SPORTS HALL of FAME
2007 Legacy Award

The Heading in the 1951 Reflector said it all - "This Line Is Bound For Glory". The fact that this particular yearbook's theme was trains seemed appropriate. The use of the word "line" brought a double meaning, at least on the football page!

The 1950 football team, one of the Coach Fran Redmond's first teams was bound for glory. The Warriors steamrolled to victory in all seven games that autumn and only one of the games was even close.

Their cumulative 206 points scored on offense worked out to an average of just less than 30 points per game, while defensively, 68 points allowed meant less than 10 were allowed per game.

There were never more than two touchdowns scored against them, and in one game, versus Greene, they left no doubt in a 46-0 shutout. But their closest finish, the 13-12 squeaker at Walton on October 13, really defined their season

In that game, the deciding point was scored on a conversion run by John Lakin. And that play was made possible right after what looked like a desperation pass that seemed to be the Warriors' only hope. From the Sidney 40 yard line, quarterback Pete Knight let fly with a 60-yard bomb that Bill Walker caught behind the Walton defense and sped into the end zone to tie the game at 12. The decisive score came with less than three minutes remaining.

What may have also defined this team was what followed after the season was over. The community came together - much like it did with the 2005 State Championship Warriors - with a huge dinner at the Scintilla cafeteria. Opposing coaches and their team captains were even invited. The featured guest was the legendary Syracuse football coach Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder. Ben gave a talk about sportsmanship that night and congratulated the team and Coaches Redmond and Alan Drake. What a memorable night!

The Sports Hall of Fame committee felt strongly that the 1950 football team, and all of its supporters, proved the perfect example of the kind of group we wanted showcase with the first "Legacy Award". Congratulations guys! You really are #1.