1958: 11 Man Football Champs

Word reached the Village that "Duffy" White and Betty Boeker were National Merit Scholar semi-finalists.

John Bell led Cambridge with 22 points as John Herbert's CCS basketball team won their fourth League game, 54-45 over Salem.

Then Argyle gave them a loss 62-41.

CCS got back on the winning track at the end of January with an over-time victory, 49-46, over Hoosic Valley.

The Walter Ganns purchased from the Delaware and Hudson Railroad all of the land from Main St. north along Broad St. to the Historical House, including the former railroad depot. The railroad kept occupancy rights on the building until May 1, 1958.

CCS that February boasted a 6-1 Washington County League record, following a 62-28 win over Greenwich. Players were John Bell, Dick Record, Bruce Wands, Dick Wulff, Al Keiski, Ivan Purdy, and Frank Cristaldi.

Then they downed Bennington Catholic 69-46. It made their season record 8-3.

Then they went on to down Fort Ann 61-54.

CCS downed Hartford 48-33. Then they blasted Salem 65-52.

Their record went to 10-1 in the League.

A late winter blizzard buried the community. Several feet of snow were blown into drifts by winds reaching 50 mph. Boy Scouts helped clear the fire hydrants, but the plows couldn't keep the sidewalks open.

Then the temperature dropped to 32 below. The Joe McCarty family of Cobleskill visited the James McCartys of Cambridge, then needed 12 hours to cover 18 miles.

In a non-league game, Hudson Falls downed the Indians 62-53.

The Feb. 27th issue of the WCP carried a picture and story on Betty Boeker, who was named a merit scholar in the National Merit Scholarship Contest. She was the first and to date the only local scholar to win such an award. Less than one half of one percent of the seniors in a state ever receive such an award.

And she was not yet done.

Then the Scots of Argyle did it again, downing CCS 43-37 for their second win of the season over the locals and locking up the County crown. A record crowd of l,000 over-flowed the local gym for the game.

CCS finished the season with a 77-70 win over Hoosic Valley, for a 10-2 league mark.

Members of the team were Dick Wulff, Joe O'Malley, Frank Cristaldi, Cliff Phillips, Tim Motsiff, Ivan Purdy, Dick Record, Larry Decker, John Bell, Bruce Wands, and Al Keiski. Dick Chase was manager, John Herbert coach and Merwin Nichols asst. coach.

In March, T.T. Buckley sold the Chas. A. McGhee, Inc. business to Graeme F. Parrish. Mr. Parrish ran it for years as The Cambridge Lumber Co.

That spring, things amongst local conservationist hunters and fishermen got sort of tense. Editor Cullinan introduced a column to lighten things up: "Uncle Jeb From Shushan".

Frank Fressie, local history teacher, was awarded a Fullbright to tour Europe during the summer.

The Masons sponsored their second annual dinner for the CCS basketball team.

CCS opened the baseball season with a 15-0 win over Hoosick Falls.

John Luke, a star shortstop for Plattsburgh College, joined the Plattsburgh Falcons as they entered the Quebec Senior Baseball League.

The Lions Club sponsored a banquet for CCS athletes.

The lead story in the May 1, 1958 issue of the WCP was that Betty Boeker had actually won a National Merit Scholarship. She is the only student in the history of Cambridge schools to have done so.

She took her undergraduate degree at Radcliffe and her Ph.D in bio-chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley. She became a research scientist and college professor, but died prematurely of cancer.

In that same issue Ken Wilbur and Charley Bowler announced that CCS was awakening with the rest of the Nation to the fact that America's schools lagged behind Russia in science. A new, more challenging and extensive program was to be implemented.

Charley Banner took the CCS band to Manchester for the Loyalty Day parade.

The John L. Hunts of Downington, Pa., purchased 500 acres of land on Mount Colfax. They also purchased the Martha McFarland homestead on Rt. 22 north of the Village.

The CCS baseball team downed Fort Ann 13-3 and Greenwich 11-4.

Added to the National Honor Society were Mary Lee Kent, Richard Evans, Ann Chase and Linda McMorris. They joined members Carol Brewer, Mary Ellen Watkins, Betty Boeker, Patricia Decker and Donald Murdoch.

