Photo a stroll down memory lane for Greencastle grads

Friday, September 10, 2010
Members of the GHS football team pictured above are, front from left, end Chuck Beiber, tackle Dave Fritzsinger, guard Tom Daugherty, center Don Austin, guard Fred Unsworth, tackle John Bridges, end Jim Hughes; middle, quarterback Jim Braden; back, halfback Chuck Saathoff, fullback Bob Bridges and halfback Charlie Pingleton. Anyone with corrections to this list or information about the team may contact Jared Jernagan at 653-5151 ext. 21 or jjernagan@bannergraphic.com. Courtesy photo

GREENCASTLE -- The Banner Graphic has received two responses to a recent article with the attached picture of a Greencastle football team from the 1950s.

While all the players appear to be identified correctly, a year indicated was apparently incorrect.

Chuck Saathoff, who is one of the starting halfbacks in the picture, originally responded saying the photo was from the 1955 team.

Saathoff also said the picture was taken at the original Greencastle High School Football Field, which was located on the land that is now the high school parking lot. GHS played its home games at this location until Robert Harbison Stadium was constructed in the 1980s.

Prior to the building of the field (which actually predated the current high school by several years), Saathoff said GHS played its home games at DePauw in the afternoon, as Blackstock Stadium has no lights.

Saathoff said he believed the first year of the GHS field was the 1953 season.

However, 1957 GHS alumna Maxine Williams wrote saying the photo was from 1954, as seniors Chuck Bieber, Tom Daugherty, Don Austin, Jim Hughes and Saathoff graduated in 1955, making the football season the fall of 1954.

Williams cited information from the high school's 1955 "Minaret," calling the 1954 "best season yet" of the five since football was reintroduced at GHS after World War II.

The team went 4-4-1 under coach Al Nowak and assistant coach John Stinson. Opposing teams were Mitchell, Bloomington, Plainfield, Martinsville, Delphi, Lebanon, Terre Haute Schulte, Crawfordsville and Brazil.

She added there were a total of 29 players that season.

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