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Home , Football, Hail Mary pass, Penn Quakers, Steve Van Buren

La Salle College High School : In Retrospect

NOTE: This is the nineteenth of, I hope, many retrospectives highlighting some unique history of the football program at La Salle. The topics to discuss seem endless at this time. Hope you enjoy these.

Bill Wasylenko, ‘69 Issue Number Nineteen: 1957 Explorers – The Best Ever? In John “Tex” Flannery’s first year as head coach in 1956, the squad garnered an exceptional 6-2-1 record. This was the best record for a since 1944, if you don’t count 1955, but you have to count 1955, because that went 10-0-0 and won the City Championship. The 1956 team did not have many seniors, and the losses to larger and more experienced squads like Bishop Neumann and North Catholic kept the Explorers from defending their crown. But the groundwork was laid for 1957. Returning stars from the 1956 team included Paul Aita, backs Walt McDonald and John Gallagher, and lineman Bill Clements, Al Backauskas, Tom Yannessa, and John Osborne. And a gaggle of feisty sophomores turned juniors were ready to make their presence known. And then there was Johnny Herrera, the Cuban flash, arguably the greatest back in La Salle history. Herrera received some meaningful playing time in the 1955 unbeaten season, and his star rose as a member of the Pony backfield of 1956. He became a one-man dynamo over stretches of the 1957 season, and anyone who ever saw him play knows that they watched a very special player. Johnny Herrera could singlehandedly take over a , and La Salle’s large and veteran offensive line was able to provide Herrera with holes that sent him off to the opponent line.

But perhaps the most important thing that the 1957 team had was senior leadership. The five candidates for Student Council president were all on the !! Those candidates were Walt McDonald, Tom Yannessa, John Osborne, Al Backauskas, and Paul Aita. Each of these players had significant roles in the success of the 1957 team, and four of them earned All-Catholic Johnny Herrera honors. The 1957 squad was poised to regain the championship that eluded the 1956 team. A blend of experienced seniors and talented juniors provided Coach Flannery with a lot of options to keep his personnel healthy and fresh, and several during the season were won in the second half, which may be attributed to the Explorer depth.

The offensive line consisted of senior Bill Clements at center, senior Tom Yannessa and junior Arnie Buben at guards, seniors Al Backauskas and John Osborne at tackles, and junior ends Ray Weinmann and Bob Smith. Other linemen of note on both sides of the included Harry Eustace, Frank Heckler, Terry Monaghan, Joe Sharpe, and Jack Monaghan.

The running backs were plentiful, featuring speed, shiftiness, and power. Herrera and QB Paul Aita returned from the 1956 “Pony Backfield”. Junior Jerry Woltemate was a fellow pony, but Senior John Gallagher was a “workhorse” as a blocking back, and Junior Joe “Scotty” Maxwell was the resident stallion in a loaded backfield.

The team depth allowed for several players to be featured on defense. Senior Walt McDonald, junior Fred Shaughnessy, senior Tom Boyle, and junior Joe McNichol were superb ballhawks in the Oklahoma 5-4-2 defense.

Tex Flannery ‘40 returned for his second season as head coach. Able assistant Dick Bedesem ‘49 departed to the nest of baby Eaglets at newly-formed Bishop Egan, but Flannery had a solid group of coaches in John Harbison, John DiSangro, and Joe Henry ’51, as well as John Byrnes and Richard Cosgrove. The consensus before the start of the season was that Bishop Neumann was the team to beat, even though North Catholic was the defending City Champion. St. Tommy More was typically a weaker team, and Dougherty (still not a full-fledged PCL member), Bonner, and Judge were programs still experiencing growing pains. Roman Catholic was a fair team, and St. Joseph’s Prep was in a 7-year hiatus from the Catholic League. West Catholic had slipped from their heyday a few years before, and St. James and North remained as formidable opponents along with the Pirates of Neumann.

Opening game was slated to be against the Golden Bears of St. Thomas More, a team that had to withdraw from the Catholic League near the of the 1956 season due to a player shortage, but the Explorers were already banged up before the season started, and it was the vaunted backfield that was hit with the injury bug. Aita had a chronic back problem flare up; Herrera had a bruised heel; Maxwell had an injured leg, and Woltemate had a gash near his eye.

