Eagles Christened New Football Field by Defeating Bassick 61 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School football team, which was winless in its eight games in its first season a year earlier, came from behind with two quick fourth quarter touchdowns and defeated Bassick, 13-7, before a good-sized crowd at the new Warde field 61 years ago today, Friday, September 20, 1957.

Both of the Crimson Eagles' touchdowns, registered by fullback Jack Flanagan and left halfback Dick Kardos, followed recoveries of Bassick fumbles by Warde tackles Brian Shay and Dan Pisanelle. The Lions outplayed the Eagles through much of the first three quarters. Bassick jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Archie Holm caught a long forward pass from Tony Wiencko and ran 55 yards to complete a spectacular 79-yard scoring play.

In addition to losing the hard-fought battle, Bassick also lost the services of its two experienced co-captains, Helm, and regular quarterback Hank Cepero, for an indefinite period. Cepero was removed from action on the game's opening kickoff when he suffered what was feared to be a dislocated knee. Helm had to be assisted from the field late in the third quarter when he suffered a possible toe fracture.

The first Warde touchdown drive covered 35 yards and was highlighted by an 18-yard gain on a lateral pass play from Kardos to wingback Ray Figlar. Flanagan carried the ball twice from there into the end zone, but he was stopped in an attempt to rush for the extra point, leaving the Lions with a 7-6 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Helm was hit hard by two Warde tacklers and fumbled, with Pisanelle recovering for the Eagles at Bassick's 32 yard line. The fired-up Warde charges of coach Fern Tetreau covered the remaining distance to paydirt in four well-executed running plays, with Kardos, quarterback Ben Slesinsky, and Flanagan doing the ball carrying. Slesinsky took a forward handoff from Kardos and circled end for 19 yards and the longest gain. Slesinsky also added the extra point after Kardos registered the touchdown.

The turning point of the game came midway through the third quarter when Bassick fumbled away an almost sure touchdown after driving from its own 37 following the second half kickoff. The drive was engineered on the running of Helm, Johnny Gennette, and Paul Borgman. Substitute halfback Gus Hatzis bobbled the ball just short of the goal line, after a 13 yard run, and Warde end Fred Gates recovered in his own end zone for a touchback.

Paul

AWHS Class of 1976 to Hold 60th Birthday Year Celebration at Old Past Tavern

The Class of 1976 from Andrew Warde High School is holding its 60th birthday year celebration next Saturday, June 30, 2017, at 7 p.m., at Old Post Tavern, adjacent to the former Community Theatre in Fairfield. It will run until 11 p.m.

Classmates are invited to attend the gathering, which marks the second event commemorating a benchmark birthday for the class.

The 1976 graduates celebrated a 50th birthday year celebration in 2008 at the same location.

I hope to see you there!

Paul 

Warde Nine Upset Milford in CIAC Class A Tourney 57 Years Ago Today

Andrew Warde High School's well-balanced baseball team finished runnerup to Norwalk for the Fairfield County Interscholastic Conference baseball championship in 1961. However, the Crimson Eagles were victorious while Norwalk was eliminated in the opening round of the CIAC Class A championship tournament, Monday, June 12, 1961.

Coach Bob Jackson's Warde squad advanced to the tourney semi-finals with an impressive 2-0 victory over Milford's higher-rated Metropolitan Bridgeport Conference champions as Dick Bernard, who remained unbeaten since the baseball season opened, hurled a two-hit shutout to earn his ninth straight victory in a pitching duel with the Indians' Ricky Grich at Quigley Stadium in West Haven.

The Crimson Eagles, ranked seventh among the eight teams which qualified for the Class A title competition, backed Bernard with a nine-hit attack and tallied single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to defeat the third-ranked Milford team. It was the 17th victory in 21 games for the Fairfield squad, and just the fourth setback in 19 contests for Coach Ray Stoviak's Indians.

Outfielders Mike Siavrakas and Larry Gill connected for two hits each to lead Warde's attack against the veteran Grich, but it was rightfielder Tom Dardina and third baseman Frank Chimelewski who drove in the two runs for the Eagles with extra base hits in the June 12, 1961 contest.

It was a scoreless game until the fourth inning. Grich walked Gill with one out and when Chimelewski hit a grounder down the third base line, both runners were safe when the throw to second base for the attempted force out was too late. One out later, Dardina smacked a double down the left field line to score Gill with Warde's first run.

