Norwood High School’s football team is officially dropping its trademark “iron men” strategy. Following the first two practices of the preseason, Coach Art Gulla disclosed that he has abandoned last year’s system of keeping the same 11 players on the field for both offense and defense, opting instead to build tactical depth.
“We have a few pretty big boys,” Coach Gulla said. “They’re not too fast but they’ve got size. I may use five or six of them on defense and give some of the fellows who played both ways last year a rest… We’re not going to have 11 men playing all the way this year. We’ll have more depth.”
Roster Turnover and Returning Lettermen
Gulla’s decision to expand player rotation is driven largely by roster inexperience. Out of 68 boys who reported for the initial workouts, only eight are lettermen who saw varsity action during the 1964 campaign, when the Nuggets finished in a fifth-place tie with Milton High School with a 4–5 record.
The team returns just four starters from last year’s opening eleven:
- John Soloman: Right guard and team captain.
- Frank Danielli: Center.
- Mike Griffin: Left end.
- Tommy Donovan: Junior fullback.
To complement these veterans, Gulla is counting on four additional lettermen who saw limited action last year, led by sophomore Tom Shea. Shea amazed Bay State League observers the previous season by earning his varsity letter as a freshman and is slated as a probable starter at left halfback. Other returning lettermen include seniors Mike Barry (guard) and Mike Bradley (end). Meanwhile, Dave Graham—last year’s number-two quarterback—steps into the starting quarterback role.
Preseason Schedule and Strategy
The Nuggets are currently grinding through double workouts and have four scrimmages scheduled before opening the nine-game regular season against Milton on September 25. While Gulla expects Milton to present a stiff test, he pointed to Natick and Framingham South as the toughest hurdles on the slate.
On the gridiron, Norwood will continue utilizing the straight-T formation alongside defensive schemes tailored to each opponent. While only 40 players will dress and travel for away games, Gulla emphasized that the expanded roster rotation gives reserves plenty of opportunity to advance from the junior varsity ranks.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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