In the early spring of 1926 a group of young FHS athletes and their immortal coach Clarence N. Amiott traveled west to participate in the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament. This was literally the national championship of high school basketball. The Red and Gray had lost to Brockton High 15 to 10 in the Tufts Tournament, and it had appeared that wonderful 1925-1926 season was finished. The Red and Gray faithful were disappointed, but they were excited that their junior co-captain Lauri Myllykangas had been named right forward and captain of the mythical All Star New England basketball squad. But the Shoe City squad had turned down an invitation to the national tourney, and so FHS had jumped at the opportunity when they received the invitation.
The Red and Gray squad was loaded with talented players like Alfred Maffeo, Anastos Fanos, David Allen, John Oliva and Kenneth Davis, but the finest player might very well have been their junior co-captain Lauri Myllykangas. In an era where FHS had many golden boys, who competed on their athletic teams, many old timers will tell you that Lauri Myllykangas was the greatest of them all. Let’s see what the Red and Gray and the Class of 1927 Yearbook had to say about this outstanding scholar athlete. The Yearbook stated: Lauri was the foremost athlete that FHS has had for many a year. He was president of his Junior Class. He played in the four major sports and ran with the class relay team and the Red and Gray said, “Lauri was the best athlete because he doesn’t pretend to be good.” Those were contemporaries of Lauri and many times the young high school classmates could be the most truthful about their star athletes.
As the Red and Gray rolled through their magnificent 29-2 National Championship season, the school magazine kept a close eye on the team and their accomplishments. In the county championship, the Red and Gray reported, “Captain Myllykangas worked hard, shot cleverly and directed his team with skill.” But it was his teammate Kenneth Davis’ diary, which was concerned with the Chicago tournament that truly reported up Lauri’s athletic skill and poise under pressure. In the semi-final contest against a strong Salem, South Dakota five, the Red and Gray trailed 16-15 with less than a minute remaining on the clock. When a technical foul was called upon the Salem squad, Coach Amiott sent out Lauri to take the foul shot. Stepping coolly to the line, Lauri sank the shot to tie the contest, which sent the game into overtime, which the FHS five eventually won. Then the Amiott men defeated Fargo, North Dakota, rather handily in the finals 25 to 14 and the championship trophy made its way back to Fitchburg.
You might think that those types of heroics would be enough for one young man’s athletic career, but Lauri Myllykangas had another great moment, which would enshrine his athletic legend at FHS. In late October of 1926 mighty Brockton arrived at Crocker Field to take on the men of Amiott, and the city of Fitchburg was up in arms. FHS had not defeated the eleven from the Shoe City since 1922, despite the fact that the Red and Gray had had excellent squads during those years. Lauri Myllykangas would provide the penultimate moment in this classic contest. The defenses of both squads dominated the contest with most of the contest played between the twenty-yard lines. So when the Red and Gray approached Brockton’s goal line late in the second quarter Coach Phil Tarpey called upon his ace, Lauri Myllykangas to attempt a twenty-five yard drop kick field goal to give FHS the lead. Lauri calmly stepped back and booted the ball cleanly through the uprights. The FHS line held the Shoe City eleven scoreless, and when the final whistle was blown the loyal fans rushed onto Crocker Field in a frenzied glee.
Then the Red and Gray marching band led the fans out onto Circle Street where they formed a conga line to snake dance down Main Street. Hundreds of students and adults joined the line as it gleefully wound its way down Main Street to Depot Square where it turned around and headed back up Main Street to the Upper Common. Seldom had the streets of the city along the Nashua seen such pure joy, and the athletic prowess of Lauri Myllykangas had brought about that celebration of joy.
During Lauri’s years at FHS, he competed in four sports winning letters in baseball and in track and field. During the 1920’s and 1930’s talented kids were allowed to compete in two sports in a particular season. When spring rolled Lauri would be found at Crocker Field taking batting practice or working on his sprint starts or leaping the high jump bar. During the baseball season Lauri could be seen making long throws from the shortstop position and then he would move over to the shot put pit, and practice on his heave. All the while, Lauri was maintaining outstanding grades in the classroom, which would certainly place him in the category of All American Boy.
The National Basketball Championship tournament and the winning field goal against Brockton were just a few of Lauri Myllykangas’ athletic accomplishments, but the program has limited space, so some details are missing. When he graduated from FHS in 1927, Lauri was accepted to Dartmouth College, which was very interested in his athletic abilities. In 1937 when Coach Clarence N. Amoitt’s fatal illness began to take hold, the great coach was asked to name his finest athletes during his quarter of a century at the helm of FHS sports and he named Lauri Myllykangas and Larry Hobbs as his two finest all round athletes of this Golden Age. Lauri Myllykangas graduated from Dartmouth College in 1931, but unfortunately died in 1954 in his early forties. Today Fitchburg High honors one of their very greatest with induction in our Hall of Fame.
Top Of The Page
In the annals of Fitchburg High School athletes, few classes can match the overall excellence of the Class of 1931. From the earliest days of September in 1930 to the warm days of graduation week in June of 1931, the deeds of the athletes of 1931 were simply amazing. The football squad with outstanding players like Al Secino, Donald Allan, Captain Rollie Blake, and Carl Fellows had a wonderful 10-1 record losing only to Brockton 20-13 in a contest, which the Fitchburg Sentinel called the “finest contest ever played on Crocker Field.” The basketball squad led by Captain Carl Fellows captured the Tech Tourney with victories over Salem, New Bedford and Lynn English. During this era, the Tech Tourney was considered the state basketball championship. The baseball team went undefeated with a 13-0 record featuring the play of Donald Allan, Mike Cioffi and center fielder and lead off hitter Rollie Blake. The FHS track and field squad featured a 22-foot long jumper named Rollie Blake.
Today the Fitchburg High School Hall of Fame in honored to welcome one of those amazing 1931 athletes into its hallowed halls, Rollie Blake. Rollie was the captain of the Red Raider football squad, which featured breath-taking lateral passes in its offense and a stalwart forward wall for its defense. The Red and Gray offense featured a backfield with three of the finest players in the state of Massachusetts. Al Secino was a pile-driving fullback. Playing out of a Notre Dame box type offense, Coach Amiott always had small shifty tailbacks that could run and throw pinpoint laterals and shuffle passes. Amiott was lucky enough to have two razzle-dazzle tailbacks, Donald Allan and Hall of Fame inductee Rollie Blake. The versatility of these two backs was simply amazing; on one play Rollie would toss a pass to Don Allan for a touchdown, and on the next series of downs, their roles would be reversed. One other aspect of Rollie Blake’s valuable versatility was that Coach Amiott made him the signal caller. In those days there was no calling of plays from the sidelines, and there was no such thing as unlimited substitution. The kids on the field made the calls sort of like a coach on the field. Throughout the season, the Fitchburg Sentinel took note of this fact and praised Rollie highly for his work. Not only was Blake’s running and passing outstanding, but also his play calling was impeccable.
