Madison High School – 1964 State Champs In Football [Ugly first draft]
Coach Ted Monica and a crew of experienced seniors took the Madison High School Dodgers football team to an undefeated season and the Division II New Jersey State Championship.
[I will develop a narrative of the season and take the reader on a journey of about 2500 words from the beginning of the season in September until the end in November. We will intersperse recollections of the surviving players, contemporaneous reports in the Madison Eagle, and embedded game films something like what is shown below.]
[Once I have the entire article completed and polished on this personal blog, it can be copied to an archival website with the Madison Historical Society or the Madison Library or both.]
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Southside (Newark)
The season began on September 26, 1964 against Southside (Newark), a particularly tough opponent. The game was marked by the intentional injuries inflicted upon Homer “Skip” Meade, the President of our class and a promising football player. Homer was a black man, and the Southside players, all of whom were black, resented his suburban privilege to the point where they intentionally broke his leg.
The consequences for Homer and subsequent history were profound. West Point had recruited him, and he was highly likely to get an appointment there. Because of the damage to his leg, that was no longer possible, and he ended up going to Cornell, where he famously led the black power revolt in 1969
The Dodgers soundly defeated the Southside 28 to 0. But we lost Homer for the Season.
[No game film exists for the Southside game.]
[Add link to Madison Eagle coverage.]
Hanover Park
Next was Hanover Park on October 3, 1964, an away game that the Dodgers won 34 to 6.
—-CONTINUE IN LIKE MANNER through Caldwell, Boonton, Verona**, and Summit** TO CEDAR GROVE**, CHATHAM** AND MILLBURN** AT THE END OF THE SEASON —-
** means we have game film for that game
—-
Cedar Grove
The next opponent was Cedar Grove on Nov. 7th, an away game that the Dodgers won 26-6. [add commentary from Ralph.]
(Add any commentary on the game and link to the Madison Eagle as appropriate.)
Chatham
On November 14, Madison traveled to neighboring Chatham to face the Chatham [Wildcats?], in what proved to be a tough defensive battle. Madison prevailed 13-7.
(Add any commentary on the game and link to the Madison Eagle as appropriate.)
Milburn
(embed the game film when edited.}
(Add any commentary on the game and link to the Madison Eagle as appropriate.)
SUMMARIZE THE SEASON
Group II All-State: Pete Jilleba, Doug Hale, Ralph Artigliere. Dick Herbst, Robert Gero, Bill Notte;
All-County: Pete Jilleba, Doug Hale, Ralph Artigliere, Dick Herbst, Robert Gero. Wayne Willis, Robert DeSombre, Bill Notte, Bud Debiasse;
All-Conference- Pete Jilleba,, Doug Hale, Ralph Artigliere, Dick Herbst, Wayne Willis, Bill Notte, and Robert Gero.
