Andrew Warde High School Class of 1976 50th Birthday Party Set for September 13 at 7:30 p.m.

The Andrew Warde High School Class of 1976 50th birthday party is scheduled for Saturday evening, September 13, at 7:30. The event will take place at Bravo's Restaurant, formerly Tommy's, located next door to the Community Theatre in Fairfield.

Attendees may purchase tickets the night of the event. For more information, please check the class Web site at http://www.warde1976.myevent.com/.

I am donating five prizes as part of the raffle. The gifts are from my Gift Shop. They include an Andrew Warde High School sport shirt, sweatshirt, hooded sweatshirt, wall clock, and tote bag. Each item displays the school name, logo, graduation year, and colors.

Please visit the gift shop at http://www.cafepress.com/warde1976 and help support this Web site. Thank you.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

Three Cheers for Andrew Warde High School Class of 1976 Crimson Eagle Ed Szymansky & His Shelton National Little Leaguers

Andrew Warde High School Class of 1976 graduate Ed Szymansky is making quite a name for himself as the manager of the Shelton National Little League team.

The squad won its first game of the Little League World Series yesterday, defeating Canyon Lake, South Dakota, 9-4. The win came after an opening night loss to Waipio, Hawaii, 3-1.

"You've got to put it (the opening night defeat) behind you," said the former Crimson Eagle, pictured in the 1976 Flame yearbook photo above. "Baseball's a funny game," emphasized Szymansky, after his squad overcame an early 1-0 deficit Saturday at historic Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. "We win (17 games) to get here. Lose one, (and) the shoulders droop a little bit."

He added, "We had a little talk (last night) when we got back to the hotel room. Don't look behind you. Look ahead."

Szymansky, who celebrated his 50th birthday today, credited his team for handling all the pressure of being on national television and playing before a crowd of over 12,000 people. "There's a lot of pressure on these kids, the crowd, all the press, and stuff," he acknowledged. "They're up there pressing. They're trying hard to impress."

The manager's son, Jake (pictured below), is the leftfielder and scored a run during a seven-run fourth-inning rally. Shelton took the lead for good by plating two runs in the second inning before breaking the contest open two innings later.

Ed Szymansky, one of our former classmates at Andrew Warde High School, will lead his charges against Citrus Park, Tampa, Florida, Monday evening at 6 o'clock on ESPN2 in the final game of pool play. The top two teams from the pool move into the quarterfinals which begin Wednesday.

Watch the feature news story about Shelton National Little League's victory over Canyon Lake, South Dakota, courtesy of WTNH-TV channel 8. My good friend and former sports anchor at News 12 Connecticut, Mark Robbins, is in Shelton covering local reaction to the series. Click the title of the post above to watch the video without the theme music.



Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

Shelton National Little League Manager 'Always Out to Have Fun' During His Days at Andrew Warde High School

Ed Szymansky was "always out to have fun" during his days at Andrew Warde High School. At least that's what former classmate and fellow Class of 1976 Crimson Eagle Tommy DeLaurentis recalls about the manager of the Shelton National Little League team.

"(He was) just a fun guy to hang out with," said DeLaurentis about Szymansky, who married classmate Janet Criscione and now manages his son, Jake (seen below), at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

"I can't ever remember him being in a bad mood," DeLaurentis remembered. However, that may not have been the case following yesterday's 3-1 loss to Waipio, Hawaii, in the first game of the series in front of 5,700 fans at Volunteer Stadium.

Szymansky declined to participate in Little League's official press conference after his team's first loss since July 20. The game was tied, 1-1, before an 85-minute rain delay halted the action. After play was resumed, Waipio scored two runs on a wild pitch and home run to secure the victory. It was only Shelton's second loss in 19 games this Summer.

So, what was Szymansky like during his days at Andrew Warde High School? "Eddie, Mark Vida, Brett Peters, and I were inseparable (during our) senior year," said DeLaurentis. "We had a great time. Our favorite sport was frisbee."