Against a very tough Phil Tarpey-coached Gardner High eleven, Rollie was on the receiving end of a tough head injury, which caused him to be very woozy, but Rollie had insisted on remaining in the contest. The Sentinel praised Rollie for his old fashioned guts. Despite the injury Rollie Blake scored the contests only touchdown when he was on the receiving end of a neat Donald Allan lateral. As the season progressed, the praise for the Fitchburg High team began to mount. Following a resounding 21-0 victory over Eastern Mass. powerhouse Waltham, Waltham High selected six FHS players on their all opponent squad which was truly amazing considering the caliber of the Waltham schedule. As the season progressed Rollie and Don Allan seemed to be scoring one or two touchdowns against each and every opponent.
On November 8, 1930, mighty Brockton came to Crocker Field with their usual juggernaut. It was a battle of titans and Rollie Blake was in the middle of things with a neat touchdown run from 20 yards out, but when the final whistle blew Brockton had once again frustrated FHS 20-13. It would be the only defeat on the Red and Gray schedule in 1930.
Following an easy 33-0 victory over Athol, the Red Raiders awaited a Thanksgiving match-up against Leominster High who was rapidly improving under the leadership of Coach Ray Comerford. The Red and Gray were heavy favorites, but LHS fought valiantly. Early in the contest, Rollie set sail on a brilliant run down the sidelines for an apparent touchdown, but he had stepped out on the nine-yard line, and the Blue Devils stiffened and held. Later in the second quarter Rollie pitched a perfect lateral to Don Allan to give FHS a 7-0 lead which they would hold onto for the rest of the game. FHS had finished with a magnificent 10-1 record, and now it was onto basketball for Rollie and the rest of his classmates.
Basketball was not really Rollie’s cup of tea, and it was soon onto baseball and track where he excelled. Rollie was the starting center fielder for the Red and Gray who batted leadoff with a batting average near .350 in his senior season. Coach Loring Stevenson had a terrific squad in the spring of 1931 as the Red and Gray rolled the opposition with a 13-0 record despite close contests with the likes of Gardner, Leominster and Worcester North. He could count on Rollie to get rallies going with line drives all over the outfield and “Stevie” also liked the way Rollie could run down fly balls in the vast outfield of Crocker. When the baseball squad’s practice would finish, Rollie would head for the long jump pit and begin practicing. Rollie was a great long jumper consistently reaching 22 feet helping FHS to be victorious in most of his meets.
So as June and graduation passed Rollie Blake had time to reflect upon an amazing senior year which certainly established him as one of FHS’ greatest and most versatile athletes. Rollie and his teammates and classmates had been something else in 1930-1931. Rollie married Gertrude Bock and they had two children, Linda and Carol who will gladly accept the Hall of Fame award for their father, Rollie, who passed away in 1984. His was a truly amazing career.
Top Of The Page
In late January 1931, FHS’ legendary Clarence N. Amiott decided to make a dramatic change in the composition of the Red and Gray basketball squad. To the faithful followers of FHS basketball fortunes, whether they be fans in the stands or sports writers for the Fitchburg Sentinel, this was a shocking development. After all the Fitchburg squad was loaded with veterans like Captain Carl Fellows, Donald Allan, and Bill Whelan who had led FHS to a Tech Tourney Championship in 1930, so why would they need a new influx of new blood into the starting lineup? But Coach Amiott knew exactly what he was doing, when he decided to bring up from Squad B sophomores Reino Fillback and Ray Belliveau, and immediately inserted them into the starting lineup. Fillback, and especially Ray Belliveau, were particularly skilled players who could put the ball in the hoop and who also possessed outstanding floor games with their excellent dribbling and outstanding passing. Immediately the Red Raider offense began to come alive and the Big Red Machine was rolling down the track toward another Tech Tourney championship.
When the Raiders opened their defense of the Tech Tourney, they started very slowly against Salem High. After the Witches took a 15-4 lead midway through the third period, Ray Belliveau and his fellow sophomore Fillback drove FHS to a spine-tingling 20-18 victory with their outside sharp shooting. Next mighty New Bedford fell to the Amiott squad 45-33 and finally FHS took down Lynn Classical 23-21 to capture another Tech Tourney, which was the equivalent of a state championship in 2009. This was the beginning of a Hall of Fame career at FHS.
Following the Tech victory, the kids from Fitchburg returned home, and prepared themselves for the baseball season. Although only a sophomore, Ray Belliveau was selected to play in the infield for Coach Loring Stevenson’s very strong varsity squad. Ray soon became a key member of the FHS juggernaut, which rolled through the 1931 campaign with an unbeaten 13-0 record.
It was Ray Belliveau’s efforts on the hardwood floors that began to gain the attention of the FHS faithful and college coaches. One effort in particular stood out above all the other contests in Ray’s junior year. The Raiders traveled down to face their old nemesis Brockton on the home court of the Shoe City five. Throughout the first three periods, the Amiott men were completely dominated by the larger Brockton players until Ray Belliveau broke through with a flurry of scoring which included five of seven from the floor, and FHS captured an impressive road win.
That impressive victory set up FHS for another run in the Tech Tourney. When the Red and Gray knocked off Haverhill and Lowell behind the rebounding of Bill Whelan and the outside play of Ray Belliveau and his sidekick Reino Fillback, the FHS five once again found themselves in the finals of the Tech Tourney. But this time Brockton was able to squeak by FHS with a 20-19 victory. Ray Belliveau had now played in two state championships but this would not be his final appearance.
As Ray Belliveau began his final year at FHS things looked very promising as the Red and Gray swept Lynn General Electric, Worcester South and Winthrop in the first contests. But disaster struck down the Red and Gray late in the Winthrop contest when both Ray and Reino Fillback went down with season ending leg injuries. For Ray Belliveau this was the first of a series of leg injuries, which would plague him at Providence College, but it may have been a blessing in disguise for the Fitchburg High School basketball squad in 1932-1933. Ray and Reino were well rested for the season, and they exploded onto the local basketball scene. Both skilled back court players averaged in double figures in an era of low scoring contests as the Raiders completed the regular season with a solid 12-3 losing only to Brockton twice and Gardner once.
But Ray Belliveau was just getting started as the Red and Gray entered the Tech Tourney. Fitchburg opened the tournament with a resounding 33-24 victory over Eastern Massachusetts's powerhouse in a contest where Ray Belliveau tallied 15 points. He followed up this effort with a 13-point game against Lynn Classical in a very convincing 42-25 victory for FHS, and it was onto the finals. Once again Salem fell to the might of the Red and Gray as Ray had ten. Now the FHS five was onto Newport, RI where the Amiott team faced the best in New England. Ray Belliveau’s greatest FHS moment was yet to come.
