September 11, 2024 By Geri Duff
The seven young men sitting in the front row are seniors. The rest of the thirty-two team members are a mix of lower classmen. In 1943 the football team had a season of four wins, two ties and one loss. When you stop for a minute and think that this was in the middle of WWII, they had a good season. Many of these boys were also in the Rescue and Demolition Squad, First Aid and Fire Defense groups that were a part high school life then and many enlisted in the armed forces after graduation.
Named left to right in each row are: Back Row: Robert VanDerzee, E. Gordon, V. Nosiglia, G. Merrill, S. Eloranta, H. Doe, W. Sousa, N. Barry. Third Row: J. Adams, T. Kelly, J. Carson, E. Roher, E. Keenan, W. Russell, J. Flaherty, L. Costa E. Gordon. Second Row: O. Beck, P. O’Neil, C. Condito, George Barber, R. Antoine, J. Cohen, W. Handrahan, A. Allum; Mr. Web, Advisor. Seated: C. Ward, L. Bjorklund, R. Baron, H. Vafides, Mr. Cronin, Advisor; R, Barilaro, L. Coccimiglio, H. Hall. This picture is from the 1943 Hingham Highway yearbook.
Way back Wednesday went way back for me. In 1947 my brother and I attended Coach Cronin’s summer camp. Lennie Bjorklund was a counselor. John Webb hired me in 1964 to teach English at Hingham High where I worked for 48 years. Sons and daughters of several players I had in class.