Haha, let's see how everyone's memory is. The first game I remember attending was Upper Moreland vs. Lower Moreland in 1971, lol. I had to be at games earlier but this is the first one I can remember for some odd reason.
Can you remember the 1st HS game you attended
- Thread starter 16th&Georgetown
- Start date
SJP-Gloucester Catholic and then SJP-Roman Catholic, 1959.
I was just starting school--school, not high school--and my much older brother was playing for SJP, which at the time (1956-62) was not in the Catholic League.
I was just starting school--school, not high school--and my much older brother was playing for SJP, which at the time (1956-62) was not in the Catholic League.
Wow that's impressive. I also remember being at the Easton Phillipsburg Thanksgiving Day game in 1971.
16th..
Wow.. this is a great question... my first HS game was Lansdale Catholic V Exter in 1973 when LC was still part of the old Inter-county league..our CYO coach took us to the game. They played at the old North Penn HS which became Penndale Middle School when the new NP opened up...after the game we thought we were cool and snuck into the after game dance.. little did wee know that anyone that paid the $1 could get in (they just thought we were small freshman LOL...) spent the night sitting in the back of the gym calling each other chicken for not asking an "older" girl to dance..most likely if we did and one said yes.. we would have ran out the door..
Thanks for bringing back some old memories
Wow.. this is a great question... my first HS game was Lansdale Catholic V Exter in 1973 when LC was still part of the old Inter-county league..our CYO coach took us to the game. They played at the old North Penn HS which became Penndale Middle School when the new NP opened up...after the game we thought we were cool and snuck into the after game dance.. little did wee know that anyone that paid the $1 could get in (they just thought we were small freshman LOL...) spent the night sitting in the back of the gym calling each other chicken for not asking an "older" girl to dance..most likely if we did and one said yes.. we would have ran out the door..
Thanks for bringing back some old memories
Bishop McDevitt/Reading Central Catholic 1959. My brother was McDevitts first QB after transferring from Cardinal Dougherty . It may have been 1958 ,but damn if I can remember clearly.
Marple Newtown High School football games in 1979. I dont remember specific first game but I remember them losing to Conestoga on Thanksgiving maybe even losing the Central league title. I was 5 and we had to watch the game outside of the gate. The game was like a mud bowl and we had to leave early probably because of Thanksgiving festivities. I remember being extremely disappointed because they were going to lose. Fell in love with the sport and began playing pound ball the next year. Those were the days!!!
Downingtown-Coatesville Thanksgiving circa '71-72. Coatesville had Abel Joe who was like a man playing against boys, Downingtown had some good players, Paul Nicholson, Paul Givler and (I think) a young Jackie Helm at QB. I remember as a little delinquent back then, we would wait until the band started playing the national anthem and when all the cops were at attention saluting the flag, we'd be climbing the fence right behind them to sneak in without paying - hey $.75 was alot of money for a 9-10 yr old at that time.
1973 La Salle-Wood. Always remember a banner of an axe hitting a piece of wood with the slogan "Chop Wood". Always thought that was clever!!
Neshaminy Redskins versus the Bishop Egan Eagles circa 1961 or 1962.
I was 7 or 8 and with my Dad and his buddy who lived down the street. We lived in the Neshaminy school district and despite that my father, at that time, was a nominal 'Skins fan his friend was a pretty vocal Egan follower even though the school was just a few years old (he was a supervisor with US Steel at its Fairless Works and had been transferred from the Pittsburgh area where he had grown up -- he was seriously into the game at all levels, high school, college and pro).
I can vividly recall the ride over with my Dad behind the wheel of his 1958 two-door Pontiac Star Chief Catalina -- two tone in blue and white -- what I'd give to have that ride right now! And besides the car, I can still hear the banter between Frank (my father's pal) and him as including the words "Petercuskie" and "Bedesem" and then also "Schuh" (the "Horse" played his last season in 1960 - hmmm, maybe it was 1960).
The game recollection is really just a blur of noise (for some reason the sound of those long plastic horns people would use in those days is what stands out -- but I also recall the wooden stands as the concrete stadium wasn't put in place until the 1963 season).
A more vivid memory than the game itself, though, was that afterward we walked over to the locker rooms in Gym 1 (to take it all in). As it was, 'Skins players were still chatting and walking around the gym area in their game pants, t-shirts and socks and I'm sure my jaw was wide open for as far as I could tell back then they were all 25-year old men and most certainly, "giants".
Needless to say, the experience made quite an impression and I was immediately sold on Neshaminy football (the Philadelphia Eagles player "dolls" and "stuff" about the Birds, as I had on pinned to my bulletin board, soon enough made room for Redskins' banners and game program covers).
What a great question/topic which brought back fond memories of great fun and wonderful times over the years that followed as it seemed every Fall season Friday night was spent at the "The Ridge".
I wonder, did Barbara Streisand get it right when she sang:
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we
I'd do it all over again in a heart beat!!!!
One last thing: Go East, beat West!!
I was 7 or 8 and with my Dad and his buddy who lived down the street. We lived in the Neshaminy school district and despite that my father, at that time, was a nominal 'Skins fan his friend was a pretty vocal Egan follower even though the school was just a few years old (he was a supervisor with US Steel at its Fairless Works and had been transferred from the Pittsburgh area where he had grown up -- he was seriously into the game at all levels, high school, college and pro).
I can vividly recall the ride over with my Dad behind the wheel of his 1958 two-door Pontiac Star Chief Catalina -- two tone in blue and white -- what I'd give to have that ride right now! And besides the car, I can still hear the banter between Frank (my father's pal) and him as including the words "Petercuskie" and "Bedesem" and then also "Schuh" (the "Horse" played his last season in 1960 - hmmm, maybe it was 1960).
