As mentioned in past columns, our passion for Attleboro High School athletics first began to bloom during the 1957-1958 period, and intensified with each passing year for my boyhood pals and I.
Recently, while Dave Hardt and I were researching the Attleboro Sun's news and sports coverage from that first watershed year, we came across this compilation of events from that busy year in area athletics, and we thought that faithful followers of this column just may find it as interesting as we have, first as wide-eyed 10-year-old towheads and now as 67-year- old increasingly irrelevant curmudgeons...
From the sports page of the Attleboro Sun of Dec. 30, 1958, when the headline read:
1958 Local Sports in Review
Jan. 10-Dr. Robert Bedard elected president of Angle Tree... Jan. 15-AHS in spectacular showing upsets Voke 71-66; shares BCL lead.. Jan. 24-Ray Duffy appointed recreation director at Murfreesboro, Tenn... Jan. 29-AHS blasts North on the basketball court for 22nd straight time...
Feb. 1-John Moorhead and Herbert McLaughlin named directors at Bearcroft Swim Club... Feb. 18-Mansfield Green Hornets qualify for Class C Tech Tourney play... Feb. 22-Toziermen defeat Varsity Club 65-60 in benefit game...
March 6-Willett 6th grade team are league champions, defeating Richardson 30-12... March 10-Somerville wins Tech Tourney trimming Brockton 63-59... North loses Class C final in Bay State Tourney 62-51 to Everett Voke at Brandeis... Bob Powers is named AHS baseball coach... March 17-Mansfield Congo champions of YMCA Senior Church hoop league and Plainville Methodist is Junior winner... All-Stars and Eight Balls champs of Junior bowling... March 18-Marshall Reilly of AHS basketball team is named to All-State five... March 22-Jon Rovelto, ex-North star, is assigned to Northern Class C baseball in North Dakota... March 24-Wilbur Cross of New Haven is New England HS basketball champs, trimming Somerville... March 31-Attleboro YMCA wrestlers are New England titleists... PA soccer club wins Southern New England Junior championship, defeating Esperito Santos of Fall River in a 2-1 game here...
April 1-Gerry Jewett named Legion baseball coach... Y Junior hoop team captures Mass-R.I. League title... April 2-Torrance, and Morin's take City Bowling Leagues "A" and "B" titles... April 14-PA soccer team gains New England crown and plans trip to New York... YMCA wrestlers win at Springfield College Sports Festival... April 18-AHS snaps 18-game losing streak in baseball, whipping Fairhaven 9-2... April 21-New England Junior weightlifting trophy stays in Attleboro... April 22-Lou Mohr and Johnny Fontanellis are new Elks crib champs... April 25-Balfour Breakaways are winners of 'Boro Bowling League...
May 23-Gene Clark is named AHS swimming coach... Second annual Varsity Club banquet is held for AHS athletes...
June 18-Dick Houghton is leading high school hitter with. 377 mark...
July 2-Ed Godfrey pitches no-hit no-run game in Capron Park Junior League... July 7 Herb Anderson sets new HCC record with gross of 67... July 14-"Miss Attleboro" turns in 117.38 mph at Charlestown drag meet... July 21-Nell Eaton is is HCC Champ... John Caponigro is named soccer vice president... July 28-300 take part in Angle Tree Stone Rod & Gun Club pistol shoot... July 29-Wrestling begins 27th year at Jack Witschi Arena...
Aug. 11-Mal Wendell again Locust Valley golf champ...Aug. 12-Little League championship series opener is ordered replayed... Aug. 15-Makepeace wins YMCA Industrial softball crown... Dodgers defeat Braves for Little League title... Aug. 19-Joe Trembley of PA team is softball batting star of season with average of .571...
Sept. 8-Norton Golf Course officially opens... Sept. 11-Jewelers semi-pro football team opens with 46-0 win over St. Monica of South Boston... Sept. 27-Blue and White loses season's football opener to Durfee, 16-6... Sept. 29-Roland Tetreault and Bill Bobel are crowned Locust Valley Four-Ball champs...
Oct. 8-Area Jewelers lost the first game to Fairhaven... Two records set in YMCA weightlifting meet held here... PA senior soccer returns after a year's absence; lose opener 2-0 to Pontas... 29 report for AHS swim team... Oct. 11-Norton Lancers have cross country team for first time and takes opening meet from St. Mary's of Milford... Oct. 13-Lou Governo scores five TDs and AHS wins first grid game of the year, 41-16 over Fairhaven... Oct. 20-Governo's 92-yard run beats Coyle 20-14... Oct. 28-Norma Kell is Angle Tree's Junior champion...
Nov. 1-"Miss Attleboro," the champion dragster is retired... Nov. 10-AHS is easy homecoming victors over Case... Harvey Barton scores hole-in-one at Norton... Nov. 12-Peter Flood, well-known official, dies while working Taunton-Coyle frosh game... Nov. 28-AHS breaks six-year Thanksgiving victory string of North by winning 6-0... Coyle takes BCL title in whipping Taunton... AHS is third with 4-2 record and North fifth at 2-4
Dec. 6-Jim Duffy and Richie Houde are elected co-captains of Bombardier basketball team... Dec 20.-Blue and White open season with come-from-behind 56-48 win over Wareham... Dec. 22-Bob Lepper wins four wrestling matches at Beverly meet... Dec. 24-AHS wallops Brockton 72-63 in huge upset... Dec. 27-Blue tips Mansfield 54-39 for third straight...
So, as bells were ringing, horns and noisemakers blown and still another ball descended in Times Square, we wrote "finis" to 1958 in the record books and the history books, we now do the same to this column for yet another Tuesday. Peace.
