By: Tom Rowe
Contributing Writer
Editor’s Note: Today’s article on Don Manley is the third in a series of profiles on this year’s Norwich Sports Hall of Fame induction class. The fourth annual induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 3 at Canasawacta Country Club. Reservations forms are available at the Norwich Middle School or may be downloaded from the school website at www.norwichcsd.org. All checks and reservations should be sent to: Tom Rowe, 22 Hayes St Norwich, NY 13815.
Before the present-day World Wrestling Federation (WWF), there existed a horde of individuals who traveled the globe performing as “professional wrestlers.” Although the closest they came to wrestling was their sleight of hand in making the unsuspecting actually believe they were tolerating such grievous punishment, this band of canvas gypsies mesmerized little boys as well as most adults.
The likes of Gorgeous George, Gorilla Monsoon, Haystacks Calhoun, Yukon Eric, Verne Gagne, Killer Kowalski, Bobo Brazil, Bruno Sammartino, Dick the Bruiser and scores more were household names. They graced not only our infantile televisions, but the tabloids and even well-respected magazines such as “Life”, “Look” and “The Saturday Evening Post”. These modern-day P.T. Barnums were as much a stalwart of the 1950s as Ike (Eisenhower), Mickey (Mantle), Elvis (Presley) and Marilyn (Monroe), because they embodied the comic book heroes we loved – Superman, Batman, the Green Lantern, the Flash and many, many more of those masked and caped do-gooders. But, there was one problem – they were a big fat FAKE. Entertaining, maybe? But, no doubt a fake.
Locally, however, a young teenager by the name Don Manley was compiling real grappling records, testimonials that stand to this day. Manley, who graduated in 1957, began his wrestling career as an untested freshman in 1953 – just 22 years after Frank Giltner started the program in 1935. Over the next four seasons all Manley did was post a 67-2 record en route to four Iroquois League titles, three Section 3 crowns and an intersectional championship – the latter of which was equivalent to a state crown at the time. For those reasons, he has been chosen as a member of the fourth induction class of the Norwich High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Growing up on a small non-working farm at the top of Polkville Hill – near the Burdick-Medbury Road – Manley got his first taste of grappling fever by watching older brother Bruce compete. That older brother, by some six years, captured the 103-pound Section 3 title in 1949, so he was an excellent teacher.
“I used to watch him all the time,” recalled Manley. “So, along with my best buddy, Joe Binelli, we decided we were going to be wrestlers, too.”
Stoked by that wrestling fire, Manley and Binelli talked their elementary school gym teacher at East Main Street School into getting some mats. And, thus was born the start of a great career.
“There were no pee wee programs and such, so that’s how we got started,” said Manley. “By the time we got to junior high school, Coach (Sam) Elia let both of us practice with the big guys.”
That early determination to improve his skills and the day-to-day practices with the seasoned varsity did not go unnoticed in the Norwich community. One day prior to his first varsity match, “Norwich Sun” Sports Editor Bob Van Tine wrote a very prophetic column of the “freshman sensation” on the eve of the Purple’s showdown with Oneonta.
“Don is the brother of former ace Bruce Manley and has been an ardent mat follower since he was eight,” wrote Van Tine. “This interest should start paying dividends for him and for Norwich.”
So, on Saturday night, Dec. 5, 1953, Manley stepped onto the mats to meet the highly-rated Yellowjacket senior Roger Proulx in a 127-pound bout. In what was described as “the most exciting match of the evening,” Manley disposed of his Oneonta foe 12-5 for his initial taste of victory.
“I was scared to death, because I was up against a very good senior,” admitted Manley.
Unfortunately for Norwich, however, the Yellowjackets scored three pins to the Purple’s one as each school recorded five wins in Oneonta’s 21-17 triumph. That loss was the first ever for NHS in the Iroquois League as the Tornado went 10-0 during the inaugural 1952-53 season. Norwich wouldn’t lose another league match until Ilion slowed the Purple juggernaut 24-18 during the 1956-57 campaign, a triumphant streak that reached 29 straight.