DeLaurentis, pictured in the adjacent 1976 Flame yearbook photo, remembers playing a few pick-up games with Szymansky, but doesn't recollect the future Little League manager being a baseball fanatic.

"We did play some basketball at Holland Hill School together," he recalled, "but I never heard Ed ever mention anything about baseball! I know his son (Jake) plays on the Shelton team, so maybe that's how Ed got involved."

He added, "Eddie was always out to have fun, and we always had a blast together. There are so many great, fun stories to mention. Eddie had an interest in cars and has owned his own body shop for the last 20 years."

DeLaurentis still has a hard time believing his high school buddy is coaching baseball on national television. "When I first saw Ed Szymansky coach, it didn't click (that it was my high school friend) because he really wasn't sports orientated. When I realized it was the Ed Szymansky that I hung out with, I was extremely proud of him," he admitted.

"I thought what a great accomplishment it is just to get to play in a Little League World Series, and what a great experience to share with your son! The one thing I'm sure of, win or lose, Eddie will have fun."

Ed, Jake, and the rest of the New England Regional champions play their second game this afternoon against Canyon Lake, Rapid City, South Dakota at 3:30 at historic Lamade Stadium. The game will be nationally televised by ABC and locally on WTNH-TV, channel 8.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

New England Champion Shelton National Little Leaguers Managed by Andrew Warde High School Class of 1976 Grad Ed Szymansky

All of Connecticut is rooting for the 12-year-old Shelton National Little League team to win the World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. However, for those of us who graduated from Andrew Warde High School in 1976, the week-long baseball extravaganza has special significance.

Ed Szymansky, a member of the AWHS Class of '76, is the manager of the team, which captured the New England Regional championship last week in Bristol to earn a berth in the nationally-televised event. Shelton National swept all six games in the regional tournament by a combined 48-2 score.

"I'm having a blast, just having a blast," admitted Szymansky, whose 12-year-old son, Jake, plays leftfield, hit two home runs, and had three RBI in Bristol last week. "It's like being in Little League heaven here. There's nothing better for these kids. This will probably be the highlight of their lives unless they make the majors, you know?"

The scope of his team's accomplishment wasn't lost on the former Crimson Eagle, either. "This is amazing. Over 6,600 teams tried to get here and only 16 made it, and we're one of them. That's incredible."

Shelton National is attemptiong to become the first Connecticut Little League team to win the World Series since Chris Drury led Trumbull to the crown nearly 20 years ago in 1989. Soon, Szymansky's son, Jake, who hit .375 and scored four runs in the tourney in Bristol, may become a household name just like the current NHL star and former Fairfield Prep hockey legend, Drury.

Szymansky said his team is well-prepared for the challenges it will face in the next week. "Everyone's fine. Everyone's healthy," he admitted. "It was tough the first couple of days getting everyone down to practice with the bug that was going around, but everyone showed up (Thursday), and we've been working on our fundamentals and getting the kids geared up to play.

"They're chomping at the bit," he continued. "There's been a lot of down time. They're ready to go. They've looked good in practice. They've looked good in the cages. Now it's time to go out here and do what we do."

The New England Regional champions play their first game this evening against Waipio, Hawaii, at 6:30 at Volunteer Stadium. The game will be nationally televised by ESPN2. Good luck, Ed, Jake, and the entire team. You have the people of Connecticut and the alumni of Andrew Warde High School behind you.

Watch the feature story about Shelton National Little League's New England Regional championship which aired on New England Cable News and WTNH-TV channel 8. Click the title of the post above to watch the video without the theme music.



Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

Andrew Warde High School's Key Club & Keyettes Helped Serve the Community

Diane Kiraly, who served as vice president of the Andrew Warde High School Keyettes over 30 years ago, admitted that she joined the club because she wanted to help people. But that's about as much as she remembers. "All I can say is that I don't remember anything," joked Kiraly, a member of the AWHS Class of 1976.

