Don Harrison, the founding editor of the Greenwich Citizen, a 15,500-circulation award-winning weekly newspaper, wrote an outstanding article celebrating the 50th anniversary of Andrew Warde High School's undefeated Crimson Eagles' football team. The article was posted this morning on fairfieldonlinenews.com.Harrison, with whom I spoke yesterday, has enjoyed a lengthy career as an editor and writer for three daily newspapers and one weekly. He spent the first 18 years of his career in sportswriting with the New York Mirror, New Haven Journal-Courier and Waterbury Republican-American. He served as executive sports editor of the Waterbury newspapers and twice was voted Connecticut Sportswriter of the Year by his peers.
In his piece published today, Harrison wrote, "In the fall of 1959 there were four undefeated, untied high school football teams in Connecticut, all with seamless 9-0 records: Stamford, winner of the Waskowitz Trophy as the recognized state champion; Danbury, Maloney of Meriden, and Andrew Warde of Fairfield.
"Warde was the surprise member of this elite group. This was just its third football season, and few expected that a new program would be able to challenge Connecticut’s established powers.
"Credit Fern Tetreau. 'The Coach,' as he’s known to one and nearly all, assembled, molded and inspired this group of young men to reach the rarefied heights of a perfect season. Tetreau had enjoyed coaching success at Roger Ludlowe before accepting the challenge to launch the Warde program in 1957."The article includes anecdotes from Tetreau, pictured at the left in the 1959-60 Flame yearbook, Eagles' all-state guard Walt Beck, and Mike Tetreau, Fern's son, who was a seven-year-old waterboy for his Dad years before attaining stardom as the quarterback at Roger Ludlowe High School.
Beck has mixed feelings about the 50th anniversary festivities, according to Harrison, although he plans to attend. “When I found out they were doing this,” Beck said, “I wondered if I were sitting in the stands in 1959 and they brought out the team of 1909.” He paused and chuckled. “These kids aren’t going to relate with us.”
I know you'll enjoy the story.
Fairfield Warde High School will commemorate the 50th anniversary of that unforgettable season with a special halftime ceremony at this Friday evening's game against St. Joseph High School of Trumbull.
Paul
Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.
Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.
Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".
1 comment:
What was not mentioned in the article about the 1959 football team was the comraderie and closeness among the players. We did everything together. We were the first four year graduating class at Warde - and, we were more than proud to celebrate Warde as a winning, close knit, and accomplished group.
Jeff Lebowitz
guard/linebacker on the '59 team
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