Boosters Club Honors Championship High School Baseball Team at Banquet-June 26, 1981

Pitcher David Chenard Captures MVP Title as Senior Outfielder Chris Cuff Claims Gormley Scholarship

Approximately 75 people gathered for a celebratory banquet last night to honor the championship Norwood High School varsity baseball team. The dominant local squad captured first place honors in the Bay State League this season, wrapping up a stellar campaign with an impressive record of 14 wins and 4 losses. Following their regular-season championship run, the team ultimately fell in an 11-8 shootout against Brockton during the competitive Eastern Massachusetts tournament.

The town Boosters Club, which sponsored the commemorative banquet inside the function rooms of Concannon’s Village on Nahatan Street, presented the players with engraved plaques to mark their athletic achievements. Customized varsity jackets are also scheduled to be delivered to the players in about two weeks. The evening’s head table featured a prominent lineup of local school leaders and professional sports figures, including School Superintendent Louis J. Taris, High School Principal John Piccirilli, Athletic Director Arthur Gulla, Detroit Tigers third baseman Richie Hebner, Braintree High School Coach Don Fredericks, Detroit Tigers scout Chick Whalen, and Norwood High varsity baseball coach Pete Wall.

The Boosters presented the coveted Most Valuable Player award to standout senior pitcher David Chenard, who anchored the rotation and finished his final season on the mound with an outstanding 8-2 personal record. Stellar center fielder Chris Cuff, a multi-sport senior athlete who also starred on the gridiron for the football team and ran varsity track, was awarded the prestigious James Gormley Memorial Scholarship.

In addition to Chenard and Cuff, the championship varsity roster honored at the banquet included junior Mike Conti, sophomore John Coyle, senior Paul DeStefano, junior Mike Devine, junior Kevin Doherty, senior Kevin Faherty, senior Jim Foley, senior Sean Healy, senior Rich Joseph, senior Steve Petrucci, senior Steve Tawa, junior Kevin Cuff, junior Mike Degnan, junior Brian Drummey, junior Paul Graham, and junior Joe Pusateri. The coaching staff and field support unit were rounded out by assistant coaches Denny Hebner and Bill Jacobs, alongside batboy Mike Wall.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger