Ilion High School - Class of 1951

Herkimer Evening Telegram - June 1, 1951

Trophies Given Ilion Athletes At Big Event

Article 8

Trophies Given Ilion Athletes At Big Event

Ilion - Close to 175 persons attended the annual Block I Banquet last night at the Ilion High School gymnasium, as the school's senior letter-winning athletes received trophies contributed by the Varsity Club.

The modern gymnasium was an appropriate setting for the dinner honoring the athletes, and when District Attorney Albert Schneider expressed his thanks to the PTA and Varsity Club, the guests responded with enthusiastic applause. Schneider introduced Dr. Earl Watkins, school superintendent; Joseph Baker, principal, and Owen Jones, president of the Varsity Club, who congratulated the boys and wished them luck. After the speakers, the girls' cheering squad demonstrated a school cheer, and the coaches stepped forward to present the awards.

Football Awards

Football coach Leo Grygiel presented trophies to Lester Short, Jim Parker, Ray Jones, Stan Ford, Robert Warren, Tom Pierce, John Smith, Jim Noffer, Chris Monahan, Jack Kennell and Frank Manion. Baseball coach Joe Sorge gave awards to Charles Earle, Robert Reese, John Rey and Robert Lyman; and basketball coach Al Williams handed trophies to William Morton, Dave Parsons, Bob Roberts and P. Kennell. Track coach Art Coons presented awards to Kenneth Durgel, Bob Voelchar, Ted Allston, William Hall, Fred Turner and Charles Squires.

Les Dye, director of freshman athletics at Syracuse University, was guest speaker. A native of Wellsville and a star football player for Syracuse, Dye was a member of the Washington Redskins in 1944 and 1945, and played 56 of the full 60 minutes in the championship game of 1945, against the Cleveland Rams.

Dye Tells Stories

Dye fascinated his audience with football anecdotes and stories about the world of sports, but became serious when he spoke about the graduating athletes, "You boys have learned," he said, "that you've got to play the game according to the rules. Now you'll learn that you've got to play the game of life according to the rules the laws of his country, and the wishes of your employers. And sports shows us the way of democracy - it is democracy because it shows that a poor boy has an equal chance to become great."

Dye asked that the athletes continue to make every effort toward self-betterment, and stated that "I hope these boys go on to college. It's just as easy to aim high and go after what you've aimed for, then to aim low and just sit back and take what comes."

After Dye's talk, the program was ended with a full-color movie of a Syracuse-Colgate football game.

Mrs. Kenneth Faulkner, PTA president, was general chairman of the group. Mrs. Mary Murphy was chairman of the kitchen committee, which included Mrs. Raymond Jones, Mrs. Francis Gollegly, Mrs. Jeannette Earl and Mrs. Raymond Morton.

Mrs. Pryse Smith was chairman of the dining room committee, which included Mrs. Loomis, Mrs. Pierce, Mrs. Hendricks, Mrs. Kennell, Mrs. Cormia, Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Hitchcock and Mrs. Damon.