The game recollection is really just a blur of noise (for some reason the sound of those long plastic horns people would use in those days is what stands out -- but I also recall the wooden stands as the concrete stadium wasn't put in place until the 1963 season).
A more vivid memory than the game itself, though, was that afterward we walked over to the locker rooms in Gym 1 (to take it all in). As it was, 'Skins players were still chatting and walking around the gym area in their game pants, t-shirts and socks and I'm sure my jaw was wide open for as far as I could tell back then they were all 25-year old men and most certainly, "giants".
Needless to say, the experience made quite an impression and I was immediately sold on Neshaminy football (the Philadelphia Eagles player "dolls" and "stuff" about the Birds, as I had on pinned to my bulletin board, soon enough made room for Redskins' banners and game program covers).
What a great question/topic which brought back fond memories of great fun and wonderful times over the years that followed as it seemed every Fall season Friday night was spent at the "The Ridge".
I wonder, did Barbara Streisand get it right when she sang:
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we
I'd do it all over again in a heart beat!!!!
One last thing: Go East, beat West!!
My early high school games go back to the late 1940's. Roman vs St Joseph's on Thanksgiving, one year at Shibe Park and another at Finnessey Field. Also the city championship games at Franklin Field in 1947 & 1948. West Catholic was in both.
16th.. this is a great thread... thanks for getting it started..it brings back some great memories ..
Thanks and I thought I was old, lol. Great to see so many old timers still with the passion for high school football. My dad dragged me to sometimes 2 or 3 games every weekend, didn't matter who was playing. Always remember the smell of cigarette smoke wafting through the stands and all the bats swooping bugs up around the lights.
Green, you are so right. Great games for sure!
I also remember LC playing at what is now Penndale too as someone said earlier in the thread.
The old fields were great at pennridge, Souderton quakertown as you used to sit so close to the field. Now the 6 or 8 la e tracks are used as a separator.
I was at a few North Penn games at Penndale too. I even remember going to a couple of Wissahickon games at their old stadium in the middle of Ambler.
Very early 50's, two teams in red and white on a Saturday afternoon playing just off Montgomery Ave.
Saw the game going on from the back seat of my fathers Nash Rambler and begged them to stop.
Mom forced my dad to pull over and we went in. All I remember was the long walk from the street to the stands across an open field. Once in the stands, I remember all the hoopla, cheerleaders, bands and people cheering like crazy. Extremely cool!
Years later, I came to realize I was privileged to be attending on of the oldest rivalries in high school history.
RADNOR vs Lower Merion!
Played out for well over 100 plus years.
As an old man, I helped coach at RADNOR, and walked the same long field and stood in the same stands as I did over 50 years before.
Very lucky Lower Merion never removed that stadium.
Saw the game going on from the back seat of my fathers Nash Rambler and begged them to stop.
Mom forced my dad to pull over and we went in. All I remember was the long walk from the street to the stands across an open field. Once in the stands, I remember all the hoopla, cheerleaders, bands and people cheering like crazy. Extremely cool!
Years later, I came to realize I was privileged to be attending on of the oldest rivalries in high school history.
RADNOR vs Lower Merion!
Played out for well over 100 plus years.
As an old man, I helped coach at RADNOR, and walked the same long field and stood in the same stands as I did over 50 years before.
Very lucky Lower Merion never removed that stadium.
My uncle Bill Carlin was a half back for Roman in I believe the 47 game vs West Catholic.
1974 Bonner played Roman on some old dusty field in Philadelphia. My cousin was an All Catholic middle linebacker at Monsignor Bonner. Saw many Coatesville games that same year at the old stadium "Scott Field". We were new to Coatesville from Delco and everybody went to the games on Saturday back then.
1957, Thanksgiving Day. West Pittston versus Exeter. Neither school exists today. Both are part of the Wyoming Area School District, in Luzerne County.
Great thread 16th & G..
I believe it was ~10 y.o., c.1970, my Dad took me to the Thanksgiving Day game of Upper Merion-Norristown. Those games drew massive crowds during the '70's. Norristown's Roosevelt Field was a big stadium. Don't remember much of the game, not even sure who's field we were at, think I was just trying to stay warm!!
That rivalvy was really starting to heat up. Fran Murphy (UM) and John Servino (N) were the coaches at the time. This was pre-Baker/Thomas ('71-'73?) era at Upper Merion who shattereed all the PA passsing/receiving records at the time. Coach Murphy, a dear family friend, went onto Mont. Co. HOF career.
I believe it was ~10 y.o., c.1970, my Dad took me to the Thanksgiving Day game of Upper Merion-Norristown. Those games drew massive crowds during the '70's. Norristown's Roosevelt Field was a big stadium. Don't remember much of the game, not even sure who's field we were at, think I was just trying to stay warm!!
That rivalvy was really starting to heat up. Fran Murphy (UM) and John Servino (N) were the coaches at the time. This was pre-Baker/Thomas ('71-'73?) era at Upper Merion who shattereed all the PA passsing/receiving records at the time. Coach Murphy, a dear family friend, went onto Mont. Co. HOF career.
I think......78...my Red Raiders vs Pottstown in the old Chestmont. Cost a dollar at Scott Field. Everybody seemed so big to me as a 9th grader! At the time, the stands were so segregated....but, it was and has over time made my hometown what it is. I love Coatesville, by in large, the kids all get along !!!!