Dr. Howard Romack, Dr. Seth Craig, George Morse, Gardner Cullinan and Robert Boeker left that May for St. Combs, Canada to fish. Numerous other locals headed for Maine or Canada for the same reason.

John Luke, a senior at Plattsburgh State, received 12 varsity college letters in his four years of competing in three varsity sports. His senior year he was chosen all New York State Soccor team goalie. His junior year he was captain of the baseball team. His senior year he was co-captain. He played shortstop and pitched.

The CCS baseball team of Coach Carson Fuller wound up tied for second in the League, as Al Keiski pitched a 5-3 win over Hoosic Valley.

Betty Boeker, the highest ranking scholar ever to graduate from Cambridge Central School, was neither the valedictorian or the salutatorian of her class. Those honors went to Mary Lee Kent and Carol Brewer, respectively.

Miss Boeker was deprived by Principal Bowler on the rationale that she only joined the class that year, by way of her extreme excellence in scholarship, having compressed her high school career into only three years. It wasn't thought "fair" to the other students for Miss Boeker to be so honored.

That June saw the largest class in CCS history graduate. Forty donned the mortar boards.

America's new emphasis on science brought Richard Ross to the CCS faculty. Peter Proud would succeed Charles Banner as band director.

Albert Brigham was hired to teach the one special education class, grades 7-12. This was a new program in the State.

James Leone became full-time elementary principal at CCS and Merwin Nichols became full-time guidance counselor.

Cloudless skies that July gave locals a view of the Russiona satellite "Sputnik" as it streaked across the sky.

The Cambridge Squaws softball team launches another season with victories over Granville and Hoosick Falls.

That Fall, CCS topped a thousand students, the actual enrollment being 1,028. Of these, 612 were K-6, 173 were 7-8 and 243 were 9-12.

Forty-five boys turned out for Coach Carson Fuller's CCS football team that fall.

The Cambridge Saddle Club planned its third gymkhana.

League bowling began at Cambridge Recreation. Boys could still work as pin boys.

Mr. Lylis made a statement that Board policy had always been not to make available the salaries of teachers. Mr. Coulter indicated that the information, was however, always available to the public.

The James King family purchased the Mabel Clark property on Main St. near the railroad. This would be their home, as well as allow expansion of their King Bakery business next door. Their new Main St. store was due for completion in early 1959. They also operated an annex in the White Swan Hotel building, Greenwich.

More than 300 parents attended the PTA meeting that September, to inspect the new addition to the central school.

BOE President Lylis outlined the effect of the new addition: Ten new classrooms, a new cafeteria, and storage.

The football season opened with a 20-7 win over West Rutland, but Alfred King was lost for the season. He broke his leg in practice.

Al Kieski, Dick Record, Dan Severson, Don Vitello, and Dick Wulff were stand-outs.

CCS then won its first League contest 21-0 over St. Peters.

This was followed by a 25-6 triumph over Greenwich.

Two new sets of bleachers went up on the east side of the football field. They were built by the Ag boys, supervised by Wally Roewer. The student council raised the funds for one set, and the FFA donated the cost of another.

CCS took another League win, 20-0 over Salem.

The tradition of the Old Oaken Bucket was begun in 1956. John Briggs of Cambridge gave the bucket in memory of his father, Frank C. Briggs, who was an outstanding athlete at Washington Academy in the early 1900s. It stayed with the school that won the most of the varsity contests between Salem and Cambridge. Cambridge won it 5-0 in 1956-57 and 2-1 in 1957-58.

The win over Salem put Cambridge in full possession of the League lead. Al Keiski passed to Bill Nygard for one score. Then Dick Wulff went up the middle 26 yards to the one and Keiski took it in.

A thirty yard "holiday" pass play, from Don Vitello to Record to Nygard put the ball on the Generals 7, from whence Wulff drove it over.

On defense, Butch Dering, Cliff Phillips, Dennis Ford, Jimmy Kazimes and Gary Brown were outstanding. Keiski, John Bell and Dave Lee stopped the passing.

Doris Elo was added part-time to the Central School to aleviate the 44 student per teacher situation in Kindergarten.