Fitchburg easily disposed of Orleans, Vermont in the first round contest 42-22, but now they had to face mighty Hillhouse High of New Haven, Connecticut. The Hillies were one of New England’s legendary basketball super powers, but Ray Belliveau had a huge surprise for them. Ray would score 16 points against Hillhouse in the FHS 32-31 victory, but it was his last two points, which became the stuff of legend. Johnny Duguid stood on the foul line shooting a foul shot in the final three seconds as FHS trailed 31-30. Duguid’s shot rolled off the side of the rim, but Ray Belliveau alertly grabbed the ball and put back a shot. As the final buzzer sounded the ball rolled slowly around the rim and dropped through the hoop. FHS had a huge victory. Unfortunately the clock stuck twelve as the Red and Gray was defeated by Bristol, Connecticut in the final.
Following his graduation in 1933 Ray Belliveau enrolled at Providence College where he played football, basketball and baseball for four seasons. During his years at Providence, the Friars played against eastern college powers like Holy Cross, Boston College and Georgetown. In his final season on the baseball squad, Ray impressed his coach with his intense desire to compete despite the fact that he was recovering from injuries incurred during the football and basketball seasons. He was given the freshman football coach because of this dedication. Ray Belliveau was inducted into the Providence College Hall of Fame in 1980. He was married to Irene Taylor in 1943 and they had four children Patricia, Richard, Paul and Debra. Today we gladly induct Ray Belliveau into the FHS Hall of Fame.
Top Of The Page
How do we identify Ronald Grover Watson – Class of 1946 – who will be inducted into the Fitchburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame this November 1, 2009? Should we refer to Ronnie Watson as star basketball player, General Excellence Award winner, historian and author, teacher and educational administrator, scholar, citizen or Renaissance man? All of those titles would fit Ronald Grover Watson just fine, thank you!
Growing up in the Teacher’s College (T.C.) area of Fitchburg in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, Ronnie was a member of one of the area’s best knows families. After all, every one went to Watson’s Market to buy their bread, milk, vegetables, cold meats and roasts for Sunday dinner. As young Ronnie Watson reached his teenage years, his neighbors began to notice that he was sprouting up like a string bean. Ronnie entered FHS in the fall of 1942 as America’s Armed Forces were being armed to strike back at the evil Axis forces of Germany, Japan and Italy. It was a rather strange period for FHS students who read in the daily newspaper and in the Red and Gray magazine about classmates who were going off to war. Amongst the military volunteers were many of the coaches at FHS like Marty McDonough, Ed Sullivan and John Oliva. Also many sports were being cancelled due to the war. But basketball did continue, and Ronnie Watson was lucky to have a great coach Bill Provenzani, take the place of John Oliva who was off to war.
Ronnie Watson saw limited varsity action in his sophomore season as Coach Provenzani’s squad put together an excellent 10-3 record before they marched all the way to the Western Mass. finals before falling to an excellent Holyoke High squad. Playing alongside veterans like Charlie Pappas and Wally Aho, young Watson was learning the game very rapidly. In Ronnie’s junior season at FHS, the Red and Gray got off to a rough start with losses to powerhouses like Pawtucket East, Nashua and Worcester Commerce, but by February they were really beginning to roll, winning seven of their last eight contests. It was during this period that Ronnie Watson began to perfect his inside game, and became one of Central Massachusetts's better big men.
As the Red and Gray began to prepare for their 1945-1946 campaign, the players elected Ronnie Watson as their captain, and the elongated, Watson, who now stood nearly six foot five inches tall, appeared ready to have a huge season. With a small point guard named Bob Duncan who was able to cleverly feed Watson in the low post, big Ronnie Watson was scoring in double figures consistently, and on many an evening he was tallying more than 20 points. Playing an extremely tough schedule the Raiders finished with a 10-6 record, but still qualified for the Western Mass tourney where they beat Agawam, but were stopped by a strong Westfield five. With his high school career concluded Ronnie Watson looked forward to college, and with his outstanding academic record, schools were very interested. Ronnie chose Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where his basketball game improved dramatically so much so that he became one of New England’s finest players of the college level. Once again Ronnie was selected as a co-captain of Trinity five in his senior season. In that last year at Trinity Ronnie established a new single game scoring record with 32 points.
While he excelled on the basketball court, Ronnie continued his academic excellence in the classroom. Dean’s Lists and academic awards continued to be garnered by Ronnie at Trinity just as they had been collected at FHS. He graduated from Trinity College in 1950 with a B.A. in history, and returned to the Fitchburg area, where he took a teach job in the Ashby High School where he taught six classes a day in English, and science in the 7th and 8th grades, and General Science in the 9th grade and Biology in the 10the grade. In 1951 Ronnie was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. With that class schedule at Ashby High, going into the Army must have seemed like a piece of cake! It was the Cold War between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. when it was at its hottest, and with his college training Ron was selected for the Counter Intelligence Corps in Berlin, Germany. Did he run into James Bond?
Following his two years of service, Ronnie returned to the world of academia at Springfield College where he received his Master’s in Education, and then accepted a teaching position at Laconia High School in New Hampshire where he taught World History and Social Studies. While at Laconia Ronnie accepted the job as head basketball coach, and brought his team to the New Hampshire Large School finals in 1955, showing that he not only could play basketball, but could coach the game also. Next Ronnie and his wife, Carolyn (Carolyn-Sis-Congdon – Class of 1946) moved their growing family to New Jersey where Ronnie Watson would establish a record of educational excellence matched by very few. He began at Hanover Park Regional High School in East Hanover, New Jersey as the chairman of the history department where he also taught U.S. History and government, but soon he became an assistant principal until 1967.
During this decade in Hanover, Ronnie gained a reputation as an educational innovator, so whenever a New Jersey school district was opening a new facility with educational innovation, the call went out, “Get Ron Watson”. From 1967 through 1972 Ronnie was the principal at Whippany Park High School, which was a traditional high school. Then Ronnie was appointed principal at West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District with a new open style school where he hired the staff, developed the curriculum and organized the school in the year before the school actually opened. He remained at West Windsor until August 1984 when he suddenly retired because New Jersey was going the wrong way in public education. He was fifty-six years old and unemployed, but he was just getting started!
He moved to North Carolina where he established a record of “volunteerism” which has to be unique in America. His community involvement is simply amazing: He became a court appointed guardian for three neglected teenagers, he served on an AIDS support organization, and met regularly with AIDS patients, organized an Adult Reading Program in Chatham County for illiterate adults and struggling elementary students, organized a Grandparent reading group in North Chatham Elementary, organized an Adopt-a-Highway Program and cleaned up three miles of state highway which collected more than 1000 trash bags and was selected as the 704th Point of Light in President George H.W. Bush’s Thousand Points of Light Program.
