1953 Season
“Sculpin”, according to the dictionary is a “spiny, large headed, broad mouthed bottom feeding fish”, said our new coach. We were going to get a new name by football season 1954. Then the Big Blue was being acclaimed with pride.
After two years, 1951 and 1952 winning only one game we got a new offense the Winged T. It featured cross-blocking, pulling guards, with a blocking fullback. We were fortunate to have the best downfield blocking fullback, Bob Mansfield. We learned how to score points thus we won five games.
Our extended team consisted of the seventy person band, the best looking drill team in the world, dedicated managers and mascot Ron Cochrane, Charlie Homan, Pete Sargent, R. Masters, Paul Farnum. and our great cheerleaders made the whole school with the team, a great experience.
Opening game against Lynn Vocational we scored 34 points. The score was 34 to 0. The ’53 squad had no super star, however, it was obvious that out of the underclassmen several offensive backs would become great with the new coaching. Bob Carlin, Roger Coe, Mike Farren, Jim McElroy and Billy Nelson.
The second game was a brutal 12 to 0 victory over Reading. The experience and dedication of the seniors and juniors maintained team discipline throughout this very physical game. Tom Gorman, Jim Ryan, George Stinson, Robert Mansfield, Dick Jeffers, Peter Cassidy, Winslow Shaw, Al Owens, Billy McGinn; all had stayed with football when the times were bad, showed true grit. This game made us believers in Stan the Man and ourselves.
The third game we lost to Gloucester 24 to 14. Ironically we had prepared to slow the game down by using maximum time running each play thereby keeping high scoring Gloucester on the defense. However, we got behind and realized we could move the ball against them, too late to affect the outcome.
The fourth game against rival Winthrop (coach Stevenson’s Alma Mater) we won 33 to 0. By this game it was obvious the football team of ’53 was about team spirit and the key roles played by all. Veterans like Jim Rothwell, Bob Hurley, Joe Massidda, Charlie Gambale, Tom Lyons, Jack Pagnotti, Gus Hall, Wally Spofford, Dick Chapman, Norman Walker joined by enthusiastic newcomers Bruce Lord, Peter Humphrey, Herb Dodd, Jim Poulos, Bill Scanlon, Wally Gnaedinger, Fred Bogardus, Ken Ulman, Bob Sarra, Dick Freeman, Ray Gallup, Danny Myers, Mike Neckers and Carmen Cresta were the concrete that held the team together.
Our fifth game against Amesbury, carrying a 51 game winning streak with an awesome single wing attack put Swampscott football back on its illustrious destiny with our 18 to 14 Swampscott victory. Pete Cassidy’s awesome 4th down punt to inside the Amesbury ten yard line was too much for them to overcome. No one on the team sat down during this game. It was considered one of the best high school games ever.
The next game was a 28 to 7 victory over Danvers, another long term Northeast conference rival. Nothing is guaranteed, the 7th game scheduled with Methuen was canceled by the faculty manager because of showers. The missed week changed our momentum. We lost miserably 33 to 6 to a fired-up Stoughton team playing the game dedicated to a deceased student. I’m sure the seniors will never live down the loss in our final game to archrival Marblehead. (The Whips) 6 to 0. The next year the school had an Athletic Director, and the Big Blue was on the move. The 1953 team put life back into Swampscott Football. Attached is the Item’s cartoon characterization of the squad.
Our coaches Stan Bondelevitch, Hal Foster, Dick Stevenson and Doc Marden (a veteran of the Normandy Invasion) were on their way to building some great Swampscott teams and individual stars. Many players went on to college careers. I was thrilled to read in the New York Times four years later that our tailback, Tom Gorman, now quarterback for Amherst College threw a last-minute winning touchdown pass.
We all remained staunch Swampscott supporters. Jim Ryan and Winslow Shaw made first team, North Shore All Stars and Tom Gorman the Second Team. Jim Ryan was chosen as First String Center All Class C Team by the Boston Herald.