Pre-season scrimmages, though successful, found the team having trouble scoring, which concerned Flannery, but he had faith in his quarterback Aita, as well as his line, the largest La Salle line in many years.

1957 Tex Flannery w/QB Paul Aita September 22, 1957: La Salle 24 – St. Thomas More 6

Any concerns that the La Salle faithful had were dissipated by halftime of the opener. The Explorers led at half, 12-0, on their way to an easy victory over the Golden Bears. Aita, Maxwell, and Woltemate shrugged off their injuries to notch , and Junior end Bob Smith also scored to get the team off to a solid start. But big, bad Bishop Neumann loomed on the horizon; the Pirates manhandled the undersized Explorers in 1956, and this early-season showdown would go a long way to identify the true contenders for the Catholic League crown. Neumann was the favorite to win the Catholic League Championship, despite the recent crowns won by La Salle and North Catholic.

September 29, 1957: La Salle 7 – Bishop Neumann 0

In a test of strength between two strong lines, the Explorers and Pirates played to a standstill until late in the 3rd quarter, when Walt McDonald intercepted an Ed Zoller pass, and returned it to the Neumann 15. La Salle moved the ball to the 1-yard line, and Paul Aita plunged over to break the deadlock. McDonald also snagged another INT, and recovered a ; his defensive backfield- mates Fred Shaughnessy and Joe McNichol also intercepted passes. This was certainly a watershed victory for this 1957 team, for many reasons. One, they defeated the leading contender for the title, but they also exhibited a stalwart defense, and Flannery now realized that he could almost fully platoon his backfields, since his defensive backfield was so strong. This provided great benefit both late in games and late in the season. Amazingly, La Salle was tied for first place with only one other team, the Cahillites of Roman Catholic; all other had at least one loss after two weeks.

Walt McDonald’s 3rd quarter sets up Paul Aita’s one-yard plunge Next up for the Explorers: a home game against Cardinal Dougherty; the fledgling Cardinals were still not officially in the Catholic League.

October 6, 1957: La Salle 27 – Cardinal Dougherty 12

The Explorers were heavily favored over an inexperienced Cardinals team, but a rainy, muddy day was in store for the two teams at McCarthy Stadium. Al Solecki started at quarterback, and scored the first after a poor . Johnny Herrera’s extra point gave La Salle an early 7-0 lead. Late in the first quarter, Herrera slammed into the from 15 yards out, and his extra point made it 14-0. Jerry Woltemate scored late in the second quarter, and John Gallagher capped off the Explorer scoring with a 78- yard bolt into the end zone. The Cardinals scored two late touchdowns against the second-string defense, but the Explorers ran their record to 3-0. Meanwhile, Roman tied the Tommies to put the first blemish on their record. Next up was another watershed game against the defending champions, the Falcons of North Catholic.

But a unique problem faced the games of October 13, 1957: a nation-wide Asian flu epidemic had affected the area, especially the high schools, and all Catholic League games were postponed. La Salle would have to wait until November 24 to take on the Falcons, who were sitting with a 2-1-0 record. The Explorers would have an extra week to recuperate from any flu-like symptoms and prepare for the Crusaders of Father Judge.

October 20, 1957: La Salle 20 – Father Judge 0

The defense garnered its second shutout of the season, as the young Crusaders put a scare into the Explorers by keeping the game at a scoreless tie at halftime. Aita and Maxwell were out with injuries, but La Salle took advantage of a short punt to on a 5-yard run by Herrera in the third quarter. After the defense stopped a Judge drive, the Blue and Gold mounted a long drive, featuring runs by Herrera and Jerry Woltemate, and Herrera scored again from 5 yards out. Al Backauskas recovered a Judge fumble deep in Crusader territory, and John Gallagher bulled in from 4 yards to make the final 20-0. La Salle was now the only unbeaten and untied team in the Catholic League.

John Herrera (left) picks up yardage against Father Judge with the aid of a John Gallagher (#51) block It was now time to go on the road and take on the upstart Friars of Monsignor Bonner at their home field, Villanova Stadium, which became home to some of the 1957 La Salle gridders in the near future.

October 27, 1957: La Salle 26 – Monsignor Bonner 7

After an opening drive was stopped at the Friar one-yard line, La Salle got the ball back and scored on a 20-yard scamper by Herrera, who was now scoring points by the bucketful. A couple of threats by La Salle resulted in , but late in the first quarter Herrera scored from 3 yards out to give the Explorers a 13-0 lead. In the second quarter, Johnny Herrera was at it again, scoring from a short distance after a blocked punt put the Blue and Gold in yet another scoring position. Bonner shocked the crowd on the last play of the first half by connecting on a “Hail Mary” pass to bring the halftime score to 19-7. After receiving the second-half kickoff, La Salle went to work again. This time, Jerry Woltemate raced 73 yards down to the one-yard line, and John Gallagher plunged through for the 4th La Salle TD of the game. La Salle was now 4-0-0 in league play, with the Pirates of Neumann in the hunt at 4-1-0, and the North Catholic Falcons at 3-1-1. The Burrs of West Catholic, in the basement at 0-5-0, would now host the unbeaten Explorers.

November 3, 1957: La Salle 39 – West Catholic 0

The Explorers treated their hapless Brother Burrs with disdain, as Herrera continued his scoring binge with three touchdowns and three extra points. North Catholic defeated Tommy More to stay within shouting distance of the unbeaten Blue and Gold, and Bishop Neumann played a non-league game. The Cahillites of Roman Catholic, a middle-of-the-pack team would take on the Explorers next at McCarthy Stadium. Despite the gaudy 5-0-0 record of the current team, much of the November 4, 1957 edition of the Wisterian section was devoted to celebrating the unbeaten 1955 Catholic League Champions, with a “Where Are They Now” section of the 1955 stars and their college adventures.

November 10, 1957: La Salle 53 – Roman Catholic 12

The offense made it 118 points in three games with a pasting of the Cahillites. To this point, no La Salle team had ever scored 53 points in a game. The scoring started with the aid of an interception by Soph Joe McNichol. Herrera scored the first TD of the game. After getting the ball back on downs, the Blue and Gold marched in again on a 7-yard run by John Gallagher. The next drive featured a long pass play from Paul Aita to Bob Smith, but had a familiar ending, with Herrera scoring again. Gallagher matched him with his second TD, and Walt McDonald returned an interception 55 yards for a score. Roman scored just before half to make it 33-6. The third quarter belonged to the Cahillites, as they scored the lone touchdown, but in the 4th, Harry Eustace recovered a fumble, Herrera scored again, and Al Solecki and Ed Birchler joined the scoring frenzy to bring the Explorer record to 6-0-0. Al Solecki (#22) pitches out to Ed Birchler (#41), and Birchler ran it in from five yards against Roman for his first Varsity touchdown

The Jimmies, or Bulldogs, of St. James were the next opponents to visit the friendly confines of McCarthy Stadium. North had beaten Neumann, and La Salle could clinch the Catholic League crown with a win over St. James.

November 17, 1957: La Salle 40 – St. James 18

The Explorers won their second Catholic League title in three years with another offensive explosion. Herrera started the scoring on a 40-yard pitchout from Aita, and he scored twice more in the first half. Aita was connecting on passes to his ends Bob Smith and Ray Weinmann, setting up scores by Scotty Maxwell and John Gallagher. Yet again, their opponents scored right at the end of the first half to make it 33-6. The Jimmies ran off 12 points in the second half before the Explorers got the ball, but Scotty Maxwell notched his second TD to complete the scoring.

Ray Weinmann (#45) nearly blocks a St. James punt in first quarter action. Weinmann was practicing his punt blocking for the City Championship game Having already clinched the Catholic League Championship, the Explorers were to play their “Asian flu” re-scheduled game on November 23 against North Catholic, but Old Man Winter made an early appearance, and the combination of a snowfall and the lack of importance of the game resulted in a cancellation this time. So La Salle never got to play the defending champion Falcons in 1957!

