AWHS Drafting Students Won Awards at CCSC 38 Years Ago This Week

Patrick Dizney retired from a long and illustrious career at Warde High School last year. He taught at the Melville Avenue campus for parts of five decades. Some of his drafting students at Andrew Warde High School earned awards for their work at the 1975 Teachers' Spring Convention at Central Connecticut State College in New Britain, according to a newspaper story which was published 38 years ago today. More than 1,500 entries from schools throughout Connecticut were displayed at the fair.

Students from Barlow house, under the guidance of Ted Merrill, received four first place prizes, five second place prizes, and nine third place prizes. The recipients of first place prizes were Dan Provolo (screw drives), Mike Jenkins (industrial design), Joe Macaluso (drilling and tapping), and Ken Catandella (tricycle tractor).

Second place prize awards were given to John Varholak (c-clamp), Rob Scotti (screwdrivers), Bob Diujak (vise), Phil Cerrone (vise), and Pete Talbott (pipe vise). Brad Lockwood won second place for his instant replay system for electronics 30, instructed by Paul Lewis.

Third place awards were given to Joe Hamilton (V-block), Tyler Witco (V-block), John Fraser (chain link), Jim Mamrus (c-clamp), Jerry Barrett (drag strut), Mark Waxman (rocket drafting), Lynn Bensey (vise), Kevin Conway (doctrun system), and Jody Goven (flap link).

"I do remember winning the award, vaguely at this time," recalled Waxman, a 1976 graduate of Warde. "I did have an interest in drafting and architecture, and Ted Merrill's class provided an opportunity to work on that. At one point, I was seriously considering being an architect." Waxman, whose winning project was a Saturn 5, won a number of awards for rockets he constructed and flew.

"I was really into model rocketry back in high school," Waxman admitted. "I was a member of the NAR, (the) National Association of Rocketry. In fact, the leader of the local group, a great guy named G. Harry Stine, ran the local club at the YMCA down in Greenwich, I believe. Harry Stine was the founder of the NAR, as well as a science and science fiction author."

Waxman had praise for his former teacher, too. "I remember Ted as a nice teacher," he said. "We had a lot of very talented artists and draftspeople in class. He was very supportive."

General shop students from Wolcott House, instructed by Dizney, took six second place awards and six third place awards. Second place winners included Kal Nagy, Chris O'Day, John Molner, Richard Linley (a freshman in the middle of the photo above), and Jim Anderson. Third prize winners were Mike Adams, Mike Crittenden, Russ Bertman, and Jeff Becher. Earl Kline received one second prize and two thirds.

Wiley Bowling, the coordinator of the Industrial Arts for the Fairfield Public Schools, said, "We were well represented and did very well. The competition was stiff. Schools such as Stamford always present beautiful work. However, from the results of the judging, it's obvious we have very talented students who do beautiful work, too. We're all very proud of them."

Paul

Ratner & Lashar Led Eagles to 14-4 Victory at Staples 55 Years Ago Today

Led by the heavy hitting of Howie Ratner and co-captain John Lashar, the Andrew Warde High School baseball team gave Staples a 14-4 trouncing Monday afternoon, May 26, 1958, at the Wreckers' diamond. Warde, which defeated Staples, 7-1, earlier in the season, completed the two-game sweep against its non-conference rivals.

Ed Moffitt, the winning pitcher, turned in a brilliant performance, yielding only five hits and one earned run. Coach Bob Jackson's Eagles backed Moffitt with a 13-hit attack against three Staples moundsmen. The offensive explosion included a three-run home run by Lashar, and three triples off the bats of Lashar, Ratner, and Glenn Englander.

Ratner had four hits and two walks for a perfect day at the plate, while Lashar drove in four runs with his round-tripper and three-bagger. Ratner and Lashar each crossed the plate four times as Warde romped to its eighth victory against only two losses.

The Eagles picked up single runs in each of the first two innings against Staples pitcher Bill Needham, who picked up the loss. The winners upped their lead to 4-0 in the third inning when Lashar crushed his triple to left-centerfield, following singles by Jack Flanagan and Ratner.

Southpaw Frank Bedell replaced Needham on the hill for Staples with none out in the fifth inning as Warde added four more runs on singles by co-captains Johnny Pekar, Flanagan, and Rudy Takacs, combined with four walks issued by Bedell.

Lashar hit his home run with Ratner on base after his single in the sixth inning as a Staples outfielder unsuccessfully tried to make a shoestring catch of a drive to left-centerfield. The Eagles finished their spree with four more runs in the seventh inning off Bill Whit, with three-base clouts by Ratner and Englander driving home three markers.

