Undefeated Crimson Eagles Blasted Bullard Havens Tech, 32-0, Fifty Years Ago This Weekend to Improve to 4-0 on Way to State Championship

Andrew Warde High School's high-scoring Crimson Eagles preserved their unbeaten and unscored-upon record by shutting out Bullard Havens Tech, 32-0, at the Warde field for their fourth straight shutout triumph to open the 1959 season. The Eagles became the only undefeated high school team in the Greater Bridgeport area 50 years ago today.

The Tigers were unable to cope with the tricky Warde offensive set-up which has the quarterback in an off-center position. That allows the center to either snap the ball to the quarterback or one of the other backs.

The job of frustrating the Tigers was done by a cohesive and hard-charging Eagle line which held Bullard Havens to minus nine yards on the ground.

Warde's diversified attack resulted in five different players scoring. The reserve team got into the act with a last quarter touchdown. Coach Fern Tetreau even had Jack Schneider attempt a seldom-seen field goal try in the last quarter.

The winners scored early in the first quarter on a drive which began at the Eagles' 31-yard line. Howie Ratner and Larry Gill did most of the legwork before Al Bennett hit Schneider in the end zone with a 15-yard scoring strike. Left halfback Ratner carried two would-be tacklers into the end zone for two points giving Warde an 8-0 advantage.

It wasn't long into the second period before the Eagles produced another sustained drive beginning at their own 23-yard line. They picked up five first downs prior to Ratner's scoring thrust which culminated the drive. The conversion try failed, however, and the Eagles led 14-0.

Warde took advantage of a short kick later in the period to make it 20-0 when Ratner hit right halfback Bennett with a pass to the one-yard line, and Ratner stepped in for the score. The conversion try failed, though.

Bullard Havens had a mild threat at the start of the second half, but Eagles' co-captain Walter Beck picked off a Fred Samoskevich pass. It took Warde just seven plays following the interception to score again as Gill slanted off right tackle and cut into the end zone for a touchdown to increase the Eagles' cushion to 26-0.

In the last quarter, Warde's reserves posted the final score of the contest when quarterback Joe Vige connected with John Horvat on a 35-yard touchdown strike.

This is the fourth 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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