Progress Report

At this point in the season, La Salle was sitting quite pretty, with a lot of early-season injuries now healed, and even more depth than expected. The loaded backfield all contributed to the offensive surge of the second half of the season, as Herrera, Woltemate, Gallagher, and Maxwell ran with abandon. Maxwell was becoming more of a presence with each game. Aita was the field general, and was ably backed up by Solecki. Weinmann and Smith were capable ends whose blocking was rewarded by passes from Aita. The defense had given up a handful of points in certain games, typically at the end of each half, indicating that some scoring may have been done against the second team. The defensive backfield were ravenous ballhawks, maybe because these offensive- minded players were asked to dedicate themselves on defense. But the line became more and more dominant as the season progressed. Flannery rotated about 8 or 9 linemen to keep them fresh, and La Salle won the , especially as the game wore on. This team was primed to take on the Public League Champions, either Lincoln or Roxborough; Lincoln was the defending champion of the Public League, and lost to North Catholic in the 1956 City Championship game. But La Salle had one more game to play: a Turkey Day tussle against their neighbors, the Germantown Bears.

November 28, 1957: La Salle 39 – Germantown 6

La Salle coasted over the outmanned Bears; over the last 4 games, the offense had scored an incredible 171 points! Roxborough defeated Lincoln, 20-6, for their first Public League championship, as halfback Jimmy Pownall caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Bob Minissale. The Indians gave up only 4 touchdowns for the entire season, so far. (Maybe just a surname coincidence, but the coach of the 1925 La Salle gridders was Billy Pownall.) The City Title game would be played on December 7, 1957, at , home of the Penn Quakers, but not yet home of the . Snow fell a few days before the game, and the game was sure to feature difficult footing.

A film of the game was produced by Blue Cross-Blue Shield, allowing this writer to give you a detailed account of the La Salle victory over Roxborough. Back to Franklin Field – December 7, 1957 Roxborough was the opponent in the Inter-League Football Classic, as the City Title game was termed on the Blue Cross-Blue Shield film of that game. Franklin Field’s were graced with snow, and a steady light rain, a two-day sprinkle, turned the already muddy field into a quagmire by the second half. Both teams traded punts early on, but, halfway through the first quarter, Indians’ lineman George Reistad intercepted a Paul Aita pass deep in Explorer territory, and rumbled 24 yards into the end zone for a 6-0 lead, by all accounts the first time La Salle trailed all season. La Salle was utilizing fleet Johnny Herrera on early runs, but turned to bigger Scotty Maxwell as the game wore on, and the field became more treacherous. The Explorer defense was impenetrable, containing the Roxborough star running back Jimmy Pownall to just short gains. Late in the first period, La Salle notched the first two first downs of the game, and drove across midfield as the first period ended with Roxborough leading, 6-0. A punt and a penalty pinned the Indians back on their 6-yard line, and field position was now in La Salle’s favor, and would remain that way for the rest of the game. John Osborne tackled Pownall back at the two-yard line, forcing a punt that Joe McNichol returned to the 36. Herrera drove off right for nine yards, and Aita then picked up the first down. Herrera, the workhorse of this series, gained nine yards on the next two plays. On a 3rd and 1 on the Roxborough 14-yard line, Aita surprised the Indians by lofting a pass to Herrera heading toward the left flag, and Herrera skittered into the end zone for a tying TD (his extra point was blocked). Roxborough mounted a drive that brought them out near midfield, but the Explorer defense held and forced a punt. The Indian defense stifled the Blue and Gold offense, and Shaughnessy’s punt kept the Indians in their own end of the field. Consecutive tackles for losses by Tom Yannessa and John Osborne forced another punt, and good field position was provided again for the Explorers. Maxwell started getting the ball, and ran for a first down to the 25 yard line. However, the ever-present Pownall intercepted an Aita pass to stop the threat. The half ended in a tie, 6-6, but La Salle consistently had the better field position. La Salle received the second half kickoff, but a motion penalty, coupled with the Roxborough defense, forced another Explorer punt. Any attempts to go deep by the Indians were broken up by the stout Explorer defense, featuring Tom Boyle, Joe McNichol, Fred Shaughnessy, and Walt McDonald. After a punt, La Salle started a drive that featured Maxwell. Scotty gained two first downs to get the ball across midfield. Aita gained another first down, but an offsides penalty stymied the Explorers and resulted in another Shaughnessy punt. But the tide was changing in the middle of the line. The Explorer defensive line kept the Indians bottled up, and a long pass was intercepted by Shaughnessy, who returned the pilfered pigskin to the Indians’ 49 yard line. Again, Roxborough stiffened and forced a punt that bounded into the end zone. Field position was still La Salle’s, and the Indians had to punt again, deep in their own territory. This punt was partially blocked by Ray Weinmann, and the Explorers were threatening yet again. Maxwell gained nine yards on two plays, and Herrera ran wide for thirteen yards to the Roxborough 16. Again, the ball went to Maxwell, and he drove down to the 8-yard line, and then gained 4 yards for a first-and-goal at the Indians’ 4-yard line to end the third quarter. But the unbeaten Indians mounted a goal-line stand, and stopped the Explorers on four running plays to keep the game tied at 6-6 as the fourth quarter unfolded. The Explorer defense came up with a great play on third and short, as Tom Yannessa broke through the line to tackle Pownall for a three yard loss back at the 9-yard line, and the ensuing short punt put the Explorers in striking distance. It was now Maxwell time. Scotty ran the ball on five consecutive plays to bring the Explorers to a first and goal at the Roxborough 7 yard line. Herrera ran the ball down to the 4 yard line, and Maxwell crashed through the line and into the end zone to give the Blue and Gold the lead. Herrera’s extra point made the score 13-6, La Salle. Roxborough was forced to put the ball in the air, and Bob Minissale’s pass over the middle was intercepted by Walt McDonald, and La Salle was knocking at the door again. After a gain by Woltemate, Maxwell picked up a first down at the 9 yard line. Woltemate slanted through the line down to the three yard line. Maxwell carried to the goal line, and on the next play, knifed through into the end zone. Despite the blocked extra point, the Explorers had a commanding 19-6 lead. La Salle brought in some of their second line defense for Roxborough’s last drive, and the Explorers withstood a couple of Indian first downs to close out the game and give the Explorers their second City Title in three years, 19-6.

