Warde Alumnus Named Interim Organist at Fairfield Church

Andrew Warde High School Class of 1976 graduate Tony Procaccini was recently named interim organist at Saint Emery Roman Catholic Church, in Fairfield. His term started on October 7, and will go through December 31 of this year. A possible extension will be determined at a later time.

In the meantime, the parish will benefit from his musical skills, vast experience, and solid grasp of the Hungarian language. The two Sunday masses comprise one in English and one in Hungarian.

Tony has been a frequent contributor to this blog, submitting roughly 65 entries since 2006, the year he served as chairman of his class's 30-Year Reunion Committee. One of those entries, "The Fairfield - Hungary Connection," from Nov. 10, 2006, focused on the Hungarian ethnic influence in the area. In addition, from 1998 to 2011, he contributed approximately 16 in-depth and well-researched articles on various topics to "Magyar News," a Connecticut-based journal dedicated to news about everything Hungarian.

Warde Gridders Blanked New Canaan for Sixth Straight Victory During Championship Season 53 Years Ago This Week

Andrew Warde High School's unbeaten Crimson Eagles traveled to New Canaan and blanked the host Rams, 16-0, 53 years ago this week --- Friday, October 25, 1959 --- for their sixth straight gridiron victory during the undefeated state championship season of 1959.

Although the Eagles moved through the middle of the New Canaan defensive line almost at will, they were unable to score until the third quarter. Halfback Larry Gill staged a one-man drive, moving the pigskin from the Warde 40-yard-line to paydirt on six consecutive carries, including a 38-yard jaunt around his left end.

His last three bursts, including the touchdown run, were for six yards each on identical thrusts off left tackle. Gill added two conversion points on a similar play.

Warde's second touchdown came the next time the Eagles had possession of the ball as they engineered another sustained running drive and netted five straight first downs while covering 70 yards. Fullback Jack Flanagan capped the surge with three up-the-middle three-yard plunges for the score. Gill once again rushed for the two extra points to seal the triumph.

Warde's line, a key factor in the success of the Eagles since the season started, was superb again against New Canaan. Center Dave Schempp, subbing for the injured Ed Zelle, was particularly impressive on defense, while standout performances were also turned in by tackles Jim Roberto and Fred Gates.

The Eagles rolled to 217 yards on the ground, 156 of which came in the second half, as they fashioned their fifth shutout in six games.

Paul

Warde Students Voted for Kennedy to Win 1960 Election Against Nixon

The presidential election is just two weeks away, and the latest poll shows President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney in a virtual dead-heat. Fifty-two years ago, the students at Andrew Warde High School narrowly voted for John F. Kennedy over Richard M. Nixon in October of 1960, just weeks before the election.

The vote was 668 (48 percent) for Kennedy to 638 (45 percent) for Nixon with 102 students (seven percent) undecided. It was the first of two presidential straw ballots conducted at the high school.

The faculty, however, favored Nixon with 33 teachers (45 percent) voting for him compared to 25 teachers (34 percent) favoring Kennedy. Sixteen teachers (21 percent) were undecided.

The voting by paper ballot was conducted by about 175 students, members of seven Problems of Democracy classes in the school. The balloting was conducted in homerooms so that all the students could participate.

Students representatives conducting the voting included Charlene Mitchell, Cahrlotte Cerutti, Lynn Carter, Rita Schweitz, Pat Musone, Paul Hiller, Carole Glantz, Larry Gill, Barbara Bachrach, Ann Dickey, and Rosemary Vasas. Faculty advisers were Edward Bateson, Gordon Ingerson, Fred Klee, and Virginia Mussler.

The voting in each of the four houses in the high school was as follows:

• Barlow House: Kennedy (175), Nixon (153), Undecided (23);
• Mason House: Kennedy (167), Nixon (166), Undecided (24);
• Wolcott House: Kennedy (164), Nixon (155), Undecided (36);
• Smedley House: Kennedy (162), Nixon (164), Undecided (13)

Paul

Second Half Comeback Sparked Eagles to Come-from-Behind Victory Over Ludlowe 39 Years Ago Today

A bad snap from center and a recovered fumble allowed Andrew Warde High School's football team to score a pair of second half touchdowns and rally for a 16-14 upset victory over cross-town rival Roger Ludlowe High School at the winners' field before a bi-partisan crowd of 4,000 people, Saturday, October 20, 1973.

Reliable halfback Ken Aiello grounded out 180 yards on 30 carries to spark the Crimson Eagles to their first FCIAC victory against five overall losses and left them with a 1-3 mark in the Eastern Division. Ludlowe fell to 1-3 in the East and 2-4 overall.

Aiello, who also tallied on both extra point conversions, received a plaque from the Fairfield Lions Club as Warde's most valuable player in the game, while Bob Haggerty was voted Ludlowe's top performer in post game ceremonies.

