Andrew Warde's Crimson Eagle Gridders Blanked Bassick, 22-0, to Kick Off Undefeated State Championship Season 50 Years Ago Today

Fifty years ago today, the fourth edition of the Andrew Warde High School football team was about to embark on a magical season.

The Crimson Eagles, coached by former Roger Ludlowe High School skipper Fern Tetreau, first fielded a squad just three years earlier when the Melville Avenue school opened. The team was getting stronger every year, but little did the players or coaching staff know a state championship was on the horizon.

Tetreau, who still lives in Fairfield, told me that he was very uncertain as to how the season would play out a half-century ago today. "We had a very young ballclub," he admitted. "I did not know what we had (in terms of talent or potential.). I was hoping we would win half our ball games."

The Eagles coupled an effective ground offense with a strong defense to score an impressive 22-0 shutout victory over the Bassick Lions at the Warde field on Friday afternoon, September 18, 1959. Hard-running fullback Jack Flanagan was the outstanding all-around performer for the Eagles during the season-opening victory, leading the running attack and playing stellar defense.

Flanagan scampered 23 yards to register the first six points of the game for Warde on the first play of the second quarter. Right halfback Al Bennett, who played end a year earlier, rambled two yards to complete an impressive 75-yard drive in the second quarter, and halfback Larry Gill burst 19 yards on a crossback for Warde's third touchdown early in the third quarter.

Bennett provided two conversion points after Warde's first touchdown with a run around the left side of his line, and quarterback Howie Ratner, who Tetreau felt was one of his top players, rushed up the middle to add two points following the Eagles' third touchdown. Gill was stopped in an effort to circle his right end for a potential two-point conversion after Warde's second touchdown.

In addition to being the main spark of the Warde running attack, Flanagan set up the first and third touchdowns by recovering Bassick fumbles. The Warde fullback and tri-captain also had the longest run of the game, a 46-yard jaunt during the second touchdown drive. Outstanding line blocking enabled Flanagan to shake free on a delay, and he went all the way from the Eagles' 37 to the Lions' 17-yard line before he was brought down from behind by Francis Larkin of Bassick.

Two first period scoring opportunities for the Eagles were thwarted by the visitors. Bassick's defense stopped the Eagles at the Lions' one yard line after Bennett had recovered a fumble by Larkin on the first play of the game from scrimmage. Later, a Warde fumble was recovered by the Lions on their own three yard line.

Coach Herb Harrington's Bassick team, woefully lacking in depth, put up a stubborn fight throughout the contest and suffered a tough break when time expired in the first half with the Lions only inches away from paydirt and a third down coming up. The Lions' threat developed immediately after the kickoff which followed Warde's second touchdown, and was highlighted by the passing of sophomore quarterback Tom McManus.

McManus made a brilliant varsity debut immediately after being sent in to replace starting quarterback and co-captain Dave Borgman, who returned to last year's starring berth at end. He completed the first pass he threw in the game to Borgman for a 29-yard gain, and he followed that with a 22-yard pitch to Larkin. During his time in the game, McManus fired 10 passes and completed four for a total of 102 yards gained.

This is the first of a nine-part series which will recap each of Warde's victories during the undefeated football season of 1959 on the exact date each game was played.

Paul

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