1948 LANSDALE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM
UNDEFEATED BUX-MONT CHAMPIONS (11-0)
The second undefeated Football Team of Lansdale High School to be inducted into the North Penn Alumni Athletic Association Hall of Fame is the 1948 team – undefeated (11-0) and untied in the Bux-Mont League. (The first undefeated and untied team was the amazing 1937 Football Team, 8-0, which was inducted in 2005. The 1939 Co-Champs Football Team was undefeated with 2 ties – 6-0-2.)
Leading up to the 1948 season, Lansdale High School football teams had very successful seasons. From 1942-1947, these teams compiled a record of 39-10-2 in the Bux-Mont League under Head Coach Ken Poust. In fact, after seventeen years of competing in the Bux-Mont League, Lansdale High School had the highest percentage of any Bux-Mont League Team – 98-29-6, or .772 – beating out Ambler High School by .040!
On offense, the 1948 Team ran out of the Short Punt, sometimes called the A-Formation because of the basic alignment of the backs.
LANSDALE HIGH SCHOOL – FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – 1948
|
Score |
||
|
Lansdale |
Opponent |
|
|
Slatington |
33 |
6 |
|
Berwyn |
19 |
12 |
|
Sell-Perk |
48 |
0 |
|
Springfield |
27 |
20 |
|
Hatboro |
45 |
0 |
|
Jenkintown |
46 |
6 |
|
Upper Moreland |
40 |
0 |
|
Quakertown |
20 |
0 |
|
Souderton |
47 |
7 |
|
Ambler |
14 |
6 |
|
Doylestown |
20 |
7 |
NOTES OF THE 1948 SEASON:
- In nine games, Lansdale High School held opponents to one touchdown or less (4 shut-outs).
- In five games, Lansdale High School scored 40 or more points.
- LHS came from behind in four games and went on to win.
The following excerpts from The North Penn Reporter Football Game Write-Up, by Harry J. Schmieg:
Nearly 5,500 Turkey Day pigskin adherents saw the mighty Huskies concentrate all their power into twelve thrilling minutes of the third quarter, Jim Curley scoring 20 points to come from behind to win 20-7.
The answer to Curley and Dick Albright’s success was the aggressive play of the center of the Maroon Line: Co-Captain Bill Fretz, Bud Leach, Pete Fischer, Hen Albertson and Hall Leight. The offense rushed for 17 first downs and a 300 yard net gain.
Scribe’s Notes on Huskey-Hornet Duel, by Ted Williams:
When the first half ended with Doylestown leading 7-0, finger nails were being consumed in the Lansdale stands like ham sandwiches at a picnic.
Then the Maroon bulldozers went to work and moved the Hornets off the premises. The Maroon line operated like a Panzer Division during the last twenty-eight minutes. Bam – bang – and biff.
The old “flying wedge” on the kickoff has been banned for years. If any of the rules-makers were present yesterday, you may expect a prohibition of the “Poust wedge” as employed to rip an enemy line to shreds. The “Poust-wedge” isn’t illegal. It’s simply downright destructive.
Said Dobbie Weaver: “The power our kids displayed in the second half reminded me of our 1928 team. Ken Poust built a tremendous machine this year. And the spirit of the boys all season was in the old Maroon tradition.”
Lansdale had so many standouts in the comeback drive that it is difficult to name them all. Nolen, Curley, Howard and Joe Reimers, Bill Fretz, Dick Albright (whose long gallop on the first play from scrimmage in the second half sparked the comeback), Hen Albertson, Hal Leight, Pete Fischer, Steve Moyer – name all the Huskies who had a hand in the resurgence and you won’t go wrong in picking the stars.
As usual, the game was cleanly waged throughout. There wasn’t a single untoward incident, and after the final whistle there was copious hand-shaking all around. Don McCarty, Doylestown’s fine end, raced over to the Lansdale bench to congratulate Poust, prompting the Lansdale coach to comment later: “That was one of the finest expressions of good will I’ve ever seen.”
POST-1948 FOOTBALL SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Coaches Select Bux-Mont Stars
Coaches representing the ten member schools of the Bux-Mont Football conference today released All-Star teams, and also a list of boys for honorable mention.
Lansdale High, undefeated and untied champion of 1948, placed four players – three linemen and one back – on the first team. They are: TOM NOLEN, end; HAL LEIGHT, tackle; BILL FRETZ, guard, and DICK ALBRIGHT, back. Two other Huskies were named to the second eleven, as follows: JOE REIMERS, end, and GEORGE LEACH, CENTER.
Albright Honored
Dick Albright, Lansdale High School halfback, has been given honorable mention on the 1948 Philadelphia District, All-Scholastic football team, which was announced yesterday.
Albright, who scored ninety-eight points in nine Bux-mont Scholastic Conference games, is the second Lansdale High athlete to have attained honor rating on the district team in two years, Frank Malack, a Husky guard, having been named last season.
Maroon and Mirrors Take Co. Scoring Honors
The Lansdale High School football team took top honors in the county by the individual performances of Dick Albright and Tom Nolen. Albright pulled in 98 points while Nolen grabbed 89. Dick scored 16 touchdowns and 2 extra points, while the alert end tallied 10 touchdowns and 29 extra points. Lansdale won all their eleven games this past season.
1948 LANSDALE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM
1948 UNDEFEATED – UNTIED (11-0) LANSDALE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM
DECEASED MEMBERS
Henry Albertson – T
Frank Nicolino – HB
Jim Curley – QB
Mike Purri – FB
Richard Kriebel – T
Howard Reimers – HB
Rob Lauchmen – G
Ken Schmidt – Mgr.
Clayton Meyers – T
Charles Smith – E
Harvey Wambold