Inspiration Is Only “But” To A Norwood Win
Front row, left to right: Edmund Krasauskas,re; Janies Nugent, rt; Halem Howard, rg; Angelo Antonelli, c; Joe Purpura, 1g; Chet Miloszewski, It; William Spierdowis, le.
Back row, left to right: Coach Bennet Murray, Ed Donovan, rhb; Marshall Kelley, qb; Dick Holman, utility lineman; John Minkevitch, (capt.), fb; Fred Ransow, ihb; Assistant Coach John Sullivan.
Norwood Eleven Passes In Review;
Graduation is going to prove a powerful scythe at Norwood High this year, for about 12 first-line football players will be cut from the squad next June. This leaves only Angelo Antonelli, Joseph Amirault and Eddie Donovnn to form the nucleus for next year’s eleven.
Veterans passing out of the Norwood High School scene this year are Captain John Minkevitch, William Spierdowis, Joseph Purpura, Freddy Ransow, Edmund Kras-auskas, Marshall Kelley, David Maitland, Jim Nugent, Chet Milos-zewski, Halem Howard, “Stretch’’ Holman and Eddie McKelvey.
Norwood’s probable lineup will include:
Krausauskas, Right End
No. 55. Right end, Eddie Krasnuskas ’40, weighs 157 pounds, is a steady end and a good pass receiver. He hasn’t snagged many passes this year because opposing teams have concentrated on the ends in their defense set-up against passes. Ed will probably break the record for the number of letter awards received by an athlete at Norwood High as it is estimated that he will have received 10 .letters by next June. He is a standout in football, track, basketball, and baseball. 1 His prime asset is his even temperament and athletic poise.
Nugent, Right Tackle
No. 62. Right tackle, Jim “Nitro” Nugent ’40, weighs 187 pounds, is a stonewall type of tackle, and excels in diagnosing plays. Jim wasn’t figured in this year’s football scene, but he improved so much a place had to be made for him. The popular lad is Very strong and tosses the opposition ‘around as though they were pygmies.
Halem Howard, Right Guard
No. 10. Halem Howard ’40, weighs 160 pounds and is the shortest man on the team. Halem is always in there trying. Opposing teams have sent their- fullbacks charging right at him all year feeling that such a little fellow could be brushed aside easily But they didn’t know that he packs 160 pounds of muscle and determination.
Angelo Antonelli Center
No. 25, Angelo Antonelli, ’41, weighs 158 pounds. Angelo is the typical coach’s “dream player,” for he has no offensive and defensive weaknesses, and the word “quit” isn’t part of his vocabulary. He makes the majority of the tackles and has had great success in blocking kicks. He is a versatile athlete playing on the varsity basketball team, and is one of the leading candidates for next year’s baseball catcher’s job.
Joseph Purpura – Left Guard
No. 39, Joe Purpura, ’40, weighs 155 pounds, is almost the exact replica of last year’s little iron man guard, Louis Jiampietro. Joe absorbs punishment in gobs, but still gets in there for more. Purpura admitted that his Melrose opponent had a fist in his face all afternoon and his face was bruised and sore, but; we notice that Joe played the entire game’ and starred to boot.
Fred Ransow – Left Halfback
No. 8, .Freddie Ransow, ’40, weighs 158 pounds. Fred is the best ball carrier on the team and has starred on the receiving end of passes from the arm of Ed Donovan. He has served largely as a blocker, but his ball-carrying ability is sorely needed to give the team a spark of power Dedham is going to have trouble with him.
Chet Miloszewski Right Tackle No. 43, Chet Miloszewski,
weighs 185 pounds, is a big strapping boy who has been handicapped by a recurring ankle injury all year. Miloszewski is an emotional type of player, who can play far over his head if in the proper mood.
Bill Spierdowis Left End
No., 56, Bill Spierdowis, ’40, weighs 170 pounds, and was converted from the tackle post to end when Joe Amirault wns crippled with a knee injury. He has improved a great deal since the start of the season. Bill has scored 12 points for the team and has been successful in blocking punts.
Marshall Kelley .Quarterback
No. 4, Marshall “Goldberg” Kelley, ’40, weighs 138 pounds and is game as they come Marsh hasn’t come to expectations this year for some reason, but he has been playing good football nevertheless. He showed sparks of last year’s form in the Cathedral game. He may break out into a rash of long runs against Dedham.
