St Rose High School - Rosarian Yearbook (Lima, OH)

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FOOTBALL One bright, sunny, Saturday morning in the middle of August of the year I9-'19, forty young, well-bodied men, all students at St. Rose High School, answered Coach Chuck McClain's call for the first football practice. From that day fAugust 207 until the beginning of school there were two practices daily for everyone. Under Coach McClain, along with Assistant Coaches George Keller and johnny Quinn, the potential All-Americans sweated themselves into shape under the broiling sun at Faurot Park. On the first day a strange sight greeted the eyes of the gridders as they arrived at the field. There, standing calmly in the corner, was a huge, men- acing-looking steel contraption. This was to be- come affectionately known as the crowther. Day after day one could see boys, under the relent- less tongue of one of the coaches, charging fierce- ly into one of its padded steel arms and bouncing back just as fiercely on to hard terra firma, Answering Coach McClain's call for practice were only two members of last year's starting eleven, fullback joe Lawler, and tackle Ron Wil- let. Besides these two, the coaching staff had thirty-some green, inexperienced boys from which to build a football team. When looking at St. Rose's season record, this fact must be taken into consideration along with the fact that Mr. McClain had to teach the T-formation to a team which had never used it before. Up until this season, St. Rose's primary offense had been the Notre Dame Box formation. A few days before school began an announce- ment was made that the daily routine would be suspended and that there would be two scrim- mages played with the Bluffton High School team. The Cardinal gridders went to Bluffton, by means of the recently purchased school bus, and completely outplayed and outclassed the Bluffton team-a team which was to lose only one game during its entire season. Then, the inevitable-school started, and practices were permanently cut to one a day. Only a few days of this and St. Rose was ready to play in the Olympia, the first real test of the football season.

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FOOTBALL LINE Kevin O'Connor-Kev Sophomore-6'-155 pounds One year letterman Right End Ronald Willet-Ron junior-5' 11 -170 pounds Two year letterman Right Tackle Leo Hawk-Lee junior-5'10 -160 pounds Two year letterman Right Guard William Shambarger-Sbammy Senior--5' 9V2 -155 pounds Two year letterman Center Michael Sites-Mike Freshman-5' 9 -140 pounds One year letterman Left Guard William Snow-lVil1ie junior-6' 1 -180 pounds One year letterman Left Tackle john Weger-jack junior-6'3 -165 pounds One year letterman Left End BACKFIELD Donald Cygan-Cyg junior-5' 10 -150 pounds Two year letterman Left Halfback joseph Lawler-Fuzzy Senior-5' 10 -165 pounds Three year letterman Fullback Thomas Daley-Zale Senior-5' 10 -155 pounds One year letterman Quarterback William Bourk-Bill Sophomore-5'10Mg -155 pounds One year letterman Right Half Back

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FOOTBALL Friday, September 9-The 1949 edition of the St. Rose football team'was brought out of wraps as the Cardinals participated in the jayCees Fourth Annual Football Olympia at the Stadium. Playing in the third game on the card, the Rosarians showed signs of more good things to come as they edged the Elida Bulldogs, 6-0. The Cardinal fans were treated to a young, inexperienced team, but one with plenty of spirit and fight. A fumble recovered by jack Weger set up the only score of the abbreviated tilt. Friday, September 16-We borrowed a stadium, and lost a football game. Our first home game of the season against the mighty Railroaders from Crestline. Due to circumstances prevent- ing us from playing at Lima Stadium, we had to borrow Shawnee's field for the night. The Cardinals, a green, nervous team playing their first regular game of the season, started off slowly and were trailing 18-0 at halftime. Shortly after the second half opened, Crestline added another touchdown making it 24-0. It was then that the Cards found their feet and came flying back. But the rally was too late, the damage was already done, and the Rail- roaders went home with a 37-18 victory. lWon-0 Lost-19 Saturday, September 24-The Cardinals traveled to Marion to take on the Fighting Irish of Marion St. Mary's. St. Maryis was supposed to be tough, and everyone in the stands was surprised when the inexperienced Cards walk- ed off the field at the half leading, 7-6. In the second half, however, some St. Rose strategy misfired, and an Irish end took one of our lateral passes and went 60 yards to give St. Mary's a touchdown and the ball game. Final score 13-7. lWon-0 Lost-25 Sunday, October 2-Well, we finally won one! After absorbing two straight losses the Ro- sarians came back to win their first game of the season, defeating the Mohawks of Fostoria St. Wendelin at the Lima Stadium. lt looked at first as if the Cardinals were going to make a runaway of the game as they rolled up a three touchdown lead by halftime. But in the second half the Mohawks came back to make a close game of it until the Cards pulled away and clinched the game in the final stages. Final Score: St. Rose-37, St. Wendelin-27. CWon-1, Lost-27