Submitted by: George Stinson and Jim Ryan, co-captains
After two years, 1951 and 1952 winning only one game we got a new offense the Winged T. It featured cross-blocking, pulling guards, with a blocking fullback. We were fortunate to have the best downfield blocking fullback, Bob Mansfield. We learned how to score points thus we won five games.
Our extended team consisted of the seventy person band, the best looking drill team in the world, dedicated managers and mascot Ron Cochrane, Charlie Homan, Pete Sargent, R. Masters, Paul Farnum. and our great cheerleaders made the whole school with the team, a great experience.
Opening game against Lynn Vocational we scored 34 points. The score was 34 to 0. The ’53 squad had no super star, however, it was obvious that out of the underclassmen several offensive backs would become great with the new coaching. Bob Carlin, Roger Coe, Mike Farren, Jim McElroy and Billy Nelson.
The second game was a brutal 12 to 0 victory over Reading. The experience and dedication of the seniors and juniors maintained team discipline throughout this very physical game. Tom Gorman, Jim Ryan, George Stinson, Robert Mansfield, Dick Jeffers, Peter Cassidy, Winslow Shaw, Al Owens, Billy McGinn; all had stayed with football when the times were bad, showed true grit. This game made us believers in Stan the Man and ourselves.
The third game we lost to Gloucester 24 to 14. Ironically we had prepared to slow the game down by using maximum time running each play thereby keeping high scoring Gloucester on the defense. However, we got behind and realized we could move the ball against them, too late to affect the outcome.
The fourth game against rival Winthrop (coach Stevenson’s Alma Mater) we won 33 to 0. By this game it was obvious the football team of ’53 was about team spirit and the key roles played by all. Veterans like Jim Rothwell, Bob Hurley, Joe Massidda, Charlie Gambale, Tom Lyons, Jack Pagnotti, Gus Hall, Wally Spofford, Dick Chapman, Norman Walker joined by enthusiastic newcomers Bruce Lord, Peter Humphrey, Herb Dodd, Jim Poulos, Bill Scanlon, Wally Gnaedinger, Fred Bogardus, Ken Ulman, Bob Sarra, Dick Freeman, Ray Gallup, Danny Myers, Mike Neckers and Carmen Cresta were the concrete that held the team together.
Our fifth game against Amesbury, carrying a 51 game winning streak with an awesome single wing attack put Swampscott football back on its illustrious destiny with our 18 to 14 Swampscott victory. Pete Cassidy’s awesome 4th down punt to inside the Amesbury ten yard line was too much for them to overcome. No one on the team sat down during this game. It was considered one of the best high school games ever.
The next game was a 28 to 7 victory over Danvers, another long term Northeast conference rival. Nothing is guaranteed, the 7th game scheduled with Methuen was canceled by the faculty manager because of showers. The missed week changed our momentum. We lost miserably 33 to 6 to a fired-up Stoughton team playing the game dedicated to a deceased student. I’m sure the seniors will never live down the loss in our final game to archrival Marblehead. (The Whips) 6 to 0. The next year the school had an Athletic Director, and the Big Blue was on the move. The 1953 team put life back into Swampscott Football. Attached is the Item’s cartoon characterization of the squad.
Our coaches Stan Bondelevitch, Hal Foster, Dick Stevenson and Doc Marden (a veteran of the Normandy Invasion) were on their way to building some great Swampscott teams and individual stars. Many players went on to college careers. I was thrilled to read in the New York Times four years later that our tailback, Tom Gorman, now quarterback for Amherst College threw a last-minute winning touchdown pass.
We all remained staunch Swampscott supporters. Jim Ryan and Winslow Shaw made first team, North Shore All Stars and Tom Gorman the Second Team. Jim Ryan was chosen as First String Center All Class C Team by the Boston Herald.
Submitted by: George Stinson and Jim Ryan, co-captains