A notable strength of this team in this game was its unprecedented depth. Flannery utilized 20 players as part of the regular rotations on both sides of the ball. The backfields each went just one-way: Aita, Herrera, Maxwell, Woltemate, and Gallagher were on offense, and McNichol, McDonald, Boyle, and Shaughnessy patrolled the defensive backfield. Eustace and Heckler were designated defensive linemen, and Cunningham focused on his linebacker position. Dedicated offensive linemen as part of the rotation included Backauskas and Sharpe. Weinmann and Smith were “book” ends on offense, and doubled up with linebacking duties. Buben, Yannessa, and Osborne played both ways on the line. Flannery’s platoons and rotations helped to wear Roxborough down, as players stayed fresh with their breaks, other than Osborne, who never seemed to be off the field, and who got stronger as the game progressed. The change to go to their bigger back, Scotty Maxwell, more in the second half on the muddy field also helped to decide this game. Many of Maxwell’s runs reminded this scribe of , the great Packer fullback of that time. Eyes older than mine may have seen Steve Van Buren out there instead. Aita was a great signal caller, and executed the offense to perfection, despite the . His pass to Herrera for the first touchdown was a thing of beauty, needing to arc the ball over a shallow defender’s head and drop it into the arms of the speedy Herrera. The defense was like the Maginot Line, impenetrable, and giving Roxborough no real hope at mounting a scoring drive. The Indians became impatient with their short runs into the line, and tried to exploit the Blue and Gold secondary, but the smothering coverage, along with interceptions by Shaughnessy and McDonald, offered no opportunity for the Indians to score on offense. In both 1955 and 1957, La Salle’s defense kept the Public League champions off the board. The 1955 offense had more explosiveness, but the 1957 team overcame a muddy track and sluggish start to pound out three touchdowns and a victory. WEINMANN

MAXWELL OSBORNE

BUBEN AITA

GALLAGHER

CLEMENTS YANNESSA

HERRERA

SCOTTY MAXWELL SWEEPS LEFT END AT FRANKLIN FIELD VS. ROXBOROUGH

OSBORNE

BUBEN

ARNIE BUBEN AND JOHN OSBORNE MOVE IN ON INDIANS’ BOB FOYLE Is 1957 the greatest La Salle team ever?

