Oct 1, 2024
It was the summer of 1961, and I was sitting comfortably at the top of the huge apple tree that was in the back yard of my family’s home on Pleasant Street. I even put a small cushion at the top where several branches converged.
It was summertime, and the living was easy. There were no Beatles or Rolling Stones, no British invasion yet. West Side Story, a musical smash hit on Broadway, became even greater as a movie that year. Alan Shepard was the first American in space. John F. Kennedy was our president. As far as anyone knew, other than Green Beret advisors, American troops were still not involved fighting in Vietnam. A gallon of gas cost 23 cents. The only Medfield restaurant that served pizza was Fayo’s, a small Italian eatery in a spot now occupied by Casabella. The only thing missing in Medfield was a public swim pond, but everything else seemed right with the world.
There were just two weeks to go before starting double sessions practice for the Medfield High School football team. Football season began in the last week of August and continued until school started after Labor Day. The sun was shining on that day when Bob Curry and Lee DeSorgher stopped by my house. They were enthusiastic self-appointed ambassadors of freshmen football, and they came to ask if I was planning to try out for the team.
“So Tim, whaddya think, are you gonna’ go out for the team with the rest of us?” Bobby asked.
“I’m gonna go out for the team too,” Lee said, joining in.
“Well, I haven’t really thought that much about it,” I replied. Just a week earlier, I ran into the Horgan twins, Jimmy and Joey, the soda fountain at Clement Drug, the store at the corner of North and Main Streets, now the site of Juice on Main. They asked, and I told them I didn’t plan on football. They laughed and told me to give it a chance.
“Come on, Tim, go out for the team with the rest of us. Nobody has to worry about being cut. Everyone tryin’ out makes the team, not like Natick High where somethin’ like a hundred kids try out for the team,” Bobby said. Of course, Bob Curry could sell anything.
“Ya, you know it sounds like it might be pretty good. But I only weigh 115 pounds. Hey, Lee, what do you weigh?” I asked, noticing that Lee was my size, maybe even a bit smaller.
There was a lot of excitement in the air as the new head football coach that year was going to be Mr. Ed Keyes, Medfield High’s physical education teacher – and also the basketball and baseball coach. Both Bob and Lee were convinced Medfield’s losing record was going to finally come to an end.
Medfield High School football had lost every football game over the previous three years. Their last victory had come in 1957, but it was over Holliston High School, which had just started their football program.
In the 1950s, Medfield had two major problems: our kids seemed smaller than the other towns’, and there were fewer students in the high school. But in the fall of 1961, things were looking up. Class size swelled as the postwar baby boomers started to reach high school age.
We only had three seniors on the team, though two of them were big, Ralph Baker and Mike Donahue. But there were more juniors, and some were very talented: quarterback Mike Rogers, end Billy Callachan, tackle Steve Harrison, and fullback Doug Vliet, recently relocated from New Jersey. Other players like Jay Halloran, Jeff Cook, Bruce Allen, and Michael, Jimmy, and Joey Horgan helped to round out the team.
The double football sessions came in the last week of August 1961. The team practiced for two hours in the morning and another two hours in the afternoon. Even though it was over 80 degrees, we couldn’t have a drink of water during the entire length of the practice. It was supposed to toughen us up.
After two days, the team was split into two groups, linemen and backfielders. Bobby, Lee and I all played in the line. Bobby wanted to be the team center and settled for backup to John “Asia” Miner, a sophomore. Lee and I were linemen, along with Tommy Flanagan, Craig Magnussen, Bernie Wojack, Ronnie Kerr, Calvin Fisher, David Clark, and Allan Dick. Halfbacks included Joey Sabbag, Ricky Davidson, and Peter Iafolla. Defensive linemen Philip Clancy and Michael Horgan were experienced, tough players. Others included Tommy Cebrowski, Kippy Bryce, Jimmy Blake, Bruce Allen, Jackie Donahue, Donnie Clive, Paul Simpson, and Jimmy and Joey Horgan.
When the school year started after Labor Day, we were thankful to just have one practice session in the afternoon. Gradually, we all got in good condition and were looking forward to our first game that would be at Medway High School.
But when game day arrived, Medfield took a beating. At halftime Coach Keyes tried to inspire the team. He spoke plainly and directly to the guys playing in the game, as he looked around and into our faces.
“Is there anyone here who doesn’t think we can win this game?” he asked. Of course, nobody answered, but silently from within we all knew we were outmatched. As a finishing touch on Medway’s last play of the game their quarterback swept around his left end and crossed Medfield’s goal line.
The 1961 team struggled every Saturday afternoon. That season we played Millis High School twice, a schedule made so that Medfield’s team would play an entire eight game season. Millis had a much better team than us. They featured a big fullback by the name of Ricky King, who plowed straight ahead through the defense.
Despite the struggles, we had the nucleus of a good team, with Doug Vliet, a fast, strong fullback; Jeff Cook, a gifted and fast running back; Jay Halloran, a talented, big, versatile, and motivated fullback; Tommy Flanagan, a tall, rugged, tenacious end; and Michael Horgan, a strong-willed, persistent defenseman. These players were just a few of the group who made this team run. We may have been down but we weren’t out.
Before our game with Hopkinton, Coach Keyes along with Coach Krespane and Coach Able decided to try out what was called the Monster Defense. It was designed to make the opposing team think that Medfield had the impact of 12 men on the field instead of just 11. We practiced hard all week long, sometimes in the afternoon dusk, with the offense made up of the second string, mostly freshmen and sophomores. After practicing over and over again, the defensive players were very optimistic that the Monster Defense would work.
