Announcement
From The GAZETTE: By Jason P. Skoda, Staff Writer
The year before their historic merger, the members of the 1953 Buckeye High football team were anything but a cohesive unit.
They were, in fact, two different schools and they played six-man football.
Against each other. Without facemasks. To no avail. They played twice in 1952. York won on Liverpool's home field and Liverpool won at York.
Then on July 1, 1952, Liverpool, York and Litchfield consolidated to form one school, and one heck of a 11-man football team.
Buckeye's initial football team — 50 years ago to the season — went 7-0-1.
"It was quite an adjustment," said Ray Kemp, a junior fullback who was the team's MVP. "We had all of these players from two teams coming together, and playing a completely different game.
"I remember telling the coach (Harold Scrivens) we weren't in shape."
But once the season started, "the players forgot that they were once two separate schools and developed team spirit comparable to any other school in the county." That's how the 1953-54 edition of The Buckeye yearbook described it.
It all came together for the first of three undefeated seasons in the history of the program.
The Bucks, who played their home games at Brunswick, won their first five games, tied Brunswick 7-7, then won their final two games.
It led to sharing the County League title with Brunswick.
"There are so many memories," said Bill Gunkleman, a junior halfback. "Coach Scrivens was hard-nosed, winning on a safety against Doylestown, and Brunswick scoring late in the game to tie it.
"We had a lot of fun that year. You still see some of the guys from time to time and it's always nice."
Ring of honor
Tonight they will get a chance to relive highlights of their special season with teammates that they haven't seen in many years.
The majority of the 30-man roster will be in attendance at Buckeye for the Bucks' game against Avon.
The players will be honored at halftime, surrounded by today's edition of the Bucks. The former players will sign a football from the '53 season and present it to the current players.
"We felt this was the perfect time for this," Buckeye athletic director Ken Woodruff said. "We feel we are about to turn the corner with our football program, and it's a great way to continue the tradition of winning football at Buckeye."
Woodruff, along with athletic department secretary Denise Piovarchy, made phone calls, dug up all the research they could and set up the event. But once the ball got rolling it wasn't hard to sell the idea.
"Everyone has been very receptive," Woodruff. "They're all very excited, but who doesn't like to have a ceremony in his honor?"
Former players, who will attend a reception after the game, are coming from as far south as South Carolina and as far west as Colorado.
What Woodruff couldn't have planned for is that Buckeye, which has a 249-201-13 (.538) all-time record, is coming off its biggest win in many years.
The Bucks defeated county rival and playoff-tested Highland 17-15 last week.
"It just adds to the excitement," Woodruff said.
Legacy built
Every great team has a starting point. A moment where a season is made or lost.
As it turned out the '53 team's watershed moment came in the last game of the year.
Buckeye defeated Doylestown 2-0 when senior defensive tackle Jim Stahl made the game-winning tackle in the end zone.
"I remember Doylestown running on to the field," said the 67-year-old Stahl, who was a 6-foot-2, 210-pound back in his day. "It seemed like they just kept coming and coming. They were a much bigger team.
"We played them tough. It was physical. They had a fast, scat back. He came off the ball and I got him with one hand and flipped him down."
Gunkleman, 66, said it's the one play that he always remembers when he thinks back.
"It was such a tough game," he said. "They made Stahl mad. I remember that, and then the next play, he did them in."
It was the culmination of a terrific campaign that saw the Bucks outscore their opponents 179-36.
Kemp, who helped the Bucks win their first seven games the following year before finishing 7-2, was second on the team in touchdowns with six, while senior quarterback Ted Haury had seven.
Six other players scored touchdowns that year, but Stahl's safety was hands down the most revered play of the magical season.
"Everything gets better as the years wear on, but that Doylestown game is hard to forget," Kemp said. "Stahl busted through there and kept our (undefeated) season going."
Buckeye lineage
There will be some familiar faces surrounding the '53 team at halftime.
Kemp is the godfather of current linebacker Tim Maxworthy's father, Kevin.
Stahl had four sons play for Buckeye teams during the 1970s, including George Stahl, who went on to play at Ohio State.
Gunkleman is a member of the chain gain for Buckeye's games today.
There have been many more links to the '53 team over the years, but none of them are as ingrained as the one being celebrated this evening at Steingass Field.
There's nothing like the very first go-around.
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