NORWOOD S UNDEFEATED GRIDSTERS: will try for one more and the most important victory of the season in the annual Thanksgiving Day Classic with Dedham.
On the Norwood team are. left to right, front row, Abe Billingham. Bob Coyne, Tappy Venteroso Stony Valma. Guy Cisternelli, Joe Costello, and Danny Perednia. Back row, left to right Ed Praino, Ray Martin, Bill Lukawecki, and Tom my McGuff.
Co-Captain Lukawecki
Senior. Weighs 17b pounds and is 5 feet 9 inches talL Brilliant, hard running halfback. A talented marksman. Contender for all scholastic honors. Better known to his friends as Wacky Three letter man in all major sports, football, baskteball and baseball, playing each as well as the other. First to accomplish such a feat in the history of Norwood High athletics. Intends to join the Army Air Force as a flying cadet after graduation.
Co-Captain Edward Praino।
Senior Weighs 170 pounds and is 6 feet tall. An ideal blocking back and a rugged ball carrier A regular first baseman on the Murray nine. Aims to be a flying cadet in the Army Air Force.
Robert Coyne
Senior. Weight, 145 pounds, height 5 feet 8 inches. The lightest powerhouse in the front line. Has fulfilled his guard duties magnificently. Like Billingham, he enjoys tackling and blocking. Those who have witnessed the lad in action all agree he is another Louie Giampietro, one of the greatest guards Norwood has ever produced. Has seen more competition than any other teammate so his weight is no handicap. Put full time in five contests and is in rip-roaring shape for the holiday game. Also a potential flying cadet in the Amry Air Force.
Tom McGuff
Senior. Weighs 140 pounds and is five feet ten. Mastermind on the undefeated aggregation. Has a scientific brain in picking defenses apart» A fair blocker and a hard tackler. Army Air Force bound.
Abie Billingham
Senior. Weight, 160 pounds; height, 5 feet 10 inches. The greatest defensive flankman Murray has ever produced. Is an ardent terror when breaking up interference. It's nothing but pleasure for Abie to block and tackle. A brilliant hockey player and a three year golf captain. Expects to join the Naval Air Corps following graduation.
Guy Ciiternelli
Senior. Weight, 170 pounds, height, five feet nine inches. The spark plug in the cyclone forward wall. His consistent Herculean defensive performances have saved the Murray tribe more than once from defeat. Ranks among the great Norwood tackles of other years. His pleasant personality makes him one of the best liked individuals on the squads. Headed also for the Army Air Force, flying cadet.
Ray Martin
Senior Weighs 180 pounds and is 6 feet two. Au elusive ball carrier, an excellent kicker and a great passer. A demon on the defense, especially on aerial attacks. Has intercepted 10 passes so far, four for touchdowns. Is rated as one of the top triple-threat fullbacks in scholastic competition. Has lived up to all expectations । and deserves all the glory bestowed upon him. Is a three-letter man in baseball. Has his mind in the air as a flying cadet with the Army Air Force.
Octaviaus Venterose
Senior, Weight, 157 pounds, height, five feet, nine inches. Agile pivot man in the granite wall. Answers to the name of Tappy. Has uncanny ability to recover opponents' fumbles. Has recovered more fumbles than all his teammates put together Also a demon tackler and an excellent passer back. Is a regular on the basketball and baseball teams. After graduation, intends to sign up as a flying cadet in the Army Air Force.
John Valma
junior Weight 179 pounds; height 6 feet One of two juniors on the current eleven. Showing very little talent in opening contests, Valma has developed into & capable blocker and a potent tackler Refused competition in early season by doctors because of an injury obtained last year,.* his great love of the game finally won one doctors consent and at present John is In top-notch physical condition. Intends to give everything he's got for the sen- | tors Thursday morning in the traditional classic.
Joseph Costello
Senior. Weight 182 pounds and is five feet 8 inches tall. Holds down the tackle position like a veteran. The most improved player on the squad. Like Valma, had a slow start Very rugged on the defense and plays a better-than-average game on the offense. Is referred to by his pals as "Flippo.* Like the others, intends to join the Army Air Force as a flying cadet.
Danny Perednia
Junior Weight, 155 pounds; height, five feet nine. Classy, glue-fingered wingman. The only junior besides Valma on the first eleven. Speedy and also a deceptive pass snatcher His defensive playing is outstanding. With a year's experience in back of him, he should be all scholastic material next fall. Top candidate for captaincy.
Ben Murray And Heaphy Friends Of Long Standing
Staunch friends but avowed rivals on the gridiron—that's the story of Benny Murray and Jack Heaphy, coaches of the Norwood and Dedham teams. Long before they assumed their present coaching ob the two mentors were good friends and both had played Boston College teams.
Then in 1928, when Dedham fans were smarting under the ignominy of two consecutive defeats, Heaphy took hold of the coaching reins at Dedham and the friendly feud sprang up between the two coaches.
Grid clashes between Norwood and Dedham date back to November of 1920. During these 22 years, Norwood has won 11 games and Dedham has scored eight victories. Two of the games were tie affairs, and in 1940 the game was canceled because of snow. However, the personal rivalry between Murray and Heaphy stands seven to six in favor of the latter.
The year that Heaphy moved Inis the Dedham job he moulded together a team that handed Norwood a 6-0 setback. The following year Murray evened the series, and then Heaphy went Into the lead last year.
In points piled up during the long series Norwood holds a one-point edge, 171 to 170, but Heaphy is well ahead since he took up coaching at Dedham with 117 points to Norwood's 61 points.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)
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