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

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

In 1928, there was no team, due to lack of interest.

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

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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."

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.

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.