West Carrollton High School - Piratan Yearbook (West Carrollton, OH)

Page 20 text:

RICKEY BRANNER End JIM CHANCE Halfback don McClelland Guard EDDIE BAKER Halfback BILL PAYNE Tackle Jack Pummill, the Pijates' leading yard gainer, bowls his way for yardage against Eaton. The Pirates rolled to easy victories over Jefferson and West Milton but then stumbled and almost fell to both Tipp City and Eaton. In the Tipp encounter, West Carrollton found itself behind at the half for the only time during the year and had to scrap all the way for a 20 to 18 decision. The following week the Pirates’ battle with Eaton seemed destined to wind up a scoreless tie until the Red and Black put on a desperate fourth quarter march and, with less than a minute remaining, scored to win 7 to 0. Germantown and Trotwood-Madison proved no trouble for the Pirates. However, when West Carrollton traveled to Vandalia to do battle with the high-flying Aviators, they found that they, too, were unbeaten in league play. West Carrollton’s line allowed the highly-touted Butler ground attack to advance only to the Pirates’ 43. Meanwhile, the Pirates managed two second-half T.D.’s and a very convincing 14 to 0 triumph. With Butler out of the way, the Pirates coasted to the end of their unblemished season with victories over Randolph and Lebanon. DICK GIBBONS JACK PUMMILL LOWELL RANDOLPH BILL WOOD End Halfback Center Quarterback

Page 19 text:

— FOOTBALL Nine times daring the 1953 football season did “Admiral” Graban send his Pirate ships into battle, and no less than nine times did the swashbuckling Red and Black hoist its Jolly Roger over enemy armadas. Thus West Carrollton sailed to its first perfect campaign since 1932. In addition to racking up an unbeaten season, the Pirates also distinguished themselves by winning the Southwestern Buckeye League title, by placing seven men on the all-league team, by being one of only three unbeaten “Valley” elevens, and by vaulting to a lofty eighteenth place rank among all the Class “A” schools in the state. In rolling up a total of 227 points, the Pirates used, not an explosive-type offense, but straight, bruising football which simply overwhelmed opponents. The Pirates used the conventional “tight T,” occasionally sending a flanker right or left; and they depended almost entirely upon the running of Jim Chance, Jack Pummill, Jack Freier, and Larry McVey, plus some timely tossing by their field general. Bill Wood. However, a backfield is only as good as its line; and, believe me, the Pirates had one of the most outstanding forward walls in the state. They yielded only 43 points during the year, chalked up six “shut-outs,” and showed some of the best blocking seen here in years. THIRD AND FOURTH TEAMS Front row: Paul Roddy, Cary Cauldin. Jim Randolph, Ralph Wilson, Forrest Carroll, Ramon Rix. Second row: Manager John Zurbuchen. John Croy, Larry Howard, Jim Forsyth, Jim Tilton, Gary Clover, Vernon Carmack, Assistant Manager Mike Seibert. Back row: Leonard Smith, Norman Jackson, Jerry Sholar. Roger Duncan, Larry Parks, Jerry Parlett. Walter Tousey, Don Caskey.

Page 21 text:

JIM BYRD Guard LARRY McVEY Fullback BOB WELLER Center JERRY DAVIS Tackle CARL MAYS Quarterback Jack Freier rips off a 73-yard run against Butler. Coach Steve Graban, in his first year as head coach at WC, did a remarkable job in shaping the Pirates into the fine aggregation that they were. Assistant Coach Don Bogan should also take his share of plaudits for the season. Graduating this year will be three of the four starting backs and five linesmen from the defensive and offensive units. Leading the list of departing seniors is Bill Wood, who directed the team from his quarterback post and did an outstanding job in coordinating the Pirate machine. Also being graduated are Jim Chance and Jack Pummill, halfbacks, who, along with sophomore Jack Freier, paced the squad in yards per try by rushing. Jack “the Ripper” Pummill personally led the team in 17 departments while Jim Chance compiled the most amazing statistic, that of losing not one yard in 94 rushing attempts. Up front the Pirates lose Donnie McClelland, one of the finest guards in the state and a three-year letterman; John Cook, an end who established himself as a great pass catcher: Richard Bran-ner, who, playing in an end position, blossomed into a rugged defensive stalwart; Bill Payne and John Croy, both outstanding at the tackle slots; Jim Byrd, who operated at guard; Eddie Baker, a fine defensive halfback; and centers Lowell Randolph and Bob Weller. Both offensively and defensively Lowell was a main cog in the center of the Pirate line.