Westville High School - Janus Yearbook (Westville, IL)

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Members of Westville’s 1928 team include from left, front: Paul Stine, guard; Tony Morris, guard; Joe Frankino, tackle; Captain Tony Lutchka, tackle; John Reano, halfback; Jess Vilkanskas, center; Zano Gailus, tackle. Middle: Joe Caccia, end; Joe Lutchka, halfback; Charles Godels, guard; Mrs. Clayton Miller, the late coach's wife; Russel Guin, principal; Bill Rippin, tackle; Jess Moryer, field electrician; Harlan Sollars, assistant coach. Back: Vernon Elliot, tackle; John Benedict, end; and Pete Kriviskey, center.

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Russel Guin, former principal, created the idea of having a football game at night. Many times miners had to work during the afternoons when high school games were played. College games also presented afternoon competition. We wanted to play when everyone could attend, stated Mr. Guin. He decided to try playing a night game after noticing the lights at a gas station. It was a risky decision, considering he didn’t have permission of the school board. It was September 21, 1928 and the first indication that the game would be a success came when spectators began arriving early that morning. A canvas fence surrounding the field was eventually tom down so that all of the 4,000 fans could watch as West-ville defeated Milford 26-6. Jess Moryer was eighteen years old at the time and helped install the lights for the game. The 1000-watt bulbs were placed on tree saplings around the field. The field that night was dew-covered and even the fact that the ball had been lacquered white didn't help stop the many fumbles that occurred. In fact, according to Mr. Moryer, the ball just couldn’t be seen after it was kicked. It would have helped if the lights had been placed higher. A Milford player, Howard Dahlquist, verifies that.. we just couldn’t see a thing.” Mr. Dahlquist claims despite Westville’s tough reputation, that we’d had the advantage of having had a practice under the lights that Milford hadn’t had. The former Westville captain, Tony Lutchka, said none of the players realized what that game would lead to. Joe Lutchka, Tony’s brother, said, “All we thought we were doing was playing a game.” Joe Lutchka pointed out that Westville had one of the best teams in the state in 1928. The team had a record of ten wins and no losses and had to go to Chicago and out of state to find teams that would play against them. It was definitely history in the making the night of September 21,1928. 7