However, Kiraly, a single Mother of three adopted daughters, enjoyed being involved with the Keyettes. "There were a bunch of us," she told me by telephone recently. "We had fun, whatever it was (we were doing). We raised money for something," she laughed, hard-pressed to recall what it was for.

So, why did she join the Keyettes? "I think I joined because I thought the Key Club guys were cute," offered Kiraly, pictured third from the left in the front row in the photo above. The Key Club was a service organization at Andrew Warde High School which gave its members the opportunity to serve the community at large. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club, the members participated in a number of activities during our senior year of 1975-76.

The club members created food baskets for the needy at Thanksgiving, staged a Halloween party for people with special needs, held a bagel sale after school, and hosted the annual Crimson Cotillion. The Key Club helped its members become aware of the many needs of the community.

The Keyettes was a service organization offered to the girls at Warde. Carol Ann Wetmore was president during our senior year. They served the community and the school. Some of their activities included a button sale, typing for teachers on a regular basis, planning a Halloween party for people with special needs, and the evaluating of all the clubs at Warde.

Kiraly, who still lives in Fairfield in the home in which she was raised, told me that whenever she sees Wetmore, "I think of that crazy time. She (Wetmore) has no recollection of it (either.)" According to the yearbook, though, the girls decorated a children's ward at a local hospital during the Christmas holidays. They also helped to celebrate the Bicentennial year by working at the Fairfield Historical Society.

"I can't even remember what we did," Kiraly confessed. Were you a member of the Key Club or the Keyettes at Andrew Warde High School? Share your memories --- if you have any at all --- about being involved with the club in the "comments" link below.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

Andrew Warde High School Championed Girls Sports Over a Generation Ago

Most of today's high school athletes are probably unaware of how limited girls' sports were over 30 years ago. Only a few girls' sports were offered, and many of the squads or teams couldn't play a full schedule since most of the neighboring schools didn't offer a full complement of sports, either.

Andrew Warde High School, however, was a pioneer for girls' sports in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference by being among the first to offer programs in field hockey, cross country, gymnastics, and volleyball.

According to the 1976 Flame yearbook, "Two years ago, the girls at Warde had but one athletic alternative in the Autumn --- field hockey. Today, in an effort to provide a more diversified sports program for girls, the school also offers volleyball and cross country in the Fall."

For example, Andrew Warde High School was one of only two FCIAC schools to offer girls' cross country by the Fall of 1975. The team, pictured below, was coached by Mrs. Barbara Thorne and posted a 2-1 record against cross-town rival Roger Ludlowe High School, the only other FCIAC school with a girls' cross-country team. Crimson Eagles' Sophia Grasso, Elaine Falkenberg, and co-captains Julie Francis and Alice Kennedy advanced to the state championship meet in Avon.

According to the Flame, "Next season, with several more schools fielding teams in the FCIAC circuit, our squad looks forward to an expanded schedule. Without a doubt, the experience gained last Fall will give our girls an advantage over the expansion teams in the coming season."

That same year, Warde had a girls' gymnastics team, shown below, competing on the varsity level in the FCIAC for the first time. Twenty girls were on the squad, most of whom were freshman. Captains Kiki Zeldes and Katie O'Connor led the team to four victories.

Some of the more experienced girls advanced to the FCIAC championships at Darien High School. Co-captains Zeldes and O'Connor and team members Ellen Fairfield, Kathy Michaels, and Mary Tortora competed with the best girls in the county.

"Although they did not take any places, the girls gained experience for the years when they will be the winners," according to the Flame. "Since the team will not be losing any gymnasts next year, Coach Pat Kelly can expect a fine season."

In addition, the volleyball team was well on its way to establishing an excellent program by the mid 70s. Overall, Warde was highly-regarded as one of the first schools in Fairfield County to offer girls a wider variety of sports from which to choose.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".