West Lafayette High School - Scarlet and Gray Yearbook (West Lafayette, IN)

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YEA GRAY! The West Side basketball team, handi- capped by limited practice facilities, completed its regular season with a rec- ord of six victories against eleven defeats. The season opened with victories over Brook and West Point, followed by a de- feat at the hands of Lebanon. ln the annual inter-city game against jeff, the Red Devils proved to be no match for the underestimated jeff five, the final score of the game being 47 to l2, The Scarlettes were unable to hit the basket, while jeff turned in their best performance of the year. In the following game the Red Devils lost a heartbreaker to Rossville, 27 to 26, the loss being avenged by a 33 to 27 victory over Veedersburg. Next, Doxie Moore's Mt. Vernon, Illi- nois team displayed great ability as it smothered the Scarlettes, After a tight first half Mt. Vernon started rolling and they didn't stop until they had won by a 30 to l8 score. West Side proceeded to upset Delphi in a game played in the Purdue Field- house. Defeats were dealt the Devils by Klon- dike, Attica, and Delphi. ln the return garne with Rossville, the battered West Side team avenged its earlier defeat by winning 47 to l9. Otterbein, Riley of South Bend, and Winamac took the W. L. Red Devils for sound defeats in quick succession. Battle Ground's supposedly super team was easily beaten by West Lafayette's team. On February 20 the curtain fell on another basketball season. The boys from Attica did it again---Attica 32, West Side 25. SECTIONAL TOU RNAMENT During the sectional tournament the Red Devils played fine ball to reach the finals. Constantly the Scarlettes were forced to come from behind in win- ning the first three games. In the opening game with Klondike, West Side produced an effective stall to win 26 to 23. ln the game with Romney, which was the most excit- ing game Of the sectional, the Devils were vic- torious 29 to 28, ln the semi-final game against Monitor, the Scarlettes won 30 to 28. ln the final game, jefferson won over the locals, 40 to 22, Although outclassed by the jeff five, the Red Devils played a game long to be remem- bered. Keith Steckel was the only senior to play the complete season. Dick Tirmenstein, another senior, was forced to quit early in the year bc- cause of an appendicitis operation, At the banquet honoring the team, joe Collings was voted as be- ing the most valuable player, and Bill Robbins was named next year's captain.

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The season's result is as follows: West West West West West West West West West Side Side Side Side Side Side Side Side Side 7 ....,s. ..,,,.... L aporte I 3 ..Logansport I3 ......Hoopeston 6 ..............Peru 7 .......Broad Ripple 6 ....,...Frankfort O ,....,..........jeff O Crawfordsville O ....,.MonticelIo O YEA SCARIETI Do you remember a fleet-footed halfback who twisted and squirmed his way through a determined red and black eleven, and a tackle who continually broke up and stopped every play the night of October 27? If you do, you remember Harold Swank, Paul jackson, and a 25-O score over the not so broncin' jefferson Broncos which helped to make the l94I Red Devil season one of the best in the school's history and one that will be long remembered. Opening the season September I2 at Laporte the Red Devils, playing for a win instead of a tie, met their lone defeat of the schedule at the hands of the strong La- porte Slicers. Hampered somewhat by the loss of Harold Swank, the Devils were turned back I3-7 in spite of the performances of Paul jackson and Keith Steckel. The Devils, however, bounced into a winning streak -a streak which counted eight straight victories-the following Friday at the expense of Logansport, I8-I3. Hoopeston of Illinois proved to be the next stepping stone of the Devils, being trounced by the score of 33-6 as the Scarlets made their first appearance of the season at Meridian Field. The Peru Indians were next to feel the sting of the Red Devils' horns, Co-Captain Frank Lebart personally accounting for I3 of the Devils' points in an I8-7 vic- tory. The Scarlets then turned back successively Broad- ripple of Indianapolis 3I-6 and Frankfort 7-O, the lat- ter a bitterly fought contest in which Keith Steckel re- turned a second half kick-off 92 yards for the only score, Then came the annual battle with jeff in which West Side in a scarlet night showed her supremacy on the field by a 25-O score. A soggy, muddy field provided the setting for the final two games of the season, but the boys showed that all the elements could not stop them, turning back Crawfordsville Athenians 6-O and ending the season in a blaze of glory with a 38-O triumph over Monticello. RED DEVILS WIN HONURS After completing one of the most successful seasons in West Lafayette history, the Scarlets were honored with the selection of four members on the All State Foot- ball Squad. Co-Captain Paul jumbo jackson received a tackle position on the first team all state, an honor that is en- vied by every high school performer in the state of In- diana. Honorable mentions went to Co-Captain Frank Ernie LeBart, halfback Harold Swank, and quarter- back Keith Steckel. At the annual banquet honoring the team, Keith Steckel was presented the most valuable player award, and joe Collings and Rodney Steinmetz were selected as Co-Captains of the I942 Devil Squad. Much credit for the Red Devils' successful season goes to Coach Gordon Straley and Assistant Coach Dave March. Outstanding also, was the play of underclassmen, notably ends, joe Collings and Rod Steinmetz, guards, jerry Yeager and john Guthrie, backs, Bill Leslie, Dick Bushnell, and Bill Canfield.

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YEA SCARLET! BASEBALL This year baseball was dropped from the school's calendar for an indefinite length of time. The sus- pension of the American Game , was caused by the war emergency. Baseball equipment was very difficult to secure and transportation problems be- came very acute. Spring football, golf, and archery, were empha- sized as spring sports. Returning baseball letter men, who were unable to display their skill were: Leslie, star pitcher, Collings, first baseman, Steckel, shortstop, Reese, third baseman, and Ainslie, catcher. YEA GRAY! INTRAMURAL During the past school year the West Side in- tramural program enjoyed its most successful sea- son. Seventy boys participated in the intramural activities, which were under the direction of Mar- tin Stamm and Dale Sheetz. Eleven victories against one defeat was suf- ficient to win the round-robin basketball tourna- ment for the Michigan team. Minnesota clinched second place, while Purdue finished in third. Wis- consin and Indiana ended in a tie for fourth posi- tion. ln last place came Northwestern. At the close of the regular season the six teams participated in an elimination tournament. Once again the Michigan squad displayed its superior ability in winning without difficulty. Medals were awarded to the Michigan squad which consisted of: Baxla, Topping, Hughes, Pierce, Mann, and Craig. GOLF The l942 golf team, under the supervision of Carl Hammer, expects to schedule matches with Attica, Goshen, Central of South Bend, Horace Mann of Gary, and jefferson. Also, the team is expected to enter the northern high school tournament to be held at LaPorte. Although hampered by the loss of Bill Dahl and Wible Hiner, the team will carry on with Don Craig and Bob Gray, Co-Captains, Bud Schroyer, and Chuck Cooper, with Phil Wiley as alternate.