Eagles Dominate 7th Annual All-Holt Team
LARRY CHACE
O’Neill, Halfback
WARREN SEGER
O’Neill, End
• 9
Dennis Brewster
Stuart, Quarterback
Garry Shermer
Atkinson, Guard
Donald Wewel
Stuart, Tackle
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DWAYNE DEV ALL
O’Neill, Center
DUANE ALTON
O’Neill, Guard
RONALD k
HAAKE ^
Chambers
Halfback (at left)
RICHARD GRAHAM
St. Mary’s, Halfback
r
I DUANE
■ BOOTH
I O Neill,
£ Fullback
KEITH GIBSON
Ewing, End
LYLE DAVIS, O'Neill, Tackle
1HL rKUN I IER S 1953 MYTHICAL
ALL-STAR GRID SELECTIONS
Player, School Pos. Gr. Wt. Hgt.
WARREN SEGER, O’Neill .End Sr. 165 5’ 10
KEITH GIBSON, Ewing _ ... End Jr. 185 5’11
LYLE DAVIS, O’Neill __Tackle Sr. 190 6’ 0
DONALD WEWEL, Staurt _Tackle Sr. 179 5’10
DUANE ALTON, O’Neill _Guard Jr. 164 5’11
GARRY SHERMER, Atkinson Guard Sr. 150 5’ 7
DWAYNE DEVALL, O’Neill ..Center Sr. 165 5’ 9
DENNIS BREWSTER, Stuart _Quarterback Sr. 150 5’10
•RICHARD GRAHAM, St. Mary’s .... Halfback Sr. 136 5’ 6
LARRY CHACE, O’Neill _. Halfback Sr. 150 5’ 9
•RONALD HAAKE, Chambers ... Halfback Sr. 175 5’10
DUANE BOOTH, O’Neill _ Fullback Sr. 185 5’ 8
•Represent six-man teams.
By a Staff Writer
The Frontier herewith presents
its seventh annual all-Holt coun
ty dream team picked from grid
ders from six high schools where
football is played. Dream teams
are fine and dandy but making
the final selections can be liken
ed to experiencing a rugged
nightmare.
How would you like to be a
prep coach and waken to find
Warren Seger of O’Neill and
Keith Gibson of Ewing for ends
and Lyle Davis of O’Neill and
Donald Wewel of Stuart ready for
the tackle slots? You’d need a
psychiatrist if you wouldn’t wel
come Duane Alton of O’Neill and
Garry Shermer of Atkinson for
euards and Dwayne DeVall of
O’Neill at center. To complete the
make-believe picture, how about
Dennis Brewster of Stuart at
quarterback; Richard Graham of
St. Mary’s, Larry Chace of O’
Neill, Ronald Haake of Cham
bers, halfbacks; Duane Booth of
O’Neill, fullback?
There they are—the cream of
Holt county’s 1953 grid crop!
O’Neill high school landed six
berths on the 1953 mythical team
'—four of the Eagles being repeat
ers from last year’s honor squad.
The Stuart Broncos, who gather
ed momentum as the season mov
ed along, placed two, while Ew
ing, Atkinson high, St. Mary’s
academy (O’Neill) and Chambers
placed one each.
For the first time since The
Frontier inaugurated the annual
all-star selections seven years
ago, a supernumerary (or 12th)
player has been added. Thus,
three halfbacks are listed instead
of two because of intense compe
tition for the halfback slots. Two
backs playing with six - man
teams performed brilliantly dur
ing the season, but neither of the
six-man teams (St. Mary’s acad
emy and Chambers) faced a Holt
county foe, hence it was difficult
for coaches to assess their abili
ty.
The placing of the lads be
came rather complicated, but
there are no apologies—no sir!
The Frontier’s all-star teams
are selected on the basis of bal
lets and recommendations from
the coaches, superintendents and
game officials.
Ten of the berths went to sen
iors and two to juniors. For the
first time in several years no
sophomores or freshmen are rep
resented although O’Neill’s Du
ane Alton, a repeater, made the
team last year when a sophomore.
O’Neill’s Seger, Stuart’s Brew
ster and O’Neill’s Booth were
near-unanimous choices. Ewing’s
Gibson, a hardrunning back and
the Tiger’s high scorer during
the just-ended season, was a
unanimous backfield choice
among the voters who saw him
in action. Gibson, a junior, was
given an end berth to make room
in the backfield where competi
tion was rough.
Gibson was considered versa
tile enough to make a good end,
anyway. He belongs on the all
! star team, no doubt about it, but
for convenience he’s listed as an
end.
If it could be said competition
was lacking anywhere, it would
be one of the end spots. Seger of
O’Neill has had one wing sewed
up since last year, but balloting
for the other wing was scattered.
Thus, moving Gibson into the
post makes sense.
Stuart's big Wewel. who
played in the backfield of
fensively and moved into a line
position on defense, was given
a tackle spot because he was a
popular candidate for the team
and room had to be made some
where for him.
Picking mythical teams is no
easy task, at best, but these 12
boys being presented in The
Frontier’s 1953 all-star edition
would cheer any coach’s heart in
norlh-Nebraska prep circles. All
the requisites of a topflight prep
football team are wrapped up in
these 12 boys. There’s offensive
power, speed, blocking, passing
and kicking ability; defensively,
these selectees can account well
for themselves on any high school
gridiron in these parts.
