For What They Gave on Saturday Afternoon

5-1 Beat Navy 29-0

League Co-champions

No Team Picture Available

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Eastern Champs

6-0 Beat Navy 17-14

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4-2 Lost to Navy

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Columbia 10-22-1965

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2-3 Lost to Navy

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Flint tests Middie Secondary

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Bennett envelops Penn flank

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Flint on the move in 62

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Undefeated First Season

6 – 0

Army 33 and Navy 0

The Team

Ralph Wensinger – Turned Back to Class of 59 —
Killed in Action Vietnam – like the year before, he again has the ball

24 Oct 1958 With the stands full of Cadets – Navy made a few tackles

1958-110358_NewYorkTimes
Provided by Russ “Skip” Grimm – Class of ’76

5-1

Lost to Navy

Eastern Champs

The Record

Coach Tipton and Gene Witherspoon

The Team

Undefeated First Season —- Army 7 and Navy 0

Here are “John Brinson”‘s recollections of that first season from his emails earlier this year. He obviously has better recollection than the rest of us. It probably seems like ancient history now. A great experience.

The asterisk denotes Navy star, which we all received. (Somehow mine was omitted from the Howitzer. How’ll I ever convince my grandchildren I was there?)

We were all there on that final drive of 45 yards, running on every play, 4 yards, 5 yards, 4 yards until we got to the goal line, and “Ralph Wensinger” took it over behind Brad and the rest of us. They couldn’t stop us.

Yes, Ralph was a Classmate of ours, and a great quarterback. KIA, RVN

There were 600 at the screening in May; 150 made it to the tryouts in September; Coach “Eric Tipton” had 2 weeks to cut the squad to 48, teach plays, and play our first game. All 6 of us made the starting team. Center, LG, LT, LE, QB, RB.

Brad was elected team captain, and a good one he was.

This Fall, 52 years!

John —–

Class of 58 Starters

QB “Ralph Wensinger” (’59 x ’58) KIA, RVN Ralph was ’58 for 3 years.

RB “Jude Thiebert”

Center “Brad Johnson”

LG “Bill Shely”

LT “John Brinson”

LE “Dick Schonberger”

We were all starters – first team. It was not easy making the starting team, because the coach rightfully preferred Yearlings, then Cows, who would return next season. We played both offense and defense – under the then-current NCAA rules.

We were undefeated, beat Navy, and won the (EIAA) Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship in Army’s first year – in a league that had been dominated by Navy for years. It was great fun. President Eisenhower attended one of our games.

(Note:) My recollection is two games that year, one when the President was visiting WP and came down on a Friday evening and the other was the first 150# A/N game at Annapolis Our great coach, “Eric Tipton”, went on to become the all-time winningest coach in Army history (lightweight football, baseball).

Eric was All-America at Duke in 1938, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1965. We all loved him, and honored him at a 150 lb. reunion at West Point in 1993 when he was 78 years old. He died at age 86.

MacInerney (22) running against Navy

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Please go to

http://forwhattheygaveonsaturdayafternoon.com/wp-teams/150-lightweight-football

Draft Reunion Page

Reunion Objectives:

Celebrate 50 years of Army 150s/Lightweight/Sprint football.

Let former players meet and mentor current players

Let former player reminisce

Raise money and awareness for the program

Committee

Honorary chairpersons

BG(R) James L. Kays, LTG Franklin L. “Buster” Hagenbeck

Members

LTC Mike Kwinn (chair), Mr. Gene McIntyre (ODIA), Mr. Doug Fillis (A-Club), LTC(R) Vince McDermott (DAA), MAJ Matt Cuviello, MAJ Will Freds, LTC Dan McCarthy, CPT Jay Shell, COL Doug Boone, COL Tom DiBeradino, COL Tom Kastner.

Advisory

MAJ Mark West (Head Coach), MAJ James Chastain (Acting Head Coach)

Reunion — proposed schedule of events:

22 Oct 08 Arrive

23 Oct 08

Potential golf outing

Practice at Shea

Mentors meet players after practice

Barbeque gathering (with players until 1930, without players
thereafter)

24 Oct5 08

Reunion tours (gym, Kimsey, Library)

Supe Presentation

Memorial Service

Pre-game tailgate in Kimsey (Silent auction)

Sprint football beats Cornell

25 Oct 08

Parade (reserved seating)

Army Fatboys beat La Tech

Pre- or post-game (likely) tailgate at 49er Lodge (depending on
game time)

Introduction of 150s at Fatboy game

150, Lightweight, Sprint Lore

They were badly mauled in the first half. Just prior to the start of the 2d half they were told. Steve will quarterback. You will have to figure out how you are going to protect him since he will play with his separated shoulder in a sling. On the first offensive play he took the snap and went untouched for the score. The rout was on.

Leading 14 to zero it was 4th Down, on their own 38. The play had been sent in. They were operating out of the Texas Wishbone and he saw that the middle was clogged with defenders. He checked off to a slant pass to his wide open split end. Ten men momentarily stiffened, for if the play failed, each knew they would all be in for punishing comments. Number 51 snapped the ball, as he raised up to pass Coach Tipton nearly swallowed his cigar; but then was to never say a word as Donnie took the pass for 61 yards to the 1 yard line. The Army defense led by numbers 83 & 67 dominated the field. Number 40 piled up yards resulting in a 41 to 0 score. Glynn Mallory a 150 player, Class of 61 enjoyed the humor when Mrs. Tipton ordered Crab Cakes that evening in Annapolis.

He took himself out of the game. The trainer wrapped his arm. He went back in making tackle after tackle with his broken arm.

Coach Tipton wanted to cut him because he could not make weight over four years. His Plebe Coach said no; that player would never let the 150’s down. For 3 years, he was the starting fullback. In his last game against Navy at Annapolis, his former Plebe Coach watched him run out onto the field in front of thousands of screaming Navy fans. He consistently slashed through the front 7 and into the Navy secondary that afternoon. There was no more screaming.

As Plebes each Team played both the Goats and Engineers to a standstill. Although they did not score the points, it was the line standing calf to calf, ankle to ankle out weighted 50 to 75 pounds that won the games. Their coach called them a line of tight butts. As Upper Classmen, members of these two teams contributed to the domination of the league over the next four years, losing only one, but never to Navy.

The five photos are from the 1959 Princeton Game.