Tom Cody, Milford's rightfielder, made a fine catch of a long drive by Joe Magdon to open Warde's sxith inning, but Gill singled and Chimelewski bounced a triple off the fence in left-centerfield to bring home the Eagles' second run.

Both of Milford's hits off Bernard were bloop singles by third baseman Art Bungerford in the first and sixth innings. Although both hits were preceded by walks to Vic Nelson, the Indians were unable to capitalize. Warde's second baseman Hank Bahe made a poor throw following Hungarford's first single, but catcher Joe Vige threw out Nelson trying to advance to third base. In the sixth inning, both Nelson and Hungarford were picked off first base on throws by Vige and Bernard.

Paul

Today Marks 42nd Anniversary of Warde's Dramatic Last-Inning Baseball Comeback Against Arch-Rival Ludlowe

Sean Gormely greeted relief pitcher Paul Klecko with a two-run single to highlight Andrew Warde High School's four-run seventh-inning rally as the Crimson Eagles defeated arch-rival Roger Ludlowe, 4-2, in an FCIAC baseball clash 42 years ago today.

Ludlowe entered the game as the heavy favorite on its march toward a state tournament berth in 1976. However, as cliche as it sounds, whenever Warde and Ludlowe met on the playing field, it was time to throw the record books out the window. In fact, Warde's Tony Procaccini said the players felt upbeat on the bus ride to Ludlowe.

"The collective attitude was very positive," he wrote via email. "We had suffered through a disastrous start to the season, to be followed by greatly improved fielding and pitching as the season moved into the warmer and more comfortable playing weather. We defeated three teams much stronger than us: Wilton, Trumbull and finally Ludlowe."

Senior lefthander Bob Henry, making only his second start of the season, teased the Flying Tigers with a three-hitter. He struck out seven in going the distance for the winning Eagles. "I told coach Bob Jackson, 'I want the ball,' for that game against our arch-rival Ludlowe," admitted Henry.

"I was very upset when Ludlowe's Jim Barletto hit a seeing eye two-run single off me that left us trailing, 2-0. My Dad was never prouder of me after the team came back to win that game," he added. Henry is pictured below pitching during a 1975 home game with centerfielder Jeff Hannon in the background.

Tigers' righthander Brian Lee, 1-2, was pitching a three-hit shutout entering the last inning when the Crimson Eagles rallied, sending 10 players to the plate. Scott Thornton opened the top of the seventh with a walk, one of four free passes issued by Ludlowe hurlers in the fatal frame.

Procaccini stepped to the plate next. "This at-bat is still crystal-clear in my mind," he wrote. "I was facing Brian Lee, a solid right-handed pitcher and multi-sport player, against whom I would eventually have much good fortune," added Procaccini, who had three hits against him in one Senior Babe Ruth game played that summer.

"The count went to three and two, and I fouled off about three or four pitches, battling Lee all the way," he remembered. "I recall concentrating on not falling behind the pitches; his fastball was quick, and I could have easily been whiffed. Then, I sliced a fastball on the outside part of the plate into left-center field, a solid line-drive single, advancing the runner to second."

Pinch-hitter Paul Rossitto laid down a perfect bunt along the third base line for a hit, loading the bases with nobody out. The pressure then fell squarely upon the shoulders of pinch hitter John Zadrovitz to keep the rally going. "I started the scoring by hitting a deep sac fly to the left field fence with the bases loaded in the seventh," pointed out Zadrovitz. His fly ball cut the deficit in half, 2-1.

"I was down, 0-2, on the count, and Brian Lee threw me a knuckleball that didn't do squat. He had thrown me a curve ball the previous pitch, and I was in a hole. I guess he was cocky, so he figured he would mess with me. Unfortunately, I had only warning-track power, but I still got us on the scoreboard. The rest is history."

Ludlowe coach Jack Mullady then brought in Klecko, and Gormely belted a 1-1 offering to centerfield, plating two more runs and giving Warde a 3-2 advantage. Frank Fekete walked with the bases loaded, allowing the fourth run to score.

Henry set down the Tigers in order in the last of the seventh inning, his fourth perfect inning of the game. He said his Dad had the game clippings, including a story from the Fairfield Citizen-News seen below, plastered all over the walls at the family gas station, Wells Rest Texaco, on Stratfield Road, until he finished managing the station in 1978.

