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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 1956)
The Frontier SPORTS Jim Becker Lost for Grid Season Cards ’Giant - Killers’ in Friday Opener Coach Don Templemeyer’s St Mary's academy Cardinals will assume the role of giant killers Friday night when they go to Crofton Crofton has yet to be defeated gince that school began playing eight-man football two years ago The Knox countyans have racked up 18 consecutive victories. The Cardinals, entering their gtoond season of eight-man ball, will attempt to improve on last year’s 5-2 record. With returning regulars in Tom Schneider, Gene O’Neill, Jim Hickey and Jim Froehch, the Cards will offer a •‘fairly potent attack,” in the words of Templemeyer, but will truss such regulars as Jerry Schmidt, Tom Head, Ray Don ohoe, Larry Johnson and Matt' Hynes, who were lost via gradu- : at ion. The Cards suffered early sea *•11 blows via the crippling route. Jim Becker had a knee hanged from behind and is in St. Joseph’s hospital. Sioux City, recovering from eartilage snrgery. He will be lost for the grid season. I«irry Cleary is on the shelf be cause of hurts, and injuries are also expected to slow the run ning ability of Jerry McGinn and Bill Craig, both of whom are waging a lively battle for the left halfback position. McGinn has been out of action for a week due to some broken ribs, but expects to see action against Crofton. Craig is hampered by a gore back. The game is apt to feature a lively battle between Academy Halfback Tom Schneider and Crofton’s all-state Halfback Jer ry Steffen. Probable starting lineup for the Cards: Left end — Bruce Weier, left guard — Jim Enright, center — Gene O’Neill, right guard—Jim Hickey, right end—Jim Froelich, quarterback — Gary Holly, left half—Jerry McGinn, right half— Tom Schneider Also ticketed to see action are Larry Donohoe, center and guard; Bill Craig, halfback; Jim Mc Ginn, halfback and end. Pete Becker of Ashby arrived Monday to spend a few days at the H. J. Birmingham home. Hugh Coyne ... as referee awarded Leahy the bout.—The Frontier Photo. ■ • ... . . .. j.j. ' T* t ■ » ■ W W W -W W W m m m w - ^ l|“ I • £ •: STAINLESS STEEL | I! TABLE WARE ! Made by National Silver Co. X 24-Piece Service for Six f ! I Regular 8.95 $ ii Special Price_ 695 ! ;; With Four Extra | ii Serving Pieces__•.— 2.95 | | McIntosh Jewelry j j • Phone 166 O’Neill | Montana Jack Sullivan (left) forgot the smelling salts, ind Frank Leahy turned to foot ball.—I’hotos courtesy Walter O'Malley. LUCKY FOR FOOTBALL AND NOTRE DAME . . . Leahy’s Fight Career Ended in ’21 During the weekend, member newspapers of the International News' Service published a story by John Barrington, INS sports editor, that has stirred memories of O’Neillites: NEW YORK—Football almost lost one of its outstanding coaches, Frank Leahy, to the prize ring. The former Notre Dame mentor says he had pugilistic ambitions as a school boy at Winner, S.D.until, as a 16-year-old light heavyweight, he was matched at nearby O’Neill, Nebr., against a blacksmith named Silent Blaha. “He knocked me down six times in the first round.” Leahy recalls, “but I don’t remember anything after the first knockdown until I came to my senses again in my corner between rounds.” Leahy’s seconds were his brother and a former fighter, Montana Jack Sullivan. Leahy became dimly aware of his brother saying, “Give him the smelling salts.” . . . “Can’t,” replied Sullivan, “I left them at the hotel.” Leahy finally won when his opponent was disqualified for kicking him after knocking him down again. But Leahy’s ring career ended when he looked at his face in the mirror next morning. “I came to a decision,” he says. “I wasn’t cut out for a fighter.” And so it was football. Kehashing ot the Keany-uiana' - incident has centered around Hugh Coyne, O’Neill merchant, who was the referee. Coyne recalls the fight—a pre liminary three-rounder — was staged in a ring erected at the Noble lumber yard. “It was a first-class ring, too,” he remembers, and later was moved to the fairgrounds (in the northeast section of town) for outdoor fights. “About that time there was a series of boxing matches at the Knights of Columbus hall. “This card was sponsored by the KC’s and tne late Herbert Hammond fixed up the program. He had Ray Carter and Charley Young, Sioux City heavyweights, as the main event. Young was a Negro. Leahy, who was born in O’ Neill, was said to be something of a’ comer, so Herb matched him with this Sioux City fel low named Blaha. “In addition, there was another Tonight? Refreshingly yours f Yes—here it is! For you, tonight!—or right now! A tall, frosty Hamm’s Beer— with a hint of the enchanted land of sky blue waters captured in each sprightly drop. Reach for Hamm’s Beer—refreshingly yours! Theo. Hamm Brewing Co., St. Paul, Minn, and San Francisco, Calif. Mi.