50 years ago, the late Ray Banary, Sr. took 37 young men, of whom only four had played organized football, and compiled an eight win season for the Chesterton Trojans.

That 1960 “50-year team” will be honored on the field Friday night when the current Trojans host New Prairie at 7:30 p.m.

Chesterton’s football stadium differs greatly from the “hard as concrete” vacant lot (on Porter Avenue) behind the old high school where most of those students learned the game of football.

That first season was one of wonder and confusion to most of those that hadn’t previously played football, but former players say that Banary and assistant coach, the late Jerry Wenzel, made sure the team was prepared, in condition and had a proper mental attitude.

“Until I played football for Ray Banary, sports were always just games to me,” Chesterton Insurance Executive, Mike Anton ‘61, a lineman on that ’60 team said. “What I learned were important life lessons: teamwork, hard work, commitment to excellence, being prepared and accepting victory and defeat with equal magnanimity. It was a special time in my life."

“I can still hear the coaches’ voices as they got our attention and taught us teamwork,” former lineman and writer from Carmel, Joe Drozda ’61 said.

“I remember most the influence of Coach Jerry Wenzel who was ‘tough as nails’ on the outside, but was always available to his players with a sensitive and understanding ear,” starting quarterback Dick Sammons ‘61 said. “He was a major influence in my life when I went on into human services and coaching.”

The other athletes involved in that first season were the cheerleaders.

“The first game was excruciating,” Fran Howes Hancock said. “Cheerleaders were on the sidelines, at ground level, where visibility of the field was poor and our knowledge of the game was limited. Who cared because there were new uniforms, a new team, and a great new experience for CHS!”

The 1960 season’s two-a-day summer practices were interrupted for almost a week by a circus that had to use the once vacant lot (football field) because of a previous rental commitment by the school. They brought in big-top tents elephants and a huge midway of side shows with a bearded lady, killer whale, and a lot more “entertainment” that wasn’t run-of-the-mill Porter County fare.

The players however, were not happy when they found that practices, using the field after the circus left, featured elephant dung which clung quite well to the white practice uniforms.

The only true home game that season was a Saturday day game with a standing room only crowd for a 26-0 drubbing of Valparaiso. There were only two small sections of bleachers along Porter Avenue so everyone else had to stand.

Other “home games” were at night at Portage High School’s field.

Former players and cheerleaders are urged to contact Joe Drozda or Mike Anton to let the team know who will attend the events.

Joe Drozda can be reached via email at drozda@tailgatershandbook.com

 or Mike Anton can be reached at mranton@antoninsurance.com

Posted 8/26/2010