By Pete Smith and Ed Ackley
Contributing Writers
EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s article is the final profile of this year’s Norwich Sports Hall of Fame induction class. The induction banquet is scheduled for Saturday, May 11 at Canasawacta Country Club. Reservations may still be made through next week at the Norwich YMCA, Wells Fargo Advisors, the Norwich Middle School or by calling Fred Miers at 334-7166. The price is $35 per person.
On September 1, 1952, nearly 61 years ago, forty three young athletes, along with Head Coach Kurt Beyer, Assistant Coach Frank Giltner and Team Manager Mike Martin, walked up the staircase from the boys’ locker room at the old high school on West Main Street. They proceeded from Maple Street south to Hayes Street, then west to Elm Street, south on Elm Street to Conkey Avenue and on to Alumni Field.
This walk would be made five or six times a week for the next two and a half months. Keep in mind they also walked back after practice and game days. One of the rules issued by Coach Beyer was, “Try to walk on the grass so you don’t wear down the cleats.”
The 1952 team was going to be running the “Split–T” offensive system that had been introduced in 1951. The 1951 team, led by co-captains Skip Schibeci and Bob Steward, had been very successful with a five wins and two losses season. The 1952 team would take full advantage of the lessons learned in the first year running the Split-T option offense – lessons which included an intensive pre-season week of three practices a day at Y Camp.
The ’52 Team had the perfect blend of personnel at each of the offensive and defensive positions. The center, Jim Golden, and guards, Nick Elia, Jim Horan, Ron Steward and Leon Gridley, all brought the versatility and quickness that came from also being outstanding wrestlers. Bob Endries, Pete Burns, Bud Sheehan and sophomore Tony Vellake (another wrestler) gave the tackle positions size and toughness. The ends, sometimes referred to as the “skilled positions,” were Dick Bowers, Jack Stone, Ernie Schraft and Don Chirlin. Dick, Ernie and Jack shared the defensive end positions and Don was in the defensive backfield when the ball changed hands. The starting offensive running backs were three truly gifted athletes. Howie Ryan was the quickest and fastest of the bunch. John Stewart and Ron Tyler were almost twins on the gridiron, even though John was much stockier. They played both sides of the ball, offense and defense, with so much athleticism that they made a tough game look easy. Ron and John, together with gifted offensive end Don Chirlin, combined to form arguably the best defensive backfield in NHS football history, limiting opponents to 33 completions while intercepting 22 passes…a school record at the time. The defense also allowed only one running play of over 17 yards, a 36-yard run by Oneida’s great running back, Pete Perkins, in the final game of the season. Captain Ed Ackley was the quarterback and a linebacker on defense.
While the starting players enjoyed most of the headlines, the team had outstanding back-up players, including Tom Swales at quarterback, running backs Francis Brennan, Bobby Tyler and Dick Call, and end Bill Watson.
The season opened with the Purple visiting Whitesboro, a team that had won 37 of its previous 40 games, including its last 11. In 1951, Whitesboro’s undefeated team had given up points only once, to an Ilion team which was one of only two teams to defeat NHS. The headline in the Norwich Sun summed up the game: “Ackley, Tyler Star as NHS Crushes Whitesboro 39-0.” Tyler intercepted three passes, including a 55-yard touchdown return, caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from Ackley and had two “quick kick” punts average over 60 yards. Ackley ran for two touchdowns in addition to his touchdown pass to Tyler. Norwich Sun sports editor Bob Van Tine’s story of the game made mention of virtually everyone on the field for the Purple and gave special attention to linemen Bob Endries and Dick Bowers.
Week two brought a 20-7 win at Vestal over Dick Hoover’s juggernaut, which the Binghamton Press summed up as “Too Much Ackley Brings 20-7 Loss To Vestal Bears.”
Van Tine’s sub headline in the Norwich Sun included this praise: “John Stewart, Pete Burns, Don Chirlin, Nick Elia Share Spotlight with Ackley and Help Norwich Prove Worthy of Bears Eminence; Norwich Defense Meets Several Stiff Tests; Bingo Central is Next on List; Win is 100th in Beyer Regime.”
