Laurie and I had a busy weekend to say the least. It all started on Friday afternoon . . .
Westlake Warriors (6-0)
at
Newbury Park (4-1-1)
Westlake entered the game with a perfect record and a high flying offense that was averaging about 43 points per game. We would have to play well to have a chance to win.
Downing a Jonas Mello Punt
at the 10 yard line!
Panthers' Defense
Swarming to the Ball
Broken Up Pass by the Panthers
After one quarter we were trailing 0-7 but playing tough.
Jonas Mello slugging out some of
his hard earned 87 rushing yards
Fierce Competition
Unfortunately we were not
efficient passing the ball
At the half, we were now trailing 0-13 but were still in the battle.
Interception by Connor Williams
We, unfortunately,
missed two Field Goals
Shane Sipes KO Return
At the end of the third quarter, it was still Westlake 13 - Newbury Park 6.
BIG PLAY
Dawson Schmidt Breaks Up a Pass
Kyle Popok Sparks the Team
Kyle would complete two Fake Punt passes that covered a combined 47 yards and kept two of our drives alive in the second half.
Austin Young making a GREAT Catch
on another pass from Kyle Popok
Touchdown Jonas Mello!!!
After missing the PAT, we trailed 6-13 with about 8 minutes left in the game. We had the chance that we wanted!
Then, for two minutes and 22 seconds the proverbial wheels came off.
One on One Coverage
A 64 yard TD bomb, a weird looking unblocked 4 yard punt that was returned for a TD by a Westlake lineman and a long snap over our punter's head on the next punt for a 27 yard loss quickly let the game escape our grasp.
Final Score:
Westlake (7-0) 34 - Newbury Park (4-2-1) 6
As soon as our game was over, Laurie and I got into the car for the one hour drive to St. Francis H.S. in La Cañada-Flintridge for a special night, the 50 Year Reunion of our 1963 (12-1) and 1964 (13-0) C.I.F. "AAA" Championship American football teams!
Friedman Field
The field at St. Francis is named in honor of our coach back in those days, the legendary Jack Friedman.
The Golden Knights (6-0) were hosting the Cathedral Phantoms (5-1).
Approximately 30 of our teammates showed up either at the game on Friday or at the Dinner on Saturday to celebrate and relive our "Golden Knight Days."
LB Bill Stafford
Back Row: OT Bill Wade and me
Front Row: DT Pete Glynn and
RB Terry Terrazone
Humbling Halftime Tribute
Not sure who the fellow on the far left is,
RB Terry Newlin, QB Dennis Flagg, E Richard Peters, DT Pete Glynn and DE Chris Bavasi
QB/K Joe Curtis, OT Bill Wade, C Ellis Fluet,
OG David Bruneau, me, OG Jim Hogan
St Francis would go on to defeat Cathedral 31-21, thus running their record to a spotless 7-0.
After the game we would go on to Pasadena's Courtyard Marriott to continue reliving the past and catching up with friends.
Saturday night we would convene for a reunion dinner in Arcadia at Matt Denny's Ale House Restaurant to swap more tall tales.
OG David Bruneau, OT John Prchal, OG Jim Hogan, WR/FS Jim Brewer and RB Laurie Kraus
Not sure who's wife that is on the far left,
DE Chris Bavasi, OG David Bruneau, me, RB Laurie Kraus, OT John Prchal and OG Bob Eisle
With RB Terry Newlin
Terry was the C.I.F. "AAA-AA" Player of the Year in 1964. He would later be both a teammate and hilarious roommate of mine at the University of Washington.
With OT Bill Wade
Bill would be my roommate soon after graduating from the UW in my case and USC in Bill's. We lived in Santa Monica together while he attended UCLA's Law School and I was working on my Master's degree also at UCLA at night while teaching at L.A.'s Washington H.S.
What a great weekend of reminiscing!!!
Still . . . FIFTY YEARS! . . . REALLY???
