West High School - Westward Ho Yearbook (Madison, WI)

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Left is George Barker, manager. Center picture is game at llreese Stevens Held. At right is Coach Willis jones. Regents On The Gridiron With nine returning lettermen, four of them regu- lars on the 1945 championship team, prospects looked rosy for the Regents to continue the successes of the 1944 and 1945 elevens. The promising nucleus of emblem winners included Bill Piper, Russ Gessler, Harry Gilbert, Al Lackner, Bob johnson, Dick Oscaij, Dave Hanson, Bob Mansfield, and Norm Nordeen. West faced its schedule with high hopes, rated among the conference favorites. I ln the opening game of the season, the Regents lost, 2-0, to Fond du Lac. A week later, Racine Park's fourth quarter rally dropped the Maize and Blue, 12-6, in the Big Eight conference opener for both teams. ln the city series opener with Central, West un- covered a new offensive star in Don Annen and won, 12-7. Heartened by this victory and accompanied by three hundred Regent rooters, the team journeyed to Beloit but succumbed to the blazing speed of the Purple's Bill Demos, 24-13. Next the Ionesmen swamped Ianesville, 41-26, in a Homecoming fray which featured strong offensive play. The team followed up the triumph over the Bluebirds with a 12-0 win over Racine Horlick, which was gained by a two-touchdown fourth quarter Regent rally. 6,700 fans jammed Breese Stevens Field to see the East-West clash, which was to decide the city cham- Ken Paine encourages us at a football pep meeting. Class prexy, Don Innes, is sitting at right. WEST HIGH SCHOOL pionship. The Purgolders were favored to nip the hot and cold Regent eleven, but the Maize and Blue rose to the occasion. Theibattle ended in a 6-6 tie. West's tying score came on a sensational pass-lateral play, Gessler to Bleckwenn to Mansfield. With star fullback Bob Iohnson on the sidelines, the Regents closed their season with a bitterly fought 12-7 loss to Kenosha. Although finishing fifth in the Big Eight, the team was not without its individual stars. Guard Bill Piper was named to the all-state squad. Bob Iohnson, Harry Gilbert, and Piper were chosen for the Shrine all-city team. In the final analysis, although the 1946 West grid- ders were handicapped by injuries and bad breaks, they still managed to end the season with a record of three wins, four losses, and one tie, and a tie for the city series crown. l 15

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The football sqnatl, left to right Qlwack rowj: Wayne l'llCl'lIllClCl', Al Lackner, Russ Gesslcr, Bob Iohnson. and Bob Mans- lieltl. lfront row: Gil Coluccy, Norm Nor- mleen, Harry Gilbert, Dave Hanson. Bill Piper, Iohn Kucnning, Warren Lucas. Tcml lilecltwenn was ahsent. Basketball Regular Season llill Piper. .Xliovc is all-state gllllltl Football West 0 Fond du Lac 2 West 6 Racine Park I2 West 12 Central 7 West 13 Beloit 24 West 41 Ianesville 26 West 12 Racine Horlick ll West 6 East 6 West 7 . . . Kenosha IZ The basketliall squatl, left to right: T. Mould, D. Myr- West Wisconsin Rapids 39 West Racine Park 20 West Beloit 46 West West West West West West West West West Central 52 La Crosse Central 26 East 40 VVaukegan 5l Rockford West 42 lanesville 45 Kenosha 33 Racine Horlick 35 Racine Park 4-l West 43 Beloit 39 West 39 Central 41 West 21 East 29 West 43 Racine Horlicli 2-l West 36 Kenosha 49 West 45 Ianesville 43 Regional Tournament at Stoughton West 49 . . . Stoughton 33 West 59 .. .Monroe 45 VVest 50 . . . Ianesville 54 lancl, I. Zinimernian, R. Zim- l mer. I. Burger, W. Lucas. i ll, Piper, ll. Manslieltl, S. llill, T. lileckwt-lin, 'l'. Ripp. I. lllicse. I. larmlinc was ali- scnt. To the lt-ft is Captain Iolin llcrger. 14 w li ST HIGH SCHO

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Manager Ilerh Hen- ning is giving the squad a pep talk before a game. Left to right are T. Ripp. R. Zimmer, I. Berger, li. Piper, T. Hleckwenn, li. Manslield, W. Lucas, I. larillnc, and I. Zim- mt-rman. Through Th, Hoop When Coach Iones looked over basketball prospects last fall, the future was not bright. There were only two reserves left from the '45 state titlists, Iohn Berger and lim Zimmerman. Since other schools were far better off, the Reg-ents' two-year domination of Big Eight basketball seemed destined to end. lt did end, but not without a swan song. To open the season, the team surprised by defeating Wizconsin Rapids, 41-39, as Iohn Berger scored l9 points. The Rapids team later went to the state semi- linals. The middle ol the season brought double victories :ver both Beloit and Horlick. Also, the inability of the Regents to hold a lead was shown by losses to Fast, 40-39, and Central, 4l-39. In both games, West had a go-otl lead but couldnt hold it. The season came to a grand climax on Feb. 22 when Ianesville bit the dust, 45-43, despite a desperate last minute rally. This Regent eruption before fifty re- tained service lettermen and 1,500 fans forced lanes- ville to talie a tie for the Big Eight crown with Racine Park. 'lhe regional at Stoughton opened with an easy 49-33 Regent victory over Stoughton. The next game was the greatest triumph of the Regent season. The team smashed the state title hopes of the state's top rated team, Monroe, by the convincing score of 59-45. X tense moment in the -lll-3U game with East. left tu right: T. Ripp, li. Withers, I. Berger. A. ll 0 IQ li e I' y. T. Vltall. I. Zimmerman. and T. lileckwcnn. 16 WEST HIGH SCHOOL