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GREAT PA TEAMS: Lancaster High, 1964 @mccaskey_jpfb @McCaskeyCampus @JeffReinhart77

Tagged under: District 3, Great PA Teams, News

| 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.

 

  1. 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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