The following story was written and originally appeared on this Web site in November of 2012.Although the first Thanksgiving Day game between Warde and Ludlowe didn't take place until 1975, the two teams clashed for the very first time just two-and-a-half months after Andrew Warde High School opened in September of 1956.
Head coach Fern Tetreau and his Crimson Eagles' squad completed their inaugural season against the established Roger Ludlowe Flying Tigers by dropping a 27-6 decision. However, it was apparent even then that Coach Tetreau, the former Ludlowe skipper, was building a solid program which would ultimately win a state championship just three years later.
While at Ludlowe, Tetreau's 1954 team was ranked number three in the state. Tetreau always preferred the unexpected on the football field. He liked to run the Statue of Liberty play, where the quarterback fades back to pass and the running back grabs the ball. He ran draw plays and screen passes. And, he taught his players to think on the field.
"When I elected to go to Warde after three years at Ludlowe, I was asked about Emil Taft," recalled Tetreau via email about his successor at Ludlowe. "I recommended him very highly to Dr. Walter Hellman, who was assistant superintendent at that time. I was very pleased when they selected him to replace me at Ludlowe," he admitted. "My three sons (Mike, Bill, and Jack) played for Emil (at Ludlowe) and did very well."
While at Ludlowe, Bob Seirup was Tetreau's assistant coach in football, while Tetreau was an assistant to Seirup in basketball. "We won the New England basketball championship, and six of the first starters were football players," Tetreau remembered. "Bob Gillette, a former teacher at Warde, was a starter (at Ludlowe) in both football and basketball."
Tetreau helped open the new high school and began a new football program with just a few of his players from Ludlowe. "Only two players with a lot of playing time followed me to Warde," added Tetreau. "(They were) Dick Dakai and Bob Kasvinski. Ben Slesinki was the starting quarterback and Al Greco also played that position. Joe Renaud also played in that game. Most of the team was made up of new faces who eventually went through an undefeated season (a few years later)."
Coach Taft's Flying Tigers used a potent running attack to erase an early 6-0 deficit and cruise to victory over their new cross-town rivals in the 1956 series lidlifter. Ludlowe improved to 4-2-1 on the campaign prior to closing out the season with its traditional Thanksgiving Day game against Bassick of Bridgeport. The Eagles closed their inaugural campaign winless in eight games.
Ludlowe co-captain Pat Thomas scored three of his team's four touchdowns on breakaway runs measuring 69, 35, and 15 yards in addition to helping to set up the first score with a nifty 32-yard scamper. The stellar fullback carried the ball 12 times for 288 yards for a 19-yard average per carry. The winners gained 355 total yards on the ground.
Warde actually scored the game's first touchdown on its second play from scrimmage to give the visitors the early advantage. "The big play against Ludlowe called for Dakai, who was a lineman with a strong arm, to turn around and get the ball from the quarterback and throw a long pass to Rick Solari for about 50 yards," explained Tetreau. Solari caught the long aerial and scampered the remaining 10 yards to paydirt for a touchdown.
"That's as much as I remember. I did spread Rick Solari wide to have a one-on-one situation." It was the first time that the six-foot-three Dakai, Warde's punter, threw a forward pass during the regular season.
The Tigers, however, responded with a 70-yard drive of their own, climaxed by co-captain George Toth's one yard end run into the end zone. The methodical march downfield included one pass from quarterback Dick Bonney to end Bob Power, good for 10 yards, a 32-yard jaunt by Thomas, and an 11-yard carry by Bonney. Thomas also swept around end to convert the extra point and give Ludlowe a 7-6 lead.
The hosts took control of the game at that point, although Warde, using a newly-adopted spread offense for Dakai's passing, completed five-of-15 aerial attempts for 96 yards. Ben Slesensky and Al Greco also did some pitching for the Eagles.
Thomas made his first two touchdown runs in the second period as Ludlowe boosted its lead to 21-6 just before halftime. Norman Stickney's interception of a pass thrown by Dakai preceded the 69-yard scoring romp by Thomas to expand the Tigers' cushion. The winners used their bruising ground game to gain good yardage, eat up the valuable time off the clock, and take command of the contest.
"Ludlowe (players) had friends at Warde and Warde (players) had friends at Ludlowe," emphasized Tetreau about that initial meeting on the gridiron. The players on both teams attended the same school the year before, so they knew each other very well. "Ludlowe was favored, and they won."
Tetreau, after whom the Warde football field was named and dedicated eight years ago, was inducted into the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. He was recognized for his excellence in coaching and the leadership he provided in organizing the FCIAC. The annual awards program took place at Testo's Banquet Hall in Bridgeport.
Just three years after that first winless season, Tetreau's Crimson Eagles posted an undefeated 9-0 record and captured a state championship. Fifteen players went on to play college football from his 1959 championship squad. The following year, in 1960, his charges went 8-1 for a two-year cumulative record of 17-1.
Paul Piorek
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