The Flying Tigers tallied at 2:52 of the first quarter when quarterback Joe Rietano sneaked across the goal line on a fourth-and-goal sitution. The 10-play scoring drive started when Tom Danielson fumbled on his own 31 yard line. Kevin Klik kicked the extra point to give the guests a 7-0 lead.

Coach Emil Taft's squad added another seven points on the first play of the second quarter when Rietano hit Paul Sullivan with a 21-yard completion and Klik added the extra point to take a seemingly secure 14-0 cushion into intermission.

But the fired-up Eagales of Bill Davis weren't going to be denied and turned opportunistic by using the Ludlowe miscues to pull out the win. The first break came when Ludlowe punter Mark Greenwalt was not able to handle the snap from center and was brought down on hos own 34 yard line.

Later, Aiello's 23-yard carry brought the ball down to the nine yard line, and two plays later Steve Cameron crossed the goal line with 3:23 remainin in the third quarter. Aiello fought his way into the end zone for two additional points.

The deciding touchdown came after tackle Julius Dudics pounced on a Ludlowe fumble at the Tigers' 31. A facemask penalty and a 12-yard run by Aiello put the pigskin on the eight yard line. On third-and-goal, quarterback Jim DelVecchio hit paydirt from one yard away to tie the score at 14-14 with 6:29 left in the game. Aiello again battled his way into the end zone for the deciding two points

Paul

Crimson Eagles Posted Fifth Straight Gridiron Victory During Undefeated Campaign 53 Years Ago Today

The unbeaten, untied Crimson Eagles of Andrew Warde High School were scored upon for the first time this season on their home field, but they overcame tough opposition from Staples to defeat the Wreckers, 14-6, to post their fifth straight football victory 53 years ago today.

Coach Fern Tetreau's talented Eagles appeared to be on their way to another decisive triumph when left halfback Jack Gill broke away for a 49-yard touchdown run off his own right tackle on Warde's second play from scrimmage to start the game. Right halfback Al Bennett rushed for the two-point conversion to give the hosts an 8-0 cushion.

However, the game developed into a dogfight from that point on, and coach Frank Dornfeld's combative Staples charges gave the Warde faithful anxious moments until the closing moments of play.

Although Staples outrushed the Crimson Eagles by a 156 to 114 yard margin, the Wreckers found Warde's strong defensive unit tough to crack until midway through the fourth quarter. Quarterback Bob Denham faked a jump pass over the line to end Nick Delgass and instead handed off to halfback Ted Dreyfuss who ran for 43 yards for the first points scored against Warde all season. Dreyfuss was stopped on the all-important two-point conversion attempt, but Staples was in the game and trailed 8-6.

The aroused Eagles stormed back on their ensuing possession, though, and engineered their best offensive drive of the day to wrap up the victory. Although they lost eight yards on two successive running plays after the kickoff, Warde quickly moved downfield when a pass from quarterback Joe Vige to end Jack Schneider was ruled complete for 24 yards and a first down to the Staples 39 yard line due to pass interference.

Stellar fullback Jack Flanagan, pictured above running against Staples in that very game and who saw limited action due to an injured leg, powered the drive from that point. He carried the ball eight times over the next 13 plays to account for 30 of the 39 yards during the drive. He bulled over the goal line from three yards out through tackle for Warde's winning touchdown. Schneider's attempted point-after kick, however, went wide of the goalposts.

Paul

Warde & Ludlowe Placed Restrictions on Student Smoking 55 Years Ago This Month

Under a new policy adopted at Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high schools, only juniors and seniors were permitted to smoke and only at the end of lunch period, according to a front-page story which appeared in The Bridgeport Post 55 years ago today. The general ban on smoking at other times anywhere on school property remained in effect.

Freshmen and sophomore students who were originally permitted to smoke with 11th and 12th graders had to wait until they became upperclassmen to smoke. The story appears in the lower-right hand side of the Saturday, October 12, 1957 publication below.

Daniel B. Fitts, hedamaster at Andrew Warde High School, and Roger L. Warner, Roger Ludlowe High School's headmaster, said the new restrictions were the result of a desire by parents to discourage smoking. In addition, it was illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to purchase cigarettes.

The two administrators pointed out that the smoking ban was eased at Roger Ludlowe High School several years earlier because of the serious policing problem it created.

"Teachers had to be assigned to various school areas to watch against smoking," they pointed out. The previous policy permitted all students to smoke in a certain area at a designated time.

Violators of the ban faced stiff punishment, the headmasters reported. There was an automatic two-week suspenion period after the second offense. A year earlier, eight Warde students and two Ludlowe students were suspended.

Paul

Warde Gridders Suffered Lopsided Loss to Ludlowe Before 8,000 Fans on This Date 43 Years Ago

The overcast sky forced Ludlowe to leave its wings in the hangar, but it certainly didn't affect its ground game as Emil Taft's Flying Tigers ripped Warde, 40-8, in the FCIAC Eastern Division feature contest at the Eagles' field before an estimated crowd of 8,000 fans on this date, Saturday, October 11, 1969.