In his spare time – really! – Ronnie Watson edited and researched From Ashby to Andersonville – The Civil War Diary and Reminiscences of Private George A. Hitchcock, 21st Massachusetts Infantry that was published in 1997. Finding his research for the book difficult, Ronnie Watson decided to enroll at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in three graduate courses in history to improve his research skills. He is now working on another Civil War book on United States Sharpshooters of the Second Regiment in the Civil War, and finally he is the editor of “The Ramrod” which publishes a newsletter every month regarding Civil War history. There is more material concerned with Ronnie Watson’s retirement years, but our space is limited.
When Ronnie Watson graduated from FHS in 1946, he was selected as his class’ General Excellence winner, and the FHS Hall of Fame Committee can think of no finer selection. We are honored to welcome Ronnie Watson into the FHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Bravo!
Top Of The Page
In the years following World War II, which some historians have called The Good Years, Fitchburg High School was blessed with a group of athletes who brought glory to their high school and themselves in all the major sports. The gridiron squads of Coach Marty McDonough won nearly seventy-five percent of their games. During this period from 1945 to 1950 the basketball squads dominated local competition, the baseball nines were extremely competitive and the track and field squads were tremendous, as they faced the best in the state. Fitchburg High had a series of sprinters like “Red” Goguen, Ray Ablondi, Dick Erickson, Ronny Balaban and Joe Hannon, who were as quick as any group in the state of Massachusetts. In the Red and Gray of May 1950 the student sports editor lamented the loss of the many outstanding track and field stars from the classes of 1948 and 1949, and stated that the prospects for 1950 were not good.
Apparently the young sportswriter had overlooked the fact that the track and field squads, which would represent FHS in 1950 and 1951, would be graced by the presence of a dynamic flyer named Joe Hannon. Like his predecessors, Joe Hannon was an explosive 100 and 220-yard dash man who would dominate his events during the early fifties. He was undefeated in dual meets in his junior and senior seasons as his times on the difficult Central Massachusetts’ cinder tracks hovered near the ten second mark and close to twenty-two in the 220-yard sprint. But sprinting may not have been Joe Hannon’s best event during his years at FHS despite the fact that he finished second in the All Class 100 yard dash at the States. Joe Hannon was a magnificent leaper in the long jump. He established a broad jump record at Crocker Field in his senior season with a leap well over twenty-two feet.
Later in that record setting year Joe Hannon captured his signature event in the New England Championships, which featured athletes from the region’s six states. In that senior season Joe had finished second in the high school division in the triple jump at the old BAA track meet held at the Boston Garden. The amazing thing about this accomplishment was that Joe leaped in this event pretty much cold turkey. Fitchburg High did not even compete in this event during Joe’s high school career. Maybe he received lessons from Olympian Erikki Koutonen in this even before the BAA event!
Track and field may have been Joe Hannon’s sport of choice, but his explosive running ability did not go unnoticed by his classmates and football coaches Marty McDonough and Ed Sullivan. So it was that Joe Hannon became a key component to a fine FHS football squad in the fall of 1950. With outstanding running backs in the offensive backfield like Mike Crowley, Herbie Amer, Ralph DiGeronimo and Richie O’Connell, Joe did not get many offensive touches early in the season. Coach McDonough put Joe in the defensive backfield where his speed could be invaluable where it was highlight in the Brookline game where Joe’s
game saving tackle allowed FHS to hold onto a 6-6 tie against the kids from the Wealthy Town.
Later Joe would prove invaluable against St. Bernard’s and Woburn with his pass catching skills and kick returns. He was an invaluable cog to a solid 6-3-1 season. Many veteran FHS fans believe that Joe’s early injury in the Thanksgiving contest really hurt the Red and Gray effort. Following graduation in 1951, Joe Hannon enrolled at Worcester Academy where he continued to excel in track and field. In March of 1952 Joe competed in the old Madison Square Garden and captured the gold medal in the National Interscholastic Indoor Championships with a leap of nearly twenty-three feet.
Following his one year at Worcester Academy, Joe Hannon enlisted in the United States Marine Corp as war raged on the peninsula of Korea. Shortly after his tour of duty in the Marines, Joe enrolled at Fitchburg State Teacher’s College in 1955. Shortly thereafter Joe was appointed the head track coach of his Alma Mater where he would establish a level of excellence in his very short tenure. He was one of the youngest coaches in the state and he brought a level of excitement to track and field seldom seen at FHS. Joe introduced new training techniques, which produced Hall of Fame performances from runners like Mike Conry and Dennis LeBlanc.
Soon the stands began to pack with fans at the afternoon dual meets, so Joe decided to try to make track and field a big time sport. Renting portable lights, Coach Hannon held the first night track meet between FHS and the Crusaders of Notre Dame High. Hundreds of fans came to ancient Crocker Field, and were thrilled to watch a terrific competition between the two schools. The highlight of the night was a duel race between FHS’ Mike Conry and Notre Dame’s Ed Gastonguay in the 440 yard run. As the gun sounded, Conry sprinted to the lead, followed closely by teammate Dick Boutwell who effectively blocked Gastonguay, and Conry raced to the victory as the Red and Gray crowd roared. It was just a little bit of strategy from the young coach. Track and field became fun and the night meets were a success. Joe Hannon was a great coach with a little measure of P.T. Barnum in his makeup.
Following his graduation from Fitchburg State in 1959, Mr. Hannon took a job on the island of Nantucket for a number of years where he coached basketball and football as well as track. Later Joe would teach in Athens Greece and serve as Assistant Director of the American International School of Vienna and later receive a Masters Degree from Stanford and a Doctorate from Northern Colorado University. Joe Hannon has held numerous positions of great importance during the last 40 years, but he is probably best known as the General Superintendent of Schools for Chicago where he was the Chief Administrator with a $1.4 billion budget with 50,000 employees and 500,000 students. During this time Joe Hannon was named as one of the 100 Outstanding Educators in America. He has been married to Denise Turcotte Hannon of Gardner for the past fifty years and they have a daughter Kelley and a granddaughter Sophie who live in England with Kelley’s husband, Alan. But it is as an athlete and coach that we honor Joe Hannon today. Joe, welcome to the FHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
Top Of The Page
As the thousands of Red Raider and Blue Devil fans slowly found their way to Crocker Field on Thanksgiving morning of 1958, the sun shone brightly but there was a distinct nip in the air as the temperatures hovered around 30 degrees as the clock approached ten o’clock. Crocker Field was frozen solid so the players were daintily finding their way around the field as the sun rose higher in the sky. Veteran observers of past Turkey Day Classics at Crocker knew that the field would be a sea of mud by the early second. That seemed to bring a smile to Head Coach Ed Sullivan and his assistant Jim Meredith as they watched their players preparing for the game. “Sully” and Jim knew that they had an ace in the hole as Crocker Field turned into a quagmire, and he was wearing number 40. Roger Kielty was an old-fashioned no holds barred fullback, who took no prisoners, who would have been perfect in the single-wing offense which had been popular in the 1930’s, and was still very popular in Gardner in 1958. Weighing close to 180 pounds, Roger Kielty was as large as many opponents’ defensive linemen, and he loved the contact. Leominster had not had a great record in 1958, but they were still the Blue Devils, and Charlie Broderick was still prowling their sidelines.
