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’54 Replogle Maroon – A Team to Remember by Dave Potchak for the Bedford Gazette The 1954 Inter-County Co-Champion football team from Replogle High School in New Enterprise will be the team (with other individuals) inducted into the Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame on June 10. The ceremony will take place at Heartland Hall at 4:00 pm.
The 9-0 Maroon finished the regular season undefeated and claimed the title in the Eastern Division of the Inter-County Conference. A 6-6 tie with the Western Division winner, Beaverdale-Wilmore in the championship game at Sidman, appropriately awarded the title of Co-champs to both teams.
In the prior season of ’53 only one loss to Robertsdale prevented the Maroon, coached by Andy Rodi, from going undefeated in back-to-back seasons.
“I would have preferred if we got another crack at Robertsdale in 1954,” explains Byron Bowser of Loysburg. “I think getting a little revenge would have been ideal,” adds the former blocking back, and Maroon team member.
The ’54 Schedule and Game Results Replogle 14 – Smith 0
Replogle 20 – Juniata Valley 0
Replogle 20 – Saxton-Liberty 0
Replogle 40 – Williamsburg 0
Replogle 18 – Berlin 0
Replogle 52 – Satillo 0
Replogle 40 – Orbisonia 6
Replogle 19 – Roaring Spring 15
Replogle 22 – Everett 0
The ’54 Replogle team basically steam-rolled over most of their competition that year, beating most teams rather easily. With a victory in the tightest game of the year, a 19-15 road win over Roaring Spring, the team proved they could compete with just about anyone in the region regardless of size or enrollment.
“That is the game I remember most,” proclaims Landon “Landy” Henry of RD Bedford. “I couldn’t get going at all against Roaring Spring, and was kind of feeling sorry for myself. Coach Radi popped me in the nose at half time to wake me up. There I was, bleeding a little, with tears in my eyes - no, not from pain, but from emotions and from letting my team down,” explains the former speedy running back and team workhorse.
“I went out and ran the second-half opening kick-off back for a touch-down, and we ended up winning the game. I had nothing but respect for Coach Radi. He could get the most out of a player, that is for sure.”
“The Berlin game sticks out most in my mind,” says former tackle, Harold Crawford of New Enterprise. “We played that game at home during Hurricane Hazel. And the fans sat in their cars (two- deep) around the outskirts of the field.
“And I’d like to proudly add that I scored two defensive touchdowns during that season too, on fumble recoveries. When a tackle scores a touchdown, it sticks with you forever,” Crawford says with an infectious grin.
“I remember that game in the hurricane too,” adds Joe Furry of New Enterprise. “They put sand on the field to try to help us with footing, but all I remember is that it got under our pads, and rubbed us raw. By the time the game was over, we had sores all over our bodies.
“ Coach Radi was the best coach around and a good man in general, states Furry. “He did a lot for me and for the team. He and Coach (Alan) Brace were good guys. We were very lucky to have two very good coaches.”
Ted Guyer of RD New Enterprise remembers Coach Radi very well too. “Robert Beach and I were the guards that year,” recalls Ted. “During one game, a play was sent in from the sideline but Robert changed it. He poked his head out of the huddle, and looked toward the bench and just waved it off with his hand. Our quarterback, Joe Kagarise called the play Beach wanted instead of Coach Radi’s. I can’t remember if the play worked or not, but I do remember Coach Radi being so mad, he kicked the water bucket with his foot and it went flying. We were a little afraid of him.
“He made us compete ‘all the time’ both during games and in practice,” explains Guyer. “It didn’t matter if it was during sprints, running plays, or practicing blocking and tackling, he made it competitive. And it helped us to be better players.”
Former-end, Ted Fletcher of Martinsburg recalls the playoff game against Beaverdale-Wilmore as one of his favorites. “That Beaverdale team was beating most teams by well over 40 points that year. If my memory is correct, they were favored over us in that playoff game too. Not that we were satisfied with a tie, but I was proud of the way we played that game. I will always remember it and the sloppy field conditions at Sidman. It was referred to as the Mud Bowl ever since.”
Other Maroon team members Bob Mountain, Willard Detterline and Richard Baker, all of New Enterprise agree with Fletcher – that the play-off game remains as one of their favorite memories.
“I remember tackling a player from Beaverdale and he broke his collar bone or ribs during the play,” admits Detterline. “I am a religious person by nature, and always wondered how bad the break was. I do know he had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.
“To this day, I still remember that.”
“I remember the rain and the mud,” says Baker, regarding the play-off game. And I thought we had the best coaches around,” he concludes.
“The rain, the mud, the fog and Henry ‘running out of gas’ while running down the field for the go-ahead touchdown stick with me about that game at Sidman,” says Mountain.
In regard to the coaching staff, “Brace was a little more easy-going than Radi,” adds Mountain. “Radi was strict because he had to be, but they were both very good coaches.”
A Common Thread: Each of the teammates interviewed this past week, had their own favorite game memory of that season. But a recurring theme resounded from most of them. “Drill, drill, drill, block, block, block, timing, timing, timing,” echoed Crawford and a number of others. “That was Radi’s way, and you did it Radi’s way, or you didn’t play. You couldn’t argue because it worked.”
“Henry was an outstanding player,” proclaims Guyer and most of the other teammates. “His 120 points, all touch-downs, in each of his last two seasons, was really some accomplishment.”
“That was 40 TD’s in two seasons. I don’t know if it was a record or not. I’ve tried to check that through the years,” adds Crawford with pride.
Humbly, Henry’s response is, “Just about anyone could run through the holes made by Crawford, Guyer and Beach. When I got the ball, the holes were there.”
Off Field Notes: Running back, Henry recalled an off-field memory too.
“Coach Radi was visiting his fiancé, Ann Hall one evening in Loysburg. Joe Kagarise and I got the idea to push his car down the road a ways from where it had been parked. Nothing was said about it until the next day after practice when Mr. Radi looked at Joe and I and told us to run two laps each. Joe started to run. I said ‘No, I quit’ instead.
Without so much as a rise in his voice, he said ‘suit yourself’ and walked away. I reconsidered, and ran them after thinking about it for a while. I’m glad I did.”
“I called Coach Radi a Communist one time while we were arguing,” admits Crawford. I also told him “my uncles were coming after him.”
“We patched things up though, and I ended up naming my son, Barry Andrew, in respect to Andrew Radi.”
____________________________________ LETTER AND PATCH - from Replogle - courtesy, Harold Crawford _______________________________________ Team members Robert Beach and Landon "Landy" Henry, with Coach Radi at the awards banquet in December, 1954 - New Enterprise, PA
photo: from the collection of Harold Crawford. |
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