Hide Article Text (OCR)
thletes during the Depression years had to be a dedicated lot because of the many hardships they faced. Money was scarce, uniforms were just mediocre, helmets were flimsy and offered little protection, players were big and lean, and all had to be in good physical condition.One ot these football stars of the early 1930s was■ WRowe W Kimball, a Nashua High graduate, class ot1934.“The game of football over 60 years ago was quite a contrast to the game as we know it today, Kimballand the team with the most power was the master. Sometimes, the only wav out was to kick the ball outwof the end zone.One time, in 1931, in a game against Portsmouth,I ran after a passer about 20-30 yards into the end zone. On the next play the teams got into a tight, and would you believe it. the officials ejected me and thePortsmouth captain,” Kimball said.Explaining some of the hardships players went through, Kimball remembers that players had to get into uniforms at the high school on Spring Street and in their football cleats would walk to Main Street up says. “In those days the power of the line was the big Amherst Street in the hopes ot hitching a ride in thefactor. For one thing, the football itself was fat, and to throw it a great distance was difficult.C onsequently, there were very few high-scoringgames.”Kimball remembers that being in good physical condition was a must. There were very few big. bulkvplayers, similar to today s. Andthere was no such thing as a , specialist, a player who is inserted for one or two plays and then trots back to the sidelines.* tSixty years ago there were very few substitutions, Kimball recalls. “Actually, each team was allowed only three subs per quarter.Kimball, who was nicknamed “Whit (probably taken from his middle name. Wilson) always played left tackle and began his schoolboy career in 1930 as a freshman standout, under the coaching ot the late Bolic A. Degasis, who later wasknown as Judge Degasis.“Coach Degasis had this to say to his players, Kimball recalls: “ ‘If you want to play football, you have to think, eat and dream football.I he Nashua High School freshmen played such teams as the Prep School in Croton. Mass., Peppcrcll, Mass., and Kimball remembers that when Nashua won a big game against Derry, the freshmen yearned for a chance to play the Purple varsity, but the contest never materialized.Soon, however, Whit moved into the varsity ranks■ .dBFand held the left tackle position for tour great years.An interesting sidelight that Kimball recalls was quartcrbakcs at NIIS never used a huddle. I he quarterback yelled out numbers to signal a particular play. The line was unbalanced. For instance, on offense, the two tackles played side by side, then the fullback could ram Ins way into the line behind theijj/r . -two tackles. One of these fullbacks is a member ot thetamed Kisscll football family Jim oi Maestro, as*he was called by his teammates.wOn defense, the line was bent forward with open hands, and the tackles would hit, slap and push to getat the ball carrier.Kimball explained that the entire football field was used. I here was no such thing as 20 yards in from the sidelines. “Sometimes the ball would be in the corner of the field. Here’s where sheer power was employedback of a truck to get to North Common, site ot the home games.“We also had to walk back to the school after thegame,” he said. I here was no transportation, except when we played out ot town, ot course. When we did play out of town. Faculty Manager Cheney I Lawrence gave us each 50 cents tor dinner after the game. That was considered a lot of money in thosedays.I he 1931 team was coached In Ray Pendleton, and line coach w »IS i\ v.' n Barker. Kimball remembers Barker driving Ins players hard, saving the line was the power of the team Barker had a favorite saying “Hit hard on the first play and win the game C aptain and quarterback of that team was Guy Pederzani.In a game in Lowell against a private Catholic high school, Pederzani carried the ball into the line on the first play and suffered a kick to the head I le was out tor the rest of the game. Needless to sav players on both teams had things to say to each other, and the officials assessed the Lowell team only a 15-yard penalty.“We were incensed, Kimball said. “ I hat was the last time we played that I owe 11 team.“Later that season against Lowell High, we were’WjtF Wff ■trampled by a fullback who was overage 21 years old. Lowell later did forfeit all the games in which he played,” Kimball said.In 1932 team captain was was W illiam Backanouskus, a brilliant end.“We were called the ‘scoreless wonders. Kimball said. “We never scored in six games, won one againstCSpR • CETPortsmouth, and tied Revere, 6-6. In those nine games we scored only 20 points.I he 1933 team fared bcttei under the leadership of coach Peter Chesnulevich. Captain was Pony Banusevich and NIIS had a record ot 5-2-3. thanks to some sterling line play by Whit Kimball. Others on that team were (some first names arc missing) I i.ink Shubelka, ( harlie ( irigas. (irvgicl. Pastor. Byron Mansfield. Bills (irigas. Jim Kiscll. John Sluibclka.Fair, Nilan, Bombil. Dorr, Davis, Morin, I inker, Aponovich. Smith, Giotas, Dan Degasis, Miller, (ionium, l.ekas. Bibber, I rank Pamulevich and Charlie Theroux.Kimball received All-State mention his junioi year, and, after graduating front MIS, he attended TiltonC*7 V’ • w7Prep School lor a year and played one season ot football there.Rowe’s childhood dream was to be an officer in tinROWE KIMBALLU.S. Army, and in the summer ot 1929 he attended a civilian military training camp tor boys at Ft.McKinley in Portland, Maine. He recalls this experience as “one ot the best times ot my life In the fall of 1929 he was able to join the 197th AA New Hampshire National Guard medical detachment as a truck driver He was a member until 1933.Ills first work was delivering newspapers, and his first job was in a shoe shop located on Lake Street inNashua. I or the 40-hour work week. Rowe received S14.50 His next )ob was in the “Card Shop orNashua Corp.Whit remained anxious to join the military, but being the only son. he was exempt from service during World War II However, in 1946 he enlisted in the Army and most ot Ins career was in the military police. He was stationed all over the world Italv Germany, Japan and Thailand, and several American states,He is a Korean War veteran, and he also served in I hailand during the Vietnam conflict He achieved the rank ot 1-7. sergeant first class, anil retired fromthe Army Dee. I, 1968.W here is he now?Kimball makes Ins home in Portales, New Mexico.living on a farm for the past 20 years. His hobby is animals, and he has quite a number. Although he is confined to a wheel chair. Ins health is good, and he is looking forward to Ins next birthday lie will be NO.Kimball has been married three times. He married Ins first wife, Helen Thompson, in 1937. and they had tour children. She graduated from Nashua High inIHpp • ■fir19,75. I heir children are Richard Kimball of Prescott.Ariz.: Marjorie I ouise ot Albuquerque, N.M.;Kathryn, who lives in Milford; and George ot,/9 V*I itchfield. Susanna, bom during Rowe’s second105rmarriage, is a nurse and lives in Germany with hermother.In the meantime. Kimball adopted two children Irom I hailand. Rose loom and Nuchanon Poovmg l uttanon I hey .ire the grandchildren ot his third• w Wjf?wife, Pramal.In the meantime, the football tradition in theKimball family continues. W hit s grandson. Philip I Kimball ot I itchfield, who has plaved four years in the Hudson Pop Warner program, will be entering\lvirne in the fall and is looking forward to1participating in Alvirne s new football program.THE SUNDAY TELEGRA
Newspaper Details
Nashua Telegraph
Nashua, New Hampshire, US
Sun, May 22, 1994
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
MA, USA 29 Aug 2020
Other Publications Near Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua Telegraph
