Weekend game with friends brought up fond memories
Saturday afternoon, I traveled to Mendota to view the Trojans game with Geneseo. I was somewhat disappointed in the outcome of the game with the Maple Leafs winning 17-9.
I was accompanied on the trip with long time friends Jerry Belt and Vance Vaksdal. We were hoping Mendota would win, mainly because we were impressed with their win over Morris. We certainly did not have anything against Geneseo and their great program. It's funny how the season plays out, Morris beats Geneseo and looked great and at season's end, loses to Mendota and looks bad.
In sports each week it is like a new season. Mendota scored first and looked good, but missed the extra point. Geneseo blocked a punt deep in Mendota territory and fell on it for a touchdown. The Leafs kicked the point after and for all practical purposes, the game was over.
That blocked punt turned the game around for Geneseo. I told Jerry and Vance when watching warmups that the punter took a lot of time getting his punts off. They all agreed. Little did we know that this part of the game would be the turning point.
You should practice like you would play in the game, for timing purposes. It was, I believe, the first time in 22 years that Mendota advanced that far in the playoffs. After the public address announcer made the announcement and thanked the team, the Mendota crowd cheered and the players turned and held their helmets high to the home town gathering. A real nice gesture from an appreciative team.
Good luck to Geneseo in the semifinal game against Richmond Burton — the same team that
defeated Coal City in second round play. There was a lot of discussion of the possibility of Morris and Coal City playing in the semifinal round. That would have been fun, especially since I have many friends in Coal City. Who knows, the two teams could possibly be playing in
future years. It is ironic what goes round, comes around as the old saying goes.
From time to time, Jerry Belt and I talk about the days when we were in high school. We were both centers and linebackers for the Redskins. When we were freshman and would be at practice, some of the seniors, for example Jerry McTague, Jim Cryder, Bob Brayton and Gene (Buck) Sterritt would work with us. McTague would especially take time to show us how to tackle, block and other aspects of the game. Those seniors were like gods to us. Jerry McTague and Jim are still my friends to this day.
Jerry passed away some years ago and I still miss him. He helped me on football and basketball games when I was doing play
by play. He went with me when I did the state basketball finals and did my color calls on the games. He was good. Jerry was one of the best
football and basketball players to ever play at Morris High School. No one hit as hard as he did at his linebacker position. From the time we were in school right up to the time on the radio, I could expect a hard blow from him on my arm, as he was still trying to make me mean. I would not tangle with him.
His son Brian was a state wrestling champ for Morris. I will be doing an article on Brian in up coming weeks.
Jim Cryder was a legend in Morris football history. Morris as a team, for two straight years, led the state in scoring in the 1948 and 1949 seasons. Cyder was the state's second highest scoring player during the 1949 season. As a junior, Jim scored five touchdowns against Lemont, including a 99-yard punt return. Morris won 51-0.
Cryder scored three touchdowns against Gardner and carried the ball only four times. Morris won 55-0. Morris was in the Northeastern Conference; consisting of Gardner, Dwight, Mazon and Wilmington. It was the first year in this conference and was only in that conference for two years. Morris defeated Mazon 74-0 with Cryder scoring on 60-yard punt return. Roger Nelson scored three times (remember that name, another outstanding running back from years
gone by) and accounted for 27 points.
My father, Donald and Jim's dad Charlies worked together at the Morris Paper Mill. My dad would go fishing with Charlie and Jim. When they were not fishing or having a beer together
my Dad told me, Jim would swim in the Mississippi River and I remember my Dad saying he thought it was Johnny Wiesmueller (Tarzan) in the water. Jim was also a great swimmer.
When 1949 season rolled around, McTague and Buck Sterritt were named co-captains. Buck was a great center and place kicker for the Redskins. Someday I will announce my all-time Redskins team, and you count on McTague, Cryder, Brayton and Sterritt to be on that team, they were that good.
During his senior year (1949) Cryder scored 25 touchdowns and had 10 taken away due to penalties. Jim scored on runs of 40, 36 and 40 yards against Lemont. And the game people still talk about to this day, Morris defeated Gardner 121-0. Jim scored 10 touchdowns and 60 points for the game. Brayton scored four times and McTague tallied three times.
Morris beat Mazon 74-0, Cryder scored four times. People for years thought Morris was rubbing it in, however Leon "Sonny" Gant, a member of our freshman class scored in the game. Coach Swofford dressed some freshman and sophomores for a few varsity games.
Ironically, Cryder married a Gardner girl (Shirley) and she never heard the end of his scoring rampage.
Jim always told me that he had a hard time getting in and out of Gardner during those dating days.
How fast was Cryder? During the Morris and Kankakee game, the Redskins dropped a 14-7 decision, Jim caught a flat pass from Brayton and scampered 54 yards for the score. When Cryder caught the pass (I was a freshman and along the sidelines) he was being chased by a state sprint champion (Griffin, I believe his name was) and Jim left him in his dust ... pulling away on his way to the score. He could really move.
Jim and I always joked about his hunting. He always laughed when he was rabbit hunting, he never shot the animal, he would run along side of the rabbi , until the
rabbit dropped from exhaustion ... he never fired a shot. That, of course, is stretching the truth, but he could fly.
We all have heard about the great running backs from Morris: Mark Sharp, Doug Sharp, Jed Waters, Mark Bates, Leonard Butler, Justin Knapp, Randy Butler, Steve Lutz, Chuck Laird, Chris Zierman, John Varland, Naser Baftiri, Jeff Edwards, Mike Feeney, Roger Nelson
and, of course, the incomparable John Dergo to mention a few. Jim Cryder is right there with the very best of all time.
Just a reminder to the upper classmen, talk to and help the freshman, it really means a lot to them. We only had two or three coaches when I was in school, now they have more to spend time with the kids. I, for one, never forgot the seniors to this day for their interest in us.
Tony “The wonder Boy” Darin was 10 right and five wrong this week during the NFL picks. Nick “All Business” Vidito and Guest Bruce Van Duyne were 9/6. I was 8/7 and Don “Professor” Neushwander had a bad week at 7/8.
For the season, Nick and Tony are tied for first at 78/38, with Neush and I at 76/40 and the guest (one week short) at 68/35.
Philadelphia play the Bears Sunday night in Chicago. Which Cutler will show up?