The mid-1950’s had not been very kind to the fortunes of Fitchburg High football, but a surprising 20-14 victory on Thanksgiving morning in 1957 had reignited the hopes of the Red Raider faithful for the 1958 campaign. But the season had been a little strange with flashes of brilliance and then moments of great disappointment. Then the Red and Gray traveled to Stone Field to play against the Gardner Wildcats, and stepped into an unexpected hornet’s nest. Gardner was loaded, and they overwhelmed FHS 32 to 0 despite Roger’s efforts all over the field. The football squad was despondent after the loss at Gardner, but “Sully” made a fateful decision, which changed the Raider’s fortunes. He and Jim Meredith decided to take the signal calling duties away from quarterback Ronnie Thompson, and handed them over to Roger Kielty. And they told their burly fullback not to be timid about calling his own number. Roger loved the decision, and this ignited a late season Raider comeback.
It all started after a postponement against Marlboro when FHS faced cross-town rival St. Bernard’s, who had sprinted out to a very solid 5-1 start. St. Bernard’s big mistake occurred when they lost the pre-game coin toss. Bourque boomed the kick into Kielty’s arms at the goal line and number forty immediately raced up along the right sideline directly in front of the St. Bernard’s cheering section as his teammates threw solid blocks all over the field. Kielty raced into the clear as the Fitchburg cheering section exploded with cheering. One hundred and five yards later and the Raiders led 6-0 and never looked back. With Roger keeping the St. Bernard’s defense honest with his bull-like plunges into the middle, swivel-hipped junior halfback Franny Blanchard was able to run wild on the outside for great yardage, and quarterback Ronnie Thompson was able to hit his wide receivers John DiGeronimo and Dana Valiton with a series of ten to fifteen yard completions. And the Red Raider defense led by their two captains Allen Muir and, of course, Roger Kielty shut down the vaunted St. Bernard’s offense. When the final whistle blew, it was FHS 46 St. Bernard’s 6.
The Red and Gray rolled over visiting Winthrop 26-0, and next came Thanksgiving morning. But there was more to Roger Kielty’s Hall of Fame career than a senior football season. During Roger’s four years at FHS he had participated in varsity baseball and track and field and ran on the relay team in his junior and senior year. In Roger’s senior year he decided to give up baseball, and compete with young coach Joe Hannon on the Raider track squad. He showed great prowess in the strength events like the shot put, and surprisingly for a big guy, Roger was quite good as a middle distance runner. But in the long run, it was always football.
Before we talk about Roger’s famous Thanksgiving Game in 1958, let’s go back to his junior football season, which began with a serious injury and ended with a glorious victory at Doyle Field on Thanksgiving morning. Coach Sullivan and Jim Meredith felt that Roger was going to be a key player for his rapidly improving football squad, which was coming off two or three difficult seasons. On the day before FHS opened up against hated cross-town rival Notre Dame, Roger had hurt his knee in a foolish accident in gym class. He was heart-broken, and it looked like his season would be lost. The Red and Gray lost their first three games without Roger, but the squad had been improving. Then Roger returned and there was an immediate upgrade as the Red and Gray swept through teams like St. Bernard’s and Athol.
The Raiders were magnificent on that bright Thanksgiving morning fifty-two years ago. Congram, Rostedt, Stephens, Karis and Conry played exceptionally well as did a fierce tackle named Roger Kielty. The headlines went to the running backs on that Thanksgiving morning of 1957, but “Sully” and Jimmy Meredith knew that the key to 1958 would be Roger Kielty.
So now it was Thanksgiving morning of 1958 as the two ancient rivals lined up for the opening kick-off. As the sun rose in the sky and Crocker Field’s turf began to soften, Ronnie Thompson faked a hand-off to Roger, and the whole LHS defense rushed forward to stop the hard charging fullback. But Thompson held onto the ball, and hit a streaking Dana Valiton with perfect pass for the touchdown as the Red Raider fans exploded with happiness. The Raiders were on the board and now it became Roger Kielty’s football game. Remember he was now calling the plays, and Roger thought that full back plunge was the best call. The field got sloppier and the temperatures rose, and Kielty was gaining yardage all over Crocker Field. Seldom has Thanksgiving morning seen a performance like Roger Kielty’s. When the final gun sounded the FHS stands emptied as the fans celebrated a glorious 24 to 10 victory. One day later it was announced that Roger Kielty had won the St. Germaine Award as the games Most Valuable Player. As the crowd stood at mid-field on Thanksgiving morning everyone knew who had been the very best, Hall of Famer Roger Kielty.
Following his graduation he enrolled at Boston University on a full football scholarship where he played for three varsity seasons. His most memorable game might well have been against Kansas University with future Hall of Famer on the Jayhawks squad. Moving to California, Roger worked in industry for a few years until he began a career in education at Moreno Valley High School where he taught and coached for thirty-three years. He married Linda from Evanston, Illinois, and they had four children, Michelle, Bill, Brenna and, of course, Bobby. Red Sox Nation will always remember Bobby’s homerun of the 2007 World Series, which clinched the title. Thanks Roger and Bobby. Congratulations to Roger Kielty for your induction into the FHS Hall of Fame.
Top Of The Page
As the 1962 Fitchburg High School basketball season approached, there was a buzz in the air, and expectations were sky high. Customers sitting in the Fitchburg Lunch on Main Street recalled the glory days of Amiott in the 1920’s and 1930’s when the Red Riot would take their annual drive to the Tech Tourney and often capture the mythical state basketball championships. As few would talk about the John Oliva squads of the late 1940’s, who traveled west to Springfield College to participate in the newly established Western Massachusetts Championships. Many were saying that 1962 would be the year of the Red Raider, and why not!
Fitchburg High was loaded with talent. Joe Spagnuola was a six foot two inch point guard, who could hit the bomb from twenty feet or further, and also drive to the hole. In small forward Barry MacLean, FHS had a tremendous athlete who could jump out of the building, play wonderful defense, and hit the fifteen foot jump shot from anywhere on the court. Larry Shattuck was the selfless big guy who worked hard on both backboards for rebounds while playing tenacious defense. Senior Dave Rissanen had great inside moves along the baseline, and could score in double figures on any given night. But there was another Red Raider on that squad who would prove to be invaluable, and who we induct into Fitchburg High Schools Hall of Fame this evening and his name was Leon Drury.