Procaccini caught the last out, and he still has the baseball to this day. "I was absolutely ecstatic," he remembered. "Bob Henry, my close friend since grammar school, had pitched a great game, and we had defeated our cross-town enemies, in an otherwise dismal season."

He appeared with the baseball on News 12 Connecticut's Education Notebook program to promote the AWHS Class of 1976 30-year reunion 12 years ago, and he even brought the ball to the class reunion in August of 2006. "Having caught the last out, I decided to keep that ball forever," Procaccini admitted.

"It has remained with me ever since, along with the glove with which I caught it, and my cap, which sports a white italic-style W against the crimson color of our school. "TONY PRO," my nickname in high school, is still on the under-bill."


It was just the third league win in 10 outings for Warde, while Ludlowe's FCIAC record dropped to 6-5. Overall, the Crimson Eagles improved to 3-9 and the Tigers dropped to 9-5. Ultimately, the Eagles finished the season with a 6-12 record, while Ludlowe made the state tournament.

"Coach Ed Bengermino told me he remembers that game vividly," Procaccini pointed out. "Bob Jackson was the varsity coach in 1976, and Bengermino was JV baseball coach. But 'Bengie' came to our games when the JV games ended. Defeating our crosstown rivals in those circumstances was extremely satisfying, and meant much to us. We had decisively won 'bragging rights' which, for the seniors, means we keep it forever."

Paul

Mike Gorlo's Three-Run Home Run Led Warde Over Ludlowe 56 Years Ago Toady

Third baseman Mike Gorlo rapped a three-run home run, a double, and a single to lead a strong attack as Andrew Warde High School's baseball team racked up nine runs in the first two innings and coasted to a 10-3 victory over Roger Ludlowe High School at Sturges Park, Friday, April 27, 1962. The victory evened the Crimson Eagles' conference record to 2-2, while the Flying Tigers suffered their third defeat in four games.

Coach Bob Jackson's team got off to a fast start and clipped Ludlowe pitchers Greg Madden and freshman Gene Radomski for four runs in the first inning. The early rally included a pair of walks, Gorlo's single, a bases-loaded double by Pete Jankowsky, and an RBI single by Les Bufferd.

Gorlo's round-tripper highlighted a five-run spree by the Eagles in the second inning at the expense of Bill Murphy, who pitched the last six innings for Ludlowe. The Warde third baseman connected for his home run after Murphy walked co-captain Mike Longo, and co-captain Hank Bahe singled with no outs. A pair of Ludlowe errors, a walk, and an RBI single by Bill Holling produced two more runs.

Bahe survived a shaky start and went the distnace on the mound for the Eagles to pick up the win. All of Ludlowe's scoring and three of its six hits came in the first inning.

Paul

Sophomore Mike Abraham Tossed Three-Hitter to Lead Warde Over McMahon 46 Years Ago Today

Sophomore Mike Abraham pitched a three-hitter to lead Andrew Warde to its second victory in as many days, a 4-1 decision over Brien McMahon in Norwalk on this date, Tuesday, April 20, 1971. The Crimson Eagles, who defeated Danbury, 2-1, the previous day, improved to 3-1, while McMahon fell to 2-2.

The winners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Abraham opened the frame with a single and moved to second base on a one-out base hit by Bob Maffei. John Zerjav laced a single to centerfield to score Abraham, and Maffei raced home from second when the centerfielder misplayed the hit.

The Senators nicked Abraham for an unearned run in the fourth inning. Felix Rodrigues led off with a single, stole second, and advanced to third when the ball was misplayed by second baseman Bill Mulligan. Rudy Gisolfi's RBI safety plated Rodrigues.

Mulligan tallied the first of two insurance runs for the Eagles in the fifth inning when he led off with a walk, went to second on a sacrifice, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored when John Favale ripped a triple to rightfield. Abraham, who struck out seven, helped his own cause with an RBI single, scoring Favale with final run for Warde.

The Seantors threatened in the last of the seventh inning when starting and losing pitcher Gary Lawrence lined a two-out triple to leftfield, but Abraham cut off any scoring hopes when he retired Dennis Dudas on a fly-out to center to end the game.

Paul