The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics

Pakachoag Phreek
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The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics Jan 31, 2018 7:27:17 GMT -5

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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jan 31, 2018 7:27:17 GMT -5

The answer to my trivia question in the Chief Wahoo thread is Bill Swiacki, After returning from the war, Swiacki enrolled at Columbia. The memorable game was Columbia's defeat of Army 21-20, an Army team that had not lost in 32 straight games, although Davis and Blanchard (two Heisman winners) had graduated the previous year. Swiacki caught nine passes in the game.

(Here is a Jeopardy question: What school's nickname is the Rockachaws? (Show visual, Alex)

A. St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis MS. (Blanchard went to St Stanislaus' high school.)
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If Connor and Swiacki had returned to HC, likely that the HC football team would have been ranked in the Top Ten, and won one or two bowl games in 1946 and 1947; the hoops team won the national championship in 1947, and the baseball team won the national championship in 1954. Quite a decade!
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Test question retracted because it was given in previous exams

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Last Edit: Jan 31, 2018 8:39:03 GMT -5 by Pakachoag Phreek

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hchoops Kaftan MOP Circle Posts: 23,580 Member is Online	The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics Jan 31, 2018 8:00:51 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by hchoops on Jan 31, 2018 8:00:51 GMT -5 This is a test question we have seen repeatedly. Please retract it. thank you, professor
	Last Edit: Jan 31, 2018 11:15:38 GMT -5 by hchoops

hc6774
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The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics Jan 31, 2018 11:10:11 GMT -5

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Post by hc6774 on Jan 31, 2018 11:10:11 GMT -5

This recalls a business/professional association with Bill Kelly who played on that Columbia team. Now deceased he was a prominent NYC lawyer. A WWII Vet he told me he chose Columbia [& "Lou Little" a Worcester Academy alum] over Holy Cross despite being a staunch Catholic because it was in his home town. He always followed HC football & basketball. He had a box at Giants Stadium which entitled him to 25 seats for all events but he only attended the Giant games; he distributed the tix to the Jets games and entertainment events to his 9 children, friends & clients.

Last Edit: Jan 31, 2018 15:48:09 GMT -5 by hc6774

sader1970 Kaftan MOP Circle Newport Bridge & Goat Island Lighthouse Posts: 13,185	The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics Jan 31, 2018 12:21:20 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by sader1970 on Jan 31, 2018 12:21:20 GMT -5 Now diseased he was a prominent NYC lawyer. Flu? (auto-incorrect) at work, no doubt. More seriously, R.I.P. to someone who sounds like a wonderful person.

hc6774
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The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics Jan 31, 2018 15:52:31 GMT -5 sader1970 likes this

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Post by hc6774 on Jan 31, 2018 15:52:31 GMT -5

Jan 31, 2018 12:21:20 GMT -5 sader1970 said:

Now diseased he was a prominent NYC lawyer.

Flu? (auto-incorrect) at work, no doubt.

thanx check my edit

More seriously, R.I.P. to someone who sounds like a wonderful person. he was... distressed by the state of Columbia football in the '90s

Pakachoag Phreek
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The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics Jan 31, 2018 17:23:11 GMT -5

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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jan 31, 2018 17:23:11 GMT -5

aprospo of little (no pun on Lou Little) but here is A-F of the FSU Seminole roster from 1947. As surprising to some as the weights might be, what surprised me was the almost completely home-grown roster. ---And the combination of lighter weights and slower players meant less kinetic energy, which probably led to a lower injury rate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 50 Chris Banakas E 5-11 181 So Pensacola (Pensacola/Florida)
* 20 Wendell Barnes QB 5-10 170 Fr Lake City (Columbia)
N 44 Bill Benz T 5-10 203 Fr Jacksonville
* 25 Billy Bishop FB 5-8 175 So Quincy
* 56 Fred Boris T 6-2 212 So Key West
N Richard Brooks Fr
* 55 Bob Browning T 6-2 215 Fr Madison
* 33 Buddy Bryant C 6-3 180 Fr Perry (Perry)
N B.J. Carastro G 5-9 180 Fr Tampa
* 21 Wes Carter RHB 5-8 175 So Tallahassee (Leon/Georgia)
11 George Cave LHB 5-10 160 Fr Madison
* 16 Ralph Chaudron LHB 5-8 160 Fr Pensacola (Pensacola)
* 27 Harold Conrad QB 5-9 165 So Panama City
* 48 Jim Costello E 6-3 194 So Miami
* 36 Joe Crona C 5-9 160 Fr Pensacola (Pensacola)
38 Lem Davis G 5-8 192 So Perry
* 29 Jim DeCosmo LHB 6-0 180 So Apalachicola
* 51 Ed Dilsaver G 5-9 175 So Saint Augustine
N 12 Paul Dreibelbis RHB 5-8 150 Fr Jacksonville
41 Craig Eckermire E 5-11 175 So Tallahassee
N 37 Bill Fannin E 6-1 175 Fr Raceland, KY
* 35 Bob Fegers G 5-9 170 Fr Hallandale
C.M. Fisher C 6-0 182 So Tampa
John Flasher E 6-3 203 So Miami

None of the four QBs on the roster weighed more than 170 pounds.