Lee, as he was called by his friends, was born into a basketball family which included his oldest brother Bill, who graduated from FHS in 1954 and played varsity basketball for two years before heading off to the Naval Academy, and “Bubba” Drury – Class of 1960 – who was a North Worcester County All Star in 1960 while competing for FHS. If one visited the Drury homestead located upon Beacon Street in the late 1950’s you would have seen a basketball hoop hanging from the tree located at the end of the driveway. When Lee entered FHS in the fall of 1958, his basketball talents seemed to be largely unheralded. To the sporting community of Fitchburg, Spagnuola, MacLean and Shattuck were known commodities, Leon Drury was not. So what did he do about that situation? As would be true about all the situations, which Leon Drury would encounter during his life in athletics, he just outworked everyone else.
During Lee’s freshman season at FHS, Lee was just another kid on the squad, who was trying to impress his coaches with his abilities. The only reason that he originally was noticed was that he was the kid brother of “Bubba” who was beginning to make a name for himself on the varsity. As his body began to mature and he grew taller, Lee worked on his jump shot from the key and along the baseline and he tried to improve his leaping ability through vigorous workouts. And he always worked the hardest on his defense. He would make himself valuable by becoming the Raider’s very best defensive player. Some kids would work hours on their shooting while completely ignoring their defense. That was not Lee’s style. Good defensive play made teams better, and Leon Drury always believed in team first. By Lee’s junior season, he had moved onto the varsity, and began to play solid minutes as his skills improved. The 1961 Red and Gray basketball squad was solid, but not really tournament tested. They would play in the Fitchburg State College Invitational, which was sort of a second-class tourney when compared to the Western Mass. tourney.
But Lee and his teammates got invaluable experience. So now the 1962 season began, and the expectations were great for the players and their community. They wanted to go unbeaten in the regular season, win the Districts in Central Mass., go to Springfield College and capture the title and go to the parque of the Boston Garden and play in the New England Basketball championship.
The Raiders finished the regular season with a fine 14-2 record with a close loss 60-59 to Beverly, which was strangely officiated, and a very strange loss to Notre Dame High upon a very slippery gym floor. Then it was onto the District championships, which were neatly instituted in the winter of 1962. In that initial playoff competition there were not small school – large school separations, so the Raiders played Leicester in the first round and the Raiders rolled to an easy victory, but the second game would not be a push over for the Raiders as they entered the packed Shrewsbury High gym to face a very good Worcester Classical which was led by a be speckled center George Riddick who would give the Raiders fits throughout the game with his superb inside moves. Riddick was no slouch. He would later star at Assumption College, and become a member of the Greyhound Hall of Fame. As the tightly packed crowed cheered loudly, FHS and Classical put on an offensive show for the ages until an overtime period was contested. Both squads raced up and down the court hitting jump shots all over the floor as their loyal fans roared with pleasure. When the final buzzer sounded, the mighty Raiders had been nipped by Classical, and disappointment could be seen upon the faces of the Red Raiders.
But tournament rules were different in 1962 than they are in 2009, so the squad was given another shot to reach the Western Mass Tournament. The semi-final losers were to play a consolation game to decide the third and final slot for the Western Mass tourney. Once again FHS would face a strong Worcester public school team. This time it would be Worcester Commerce. The Raiders started slowly in the contest in the first half, and it seemed as though their season was finished. But then the Raiders exploded; Spagnuola’s shots began to fall, MacLean and Leon Drury were all over the court picking up loose balls, rebounding and hitting clutch shots and big Larry Shattuck ruled the boards. And it was onto Springfield.
The Red Raiders were decided underdogs as the tourney began. The Springfield Republican spoke about a strong Chicopee squad, Springfield Commerce led by a dynamic Henry Payne, a strong Worcester Classical team and Pittsfield led by a superstar named Mark Belanger. The Raiders were merely an afterthought. That would soon change in the early days of March 1962. In the opening round FHS took on Drury High from North Adams, and quickly disposed of the squad located along the Mohawk Trail, and then it faced Springfield Commerce. As the spectators crowded into the Springfield College Field House, all the talk was about Commerce’s dazzling Henry Payne who would crush the Red Raiders from Fitchburg. Payne was brilliant with 28 points, but the Red and Gray overcame his brilliance with a great team effort. Joe Spagnuola hit for twenty points while MacLean and Lee hit for fifteen points each. With the contest tied at 52 each and less than three minutes on the clock Leon hit three clutch foul baskets while MacLean drilled a two point jump shot at the one minute, and FHS was onto the finals.
Old time Red Raider basketball fans still talk about the thrilling FHS-Pittsfield contest in which the brilliant Mark Belanger of the Purple Knights outlasted valiant efforts of FHS’ trio of stars, Drury, MacLean and Spagnuola. Belanger, who would later star for the Baltimore Orioles, scored 31 points and was able to break Fitchburg’s full court press throughout the contest with outstanding dribbling. Leon had a solid offensive night and played excellent defense throughout the contest, but Belanger was simply too good, and so a great season came to a tough loss.
Following his years at FHS, Leon enrolled at Springfield College where he once again played the role of the over-achieving underdog. Unheralded as a freshman at Springfield College, Leon, through continuous hard work, achieved a record of excellence on the basketball court, which could very well be unmatched in the history of this school where Dr. James Naismith virtually invented the game of basketball. His coach was Dr. Edward Steitz, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame himself, and the Doctor immediately took a liking to this hard-worker from FHS. By his junior season at Springfield Leon was the starting point guard on a squad which would achieve No. 1 ranking in the New England Division II rankings with an amazing record against schools like Assumption, AIC, Trinity, Northeastern and even Holy Cross of 63-10.
As a senior Leon was named a co-captain of the Springfield five, but the most amazing aspect of Leon’s career may have occurred in the summer of his junior year, when the Springfield squad was selected by the State Department to represent the U.S. of A on a good will basketball tour from Paris to Tokyo. In sixty-two days the squad played 25 games and conducted over one hundred clinics while spreading gospel of basketball to people throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. Today, basketball as the world’s international game could well have been inspired by Springfield College’s tour in 1965. The highlight of the tour could well have been clinics and games played in the shadow of India’s magnificent Taj Mahal. Following college Leon took a position as basketball coach in Litchfield where he compiled a 36-8 record in two seasons, and a spot in the finals of Connecticut’s Class 5 state tourney, then it was onto Brown University where Leon’s freshman squad had a wonderful 18-2 record.
The world was watching and Lee was appointed varsity coach at Bryant College where he immediately turned an average small college basketball team into a Division II powerhouse, which could challenge schools like AIC, Assumption and Springfield. In 1980, Leon was named Rhode Island’s College Coach of the Year. Later as athletic director Leon helped establish the Northeast-10 as a viable basketball league, and was selected to that league’s Hall of Fame in 2007. Leon married Eileen Cormier – FHS Class of 1969 – and they had three kids, Michelle, Lauren and Mark Leon and today they live in Putnam, Connecticut while Leon serves as the director of Senior Services for the town of Cumberland, RI. Leon Drury certainly is one of FHS’ most distinguished graduates and now he is an FHS Hall of Famer.