Following that successful debut, Manley chalked up his first pin with a 52-second stick of Little Falls’ Warner with a half nelson and arm bar in their 120-pound go-round. Again, Van Tine saw the writing on the wall. “The strong frosh ace appears to be one of the best first-year men NHS has had and seems destined to take his place with the school’s all-time mat greats.”
Manley did not let Van Tine’s words fall upon deaf ears as he ran roughshod through the remainder of the Iroquois season, and capped that memorable frosh campaign with a 3-0 victory over Carr of Watertown in the 123-pound Section 3 finals at Rome. Manley, who recorded two pins and two decisions in the annual event, was the lone Tornado grappler to achieve victory as Norwich wound up second overall in the 21-school tourney.
With no intersectionals scheduled for the close of the ’54 campaign, the brilliant frosh put a bit of icing on his season with three wins at the annual Eastern AAU Tournament in Troy on Saturday, April 3. With Manley’s completion of an unblemished 20-0 season, and individual championships from Tornado teammates Ken Brooker (112), Ronnie Steward (157), Al Scheer (167) and Leon Gridley (177), the Don Collier-coached matmen produced a decisive victory with 33 points to second-place Rome’s 18.
That initial success was followed by two seasons in which Manley tasted defeat by the narrowest of margins – both matches ending in draws – with his foes being declared victors by referee decisions. But, as he began his illustrious Norwich career, so did he finish it, as he rang up another 20-0 campaign during his senior year. That season and his Tornado career were punctuated with a 4-2 triumph over John Babcock of Massena in their 136-pound match in the intersectional competition between Section 3 and Section 10 at Watertown. Selected to be Section 3’s captain by his peers, Manley led all the way, with Babcock securing two points late in the third period as the Norwich grappler tried for a pin.
Prior to that final triumph, Manley won his third sectional title in four tries with a victory over Holland Patent’s Drietzler as he was voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the Year in Section 3. And, he completed a perfect Iroquois League run with a fourth straight league crown as he posted an unblemished 48-0 log. At the conclusion of the 1956-57 season, Manley was chosen to the prestigious Rome Free Academy “All Opponents Team” at 136 pounds. He was joined by his long-time teammate and classmate Binelli at 141. Completing the squad were wrestlers from Watertown (three), Auburn and Oneida with two picks each and Camden (one.)
“The first time I ever saw him wrestle, I knew he was going to be great. He was by far the best wrestler I observed at Norwich,” noted former teammate and close friend Tom Farrell. “His moves were like Minnesota Fats playing pool – he was thinking at least one or two moves ahead if his opponent was lucky enough to counter his first move. He was built perfect for wrestling – long, sinewy arms; fast and smooth. He never gave up a back point, and lost one controversial takedown in his career.”
Manley agreed that speed was one of his main fortes, but emphasized that his approach depended on the match. “We practiced so much, everything was instinctive. And, when I got older and more confident, I took it to a new level by playing mind games with my opponent.”
Fellow teammate Jim Edwards echoed Farrell’s views. “I have watched wrestling at Norwich since 1948, and, in my opinion, Don Manley was one of the best wrestlers in school history. He was the most dominant wrestler in Section 3 at the time. He was viewed as unbeatable, which he virtually was, by his peers. He had a great combination of speed and strength. He was a blur on his feet, just so quick. He was a machine, a pleasure to witness.”
Ironically, Norwich , which went 8-2-1 and 8-1-1, respectively, during Manley’s two bookend 20-0 campaigns, posted identical 10-0 marks his sophomore and junior years when he suffered his lone two defeats. In establishing those two unblemished seasons, Coach Elia matched his success of 1952-53 when the Tornado christened the new Iroquois League with a 10-0 log, and matched Coach Cy Seymour’s 9-0 exploits back in 1938-39.
