GREAT PA TEAMS: Lancaster High, 1964 @mccaskey_jpfb @McCaskeyCampus @JeffReinhart77
Tagged under: District 3, Great PA Teams, News
Hal Wilson | October 9, 2019
We are pleased to begin a series, Great PA Teams, by the great Hal Wilson, a long time contributor to PA High
School Football. Hal has written many stories in the past for PAFootballNews dating back to
our print days.
LANCASTER 1959
In the rich farming country of Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County, Lancaster High
School created a great football team in 1959. The perfect record Red and Black
Tornado roared through nine formidable opponents to win the Central Penn
Conference championship with a strong claim as the Keystone State’s best team.
Strong senior leadership combined with a talented junior class enabled Lancaster
to form a team that exuded confidence and competence.
Seniors Frank Hershey at quarterback, guard Paul Fedor and center George
Bechtold received All-State honors and led the way in game after game. Coach
Boyd Sponaugle headed a fine staff.
Six of the nine Tornado victories were shutouts as the Red and Black griddders
were effective on both sides of the ball.
Boyd Sponaugle was born in Franklin, Pendleton County, West Virginia, in 1913.
The family, including brother Woody, moved to Hershey, and Boyd became an
athletic star at Lebanon Valley College, outstanding in all four sports – football.
basketball, baseball and track; and graduating in 1936. He became a teacher and
coach, beginning in 1943 working under his brother at first Lancaster High
School and then Franklin & Marshall College. He became head football coach
at Lancaster in 1952, retiring in 1968.
Woody Sponaugle became a well-known coach, teacher and administrator for
years in Central Pennsylvania, serving as coach, instructor and finally Athletic
Director at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.
In 1962, the Sponaugle brothers were the co-winners of the Headliner Award,
given by the Lancaster Sportswriters and Sportscasters for outstanding
contributions to sports.
The 1959 Tornado season began with a contest with the frequent Chester County
athletic power Coatesville Red Raiders. Lancaster dominated and won 33-6,
Next came long-time foe Lebanon, a 19-6 victim, followed by the William Penn
Tigers of Harrisburg, who went home with their tails between their legs, a 26-0
loser. Hershey’s two touchdowns were a critical factor in this decisive triumph.
Throughout the season, Hershey’s roll-out runs to the right side were consistent
gainers.
The Conference schedule continued with faraway Williamsport, then completing
a decade long era of powerful teams. The Tornado took care of the Millionaires
28-14.
Against perennial power Steelton- Highspire, Ken Stoudt’s 51 yard run in the
fourth quarter assured the win – final score 13-0. At Reading, the Tornado won
a workman-like 28-0 decision. Facing Central Penn rival John Harris, three
touchdowns by Sandy Hill sparked the 20-0 victory.
In the season’s penultimate game, outside the Conference, Lancaster won 14-0
over Milton Hershey Industrial School. Concluding, Lancaster faced the York
Bearcats at McCaskey Stadium, and defeated the historic enemy 26-0.
The great Tornado starting lineup:
LE 88 Ron JOHNSON 6-1 180 JR
LT 37 Frank METZGER 6-1 203 JR
LG 84 Jim BRENDLE 5-9 185 JR
C 64 George BECHTOLD 6-0 175 SR
RG 62 Paul FEDOR 6-0 190 SR
RT 53 Frank GEIGER 6-2 195 SR
RE 36 Dave FLINCHBAUGH 5-10 180 SR
QB 41 Frank HERSHEY 6-1 180 SR
LH 30 Ken STOUDT 5-8 147 JR
RH 34 Sandy HILL 5-11 165 JR
FB 63 Dave MILLER 6-0 175 JR
At tackle, big junior 38 Charles MCFALLS 6-0 205 provided extra strength.
Hershey performed the punting chores.
Lancaster’s 1959 championship record:
33 COATESVILLE | 6 |
19 LEBANON | 6 |
26 HARRISBURG WILLIAM PENN | 0 |
28 WILLIAMSPORT | 14 |
13 STEELTON – HIGHSPIRE | 0 |
28 READING | 0 |
20 HARRISBURG JOHN HARRIS | 0 |
14 MILTON HERSHEY | 0 |
26 YORK | 0 |
Quarterback Frank Hershey went on to start in Penn State’s defensive backfield for
three years and handle punting.
In 1960, with a veteran team, the Tornado finished, 9-1-0, winning another Central
Penn Conference crown and losing only to Milton Hershey by 12-7.
Now seniors, Frank Metzger and Ken Stoudt won All-State honors.
Great PA Teams – Lancaster 1959 3
In Spring 1960, Lancaster’s track and field won team honors at the PIAA State
Championships.
Without doubt, Lancaster’s most illustrious track athlete is sprinter Barney Ewell.
In 1935, 1936 and 1937, Barney won seven gold medals at the PIAA State meet.
He won the 220 yard dash three times, and the 100 and long jump each twice
He set State records in the 100 – 9.7 and long jump – 22-9 ( then called the broad
jump ).
In 1940 and 1941 while at Penn State, Barney won the 100 and 220 at the NCAA
Championships.
Deprived of Olympic Games opportunities because of World War II, at London in
1948 at the age of 30, he won gold in the 4×100 meter relay and silver in tight
finishes at 100 and 200 meters. He had set a World Record of 10.2 in winning the
U.S.A. trials 100.
Lancaster’s Eddie Junghans lowered the PIAA State 100 record to 9.6 in 1938.
- P. McCaskey had been an educator and politician in Lancaster. When a new high
school campus was completed in 1938, it was named for him. Lancaster High School
athletic teams continued to play under the Lancaster name for many years. More
recently, the school has been referred to in interscholastic competition as McCaskey.
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