Top Of The Page
As the young history teacher walked the halls of B.F. Brown Junior High School on a winter morn at 6:30 a.m., he could hear noises coming from the gymnasium of the old building. It was really quiet early, so he went to investigate. When he opened the doors of the gym, he saw a solitary runner sprinting over the hurdles as a short white haired gentleman watched intently. Apparently Voitto Lassila had discovered another diamond in the rough for the FHS track and field squad, which was coached by his very good friend Eric Koutonen. The young ninth grader’s name was Ray Haaker, and once again the old pole-vaulter, Mr. Lassila, had shown his expertise in discovering great runners for the Red and Gray.
During its long history of track and field, FHS had always seemed to be blessed with outstanding middle-distance runners like Jim Gallagher and Johnny Bennett in the late 1940’s, Mike Conry in the 1950’s and Barney Keenan in the 1960’s, but Ray Haaker might well have been the very best. Fitchburg High’s Junior-Senior Relay, which featured sixty upper classmen running the half-mile, may well have been the reason that FHS had consistently produced good 400 and 800 yard running stars. When Ray Haaker reached FHS in the fall of 1970, he was immediately taken under the wing of FHS’ young assistant track coach Ed Gastonguay, who had been a great middle-distance runner at Notre Dame High and later at Brandeis University. Ed realized that Ray Haaker was the real thing, and when Ray’s varsity career began in the spring of 1971, the stopwatch immediately confirmed the fact that Ray Haaker was going to be an outstanding half-miler or quarter miler.
Running on the ancient cinder track at Crocker Field, Ray’s early half-mile times were hovering around 2:00, which were sensational for any high school runner, but for a sophomore, they were outrageous! During the spring of 1971 Ray finished second in the half mile at the District championships competing against the very best half milers from schools like St. John’s, Nashoba Regional, Wachusett Regional, Oakmont and others. When his junior year arrived, Ray was ready to challenge any middle-distance runner in the District, and challenge he did, as Ray captured the District title in a blazing time of 1:57.9. Now the major college track powers were really beginning to become very interested in this kid from Fitchburg High School who was running well under 2:00 in the 880-yard race. Remember this is New England, not Texas or California, where temperatures for spring track meets could fall well below fifty degrees. Schools like Seton Hall, Northeastern, Villanova, and Kansas were showing a distinct interest in Ray Haaker. His ability to run the middle distances was combined with blazing sprinter’s speed as was revealed in Ray’s 50.1 seconds in the 440 over the cinder tracks of Crocker Field. During his days at FHS, Ray was the holder for school records and Crocker Field records in both the 440 and 880. He very well could have been the only individual at FHS to hold those two spectacular records.
As Central Massachusetts track and field organization began to emerge out of the 1950’s and early 1960’s men like Dick Mulligan of Lunenburg, Bob Duncan of Gardner High, and Ev Engalls of Nashoba Regional, were developing year end District championships which were highly competitive as well as being very meaningful. Into this situation stepped young Ray Haaker of Fitchburg High and the long-loping half miler immediately showed the region what he was made of, as he captured his favorite event in both his junior and senior years with blazing times of 1:57.6 in his junior year and 1:58.2 in his senior year. Considering conditions of tracks in this era, this was truly outstanding stuff. Following his senior campaign at FHS, Ray was invited to train with the Junior Olympics program and he ran a 1:54.7 in the half, which was a little mind-boggling for a runner in the northeast. Most of Ray Haaker’s individual records were achieved during the spring track season, but during this period in the 1970’s, FHS and other Central Massachusetts’ schools began indoor track programs, although many such programs were quite primitive in nature. Kids practiced in high school corridors and meets being held in basketball gymnasiums, now that was primitive. One event, which is truly unique to indoor winter track, is the 1000-yard run, and this event was right up Ray Haaker’s alley. Sometimes Ray’s excellent size, which was a little large, would allow smaller half mile or quarter mile competitors to use sprinter-like speed to surprise Ray. But the 1000 seemed perfect for a big strong middle distance runner, and soon he would establish another school record with a 2:20 in the event.
Soon the legendary Kansas Jayhawks track coach, Bob Timmons, came a-calling. Timmons, who had coached champions like Wes Santee, Billy Mills and in the late 1960’s Jim Ryun, expressed an interest in Ray Haaker enrolling at the University of Kansas. Ray jumped at the opportunity and soon he was off to the land of Dorothy where culture shock awaited. The Jayhawks program was terrific, but the flat rolling plains were tough on a kid from Fitchburg. Ray likes to recall competing at the National Indoor Track and Field Championships in the medley relay in which he ran the half-mile leg. This national championship squad, which included the Jayhawks Nolan Cromwell who would later be an All Pro in the NFL, was the highlight of Ray’s Kansas career. While at Kansas Ray ran a tremendous 1:51.2 in the half; but soon returned to Fitchburg, and FSC. While at FSC Ray established school records in the indoor 1000 yard race with a 2:11 and a 4:17 in the mile.
Following his graduation from FSC Ray worked in the field of Human Services from 1974 through 1987. During the last twenty plus years, he has worked for the U.S. Postal Department in Fitchburg. That track and field stamina comes in handy with the Post Office walking the hills of Fitchburg. He and his wife Susan come to today’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony extremely proud to see Ray become a member of the FHS Athletic Hall of Fame. To the swiftest goes the prize. Great job and congratulations Ray!
Top Of The Page
During the early 1980’s Fitchburg High’s boy’s basketball had a flashy offensive machine led by his superb point guard John Pappas, but the Red Raiders lacked a strong inside presence, which could control the backboards, and score from the low post position. So their playoff hopes were often thwarted during this period. But Doug Grutchfield knew that help was on the way. Teaching at B.F. Brown at that time “Grutch” had seen a big kid named Mike LeBlanc in his gym classes, and he knew that this kid would take care of the inside position at FHS.
Mike LeBlanc was the type of player that coaches just love to have on their teams; they are big and strong, have good athletic instincts, never cause problems and hustle at all times. Not only would Mike LeBlanc show those unique traits at the old Brickyard on Academy Street, but he would also show these qualities at Crocker Field while competing for the Red and Gray football squads from 1980 through 1982. During his years at FHS, Mike stood nearly six foot five inches tall and weighed around 215 pounds which would generally mean that he would be slated to play offensive or defensive tackle for the football team. But Mike LeBlanc was quick, agile and blessed with soft hands, which meant that he was perfect as a tight end.