Paul

Dramatic Last-Inning Rally Lifts Warde Over Staples to Claim FCIAC East Crown on This Date in 1962

The Andrew Warde High School baseball team scored three runs with two outs in the last of the seventh inning to post a dramatic 5-4 victory over Staples on the Crimson Eagles' diamond 51 years ago today, Friday, May 25, 1962.

The Eagles extended their winning streak to 12 games and won the FCIAC Eastern Division championship with their victory over the Wreckers.

A walk and a single by Hank Bahe set the table for Bob Ryan, who tied the game by rocketing a triple up the right-centerfield alley to score two runs, and Bill Binkiwitz smacked a solid single to leftfield to plate Ryan with the winning run.

Stalwart southpaw Larry Mischik earned his seventh victory of the season. He struck out ten, walked three, and gave up only four hits. Bill Deegan, who relieved Joe DeMaria in the fourth inning, took the loss for the Wreckers, even though he did not allow a hit until the fateful seventh inning.

Staples jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a hit batsman, an error on a pickoff attempt, a grounder, and Mike Neary's single to rightfield. Warde took a 2-1 lead one inning later, despite getting only one hit, a single to leftfield by Ryan. A walk and two errors helped plate the two runs.

The Wreckers countered with a two-run rally of their own in the fourth inning. Larry Duberstein and Dave Smith hit consecutive singles, and Pete Lomme followed with a long triple to rightfield. Staples scored its final run in the fifth inning when a soft infield pop up was mishandled into a "triple" by the Warde infielders, and a sacrifice fly followed to make it 4-2.

It remained that way until Ryan and Binkiwitz blasted the winning shots with two outs in the seventh inning. Warde's victory was its 12th in 14 games, while Staples fell to 6-8.

Paul

Crimson Eagles Used Four Pitchers to Defeat McMahon in Slugfest & Rhubarb Fifty Years Ago Today

Andrew Warde High School's baseball team virtually locked up first place and the FCIAC Eastern Division championship for the second straight year by defeating Brien McMahon High School, 11-9, in eight innings on this date, Thursday, May 23, 1963.

First baseman Gary DuBoys assured the Warde triumph when he smashed a two-run home run with none out in the first extra inning, following a leadoff single by hard-hitting Al Englander, to break open a high-scoring battle which was played under protest by the Senators after a second-inning rhubarb at the Eagles' diamond. The Senators charged that the umpire changed his ruling from a foul to fair ball on a pop up which was turned into an inning-ending double play by Warde catcher Doug Goodfellow.

Coach Bob Jackson used four pitchers for the Eagles. The hosts blew an early 6-0 lead, but they staged a three-run comeback rally in the sixth inning to deadlock the game at 9-9 after McMahon surged ahead by scoring nine runs in the fifth and sixth frames at the expense of Bill Binkiwitz and Pat McDonough. Barry Turlish ended a four-run splurge by the Senators in the sixth, and southpaw Larry Mischik pitched two scoreless innings to gain credit for the hard-fought win.

It was the ninth conference victory in 13 contests for the Eagles, moving them two-and-a-half games ahead of Stamford Catholic (6-6) in the Eastern division standings, with only three games remaining on the regular-season schedule. The defeat dropped Brien McMahon to third place in the division with a 6-7 record.

A walk to Mischik, John Nemeth's single, a two-run triple by Englander, and Pete Jankovsky's sacrifice fly produced the three sixth-inning runs which pulled Warde into a 9-9 tie and sent the twilight game into extra innings.

Paul

"It was 1962" by AWHS Class of '62 Musician Bill Baker

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1962 held its 50-year reunion last year. Bill Baker of the Class of 1962 wrote and performed this song for the reunion.



Baker is a very unique live performer, the likes of which many have never seen or heard before. While many musicians and vocalists today use midi-tracks, tapes, or CDs to back them up, Bill, on his keyboard, plays the bass with his left hand and the piano, sax, trombone, organ, strings, and vibes with his right hand. He plays his own drumfills with his left foot and sings four-part harmony with a Digitech Vocalizer.

Bill is an entertainer in the classic sense of the word. He's a skilled musician and vocalist playing both keyboards and guitar. He utilizes the epitome of today's "state-of-the-art" electronic keyboard sounds and plays guitar for songs from artists such as mellow James Taylor to bluesy Eric Clapton to the rhythmic Antonio Carlos Jobim.

He has performed with and accompanied such performers as Robert Goulet, Andy Williams, Roy Clark, Roger Miller, The Shirelles, The Drifters, Jay and the Americans, Chubby Checker, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and many more.

I hope you enjoy this.

Paul

Crimson Eagles' Nine Tightened Grip on First Place by Defeating McMahon 51 Years Ago Today

Andrew Warde High School's baseball team tightened its grip on first place in the FCIAC Eastern Division with a come-from-behind 7-3 decision over Brien McMahon High School on this date, Wednesday, May 16, 1962.

