The Grove Comet ~ 1969 ~ Final Copy ~ Section One ~ Page 6

   Football has been at Grove
since the school opened in 1907,
some 62 years ago. And although
many great football players have
practiced and played on the
gridiron of Ol' Grove High, pro-
bably two of the most noted
teams would have to be the first
team and the last team. There
have been many great teams
with better records than these
two teams, such as the 1949
team with Chick King, but these
two teams will remain in the
minds of Grove fans for their
determination to overcome many
tedious obsticles.
   The first team, called the
Grove Chill Tonics, was coached
by the principal of the school,
Rev. Clevis G. Chappell. This
team made a tremendous show-
ing all season long considering
the fact that the players were
small and that this was Grove's
first team ever fielded. The
Chill Tonics wound up the season
with a total of five wins and
two defeats, the biggest win be-
ing from McTyree of McKenzie,
45-5. Other teams played during
the season were Ogiivy of
Brownsville, Fitzgerald and
Clark of Trenton, and Cumber-
and City. The teams starting
line-up and subs are as follow-
ed:
LE Horace Elders   140 Ibs. •
LT Earl Morris   150 Ibs
LG Cat Williams   185 Ibs.
C Curtis Smith   160 Ibs.
RG Mark Stewart   175 Ibs.
RT Raymond Webb   175 Ibs.
RE MaconHill   120 Ibs.
QB George McSwain (capt.)
125 Ibs.
RH Cliff Hooper   140 Ibs.
LH Harold Grimes   175 Ibs.
FB Baxter Sweeney   165 Ibs.
Subtitutes: Ray Lawrence 130 lbs.
and Devereaux Kendall   140 lbs.

   Outstanding members of the
team were Captain George
McSwain, who despite his light
weight was never injured; Ray-
mond Webb, the life of the team;
and Baxter Sweeney, whose
brilliant play highlighted the
game at McKenzie.
   Games in those days weren't
quite what they are now. In-
stead of sitting in comfortable
bleachers, you'd be wandering
up and down the sidelines root-
ing for your team. If you
followed the team to McKenzie,
it was an all-day trip, instead of
a matter of minutes.
   The quarters and time were
about the same but the scoring
was a little different. A touch-
down was five points, and there
were't any extra points. Games
were played on Saturday after-
noons at 2:30, and there wasn't
any such thing as night football.
The plays were mainly power
plays. But if you couldn't go
through the middle, there was
always the sweeps. Passing
was a rariety. When plays were
called in the huddle, there was
someone crying: "Center the
ball to me and I'll run over
'em!"
   Again these men played under
very adverse conditions. At the
end of the season, Dr. Grove
sent a $100 check to pay for
debts in the season. As one
might notice, $100 would barely
suit out a present day player.
   But now let's get back to the
present day and to the
1968-69 Grove High Blue Devils.
Just as the Chill Tonics, this
team had to face the season
with a definite lack of size
and a considerable amount of
inexperience.
But when ever Grove teams will be talked about

in the later years, this Blue Devil
team will more than likely
enter into the conversation for
this team took no excuse for
lace of size or for the lack of
depth and continued to battle
opponents week after week with
the best football knowledge gives:
to them by their coach, Mr. Jim
Cullivan.
   The Devils record of 2-6-2 was
not very impressive on the re-
cord books but this record could
have very easily been 5-5 with
just a few breaks. Grove went
into several of the games they
lost losing only by a touchdown
or even tied in the fourth quarter,
but the lack of depth
would catch up with them.
   Two of the most impressive
games on the schedule would
have to be against arch-rivals
Huntington and Humboldt. The
Blue Devils were a 36 point
underdog to the powerful Hunt-
ington Mustangs only to have
the Phillies score a late touch-
down and tie them 7-7. It was a
tremendous game. Again in the
Humboldt game, as in the
Huntington game. Grove was
scored on late to go down to
defeat 7-6, as the Blue's P.A.T.
was wide.
The Devils also had numerous
injuries, but for the larger
part of the year, the line-up
went as follows:
LE Jim Cullivan   156 Ibs.
LT Jerry Price   165 Ibs.
LG Alan Harris   165 Ibs.
C Mac Doss   150 Ibs.
RG Doug Somerville   150 Ibs.
RT David Carpenter (capt.)
171 Ibs.
RE Johnny Davis   140 Ibs.
QB Pat Vogel   180 Ibs.
HB Gary Doyle   135 Ibs.
HB Bill Kriesly   165 Ibs.
FB Greg VanDvke   170 Ibs.