At first thought, an audacious statement, but let’s do some analysis here. A “greatest” team needs to be a champion, and lose very infrequently, or not at all. Based on that criteria, seven La Salle teams are worthy of consideration:

1917 (6-0-0); 1955 (10-0-0); 1957 (10-0-0); 1960 (9-0-1); 1996 (14-0-0); 1998 (12-1-0); and 2009 (14-1-0). 1917, led by the great Cy Simendinger, won a mythical Catholic schools title, but it’s difficult to analyze their capabilities with the limited documentation. The 1955 and 1960 teams offer the most direct comparisons. 1955 ran off 8 straight shutouts, only giving up 20 points in the first two games; 1957 scored 294 points, giving up just 67, many against the second team. 1960 also was stingy on defense, notching 7 shutouts, and giving up only 40 points while scoring 214. The latter day teams had a much more high-flying offense. 1996 ran the table over 14 games, racking up 376 points while the defense had 7 shutouts and relinquished only 68 points. 1998 lost one game, but scored 320 points on their own. And the 2009 State Champions deserve consideration, amassing 456 points across 15 games. It’s clear that statistics won’t solve the issue of determining the greatest team, and maybe the arguments will continue forever. But the 1957 team may have had the most players who went on to play college ball, and that certainly may be an indication of their “greatest” qualifications.

Bill Clements went on to play at Notre Dame, as did Scotty Maxwell. Ray Weinmann’s cranky knee kept him from accepting some scholarship offers, and instead joined his two teammates by matriculating at South Bend. Jerry Woltemate headed down the yet- to-be-built Blue Route to West Chester, and soph Barry Dunleavy packed his toothbrush and headed up to Colgate. Al Backauskas trekked further north to Cornell, and Frank Heckler went west to Detroit. Bob Smith became a Golden Eagle at Boston College, and two dropped anchor to become Middies in Annapolis, namely Harry Eustace and Tom Yannessa. Terry Monaghan went up to Happy Valley to play. Paul Aita started out at Michigan, but eventually became a Penn Quaker; Bob Stranix joined him there on 34th Street. Arnie Buben and John Osborne took their line play to the Main Line at Villanova. And Johnny Herrera joined the Marines; it’s not clear whether the Cuban Flash carried the ball beyond his years at 20th and Olney.

An incredible list of 14 players who went on to play college ball, and maybe even more than that. And they were all part of what may be the greatest team in La Salle football history, the 1957 City Champions. Surely, the arguments for other great La Salle teams will keep the memories of that 1957 team alive!

Note: the Class of 1958 at La Salle is truly one of the special classes, having an annual dinner in early December, being very active in Alumni activities, and being always near the top of the list for all fund-raising efforts. That class has a special bond with each other, and the performance of the Boys of Fall of 1957 was a great opening act for their senior year.

Also, in September of 2012, the 1957 team became an inaugural member of the newly- formed Hall of Athletics at La Salle. In September of 2013, the 1996 team will join them in the Hall; let the arguments begin! Tom Boyle Al Solecki Jerry Woltemate Johnny Herrera Howie Guarini #21 - E #22 - QB #23 - B #24 - B #25 - B

F. Shaughnessy Paul Aita Mark Gallagher George Moser Carl Cangelosi #26 - B #27 - QB #28 - E #29 - G #30 - B

Dan Madden Joe McCarty Bob Stranix Steve Cook Frank Heckler #31 - B #32 - QB #33 - C #34 - B #35 - C

John Igoe Tom McTear C. Cunningham Joe McNichol Frank Yannessa #36 - G #37 - B #38 - E #39 - QB #40 - G

Ed Birchler R. Tragemann Tom Yannessa Walt McDonald Ray Weinmann #41 - B #42 - G #43 - G #44 - B #45 - E John Monaghan Barry Dunleavy Scotty Maxwell Bob Smith Hank Haaf #46 - E #47 - G #48 - B #49 - E #50 - T

Howard Lange John Gallagher Pat Conner Arnie Buben Joe Sharpe #50 - G #51 - B #52 - T #53 - G #54 - G

Al Backauskas Bill Clements John Osborne Terry Monaghan Harry Eustace #55 - T #56 - C #57 - T #58 - T #59 - T

Jim Marks Harry Magrisi Joe Volk John O’Gara Manager Manager Manager Manager Manager 1957 10-0-0 I welcome your comments, corrections, and additions. Go La Salle!! Bill Wasylenko, ‘69 [email protected] January 20, 2012, revised July 11, 2013