* KTWs.? * Hamms the BEER re freshing From the land of sty blue watersv preliminary in which two kids from Sioux City were matched against each other. It was in about 1921. “There had been some fouling in the first round of the Leahy Blaha bout.” Coyne remembers “I let it go, but in the second round I cautioned Blaha. “I think Frank is mistaken about being knocked down six times in the opening round. It seemed to me that Frank was doing quite a bit better than that. “Finally, in the third round. Blaha punched low and knocked Leahy down. I went over to Lea hy, raised him to his feet and raised his arm, signaling him as the technical victor. “There was a big crowd and everybody seemed to enjoy the whole program.” That was the eia when Jerry Vokoc, “the fighting Bohemian” from Verdigre, would crraw a full house in a boxing match, includ ing Knox countyans en masse Entertainment of another sort at that period included ‘ ghost lights” on the Niobrara river and a “monster” that roamed the Hay Springs country. The latter was a fabrication of a news writer from out that way who kept the nation on edge until the hoax was revealed. Ijeahy later went to Notre Dame, played football, turned to coaching, achieved success at Fordham and Boston (Mass.) college, and established a rare coaching record in recent years at Notre Dame. He has been in private business for the past three years and lives with his family at South Bend. His brother. Gene of Rushville, is a frequent O’Neill visitor. Montana Jack visited O'Neill hen he made his annual pil grimage to Nebraska. It's a fair guess his mail will be heavy from friends through out the country who have seen Barrington’s story. Reifert Preps Ewinsj for Start Tigers Put 16-Game String at Stake EWING—Coach Fritz Reifert has been tightening the screws this week in preparation for the Ewing high Tigers’ grid opener Friday, September 14, at Bassett. The game starts at 8 p.m. The Tigers posted an all - virtorius season a year ago. In fact the victory string extends for 16 consecutive games during the past two seasons. Reifert is working with an ex perienced backfield but the line is green and where the leaks will be is the big question. He has been working regularly with 33 candidates. Members of the squad are Gene Sisson, Paul Gunter, Don Wright, Larry Larson, Jerry Hahlbcck, Tom Koenig, Bob Tut tle, Lyle Larson, Bob Tams, Jack Sisson, Maurice Schindler, Den nis Scheer, Richard Williamson, LaVern Stamp, Sonny Carl. Ray Turner. Ronnie Hahlbeek, Francis Heumesser. David Wright, Ron nie Cloyd, Larry Rotherham, Bob Welke, Virgil Potter, Arthur Snyder, Duaine Bollwitt, Gary Eaeher, Jerry Jeff, Leon Hahl beck, Royce Wright, Lyle Potter, MiLtOn Biddlecome and Ronnie Thoendel. Schedule: Sept. 14—At Bassett. Sept. 21—Pilger, here. Sept. 28—Battle Creek, here. Oct. 5—At Atkinson. Oct. 12—Open. Oct. 19—Tilden. here. Oct. 23—At Stuart. Nov, 2 Newman Grove, here. Nov. 9—At Creighton. (All are night games, starting i at 8 o’clock.) O'Neill Rockets Gain Revenge at Bassett Gene Wolfe Hot in 15-6 Playoff In the second game of the North - Central day - and - night league two-out-of-three playoff series, the O’Neill Rockets plas tered the Bassett Towners. 15-6 The game was played Sunday af ternoon at Bassett. In the first playoff game, stag ed a week earlier at O’Neill, Bassett won it, 5-1, but O’Neill formally protested, charging that Bassett had used Marion Hicks as pitcher. League rules provide j a playoff pitcher must partici pate in 25 innings of season’s i play. Ilicks, according to manager Dick Tomlinson of the Rockets had appeared in only seven in nings. The 1 e a g u e hierarchy was slow to make a decision on the matter, so the Rockets went into game number two. Big gun in the O’Neill attack at Bassett was Gene Wolfe. In five trips to the plate he poked out a single, a double, a trfcgr and a homerun The circuit clout came with the bases loaded. Junior Adamson connected with two doubles and a single Third—and final game of the series was to be played W wines - day night at Atkinson -a neutral field. Summary: O’Neill 003 440 031 — 15 10 2 Bassett 100 000 500— 0 112 Batteries: O’Neill—Danny Hel mer. Larry Heiss and Junior Ad amson; Bassett — Larry Fischer and Doyle Dockens. Hammond Heads SMA Athletic Group George Hammond was elected president of the St Mary's Aca demy Athletic association at a meeting of the group Friday night Dr Edward M. Glee son was chosen vice - president; William Mat tern, secretary, and Arlen ("Shorty”) Miles, treasurer. Finances of the organization were discussed. Sunday and Monday Mr. and Mrs. L. M Merriman visited her sister and husband, Mr. aud Mrs. D. B. Lyons of Winner, S I). Millions' of tiny air bubbles cush ion your every step. Full wedgie cushion crepe sole . . . steel shank for extra support. SBORNE’g 421 E. Douglas — O’Neill “North-Central Nebraska’s Finest Shoe Store’’ ■S ih § tr6 o S Phone 93 — We Deliver FRESI^^^ PORK LIVER Lb. 23c CUDAHY SUMMER SAUSAGE Lb. 47c CUDAHY THICK-SLICED BACON 2-lb. pkg. 89c TENDER GROWN CHICKENS Lb. 39c rRFCI{ SIDE PORK Lb. 35c FRESH GROUND BEEF 3 lbs. $1 _ U. S. NO. I CALIFORNIA FLAME TOKAY ^ _ RED GRAPES.ulV U. S. NO. 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