The powerful legs of Ben Jacobellis, who scored a pair of touchdowns, Kevin Prendergast, and Chris Brown, offset a phenomenal passing exhibition by Warde's Chico Rodriguez as the state's second-ranked team toppled the Eagles from the unbeaten ranks to move into an Eastern Division first-place tie with New Canaan at 3-0. Ludlowe improved to 4-0 overall, while Coach Fern Tetreau's Crimson Eagles fell to 2-1 in conference play and 3-1 overall.

Ludlowe quarterback Mike Tetreau, the current first selectman of Fairfield and the son of the Warde coach, took control immediately after the opening kickoff and marched his team 56 yards in seven plays, capped by Prendergast's scoring run, to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead on their way to a 27-0 halftime cushion.

The high-scoring Tiger eleven, having already racked up 198 points in four successive romps, took advantage of a pair of Warde fumbles to notch two first-half touchdowns. Following the first Tiger score, the hosts fumbled on their 37-yard line, and Ludlowe's Scott Webster fell on the loose pigskin. Six plays later, Jacobellis ran for a 10-yard score. The first of four placement boots by Dave Seres gave Ludlowe a 14-0 edge.

Another Warde fumble paved the way for an eight-yard touchdown pass from Tetreau to senior end Hal Stone, who also played brilliantly on defense, as the Taftmen carved out a 20-0 advantage. The final six-pointer of the half was a nine-yard dash by Brown to close out the blitz.

The Eagles' lone trip to paydirt came early in the second half with Rodriguez hitting Steve Duboys on a 28-yard scoring aerial. Rodriguez added the PAT on a quarterback keeper.

Despite the fact that the Eagles' ground attack bogged down for most of the game, Coach Tetreau received a fine performance from Doug Forstrom, who was converted to fullback after starter Tim Carthens was injured two weeks earlier. Forstrom gained 68 yards, many of which were the result of sheer desire on his part.

Rodriguez enjoyed a banner day as he completed 23-of-40 passes for 277 yards, but two costly interceptions on the Ludlowe goal line by Marc Shaw and Seres neutralized his effectiveness.

The Ludlowe squad struck for two second-half scores as the fog lifted, allowing the younger Tetreau to become airbound once again by connecting with Seres on a 35-yard scoring strike. Jacobellis added his other touchdown on a five-yard scamper through the middle of the Warde line.

Paul

Eagles Blanked Norwalk Before 2,500 Fans for Third Straight Shutout on This Date in 1959

Andrew Warde High School's defense-minded Crimson Eagles ran their unbeaten, unscored upon victory streak to three games 53 years ago today --- Saturday, October 3, 1959 --- by downing previously-unbeaten Norwalk, 12-0, before an estimated 2,500 spectators at the Warde field.

Coach Fern Tetreau's charges scored early in both the first and fourth quarters, while stopping Norwalk inches short of the goal line and later at the Eagles' 13 yard marker. The Green Wave was only able to move inside the Warde 30-yard line just four times during the contest.

Norwalk received the opening kickoff and, after advancing to its 27, was forced to punt to the Warde 47. On the Eagles' first play from scrimmage, halfback Larry Gill dashed 29 yards around his right end to the visitors' 24 yard line. Al Bennett ran to the 19 yard line, before Gill scampered around the left end for five more yards to the Norwalk 14.

Jack Flanagan burst through center for a one-yard gain and a Warde first down. Quarterback Howie Ratner handed off to Gill once again, and he ran to the four yard line on a delay. Flanagan added two more yards for a first down at the Green Wave two yard line before Ratner plunged oacross the goal line for the first score of the game.

Norwalk's Lee Johnson, however, stopped Gill shy of the goal line on the attempted two-point conversion, holding Warde to a 6-0 advantage.

A few minutes later, Norwalk tackle Jim Ciminello recovered a quick kick by Warde's Gill that was blocked on the Warde 25. Norwalk reeled off two first downs and had the ball on the Eagles' three yard line with first down and goal-to-go as the first quarter came to a close.

Jerry Fishman opened the second stanza with a one yard gain to the two yard line. However, halfback Everett Jess fumbled as he went through the line, and the loose football rolled to the goal line where Warde's right end Walter Ruby recovered it. Norwalk never again advanced inside the hosts 10 yard line.

The winners threatened again with four minutes left in the first half, but an offside penalty nullified a 14-yard touchdown dash by Flanagan. After the stellar Warde defense limited Norwalk to just seven yards rushing in the second quarter and only four yards in the third quarter, the Eagles' Walter Beck recovered another Green Wave fumble at the Norwalk 18-yard line. Flanagan scampered six yards to the Norwalk 12 as the third quarter ended.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Larry Gill sidestepped three would-be tacklers and followed good blocking by Ratner and Beck to dash 13 yards to paydirt for Warde's second touchdown. Norwalk stopped Flanagan's rush for the attempted two points as Warde assumed a 12-0 cushion.

Norwalk's Fishman played an outstanding game as he carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards and kicked a booming 60-yard punt.

Paul