He was a formidable target who could shred enemy defenses with excellent pass catching technique and had shown an ability to run after the catch was made. During his junior and senior seasons at FHS Mike was a favorite target of both DiGeronimo quarterbacks, Tom and Paul. Mike’s efforts did not go unnoticed by the local sportswriters, or college scouts. By the end of his junior season in football Mike had been selected to Central Massachusetts League’s All Star Team for his tight end play on offense and his stalwart defensive end play. He had helped the Red and Gray to an excellent 6-3-1 record in his junior year. During that successful season, the highlight was probably a tough loss on Thanksgiving morning when the Raiders played an outstanding game against a very strong Blue Devil eleven. Mike’s tough play at defensive end helped to contain LHS’ two lightning quick backs, Chester and Crowley, as the underdog Raiders took a one touchdown lead going into the locker room at halftime. The Devils proved to be too tough in the second half, but Mike had been solid throughout the contest, and he was beginning to attract the attention of the scouts.
He was a formidable target who could shred enemy defenses with excellent pass catching technique and had shown an ability to run after the catch was made. During his junior and senior seasons at FHS Mike was a favorite target of both DiGeronimo quarterbacks, Tom and Paul. Mike’s efforts did not go unnoticed by the local sportswriters, or college scouts. By the end of his junior season in football Mike had been selected to Central Massachusetts League’s All Star Team for his tight end play on offense and his stalwart defensive end play. He had helped the Red and Gray to an excellent 6-3-1 record in his junior year. During that successful season, the highlight was probably a tough loss on Thanksgiving morning when the Raiders played an outstanding game against a very strong Blue Devil eleven. Mike’s tough play at defensive end helped to contain LHS’ two lightning quick backs, Chester and Crowley, as the underdog Raiders took a one touchdown lead going into the locker room at halftime. The Devils proved to be too tough in the second half, but Mike had been solid throughout the contest, and he was beginning to attract the attention of the scouts.
Following his graduation in June 1983, Mike also was selected to play in the Massachusetts’ Shriner’s All Star Game. Those honors just kept on coming. But at FHS Mike’s most successful team sport was not football, but basketball. Playing with his good buddy from Blossom Street, Johnny Connolly, along with John’s younger brother Mike, and Paul DiGeronimo and David Marshall, Mike LeBlanc was able to lead FHS to a District title in March of 1983. Coach Dough Grutchfield’s Red Raider squad in 1983 was simply loaded, as they rolled to a regular season record of 18-2. Most contests were not even close. The Raiders were very tall, very bulky, extremely skilled and as tough as nails. Early in the year the Red and Gray had lost to St. John’s 68-65 behind their superstar Matt Palazzi, but later in the season they had knocked off the Pioneers 52-48 at the Brickyard.
Despite a strange loss at Holy Name, most Central Massachusetts basketball fans anticipated a tournament rematch at the Hart Center on the campus of Holy Cross in March. David Marshall and “Slanky” were almost impossible to cover down low in the post, and both had scored in double figures as they rolled through the schedule. Opponents just did not want to go inside against the twin towers. FHS defeated Doherty High in the semi-finals, and so the two great rivals arrived at the Hart Center to play before an overflow crowd of wild partisans. The contest was everything that the sport’s fans had envisioned. Marshall and LeBlanc were massively effective inside and St. John’s Matt Palazzi was bombing from the outside. As the final seconds wore down on the clock the two teams were like heavy weight boxing champions. The final buzzer sounded and the Red Raiders were the District champs, and their season was finished. Due to Proposition 2 ½ and budget cuts there were no state championships in 1983.
Mike LeBlanc’s athletic career was now completed at FHS, but he was awarded a full athletic scholarship to Syracuse University to play football for the Orangemen. Very few Central Mass. athletes got that opportunity. Today Mike is living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he is a store manager for the American Wholesale Mattress Company. His life revolves around his three kids Alee, Sydney and Reese and his church. Today we honor one of FHS’ finest athletes from the 1980’s with his induction into the FHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Mike!
Top Of The Page
Sometimes one just has to be in the right place at the right time. That was particularly true of FHS track and field star, Cindy Coleman, who was born in 1970, just one year before the United States Congress passed Title IX. This Congressional Act, which provided equal funding of athletics for boys and girls at any institution receiving federal funding, was the Magna Carta of women’s sports in the United States. By the time Cindy reached FHS in the fall of 1983, women were beginning to reach a type of excellence, which had not been believed possible in 1971. Cindy Coleman also happened to arrive at FHS as Steve LeBlanc was taking control of the women’s track and field as a coach and advocate. Cindy and her coach hit it off immediately, and they would become an excellent team. It was during Cindy’s freshman year that she was introduced to hurdling by Mr. LeBlanc, and it was like a marriage made in heaven. Cindy Coleman was to become the finest hurdler in the history of FHS, scoring more points in the various types of track events than other female runners.
But there was a little more to Cindy Coleman’s track persona than just running ability on the track. She was a Hall of Fame teammate, who was always there to help her teammates, particularly the younger kids on the team. She would always help Tom Shea and Mr. Don Woods get those hurdles off the track as other events were being started. Sophomores and freshmen would see their senior captain carrying out those chores and they would follow their leader, Cindy Coleman. Coach LeBlanc was always ready to tell any listener that Cindy Coleman was not only one of the best athletes he coached, but was the very best person. Individual records can fall, but great attitudes remain forever.
But let’s not think of Cindy Coleman as just a very nice person. During her four years at FHS she developed into one of the very best hurdlers to ever put on cleats for the Red and Gray. When she left FHS Cindy Coleman had established a new school record and Crocker Field record for the 100-meter high hurdles, which is one of the most difficult events for any track competitor. Also in her senior indoor track season she established a new school record at the Martin Luther King Relays held in Boston in the fifty-yard hurdles with an extremely fast time of 7.6 seconds, which was really moving during this era. Other outstanding hurdlers like Oly Borges-Wirtz, Kate Guenette, and Brandi Green would follow and establish new records, but Cindy Coleman was the pioneer who established the high standards. In that senior campaign indoors Cindy was selected as the team’s MVP, an award that was richly deserved.
District team and individual championships are very nice, but in track and field it is the dual meet competition between league opponents, which composes the meat of a team’s schedule. This was where Cindy Coleman shone brightest for “Shifty” and the Red and Gray. She was literally a one-woman team for the FHS squad in the spring of 1987. In plotting out a league track meet, Coach LeBlanc could count on Cindy Coleman for four victories in the 100-meter low hurdles, 220-yard dash, the long jump and the triple jump. The young lady was extremely versatile and nearly unbeatable in her junior and senior seasons at FHS.
During the winter indoor track season, Cindy seemed to be preparing herself for her upcoming senior outdoor track season. Throughout the winter campaign her coaches could almost be assured that Cindy would give them winning performances in the 45-yard dash and the 45-yard hurdles, and sure enough that is what she did. Besides giving the FHS squad outstanding efforts Cindy was able to qualify for the State championships with an excellent effort in the Districts in her specialty, the 45 high hurdles. For her season long efforts, Cindy was awarded the team’s MVP award.