The win was Warde's eighth straight after two losses to open the season and gave the Eagles a two-game lead over McMahon.

Jim Lippman and Larry Mischik singled to highlight a five-run Crismon Eagle rally in the sixth inning which provided the margin of victory. Hank Bahe hurled a one-hitter for the winners, striking out nine batters and walking eight.

Paul

Warde Family & Friends Alumni Run Scheduled for Saturday, June 15, at 8 o'clock

Please join the Fairfield Warde High School cross country team for its third annual Family and Friends Alumni Run on Saturday, June 15th at 8:00 a.m. on the Warde High School cross country course. Please click the image below for more information.

The event features both a one mile race and a 5K race with a post-race party and awards ceremony.  You may pre-register online before May 31st and receive a free Alumni Run t-shirt! Registration will also be available at the event. The Alumni Run is the main fundraiser for the Warde cross country team as it prepares for the 2013 season.

We hope you consider supporting the team by joining us, making a donation, and/or becoming a sponsor. For more information or to register, click on the link below. Hope to see you there!

Allison Jacobi

Billy Mulligan Pitched Warde Over Ludlowe, 6-2, 42 Years Ago Today

Billy Mulligan tossed a two-hitter and Warde scored two runs in the second inning and two more in the sixth inning as the Crimson Eagles downed cross-town rival Ludlowe, 6-2, at the winners' field 42 years ago today, Monday, May 10, 1971.

The victory lifted the Eagles' mark to 5-7 in the FCIAC East I Division and ended a four-game losing streak. The setback dropped the Flying Tigers to 5-7 in the FCIAC East II Division and snapped a modest two-game winning streak.

The hosts scored one run in the first inning and plated a pair of runs in the second frame. Jack Rozgonyi started the second inning rally with a lead-off walk, Pete Paolini singled, and Rick Seres walked to load the bases for Bill Carr, who ripped a single to score two runs.

Warde scored two more runs in the sixth inning. Paolini doubled to start the rally, Mulligan walked, and both advanced on an infield out. A wild pitch by losing pitcher Jim Cali brought in Paolini, and John Favale's single scored Mulligan.

Ludlowe scored two runs in the third inning to narrow the gap to 3-2. Tony Coppola and Mike Donnelly, who had the only two hits for the Tigers, scored with the help of two errors and a passed ball.

Mulligan's win ended a personal three-game losing streak, while Cali, who yielded eight hits, dropped to 1-1.

Paul

Warde's Dramatic 1976 Baseball Victory Over Ludlowe Still Fresh in Minds of Players 37 Years Later

Sean Gormely greeted relief pitcher Paul Klecko with a two-run single to highlight Andrew Warde High School's four-run seventh-inning rally as the Crimson Eagles defeated arch-rival Roger Ludlowe, 4-2, in an FCIAC baseball clash 37 years ago this Sunday.

Ludlowe entered the game as the heavy favorite on its march toward a state tournament berth in 1976. However, as cliche as it sounds, whenever Warde and Ludlowe met on the playing field, it was time to throw the record books out the window. In fact, Warde's Tony Procaccini said the players felt upbeat on the bus ride to Ludlowe.

"The collective attitude was very positive," he wrote via email. "We had suffered through a disastrous start to the season, to be followed by greatly improved fielding and pitching as the season moved into the warmer and more comfortable playing weather. We defeated three teams much stronger than us: Wilton, Trumbull and finally Ludlowe."

Senior lefthander Bob Henry, making only his second start of the season, teased the Flying Tigers with a three-hitter. He struck out seven in going the distance for the winning Eagles. "I told coach Bob Jackson, 'I want the ball,' for that game against our arch-rival Ludlowe," admitted Henry.

"I was very upset when Ludlowe's Jim Barletto hit a seeing eye two-run single off me that left us trailing, 2-0. My Dad was never prouder of me after the team came back to win that game," he added. Henry is pictured below pitching during a 1975 home game with centerfielder Jeff Hannon in the background.

Tigers' righthander Brian Lee, 1-2, was pitching a three-hit shutout entering the last inning when the Crimson Eagles rallied, sending 10 players to the plate. Scott Thornton opened the top of the seventh with a walk, one of four free passes issued by Ludlowe hurlers in the fatal frame.

Procaccini stepped to the plate next. "This at-bat is still crystal-clear in my mind," he wrote. "I was facing Brian Lee, a solid right-handed pitcher and multi-sport player, against whom I would eventually have much good fortune," added Procaccini, who had three hits against him in one Senior Babe Ruth game played that summer.

