Valley Girl Views: Watsontown High School Football

Watsontown Football, 1900

"Watsontown players had their colors lowered on Saturday, in two games with Milton teams. The senior team went to Milton and fell down to their old rivals by a score of 10 to 0. The High School team of Milton played the junior team at this place and succeeded in defeating our boys by a score of 10 to 6. Of court there is the usual amount of kicking about unfair treatment, but it is hoped that both clubs and rooters ae satisfied now and will nurse their troubles until next season." - November 1900

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1924

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1926

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September 1926 - Fred Crawford had his nose broken in the Milton-Watsontown football game at Milton.

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1927

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1927 Watsontown Football

Front, L-R: Bob Mack, Albert Gauger, Foster Huffman, Irvin Berger, Carrol Mack, Robert Raup.
Second Row: Roy Dieffenbach, Harold Willet, Daniel Aunkst, William Cronrath, Bob Bryson.
Third Row: Jim Montgomery, Dick Klapp, P. Dickerman, Louis Hester, Charles Royer, Albert Wright.
Back Row: William Schooley, Harry Prowant, Harold Martin, George McNath, Cloyd Hartranft, Coach Kenneth Preisler.

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1928

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In 1928, there was no team, due to lack of interest. Which makes the above 1928 photo a little confusing.. but I think the above photo is the 1927-28 team?

Soccer was played on the field at Watsontown Park for a number of years, before football returned.

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1947

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1947 - Watsontown vs Trevorton at Watsontown

"According to reports today from Watsontown, the entire community Is on edge for the Huskies' first game. A street parade was held this afternoon and hundreds of students and townspeople marched through the community, led by the school band.

The Bricktown Huskies, under the tutelage of Coaches Jimmy Cotner and Bob Hontz, are a veteran outfit, diet Makin or Myron Hoffman will begin at left end, with Bill Taylor at the right terminal post. Watsontown tackles will probably be Gene Hartranft and Leroy Everitt. Fred Wesner and Harold Crawford will pair off at guards. Bert Wert- man will be at center. An all-veteran backfield will include Allen Leech, left-handed pass-ser who will be at the quarterback Slot. Paul Harmon and Dick Bryson, both seniors, will begin at the halfback positions, and Raymond Nuss or Gene Hoffman will be fullback."

At the game against Trevorton, Watsontown Park the Band

1947 - Watsontown vs Trevorton at Watsontown

Watsontown Beats Zerbe Team 26-0

Red Devil's Bow Before Heavy Huskies

In Lid-Prying Game of 1947 Campaign

"Weakness against a slick passing attack executed by a well-drilled and heavy high school football team was fatal Saturday, to Trevorton High School Red Devils, who lost to the Huskies by a 26-0 score in a game played in the brick manufacturing community.

Watsontown tallied a touchdown in every period. and added a point after the first and final score. Every touchdown was directly or indirectly the result of a forward pass from the team's star left halfback. Harman. Watsontown ran up a total nine first downs, seven of them a result of passes, and the other two by scrimmage.

Trevorton tallied two first downs by scrimmage. Watsontown kicked off to Trevorton, but the Red Devils were forced to kick back after failing to gain. After scoring four yards on two plays, Bryson ran around right end for 26 yards, placing the ball Trevorton's four -yard line. Leech fumbled on Trevorton's one-yard strip, and Fred Snyder recovered. After two successive fumbles, both recovered by Trevorton players.

Thew punted to Harman, who carried the ball to Trevorton's 11. Nuss gained a yard through the line, then a pass Harman to Taylor was good for several yards. Harman ran around right end for the touchdown. Nuss added the extra point on a drop kick. After an exchange of punts Trevorton took the ball on its own 32- yard line as the first period ended.

The Red Devils carried the ball the 49, where a 15-yard penalty was inflicted for holding. Thew punted to Watsontown at the Watsontown's 49, but the receiver fumbled and punted to the Watsontown 30-yard Trevorton recovered. Thew, again line. Bryson lost eight yards in an attempt to run off left tackle. Harman gained 10 yards around left end, a pass from Harman to Taylor was good for 16 yards, and a second pass, Harman to Hoffman, piaced the ball on Trevorton's three-yard line.

Harman skirted right end for the second touchdown, but the play was called back when both teams were offside. On the next play Harman passed to Taylor for the score. Nuss' attempt to drop kick the extra point failed. Watsontown failed to dent Trevorton's line at the start of the second half, and again started to use passes. Several minutes after the half opened, and after Trevorton punted out of danger, Harman made two passes to Taylor which were good for more than 50 yards and a touchdown.

Nuss again failed to make the extra point on a drop kick. Trevorton carried the ball into Watsontown territory in the final frame, but lacked the punch to advance further than the 35 yard marker. Thew punted to Watsontown at the Watsontown 37, from which point the Huskies started another aerial march which led to the fourth touchdown. A pass Harman to Taylor from Trevorton's 38-vard line produced the fourth score. Nuss added the extra point on a drop kick.

The Red Devils' line played a real defensive game by not allowing one first down through the forward wall. Offensively the line appeared weak as did the backfield. *Coach Frank Vottero said today that he would drill his boys strenuously this week on execution of plays and a defense against forward passes, in order to be ready for Saturday's tough assignment against Northumberland High School"

Orange & Blue - December 19, 1947:

"Watsontown wins West Branch Championship"

Watsontown shares the honor with Canton to be the first team to win the newly organized "West Branch Championship." The Huskies won seven games, losing one to Canton in the early part of the season.

Canton had to share the honor with Watsontown when Mifflinburg beat Canton for the last game of the season. Watsontown can all thank Mifflinburg for that favor.

Both Canton and Watsontown will receive trophies which will be given by Harder's Sporting Goods Store. The same store will give gold footballs to all the members of both teams.

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1948

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1948

Home games for Watsontown were played at the Watsontown Park, through the early 1950s.

In April of 1959, "most of the roadblocks have been cleared" for the new athletic plant at the Warrior Run High School near Turbotville. The Susquehanna Valley School Authority had completed plans to secure bids for a new athletic field, to include a grid iron baseball diamon, girls althletic field, softball diamond, and other facilities.

The 1959 news article said "Maybe DHS and Warrior Run can get together to set up pig skin relations. It would be a 7-11 natural, both in rivalry and paying customers."

The Defenders played home games on Saturday Nights on Milton's field.

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The New Field At Warrior Run

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An early photo of Warrior Runs Football Field - 1960s?

The "new grid field" was ready for the opening football game in September 1961.

Warrior Run's High School colors came from a combination of Watsontown and Turrbotvilles school colors. Watsontown's Blue, combined with Turbotvilles Gray.

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Unknown Year - but several of these players played on the 1927 team.

Front row: Berger, William Crawford, Mack, Cronrath, Sterner, Harold Martin, Gauger

Back row: Baker, Daniel Aunkst, Cloyd Hartranft, Foster Huffman

1927 (from the 1928 yearbook)

1930 Team

First Row: Stuart Adams, Floyd Baker, Ned Wagner, Hughes Waltman, Woods Kramer, Payl Wagner, John Walker
Second Row: Lee Haas, Nelson Wertman, John McIntyre, William Sterner, Hayes Sterner, Ned Wright, Fred Dickerman
Third Row: Elmer Ungard, Woods Diffenbach, Sam Cronrath, Wilson Aunkst, George Hartranft, Paul Cronrath, Emerson Biddle.