Great PA Teams: New Castle 1932
Tagged under: District 7, Great PA Teams, News
Billy Splain | July 25, 2024
NEW CASTLE 1932
When the 1932 scholastic football season came to a close, veteran WPIAL football observers considered the unbeaten, untied New Castle juggernaut the finest team the vast league had yet seen. The newly-named Red Hurricane ran roughshod over eleven opponents, including perennial Pennsylvania power Altoona, and two of the toughest teams in the newly-formed WPIAL Class AA, Turtle Creek and McKeesport. The legendary Phil Bridenbaugh and his assistants molded a superior squad from the veterans of an injury ravaged 1931 team and several sophomores who were to become three year- standouts at New Castle.
At the end of the 1932 regular season, New Castle, Jeannette and McKeesport had qualified for WPIAL title consideration, and the WPIAL football committee, not wanting a multi-game playoff, awarded a AA tri-championship.
To provide some perspective, McKeesport had been tied by New Kensington, a team trounced by New Castle, 32-7, but a protest over use of an alleged ineligible player was upheld by the WPIAL. In a strange turn of events, McKeesport then agreed to play a post-season game at New Castle. Since the game was apparently outside WPIAL sanction, the star New Castle guard, Mike DeCarbo, and the ace McKeesport quarterback, Johnny Kovacevich, both declared ineligible late in the season, having reached their 20th birthdays, were reinstated for this contest.
In the game itself, the Red Hurricane won decisively, 20-0, with fast senior halfback Johnny Uram closing his stellar career with two short touchdowns, and DeCarbo, end Ron Thomas, and sophomore tackles Fred and Alec Shellogg dominating the line of scrimmage. McKeesport never seriously threatened after halfback Andy Jakomas returned an interception to the New Castle 21 and the Hurricane held at the 19.
In rolling through the regular season, New Castle had beaten rival Washington, and overcame tough Altoona who later lost the Central Conference East-West playoff to Harrisburg William Penn.
Unbeaten New Kensington had been a slight favorite over the Hurricane, but after the Kensters had tied the score at seven in the first quarter, New Castle turned the game into a rout. On Thanksgiving Day, ambitious Turtle Creek was sent home an 18-0 loser, as Patsy James’ 100 yard interception return after Turtle Creek had reached the seven supplied the exclamation point. James also scored on a pass from Whitey Nickum and Walter Kominic got into the end zone on a short plunge.
Tommy Rambo was the field general for this powerhouse while Nickum and Johnny Uram were swift halfbacks and Kominic a strong fullback. Senior DeCarbo and sophomores Walter Raskowski and brothers Fred and Alec Shellogg were strong on both sides of the ball. Three ‘Canes were named to the All-WPIAL first team – DeCarbo, Uram and Kominic.
New Castle marched on in 1933 with another juggernaut that might have been as good as the 1932 squad. Eleven foes were beaten – only Charleroi and Butler provided stiff opposition.
A key 1933 contest arose with the tenth game when the Scott Bulldogs from Toledo came to Taggart Stadium. The Ohioans had been nationally known for 15 years and had made a trip to the West Coast after their 1922 season. This game was never close as New Castle buried Scott, 37-0. Halfback Charles James scored four touchdown and gained 187 yards. When the game mercifully ended, Scott coach Rettig had nothing but praise for New Castle and its great team.
Again, Raskowski and the Shellogg brothers led the line while Nickum and Kominic were great backs. Fred Shellogg, Raskowski, Nickum and Kominic won All-WPIAL honors.
The Hurricane were named sole WPIAL AA champions when Greensburg refused a playoff for the crown.
New Castle won a third consecutive AA title in 1934. The victory string reached 26 before an opportunistic Johnstown team dumped the Red Hurricane, 13-0. Johnstown was then a member of the Western side of the Central Conference, a huge league that rivalled the WPIAL in size. With the members of the new Big 15 Conference leaving the Central, Johnstown and Altoona joined the WPIAL in 1937.
New Kensington and the Hurricane had played to a scoreless tie earlier and, with unbeaten AA records, were matched in a 1934 AA title game. After a delay of several days, New Kensington decided that it didn’t want to play and the crown went to New Castle again.
Alec Shellogg had moved to fullback, and brother Fred and Raskowski were the stalwarts up front, as the three completed their New Castle careers with three WPIAL championships.
Phil Bridenbaugh was one of the greatest coaches in Pennsylvania history. He was the New Castle gridiron mastermind for 34 years, 1922-1955. His teams won seven WPIAL championships. He never lost a championship game. Nine of his teams were undefeated. Bridenbaugh’s overall record was 265 victories, 64 losses and 25 ties. 174 wins were shutouts. He instilled self-discipline and pride and taught his squads the value of hard work. His vaunted single-wing attack was feared by opponents.
Bridenbaugh attended high school in Altoona for just one year before moving on to Franklin & Marshall Academy. At F & M College, he was a four-sport star, playing football quarterback and captaining a successful team in his senior season. He first coached at Oberlin College in Ohio, then worked at Kiski Prep, Beaver Falls and Geneva
College, before coming to New Castle in 1922. His 1924 team, led by all-time New Castle star Ralph “Scooter” Day, won the 1924 WPIAL title.
The mighty 1932 Red Hurricanes’ starters:
E 10 Ron Thomas 5-7 155
T 30 Fred Shellogg 6-1 190
G 24 Walter Raskowski 5-11 175
C 21 William Duff 5-11 160
G 22 Mike Decarbo 5-11 170
T 28 Alec Shellogg 6-0 180
E 25 Rocco Tomalello 5-10 160
Q 11 Tommy Rambo 5-8 155
H 20 Charles “Whitey” Nickum 5-10 160
H 12 Johnny Uram 5-8 155
F 17 Walter Kominic 5-10 175
Big fullback 23 Joe KOLODJESKI alternated with Kominic until suffering a broken leg in the Charleroi game. 18 Patsy JAMES and 9 Freddie LANE helped at halfback.
New Castle’s 1933 perfect lineup:
E 5 Charles Fleming 6-0 180
T 58 Alec Shellogg 6-0 185
G 55 Walt Raskowski 5-11 180
C 56 Joe Howley 5-9 160
G 30 Lou Sorto 5-9 165
T 59 Fred Shellogg 6-1 195
E 33 Jack Hitchens 5-10 160
Q 44 Archie Ridley 5-10 160
B 49 Charles “Whitey” Nickum 5-10 165
B 40 Freddie Lane 5-7 145
37 Charles James 5-9 165
B 57 Walt Kominic 5-10 180
The stellar 1932 season schedule:
27 Union Township 0
50 Mckees Rocks 6
25 Charleroi 0
55 Coraopolis 0
21 Washington 0
41 Ellwood City 0
13 Altoona 0
32 New Kensington 7
21 Youngstown Ohio South 7
18 Turtle Creek 0
Post Season
20 Mckeesport 0
Following the McKeesport game, New Castle challenged Harrisburg William Penn to a final “state championship” game. William Penn quickly refused the offer.
The 1933 Hurricane encore:
26 Braddock 0
41 Ellwood City 0
14 Charleroi 6
35 Union Township 0
13 Washington 0
26 Turtle Creek 7
20 Youngstown Ohio Chaney 0
13 New Kensington 0
13 Butler 0
37 Toledo Ohio Scott 0
39 Sharon 0
After another great season, there was talk of a post-season contest. Miami High in Florida, considered the Southern champion, was mentioned but nothing materialized.
The contribution of Bob Vosburg, retired Sports and Managing Editor of the New Castle News, to this article is acknowledged and appreciated.
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