A berth on the team is accom
panied by publicity in The Fron
tier and on the “Voice of The
Frontier” radio program, and is
a coveted honor in the various
schools.
Thumbnails on the honorees:
SEGER—Here’s a boy who, if
he continues to improve and
grow, will be a welcomed addi
tion to a university’s grid camp.
Seger is a hard charger, good
tackier, always was an offensive
threat because of his ability to
break clear and catch passes in
the enemy’s secondary. He could
be depended upon to get down
field right now when the Eagles
were obliged to punt and he
caught the eye of all oposing
coaches and players alike. Seger
also excels in track as a dis
tance runner. He is a repeat se
lection, one of the best college
prospects in north-Nebraska.
GIBSON—An 185-pound bruis
er, a junior, Gibson was Ewing’s
sparkplug throughout the season.
He’s a natural back but for rea
sons explained above he is placed
at a wing position. Gibson scored
four touchdowns for the Tigers
during their just so-so season
while playing at fullback. He was
a good, consistent blocker and
earned respect from Ewing op
ponents even when the Tigers
were absorbing a licking.
DAVIS—Another repeater, Da
vis for the second straight season
was a mainstay in the O’Neill
i line. He stood out best, perhaps,
defensively, and enjoyed a full
share of the credit for O’Neill’s
unbeaten season in 1952 and the
Eagle’s 1953 season, which in
cluded five wrins, two ties and
one defeat. Hard, bruising tack
ier.
WEWEL—A back on offense
and a lineman on defense, Wewel
was a durable, tough competitor
for the Stuart team, which start
ed slow after dismal play dur
ing recent seasons. Big, powerful,
he consistently broke through to
stop opponents’ plays before
they got underway and was a
crisp blocker.
ALTON— Another repeater.
Again this season he played his
heart out for the Eagles, tackled
well, charged hard and was a
good morale factor for the team.
He has another season of compe
tition.
SHERMER—A modest 150
pounder for the tough guard
position, Shermer was a depend
able, consistent player and serv
ed as captain for the green Atkin
son Balers who had an unim
pressive season. Shermer was
pressed for the position by his
own teammate, Jack Osborne,
end also by Robert Hoffman of
Stuart.
DEVALL—A dependable snap
per, DeVall blossomed as a sen
ior, never delivered a bad pass
from center, upheld the center
cf the O’Neill line very well and
could be depended upon to help
clear avenues for Booth’s payoff
plunges. Jim Tangeman of Cham
bers, Joseph Obermire of Stuart
and Mike London of St. Mary’s
pressed him for the honors.
BREWSTER—Everybody liked
Brewster’s output, his bailhandl
ing and field conduct and to him
goes the quarterback slot. He can
pass, kick, tackle, block, carry
and run a ball team. He sparked
the resurging Stuart Broncos,
who turned in late-season vic
tories over Atkinson, Ewing and
Springview and tied Valentine.
| He is a deadly tackier.
GRAHAM—His nickname is
Dick but should be changed to
Junior because he’s the smallest
guy on the honor list — 135
pounds, 5’6”. Unfortunately, St.
Mary’s Cardinals had a miserable
season because of numerous in
juries, and Graham lacked the
upfront cooperation so vital for
a back. Still he played iron man
ball, in several games was tjie
Cards’ whole offensive spark and
found it convenient to make half
the tackles, coming up from sec
ondary. He passes well and is
strictly a scat-back of the six
man variety. Graham never com
peted against a Holt county foe.
CHACE—Another scat, Chace
is probably the swiftest lad on
the honor team. He played for
Atkinson high before transfer
ring to O’Neill for his junior and
senior seasons. Chace was always
a threat as an open-field runner
and could follow interference
well. He overhauled from behind
enemy carriers and denied O’
Neill opponents no few TD’s.
HAAKE—Hard-running ’ back,
Haake was Chambers’ high scor
er and led his mates to a share
in the six-man Sandhills Gate
way conference crown. He never
competed against a. Holt - tedm,
therefore most coaches found it
difficult to evaluate his ability.
But officials liked his play and
ability and he successfully crowd
ed into the charm circle. Block
ed well, tackled hard, good ball
handler. He played halfback for
Ihe Coyotes.
BOOTH—Opponents up-and
down the line regarded this boy
Booth as the key to O’Neill’s
team. In short, the analyists fig
ured if they could plug Booth
they could hold O’Neill. The rec»
ord' shows O’Neill lost only one
game during the two seasons
Booth was running from the full
back spot. Although the analyists
may have had it figured correct
lv, Booth couldn’t be stopped.
For variety, Booth occasionally
would reel off 50- and 70-yard
gallops which testified to the fact
he was eauallv hard to stop in
the open. Excellent place-kicker,
good punter, good line-backer
Booth has enjoved a fine grid
reputation at O’Neill high and
will be keenly missed next year.
★ ★ ★
MORE SPORTS
on Page 20
INCLUDING ALL-STAR
TEAM HONORABLE
MENTION
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