CCS won the Washington County League football championship that fall with a 25-0 win over Stillwater. The Indians were undefeated on the year.

This was the first 11 man football crown for the school since 1926. Cambridge was 4-0, followed by Salem at 3-1, Greenwich at 1-2-1, Stillwater at 1-3-0 and St. Peter's at 0-3-1.

A banquet honoring them was put together by the Holy Name Society of St. Patrick's Church. Dom Denio, varsity football coach at LaSalle Institute, was guest speaker. Dr. Joe Pender was Toastmaster.

In an editorial, Editor Cullinan lauded the boys: "It has been a long wait.... Many times before, just as it seemed that the championship was within reach, something always happened to put it off....

"This year takes us back to the days of Johnny Galloway, the galloping ghost, and his associates, who made football history at Cambridge during the middle 1920's."

Of course, it was made easier when CCS was able to drop out of the Saratoga-Washington League and compete primarily within the county.

The front page of the Nov. 6 issue was adorned by a large picture of the champs:

Carl Adams, James Ashton, Albert Baratto, George Bassett, John Bell, Terry Briggs, George Brimmer, Albert Broadhead, Gary Brown, Tom Canzeri, George Dering, Harold Dewey, Earl Douglas, Gerald Eddy, Nelson Eddy, Dennis Ford, James Kazimes, Alvin Keiski, Alfred King, Neal Laverty, Gerald LeBarron, David Lee, John Lylis, Alvin Macauley, Richard McLenithan, Matt Meagher, Chad Morse, Robert Nygard, Wm. Nygard, Carmen Olff, Dan Pemrick, Cliff Phillips, Wm. Potvin, Wm. Randles, Richard Record, Dan Severson, Mike Severson, Ken Stinner, John Ublacker, Don Vitello, Robert Wallace, Dan Wilkie and Richard Wulff.

They were coached by Carson Fuller. Maurice O'Connor was assistant. Fred Knapp, George Morse Jr. and Ivan Purdy Jr. were managers. Dr. William Manson, Jerome E. Wright and Joel Ketonen assisted with the team.

But theirs was not to be an undefeated season. In the final game of the season, a non-leaguer, they lost 27-19 to Bennington Catholic.

Bennington scored three times in a wild first quarter.

Nonetheless, more than 200 attended the banquet honoring them.

CCS seniors again conducted a successful halloween carnival.

Ray Eberle and his Serenade in Blue Orchestra appeared in Glens Falls. Eberle sang with the Glenn Miller band. He was from Hoosick Falls.

The CCS basketball team readied for an 18 game season, exclusively against Washington County League teams, as more schools were added.

The CCS basketballers won their first game, 57-45 over Hoosic Valley.

CCS went to 3-0 in the League with a 58-45 win over Stillwater. Dick Record and Ivan Purdy led the scoring attack. John Bell and Nygard controlled the boards.

Famed musician Sigurd Rascher of Shushan gave a Town Hall recital in NYCity. His 13 year old daughter Karin played with him.

The Cambridge Merchants basketball team entered the area league that winter. Players included Chuck and Jimmy Estramonte, Dick Dame, Ray Luke, Tony Cristaldi, John Buckley and Walt Headwell.

The December 25th issue carried a picture on the front page of the present Washington County gave itself, a new county office building, designed by Milton L. Crandell.

The Town of White Creek supervisor died in an auto accident that week. Amos D. Moscrip Jr. was killed instantly when he car left Rt. 22 about six miles above the Village at 10:30 Thursday night. He hit a utility pole.

Attorney George Morse was appointed by the Town Board to fill the remainder of the term.

CCS walloped Hartford 68-37. It was their fifth league contest without a loss. Joe O'Malley, Ivan Purdy and Dick Record led scoring.

Carson Fuller, chairman of the Cambridge Recreation Commission, hoped to have ice skating behind the Hubbard Annex (Union School), as well as games and dancing inside. Youth Commission members included Jerome Wright, George Chapin, Mrs. Donald Presler, Mrs. Henry Bates, John Hunt, Mrs. Andrew Bell, Charles Clark, Burton Woodward and Dr. James Lee.