winning run. The black and scarlet team made nine hits off the three opposing hurlers while McCoun held the opponents to six blows. The team gave him good support while Eastburn and Macpherson ran away with the fielding honors, the latter turning in one of the most consistent games any inflelder has ever played at South Kent. South Kent travelled up to Lenox on the 25th of May and scored its first win over Lenox in four years with McCoun hurling South Kent's first no hit-no run game and fanning 12 men while he also led the batting with Macpherson. The score was OfO for five innings and then combining errors with timely hits, five runs were made in two innings. Three more games are left on the schedule, Ridgefield, Romford, and Gunf nery. If the team continues its playing of late it will come through the season as South Kent's strongest nine. The work of Mr. Bartlett in coaching the players has been inspiring and instructive, to say the least. page sixtyffive

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1935 SOUTH KENT YEAR Book 1935 counted on for better tennis toward the end of the season. He has line form and only needs practice on the execution of his strokes. Townsend, last year's No. one man, is unquestionably the best player on the squad and has retained his last year's position. Formerly, his serve was his strong point, but, under the direction of Messrs. Patterson and Wagner, he has so improved his form that it is equally as good. For the past two years Townsend, upholding the high standard set by his brother, has been the leading light in tennis in all its phases at South Kent and we hope he continues at college. Bartine, who is the No. two player, has improved his form from an erratic slashing at the ball to a good, steady quality of tennis. He has a powerful serve and a forehand that speeds low over the net. With a little improvement on his backhand, we can expect some fine tennis from him. Baldwin, at the time of publication, has the edge over the other possibilities for the No. four position. He has shown great improvement and is one of the few examples of first year men making the first team. We may expect even more from Baldwin in the future. The positions of Waller and Martin, as well as of Leonard and Whittemore, have shifted around considerably. Waller has missed much practice but is a well' rounded player. Martin, who played No. four for the first two matches, has also missed too much practice to be advanced, but he is a very steady player. Leonard and Whittemore were new possibilities for this year. The former has a strong service but the latter exhibits better form. Townsend and Bartine compose the first doubles team. Because of their fast serves they are a powerful combination but their net play is a little weak. However, any faults they may have might be overlooked as they have not been playing to' gether very long. The second doubles team is as yet undecided. The team lost to Pawling with a 4f3 score. Townsend beat the No. one man, Bartine, the No. two. Milne lost to three, and Martin won in the No. four posif tion. Waller at No. five lost. Whittemore and Leonard dropped the second doubles and Townsend and Bartine lost a well played third set, which decided the match by the score of 9f11. This same team lost to the Kent seconds, but with a slightly different combination and only playing three men, it won over Romford, 3f1. Canterbury was victorious in its match with us, but it was a close match: 4f2. A greatly altered South Kent team took over the Gunnery team, 5f2. Townsend won at No. one, Bartine at No. two, Milne at No. three, Baldwin at No. four, and Leonard and Whittemore at five and six positions respectively, lost. There is, at the time the year book goes to press, one more match to be played with Gunnery. page sixtyfseven