Crimson Eagles Posted Fifth Straight Victory on Way to Undefeated Gridiron Campaign 66 Years Ago Today

The unbeaten and untied Crimson Eagles of Andrew Warde High School were scored upon for the first time this season on their home field, but they overcame tough opposition from Staples to defeat the Wreckers, 14-6, to post their fifth straight victory, Saturday, October 17, 1959. 

Coach Fern Tetreau's talented Eagles appeared to be on their way to another decisive triumph when left halfback Jack Gill broke away for a 49-yard touchdown run off his own right tackle on Warde's second play from scrimmage to start the game. Right halfback Al Bennett rushed for the two-point conversion to give the hosts an 8-0 cushion.

However, the game developed into a dogfight from that point on, and coach Frank Dornfeld's combative Staples charges gave the Warde faithful anxious moments until the closing moments of play.

Although Staples outrushed the Crimson Eagles by a 156 to 114 yard margin, the Wreckers found Warde's strong defensive unit tough to crack until midway through the fourth quarter. Quarterback Bob Denham faked a jump pass over the line to end Nick Delgass and instead handed off to halfback Ted Dreyfuss who ran for 43 yards for the first points scored against Warde all season. Dreyfuss was stopped on the all-important two-point conversion attempt, but Staples was in the game and trailed 8-6.

The aroused Eagles stormed back on their ensuing possession, though, and engineered their best offensive drive of the day to wrap up the victory. Although they lost eight yards on two successive running plays after the kickoff, Warde quickly moved downfield when a pass from quarterback Joe Vige to end Jack Schneider was ruled complete for 24 yards and a first down to the Staples 39 yard line due to pass interference. Please click the link below to access and enlarge the newspaper story of the game.

Sun, Oct 18, 1959 – Page 54 · The Bridgeport Post (Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut) · Newspapers.com
Stellar fullback Jack Flanagan, pictured above running against Staples in that very game and who saw limited action due to an injured leg, powered the drive from that point. He carried the ball eight times over the next 13 plays to account for 30 of the 39 yards during the drive. He bulled over the goal line from three yards out through tackle for Warde's winning touchdown. Schneider's attempted point-after kick, however, went wide of the goalposts.

Paul Piorek

Warde and Ludlowe Placed Restrictions on Student Smoking 68 Years Ago This Week

Under a new policy adopted at Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high schools, only juniors and seniors were permitted to smoke and only at the end of lunch period, according to a front-page story which appeared in The Bridgeport Post 68 years ago this week. The general ban on smoking at other times anywhere on school property remained in effect.

Freshmen and sophomore students who were originally permitted to smoke with 11th and 12th graders had to wait until they became upperclassmen to smoke. The story appears in the lower-right hand side of the Saturday, October 12, 1957 publication below.

Daniel B. Fitts, hedamaster at Andrew Warde High School, and Roger L. Warner, Roger Ludlowe High School's headmaster, said the new restrictions were the result of a desire by parents to discourage smoking. In addition, it was illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to purchase cigarettes.

The two administrators pointed out that the smoking ban was eased at Roger Ludlowe High School several years earlier because of the serious policing problem it created.

"Teachers had to be assigned to various school areas to watch against smoking," they pointed out. The previous policy permitted all students to smoke in a certain area at a designated time.

Violators of the ban faced stiff punishment, the headmasters reported. There was an automatic two-week suspenion period after the second offense. A year earlier, eight Warde students and two Ludlowe students were suspended.

Paul

Warde Posted Third Straight Shutout 66 Years Ago Today During 1959 Undefeated Gridiron Campaign

Andrew Warde High School's defense-minded Crimson Eagles ran their unbeaten, unscored upon victory streak to three games 66 years ago today --- Saturday, October 3, 1959 --- by downing previously-unbeaten Norwalk, 12-0, before an estimated 2,500 spectators at the Warde field.

Coach Fern Tetreau's charges scored early in both the first and fourth quarters, while stopping Norwalk inches short of the goal line and later at the Eagles' 13 yard marker. The Green Wave was only able to move inside the Warde 30-yard line just four times during the contest.

Norwalk received the opening kickoff and, after advancing to its 27, was forced to punt to the Warde 47. On the Eagles' first play from scrimmage, halfback Larry Gill dashed 29 yards around his right end to the visitors' 24 yard line. Al Bennett ran to the 19 yard line, before Gill scampered around the left end for five more yards to the Norwalk 14.

Jack Flanagan burst through center for a one-yard gain and a Warde first down. Quarterback Howie Ratner handed off to Gill once again, and he ran to the four yard line on a delay. Flanagan added two more yards for a first down at the Green Wave two yard line before Ratner plunged oacross the goal line for the first score of the game.

Norwalk's Lee Johnson, however, stopped Gill shy of the goal line on the attempted two-point conversion, holding Warde to a 6-0 advantage.

A few minutes later, Norwalk tackle Jim Ciminello recovered a quick kick by Warde's Gill that was blocked on the Warde 25. Norwalk reeled off two first downs and had the ball on the Eagles' three yard line with first down and goal-to-go as the first quarter came to a close.

Jerry Fishman opened the second stanza with a one yard gain to the two yard line. However, halfback Everett Jess fumbled as he went through the line, and the loose football rolled to the goal line where Warde's right end Walter Ruby recovered it. Norwalk never again advanced inside the hosts 10 yard line.

The winners threatened again with four minutes left in the first half, but an offside penalty nullified a 14-yard touchdown dash by Flanagan. After the stellar Warde defense limited Norwalk to just seven yards rushing in the second quarter and only four yards in the third quarter, the Eagles' Walter Beck recovered another Green Wave fumble at the Norwalk 18-yard line. Flanagan scampered six yards to the Norwalk 12 as the third quarter ended.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Larry Gill sidestepped three would-be tacklers and followed good blocking by Ratner and Beck to dash 13 yards to paydirt for Warde's second touchdown. Norwalk stopped Flanagan's rush for the attempted two points as Warde assumed a 12-0 cushion.

Norwalk's Fishman played an outstanding game as he carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards and kicked a booming 60-yard punt.

Paul