On the following Saturday afternoon we all got off the bus at Hopkinton High School and for the first time saw the Hopkinton team. Their linemen were the biggest high school players we ever saw! The backfield, we would soon find out, was nearly unstoppable. They were so much faster, on both sides of the ball. We got beaten very soundly and the only “monster” on the field was the punishing and hungry Hopkinton football team. No matter what we had for a defense, it didn’t matter.
The second game against Millis High came and went quickly with another hard-fought loss. Per usual, there would be practice on Monday afternoon. But there was one positive note coming from Ed Keyes. Coach Keyes said, “Don’t worry, men. We’re going to win a couple of games this season. Don’t worry.” That was remarkable, coming from him. Little did we know that those words might just be prophetic.
Fast forward to Medfield High’s game against East Bridgewater. This was a home game for Medfield, so it meant that East Bridgewater would have the visiting locker room right next to Medfield’s locker room. As they arrived, we watched them enter the locker room and couldn’t help but size them up. We all thought that physically, the East Bridgewater players looked like they were of average size…no bigger than us. Billy Callachan overheard the East Bridgewater players laughing and mocking Medfield’s four-year winless record.
However, that attitude turned out to be East Bridgewater’s undoing that Saturday afternoon. Their cockiness and overconfidence inspired and motivated Medfield all the more.
The game started, and Medfield scored with Mike Rogers throwing a short pass to Billy Callachan for six points. Doug Vliet then scored the two extra points by running behind the blocking of tackle Steve Harrison, guard Ralph Baker, and end Tommy Flanagan. Medfield was ahead by one touchdown. Before the half, East Bridgewater finally scored on a running play but failed on a two-point conversion. The first half ended with Medfield up 8-6. At the half, Coach Keyes stood in the middle of all the players.
“This is it men,” Coach Keyes said. He knew we had a real chance to win our first game. “Just stay focused and play hard. You’re gonna keep on blocking hard, running hard and tackling hard! So let’s get back out on the field and finish this game with a victory! So come on, let’s fight, score, and win!” shouting the mantra he often used.
The team roared the words, “Let’s go!” We all stood up and ran back out on the field and waited for the second half kick-off.
The game suddenly became surreal and had now taken on a tempo of anticipation. In hindsight, on a cosmic level, the match-up appeared like a precursor of Star Wars, as in a far-off galaxy of long ago, all happening on 100 yards of green grass. For those fans in the crowd, this day was like riding atop a huge roller coaster, where they had to hold onto their seats. Both teams were playing like desperadoes because that’s how they matched up on the field. Only Medfield’s final power surge was that much faster and valiant, where at the end, only the Warriors were standing, fighting their way into winning.
East Bridgewater kicked off to Medfield, and freshman Donnie Clive ran the ball to mid-field. With the first play from scrimmage, Mike Rogers handed the ball off to Bruce Allen, who picked up four yards. Rogers then handed the ball off to Jeff Cook, who ran for a first down. Then Rogers handed off to Doug Vliet, who ran behind an incredible block by Mike Donahue. Even on the sideline, we could all hear the impact of the block as Mike’s shoulder pads smashed into the opposing defensive lineman for East Bridgewater. That block cleared the way for Vliet to run from the East Bridgewater 30-yard line for his first touchdown of the game. With Mike Rogers at the helm, he tried to connect on a pass to Jay Halloran that just missed Jay’s outstretched hands. Medfield was now ahead by a touchdown…but not for long.
East Bridgewater took the kickoff and soon scored but failed on the conversion. Medfield now had a 14 to 12 lead. With two minutes left in the game East Bridgewater took over at their 30-yard line. Their quarterback then threw three desperation passes to his halfbacks. Each pass seemed to be overthrown, just out of the reach of their fingertips. Finally time ran out and the head referee held up the game ball and simply said, “game over.”
It was then that all the Medfield fans went crazy. There was pandemonium and unbelievable jubilation waiting for the team gathering in the parking lot next to the Medfield locker room. Mike Roger’s father came up from behind him and gave his son a bear-hug, practically putting Mike upon his shoulders. The fans and the townspeople all came over from the field and were congratulating everyone on the team. The Medfield cheerleaders were all hugging and kissing the players. We must have all been standing out there for at least a half hour while we waited for the bus ride from Dale Street back to Pound Street. All the while we were basking in the rays of the beautiful sun. Newspaper reporters from the Milford Daily News and the Patriot Ledger interviewed the Medfield coaching staff.
In the excitement, the Medfield Fire Department sent one of their fire engines from the station (which was then located below the town hall) to the Dale Street School.
With the Medfield High School band playing out in front of them and with the majorettes twirling their batons, the fire engine escorted the team bus back to Pound Street, all the while sounding and blasting the sirens along the return route down North Street, through Medfield center and left onto Main Street, then passing in front of Lords Department Store and then right onto South Street.
We never once had to stop for a traffic light. That’s because back in 1961, Medfield still didn’t have any traffic lights.
All along the way people kept waving to congratulate all of us on the team bus. When we finally got to the new high school on Pound Street, we all got off the bus and headed to the locker room to shower and change into our street clothes. We finally did it. We were in fat city. We broke the curse that had lasted four long years. The players who won the victory all looked at the freshmen on the team and thanked them for helping to make them into the players who they were. Could heaven be any better? For all the players and their fans, this wondrous win made its way into paradise and all our hearts and minds.