Fred Ransow Left Halfback
No. 8, .Freddie Ransow, ’40, weighs 158 pounds. Fred is the best ball carrier on the team and has starred on the receiving end of passes from the arm of Ed Donovan. He has served largely as a blocker, but his ball-carrying ability is sorely needed to give the team a spark of power Dedham is going to have trouble with him.
Eddie Donovan -Right Halfback
No. 5, Ed Donovan, ’41, weighs 172 and is the fifth of the famous “Donovan” family. Jim, Yonnie, Joe, and Bill “Hacker” Donovan have all starred at Norwood High. Ed is the last of the long line, and his play should make his well-known brothers proud of him. He really makes a better fullback, but Captain Minkevitch has a strong, hold on the position so Eddie plays the present position. He’s the best passer and shines on the defense.
Capt. John Minkevitch Fullback
No. 33, John Minkevitch (captain), ’40, weighs 162, and is a serious-minded chap who can give a very hard tackle, and can be depended on to back up a line. Captain Minkevitch also plays on the school basketball team and Is expected to garner many points as a broad jumper on Cliff Wheeler’s track team next spring.
LEADING DEDHAM SUBSTITUTES: Paul Howard, Ed Keelan, Tony Palermo, John McNamara, Henry Mucciaccio, Albert Aylward, Bob Beaumont, Tom Clarke, Joe Cosgrove, Jim Karem and George Oberchon.
Murray: “Dry Field Heaphy: “Breaks”
Coach Ben Murray promises real football to Norwood and Dedham fans in the Thanksgiving Day game; while Coach Jack Heaphy of Dedham predicts that the game’s outcome will be decided on breaks.
Murray says: “After 19 years of preparing Norwood teams for the Dedham game, I’m convinced that the superiority of attack and defense one of the annual opponents may display through the season is usually nullified by the inspired, performance of its rival.
Dedham has an unimpressive record, but who knows how Heaphy’s team of juniors and sophomores will react to the situation placed before them tomorrow morning.
My boys are in fine condition, and if given a dry field should show Norwood and’ Dedham fans some real football ”
Heaphy Optimistic
Though Dedham High has the poor record of 2 wins and 7 losses its popular coach, Jack Heaphy, still retains his optimism on, Thursday’s game. “My team has had a poor season. The majority of the boys are inexperienced sophomores and juniors, but tomorrow,’s game should be’ close with the outcome probably being decided or? breaks.
Norwood’s inimitable football wizard will unleash an enchanted bag of tricks Thursday morning in Stone Park against a green team coached by the popular bald-pated man from Dedham in the 19th annual meeting of these two rivals.
Although neither team has astounded the football world with its record a crowd of about 11,000 is almost a certainty.
Norwood will win though Jack Heaphy’s juniors and sophomores may upset the dope through sheer “inspiration.” The locals have a treat in store for football fans who like clever scoring plays. Coach Murray has drilled his charges in a series of plays which may explode in the faces of the young Dedhams. The plays may be used only in emergency or to add an element of color to the game.
Bad breaks have been the lot of both teams. Dedham isn’t as mediocre as its record seems to indicate. The team muffed at least three opportunities to win in each game lost only to have luck deserting them as a score appeared imminent.
The red and whites have enjoyed a fair degree of success with its passing combinations of Davidson to Turner and Turner to Spiridglozzi. They have showed their best playing in the final quarter, and Norwood could boast of a cleaner slate if they hadn’t weakened in the final stanza against । Melrose, Framingham, and Needham.
Possibly this fact will be tied in with the eventual result in some ironic way.
Norwood Holds Lead In Classic Series
Records between the two annual Turkey Day opponents, Dedham and Norwood, show that Norwood has predominated over its rival 10 times; Dedham has won 7, and two games ended in ties.
Norwood enjoyed its longest win streak from 1920 to 1924, winning five games and scoring 67 points to Dedham’s 33. The locals registered the largest Norwood score in the history of the rivalry away back in 1921 when they defeated the crimson and grey by a score of 21-0.
Dedham had its long streak from 1934 to 1937, registering the biggest score in the history of the event when they defeated the Murraymen, 25-0, two years ago. Number seven predominates among the losing team games. There is no startling cycle to these annual games.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)