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timholycross
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The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics Feb 1, 2018 11:47:58 GMT -5

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Post by timholycross on Feb 1, 2018 11:47:58 GMT -5

Jan 31, 2018 17:23:11 GMT -5 Pakachoag Phreek said:

aprospo of little (no pun on Lou Little) but here is A-F of the FSU Seminole roster from 1947. As surprising to some as the weights might be, what surprised me was the almost completely home-grown roster. ---And the combination of lighter weights and slower players meant less kinetic energy, which probably led to a lower injury rate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 50 Chris Banakas E 5-11 181 So Pensacola (Pensacola/Florida)
* 20 Wendell Barnes QB 5-10 170 Fr Lake City (Columbia)
N 44 Bill Benz T 5-10 203 Fr Jacksonville
* 25 Billy Bishop FB 5-8 175 So Quincy
* 56 Fred Boris T 6-2 212 So Key West
N Richard Brooks Fr
* 55 Bob Browning T 6-2 215 Fr Madison
* 33 Buddy Bryant C 6-3 180 Fr Perry (Perry)
N B.J. Carastro G 5-9 180 Fr Tampa
* 21 Wes Carter RHB 5-8 175 So Tallahassee (Leon/Georgia)
11 George Cave LHB 5-10 160 Fr Madison
* 16 Ralph Chaudron LHB 5-8 160 Fr Pensacola (Pensacola)
* 27 Harold Conrad QB 5-9 165 So Panama City
* 48 Jim Costello E 6-3 194 So Miami
* 36 Joe Crona C 5-9 160 Fr Pensacola (Pensacola)
38 Lem Davis G 5-8 192 So Perry
* 29 Jim DeCosmo LHB 6-0 180 So Apalachicola
* 51 Ed Dilsaver G 5-9 175 So Saint Augustine
N 12 Paul Dreibelbis RHB 5-8 150 Fr Jacksonville
41 Craig Eckermire E 5-11 175 So Tallahassee
N 37 Bill Fannin E 6-1 175 Fr Raceland, KY
* 35 Bob Fegers G 5-9 170 Fr Hallandale
C.M. Fisher C 6-0 182 So Tampa
John Flasher E 6-3 203 So Miami

None of the four QBs on the roster weighed more than 170 pounds.

No surprise there. It was a women's college until after the war. That was their first football team.

"The end of World War II brought enormous pressure on the university system in Florida, which saw an influx of veterans applying for college under the GI Bill. The Florida Legislature responded by renaming the Florida State College for Women to Florida State University and allowing men to attend the university for the first time since 1905. Football then returned to Florida State University, beginning in the 1947 season. From 1948 through 1959, the Seminole football program achieved much success under coaches Don Veller and Tom Nugent.

Ed Williamson, who introduced football to the school, served as the first coach of the Florida State Seminoles. In his first and only season with Florida State, the Seminoles posted an 0–5 record. Williamson has the worst record out of all the head coaches at Florida State and the only coach to have a winless mark.

As the second coach at Florida State, Don Veller coached at Florida State for five years and compiled a record of 31–12–1. Veller was the first coach to find success coaching the Seminoles. In 1950, Veller led the Seminoles to an 8–0 record, the first unbeaten season in school history.

Once Veller left the school, Tom Nugent became the third coach at Florida State. He stayed at Florida State for six years and compiled a record of 34–28–1. In one of his most notable accomplishments, Nugent gave the Seminoles their first win over an SEC opponent with a 10–0 victory against Tennessee in 1958.

The fourth coach at Florida State was Perry Moss who coached the Seminoles for one year after compiling a 4–6 record. He became the second Florida State coach to leave the school with a losing record and the second to coach at the school for only one season after leaving to coach in the CFL."

But you are right about the weights and speed. Also the short passing game sets up so many more collisions than there were when everyone ran the ball to pick up short yardage.

Last Edit: Feb 1, 2018 11:53:36 GMT -5 by timholycross

The zenith years of Holy Cross athletics

Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jan 31, 2018 7:27:17 GMT -5

Post by hchoops on Jan 31, 2018 8:00:51 GMT -5

Post by hc6774 on Jan 31, 2018 11:10:11 GMT -5

Post by sader1970 on Jan 31, 2018 12:21:20 GMT -5

Post by hc6774 on Jan 31, 2018 15:52:31 GMT -5

Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jan 31, 2018 17:23:11 GMT -5

Post by timholycross on Feb 1, 2018 11:47:58 GMT -5