South Side High School - Totem Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

Page 16 text:

ur grickron fam 'lr -k ir Front Row: Bill Siebold, Russ Dixon, Chuck Underwood, Byron Gingher, Bob Birkenbeul, Ralph Vetter, Jim XVorman. Back Row: Jim Straley, Dick Steury, Chuck Close, and Ralph Shimer. Bob Englehart was absent. South Side's gridiron destinies were washed by a revitalizing football wave last fall, for Wayne Gift had been chosen to tend the Archer grid helm. The Kelly punters not only presented a rebirth in spirit under the likable ex-Boilermaker, but the Gifted cleaters also employed their newly instilled pepper to chalk up a season record of five wins and but two defeats. Wayne Gift came to South Side to fill the shoes of Bill Moss, who departed from the Southern shores to find better sailing at Shurtleff College, in Alton, Illinois. On August 10, Wayne arrived in the city to be greeted by a sports public which had previously followed his many exciting days at Pur- due and at Cleveland when he played with the Cleve- land Rams. After meeting with George Collyer, his assistant. Mr. Gift issued his first call for a practice on August 13. On this day, the 1940 edition of the South Side 108 football squad reported for physical examinations and equipment assignments. South Side's grid ship had been sinking deep into the murky waters of carelessness before Gift charted the course. Mr. Gift not only righted the hull, but also gave our boys the spirit and drive to write an- other successful page in the South Side football log. BluH:ton's Tigers were the first victims of the re- juvenated Giftmen. On one of the hottest Satur- days ever recorded in September, the Archers turned back the Wells County cleaters by a 7-toa0 count. Again playing at home on the following week-end, our boys had easy sailing over a veteran band of Polar Bears from Woodward of Toledo, Ohio, 16 to 0. Hard-driving Chick Shimer accounted for the two Green touchdowns that day. After resting for two weeks, Coach Gift's mates engineered a 32-to-0 drubbing of a mediocre Gar- rett eleven at the B. 86 O. town. Chuck Close, with W -- . -, ----r-1-.,...,. Y..

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The Athletic Department is presented a history of South Side sports on bronze tablets Whoopie! The Archers swamp the Redskins 37 to 31 Orator Bob Young gives a talk at the pep meeting Ping-pong champ Jimmy McClure serves it up Smith, Kilpatrick, Weaver, and Sebolcl line up outside the stadium Presenting South Side's villains de luxe, McMyler, Weber, McClure, and Collins Those basketball-minded Hines boys and their mentor Jake McClure hands over track equipment to Martin Gernand Those boosters of our teams-the yell leaders The athletically inclined Gilberts.

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Sai! jArougA Our ow three touchdowns, and Bob Englehart and Gene Mc- Clain with two and one 6-pointers, were the big winds in the Green sails that day. Boasting an uncrossed goal line, the Gifted Arch- ers entertained the Irish- men from Central Catholic on October 23, with a re- sulting 22-to-6 win. Chuck Close and Bill Siebold were chief oarsmen that day as Chuck tallied two touch- downs and Bill was con- tinually the hfth man in the Irish backfleld. Bob Cowan and his cleatmates acted as hosts in winning a thrilling night game from the Green, 19 to 6. This game was played on muddy waters, and despite the final outcome, it was agreed that the Giftmen had played on even keel with the state grid champions. Elwoodis Panthers failed to loosen the Southern lrigging on the following week-end, for the Kelly Klads emerged with a 33-to-7 win. South Side's grid season ended as our punters dropped a ZZ-to-7 tilt to the big Central Tigers. Coach Gift and his mates owed much of their easy steering to quarterback Jim Straley, who called the plays and tacked on those valuable extra points via his educated toe. Bill Siebold, Chick Shimer, and Russell Dixon were named to the South Side Times All-City team. Seniors Bill Siebold, Bob Hockmeyer, Ralph Vetter, Harry Mayer, Byron Gingher, Jim Straley, Chuck Close, and Bob Englehart took their final cruise on the Archer gridiron last fall. Coach Gift guided his green grid prospects into the stadium in early May for their initial practice sessions in preparation for the 1941 season. Over sixty boys reported for the spring training, and Coach Gift was well pleased with the showing made by his cleaters. First Row: R. Dixon, Worman, B. Gingher, R. Shimer, C. Close, C Kyvik, C. Underwood, B. Englehart, V. Moeller, J. Loos. Second Row: D. Yant, R. Holmes, H. Mayer, B. Birkenbeul, B. Gildea, K. Siese, G. McClain, B. Babbitt, L. Lahrman, Barbieri, Nl. Neff, E. Tieman. Third Row: G. Winkler, B. Grunewald, W. Gilbert, W. Schole, B. Ruckel, S. John- son, W. Gilbert, Birkenbeul, Elliott, B. Hockmeyer, C. Seals. Fourth Row: Mr. Collyer, T. Terry, B. Bond, B. Siebold, R. Vetter, R, Carvin, H. Saalfrank, Straley, G. Dager, P. Jackson, Ensley, Mr. Gift. Among the teams scheduled for next year are such fine elevens as Cathedral of Indianapolis, Froebel of Gary, Woodward of Toledo, and several other prominent crews. Froebel will play the Gifted Arch- ers in our stadium, while the locals will travel to Butler Bowl in Indianapolis to engage the Cathedral footballers. Most memorable battle of the season-When the Archers met North Side under the lights and fell to defeat in early November, the fans who witnessed the muddy battle between the two fine crews express- ed the belief that both elevens played their hearts out in that battle. The Green gridders lost by a 19-to-6 count, but the final log book did not record the fact that the Giftmen outplayed the victorious Reds. Before the Redskin tilt in the Archer dressing room on that memorable evening, Coach Gift gave his courageous punters but one word of instruction- !! 97 Please . The eleven Kelly Klads were inspired by this single word to the greatest height of their season. Never did Chick Shimer boot the pigskin a longer distance, and never did Ralph Vetter and the line crew dig in with such vengeance. This was the big night for Wayne Gift and his team. But an intercepted pass and a fumbled ball caused the fates to throw her lot into the Redskin log. It was a memorable night for all concerned, for never had an Archer eleven fought ,more brilliantly than did Wayne Gift's team that night. 109