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"Rodney Joins the Team" There were high hopes for the '72-73 season, as the team would once again be coached by the venerable Gene Brett, a well-respected, seasoned leader. Mr. Brett's staff included some outstanding coaches, such as Mr. Moore (no one messed with his linemen), and Messrs. Blizzard, Burns, and Michniewicz. Our X-factor was young Gene Brett, who scouted our upcoming opponents and scared us to death that every team that we were about to play was the incarnation of the champion Green Bay Packers of yesteryear. A key reason as to why the year held promise was that the team would be welcoming back proven St. John's players, such as Mike Cannon, Dave Kraynik, Wilbur Henry, Tony Pannullo, Bob Welsh, and Jimmy Matysik. Things really became interesting, however, when long-time R.A.A. players, such as John Morrone, Tom Kenny, and Frank D'Amore, decided to make the switch to join the St. John's team. One could only imagine how good we could have been had other R.A.A. players, such as Steve Hartsough, John Muir, Tom Walsh, and John Manning decided to join us--we may have won every game by 50 points! This all became moot, however, when Rodney Basketbill walked onto the practice field one night. Rodney immediately transformed us from a very good team to one that became a favorite to win the championship. His amazing combination of speed, power, and elusiveness was simply too much for anyone to handle. After several scrimmages and many long practices, we were ready to play our first game. |
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"Look Out League--Here We Come!!!" It didn't take very long to establish our dominance! Early in the game, Rodney broke off tackle, turned the corner, and 80 yards later was in the end zone with our first score of the year. He had quite a day, as he scored three touchdowns and showed everyone that we were going to be a real force in the league. Mount Carmel never even sniffed the end zone, as our defense played some inspired ball. Rangy Vince D'Imperio recorded several sacks from his defensive end spot and generally created havoc all day. Linebacker Ed Kelly hit everyone who moved and fired us up with his passion. One win in the books--five games to go. |
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"The Line Shines" A big, early season test for us. Gene Brett, Jr.'s scouting report on Jimmy Murphy led us to believe that he was the second coming of Jimmy Brown! He proved to be a tough player and ultimately demonstrated that he was the second best player in the league, behind Rodney, of course. We led from the outset, as Rodney once again found pay dirt after a long, twisting run. Our offensive line played a huge role in the game, too. Led by center Mike Cannon, who anchored the line, we dominated in the trenches. Dave Kraynik was a fearless blocker and cleared many a path for Rodney and Tony Pannullo, who also scored that day. Vince D'Imperio, Wilbur Henry, Bob Welsh, 7th grader Jimmy Burns, Ed Kelly, Kevin Gavin, and reserves Calvin Blombaum and Mark Morelli also filled out our formidable line. The word was now out--St. John's would be tough to beat! |
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"Nobody Could Stop Us" The game of the year! St. Philip's was our 8th grade nemesis, as it would be the school that stopped us from winning the basketball championship later that year. This marked the only time all year that we not only trailed in a game, but actually were losing at halftime (13-7). St. Philip's was led by Chris Boudreau, who would later be an All-Suburban One wide receiver for Plymouth Whitemarsh and a first team All-Ivy standout at Princeton. Following a fiery speech by Coach Brett, we came out on fire in the second half. St. Philip's made the mistake of keying too heavily on Rodney and Tony Pannullo made them pay with a punishing run up the middle for a touchdown that tied the game. Tony was an unsung hero all year, as he played in Rodney's wide shadow. Tony was one tough football player and was a key to our season. John Morrone later caught a pass tossed by Tommy Kenny and pushed us into the lead. A crushing goal line tackle by Wilbur Henry and a late touchdown run by Rodney sealed the biggest win of the year! |
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"Jim Matysik's Big Day" Rack up another big win for the boys, as we had really hit our stride. One of the many strengths of the team was its phenomenal depth, as we had an impressive number of outstanding players on our roster. This was the day that Jimmy Matysik shined the brightest, as he caught two touchdown passes tossed by Frank D'Amore and showed everyone just how good he was. One of the touchdowns was a short pass that Jimmy turned into a long romp, as he spun, twisted, and sprinted his way into the end zone. Wilbur Henry had a memorable extra point kick that he booted through the goal posts, over a fence, and onto a distant track--it would have been good from 40 yards! We were now 4-0 and well on our way to a championship. |
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"Playing In the Rain" This was the type of game that young men dream about: sliding around in the mud while you are crushing your opposition. In a game that would have never been played today, we did battle with St. Genevieve's in a driving rain storm that intensified throughout the game. The rout was on early as Rodney scampered to two quick touchdowns, while Wilbur rambled into the end zone for the score that put the game away for good. One of the funniest moments of the season unfolded late in the game, as 7th grader Tommy Bowman was in at QB and was leading our team to a late score. Tommy dove forward, at midfield, for a first down, oblivious to the fact that he was entering a veritable lake that had formed on the field. Tommy looked like the creature from the Black Lagoon as he glanced at the sideline with mud caked over his face mask and water gushing out of his ear holes. A laugher of a game ended with a chuckle for all. The rain didn't obscure a key development--the win clinched the championship for our team. Our last challenge was to finish the season undefeated. |
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"We're Number One!!!!" Young Gene Brett did his best motivational job of the year, as he convinced us that one of our opponents, Bob Kviklys, a 6'1", 185 pound man-child, was a combination of King Kong, Godzilla, and Dick Butkus. Wilbur Henry showed Kviklys who was boss, as he flattened Bob on the first play of the game; Mike Cannon, Dave Kraynik, and Bob Welsh also smacked him around like a pinata the rest of the game. We buried Good Counsel, in our biggest rout of the year, as we not only shut them out, but put 40 points on the board. This was a chance for everyone to contribute, and they did, as Tom Jennings, Chris Norwood, and Chuck Shields had very strong games. As the clock wound down, we all recalled the long, hot practices in August and the challenging season that we had endured. We had done what no other St. John's team had ever even approached: an undefeated, untied championship! The magnitude of our accomplishment was simply stunning, as the aggregate score for the season was: St. John's 219, Opponents 40. A championship for Mr. Brett and our coaches and a memory for all of us that would live with us forever! |
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All Star Game One of the biggest challenges of the year was making the All Star team. The reason for that is that we had the most talented team in the league; as such, there were quite a few players on our team who deserved to make the team, and would have if they had gone to other schools, but just missed making the squad. Rodney Basketbill, Tony Pannullo, Vince D'Imperio, Bob Welsh, Jim Matysik, and John Morrone were voted onto the team; Frank D'Amore, Wilbur Henry, and Jim Burns were added as alternates. |
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As we all surely have learned throughout the years, perfection is an elusive goal and rarely attained. We achieved perfection in the Fall of 1972 as our football team had accomplished what no other had in the history of St. John's. Although no one went on to play in the NFL, each one of us built on the memories of that magical season, as we had something that could never be taken away from us: being part of a team that not only rocked the league, but was one that played, laughed, and won together--every single time. We would forever be champions! |
