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

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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

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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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bil' f The log of the choppy course pursued by our bas- ketball boys reveals a courageous basketball team, the South Side Archers of the 1940-1941 campaign, scoring eight wins and twelve defeats. Coach Friddle himself exclaimed that he had never coached a team that could lose games so graciously. Coach Friddle, surrounded by outstanding pros- pects for two years following his success at state in 1938, found the situation reversed this year. It was, in truth, the situation of a green group of athletes about an outstanding first mate. The Archer coach was confronted with finding replacements for such stars as All-State Ralph Hamilton, Don Hire, Blackie Braden, and Keith Spiker. But the Green mentor still held one ace, Bob Hines, and around this effi- cient pivot man he molded a smooth-working ball club. Seniors Gus Feistkorn and Chuck Close teamed with Hines and Juniors Chick Shimer and Dallas Zuber to form the regular first line of duty. Coach Friddle's cagers opened their season at Kendallville on November 29 by annexing a 35-to-32 win over the host Comets. Gus Feistkorn and Bob Hines played especially good ball in the opener. But troubled waters did not lurk far ahead, as the Archers soon discovered at Bluffton on the follow- ing week-end. The Tigers upset our cagers with the final tally showing 32 to 28 in a thrilling overtime battle. Again failing to connect with the hoop with any consistency, the South Siders were humbled, 28 to 17, by a weak Auburn Red Devil quintet. On the following night, the Archers saw their 32-game streak of wins at home shattered by Crawfordsville, 37 to 31. On the following Friday, the Owls of Muncie Bur- ris entertained the Green at the Ball State Field- house, with the hosts recording a 49-to-30 win. Horace Mann of Gary fell before our Archers on the next evening, 31 to 24. Central Catholic's Irish sailed in next, and blew off with a hard-earned 32-to- 29 upset victory. Bob Cowan and his shipmates en- tertained the Fridcllemen at the Redskin balliwick on January 3, with the hosts charting a win, 39 to 32. Coach Judson Erne's Happy Hunters from Hunt- ingburg came north to drop the South Siclers by a 42-to-34 tally. But the Archers recovered on the fol- lowing week-end to nose out Hartford City, Z6 to 23. Central's Tigers visited our home shores on Janu- ary 17 and the Bengals posted a 32-to-31 victory. Russ Wilkin gave a great show for the fans as he single-handedly accounted for the downfall of the Green. After the Archer-Tiger tussle, the Green net- men dropped anchor at Connorsville. The charges of Captain Friddle had little trouble in besting the 110 southerners, 33 to 23. Huntington's Vikings took plenty of wind out of the puffed Southern sails as they chartered a 44-to-25 loss for our boys. Big Muff Davis and his Panther mates from El- wood came to the Archer hardwood to absorb a 35-to-24 whitewashing. The next Friday night the Kelly Klads traveled to Kokomo, where first mate Carl Campbell and his assistants offered the Frid- dlemen a 37-to-31 defeat. On the following evening Bob Nulf and his Red- skins paddled into the Green waters, but the Archers repelled the Northern gale, scoring 37 to 31. Bob Hines played a great game on both offense and de- fense, while Archer Shimer did a great job in hold- ing down Bob Cowan. Central entertained the South Siders on the north- ern promenade in late January, and our sailors again journeyed home on the short end of a 36-to-31 rally. 1ndiana's one-man cage show, big Davage Minor, led his Froebel Blue Devils on to the Southern decks on February 14. Minor caged five fielders and six gratis throws to sink the Green, 32 to 27. South Side's basketball forces ended their season by whipping two good southern teams, Jeffersonville and New Albany. The Bulldogs from Jefferson- ville succumbed to the Archers after a hard-fought battle, and New Albany bowed to the South Siders. All good things come in bunches of three's. Such goes the ancient adage which the Archers unhap- pily discovered in the sectional tourney. Acting as hosts, our cagemen were seeking their fourth successive sectional crown, but the luck of the draw dealt the Green a tough opening assignment, the red-hot Tigers of Central. And it was these same down-town netmen who ended the Archer reign by tendering our boys a 54-to-46 setback. Outstanding in the lone tourney tilt were Seniors Gus Feist- korn, Bob Hines, and Chuck Close, and Juniors Chick Shimer, Dal Zuber, and Tom Brower. The latter enjoyed a most fruitful tournament appear- ance, caging 17 markers to keep the Green in the ball game. Coach Friddle's 12-min tourney squad was com- posed of Seniors Bob Hines, Gus Feistkorn, Chuck Close, and Doyle Shirk, and Underclassmen Chick Shimer, Tom Brower, Bill Knoll, Harry Hines, Eugene Reichart, Bob Babbitt, Dallas Zuber, and Jim Strawbridge. Our basketball compass was set well and true this year. A good captain was at the helm, and a swell bunch of shipmates were steering the Archer hard- wood brig. The team had its off evenings and often scraped on the rocks of defeat, but the Friddlemen accepted win or loss with the broad smile of sports- men. We could not ask for more!