"The count went to three and two, and I fouled off about three or four pitches, battling Lee all the way," he remembered. "I recall concentrating on not falling behind the pitches; his fastball was quick, and I could have easily been whiffed. Then, I sliced a fastball on the outside part of the plate into left-center field, a solid line-drive single, advancing the runner to second."

Pinch-hitter Paul Rossitto laid down a perfect bunt along the third base line for a hit, loading the bases with nobody out. The pressure then fell squarely upon the shoulders of pinch hitter John Zadrovitz to keep the rally going. "I started the scoring by hitting a deep sac fly to the left field fence with the bases loaded in the seventh," pointed out Zadrovitz. His fly ball cut the deficit in half, 2-1.

"I was down, 0-2, on the count, and Brian Lee threw me a knuckleball that didn't do squat. He had thrown me a curve ball the previous pitch, and I was in a hole. I guess he was cocky, so he figured he would mess with me. Unfortunately, I had only warning-track power, but I still got us on the scoreboard. The rest is history."

Ludlowe coach Jack Mullady then brought in Klecko, and Gormely belted a 1-1 offering to centerfield, plating two more runs and giving Warde a 3-2 advantage. Frank Fekete walked with the bases loaded, allowing the fourth run to score.

Henry set down the Tigers in order in the last of the seventh inning, his fourth perfect inning of the game. He said his Dad had the game clippings, including a story from the Fairfield Citizen-News seen below, plastered all over the walls at the family gas station, Wells Rest Texaco, on Stratfield Road, until he finished managing the station in 1978.

Procaccini caught the last out, and he still has the baseball to this day. "I was absolutely ecstatic," he remembered. "Bob Henry, my close friend since grammar school, had pitched a great game, and we had defeated our cross-town enemies, in an otherwise dismal season."

He appeared with the baseball on News 12 Connecticut's Education Notebook program to promote the 30-year reunion three years ago, and he even brought the ball to the class reunion in August of 2006. "Having caught the last out, I decided to keep that ball forever," Procaccini admitted.

"It has remained with me ever since, along with the glove with which I caught it, and my cap, which sports a white italic-style W against the crimson color of our school. "TONY PRO," my nickname in high school, is still on the under-bill."


It was just the third league win in 10 outings for Warde, while Ludlowe's FCIAC record dropped to 6-5. Overall, the Crimson Eagles improved to 3-9 and the Tigers dropped to 9-5. Ultimately, the Eagles finished the season with a 6-12 record, while Ludlowe made the state tournament.

"Coach Ed Bengermino told me he remembers that game vividly," Procaccini pointed out. "Bob Jackson was the varsity coach in 1976, and Bengermino was JV baseball coach. But 'Bengie' came to our games when the JV games ended. Defeating our crosstown rivals in those circumstances was extremely satisfying, and meant much to us. We had decisively won 'bragging rights' which, for the seniors, means we keep it forever."

Paul

Late Rally Carries Eagles' Baseball Team Past Wreckers 51 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School Crimson Eagles baseball team won its fourth straight game to improve to 4-2 by posting a 3-2 victory over Staples in a Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference baseball game in Westport 51 years ago today, Friday, May 4, 1962.

The Eagles broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning, scoring two decisive runs on Mike Gorlo's double, two errors, and a walk.

The Wreckers, who fell to 1-4, countered with a single run in the last of the seventh inning as Phil Koda slammed his third hit of the game, but Warde pitcher Hank Bahe bore down to retire the side and wrap up his second victory of the season.

Bahe, who tossed a complete game, gave up just six hits, one earned run, three walks, and struck out six. Warde managed just five hits in the game. Click the image below to see the newspaper story in The Bridgeport Telegram the following morning.

Paul

Warde Capitalized on Walks & Errors to Defeat Ludlowe, 8-6, at Tigers' Diamond 55 Years Ago Today

Although they were outhit, 11 to 7, Andrew Warde High School's Crimson Eagles took advantage of bases on balls and three Ludlowe errors to defeat the Tigers, 8-6, in a loosely played game at Sturges Park, Friday, May 2, 1958, opening the second annual baseball series between the two new Fairfield rivals.

Coach Bob Jackson's Eagles were held scoreless in only the first and last innings by three Ludlowe pitchers as they gained their third straight victory following a season-opening loss to St. Basil's Prep in Stamford. It was the third setback in four games for the Ludlowe lads, who had recently scored a 2-0 shutout triumph over Harding.

Ed Reilly was the starter and loser for the Tigers, while Joe Skubas and Johnny Chickos relieved him. Reilly yielded eight walks and four hits during his four-plus innings of work.

Al Neigher was the starting pitcher and winner for Warde. He picked up his second straight victory after allowing five hits and three runs. Ludlowe rallied for three runs in the sixth inning, but the Eagles hung on for the win.

Paul