Hampton Union
Thursday, June 10, 1970
HAMPTON -- A Social Hour and Testimonial Banquet was held at Yoken's Restaurant in honor of the dual retirement of John and Mildred Peterson.
John Peterson has been the Athletic Director in the Hampton School System for the past 24 years. Mildred Peterson has been the secretary at the Hampton Academy Junior High School for the past 15 years.
The Master of Ceremonies was Mr. Thomas Burbank, district principal of the three Hampton schools. John Preston, guidance director at the Hampton Academy Junior High School gave the Invocation.
Those seated at the head table included the guests of honor, John and Mildred Peterson, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Burbank, and School Committee members, Mrs. Herbert Casassa, and Dr. and Mrs. Roger Blake.
A son and daughter of the Petersons, Mrs. and Mrs. John H. Peterson of North Hampton, N.H. and Mrs. and Mrs. Norman Theriault of South Portland, Maine were among the guests.
Mrs. Casassa presented a Certificate of Meritorious Service to both Mildred and John Peterson.
She also announced that the athletic field at the Hampton Academy Junior High School would be named the "John G. Peterson Athletic Field" and that a fitting plaque would be displayed to indicate that the field was so named.
Ben Fullford, principal of the Hampton Academy Junior High presented Mrs. Peterson with a pen and pencil set. The Principal of the Marston School, Mrs. Stevens, presented Mr. Peterson with a similar set.
Mrs. Jane Finnemore, girls athletic director at the Hampton Academy presented the new Peterson Trophy which will bear the name of a boy who is nominated for the best sportsmanship and citizenship each year.
A guest book bearing all the names of those who contributed toward the gifts, was presented to the Petersons by Mrs. Gail Bowditch, remedial reading supervisor, at the Hampton Academy. As a final tribute, John Preston presented Mr. and Mrs. Peterson with a beautifully well-endowed money tree.
Hampton Academy Sports
John G. Peterson, Athletic Director
This Week In Sports
By Wayne I. Elliot, Sports Editor
Hampton Union, Thursday, January 23, 1964
Part 1
We could with very little difficulty write an entire column on just why there seems to be such an abundance of talent. Maybe we will at some future date. But this week we would like to say that as long as we can remember, there has always been athletic talent in the local region. Perhaps not in such great numbers as today for the simple reason that our towns were smaller population-wise, but nevertheless there has always been an abundance of athletic talent.
Last week, we had the privilege of seeing a project completed which was initiated more than a year ago. All but three of the available original trophies of Hampton Academy and High school were delivered back to the Hampton Academy Junior High school for what we hope will be their final resting place. The other three trophies still remain to be repaired. Naturally, some of the originals have disappeared during the shuffle of the past years since the construction of Winnacunnet high school but there are still a goodly number of trophies remaining providing sufficient evidence of the past athletic material.
The venture of recovering and repairing as many of the trophies as we could has been a cooperative project of many individuals. Basically, the Alumni association sanctioned the repair segment of the project and put up the funds. The Hampton School District School Board and Principal Walter Brown have cooperated wholeheartedly ln the program. The trophies are presently in an ideal trophy case located in the nurses’ room at the junior high school. Future plans call for the moving of the case to a more prominent display location making it more advantageous for viewing by the public through the years. We know there will be more trophies added to the case as the years go by.
My late boss, Ed Seavey and myself, served as the repair committee. Last week, Don Palmer, Alumni president, Al Carlson, vice president, together with myself turned the trophies over to Athletic Director John Peterson in the absence of Principal Walter Brown. Down through the years, it was players for both Principal Jack Brown, when he was coach, and for Coach Peterson who won a great number of these trophies.
It perhaps took longer — the trophies didn’t come so rapidly as they seem to come today down at Winnacunnet — but nevertheless, the talent was there.
One of the most cherished of all the trophies and one of the first ever presented to the new Hampton Academy and High school came when Hampton’s first tournament team earned the honors back in 1940-41. The trophy, Southern New Hampshire Champions, bears the names of John LaTourette, captain, Earl Blatchford, Alcot ("Smokey") Stover, Elliot Noyes, Eugene Keenan, Richard Carpenter, Hollis Blake, Richard Blake, Norman Merrill and Raymond Greeley, manager. The coach was Alex Sulloway. The late Dick Blake, who had his young life snuffed out during World War II after joining the Ski Troops, became an all-time Hampton great. Although an underclassman at the time, if memory serves me correctly, he was the first all-tournament player in Hampton’s history to receive the honors up at the state tourney in Durham.
Alongside this trophy and donated on a temporary basis is the personal trophy of Alcot "Smokey" Stover, another of Hampton’s greatest basketball players and also one of its finest all-around athletes. Each of the players received similar trophies during those first two great seasons of Hampton’s fabulous basketball history.
The ball team of that era was known as "The Tall Towers". The group represented one of the tallest high school aggregations in the state at that time. Only Dick Carpenter was under the six foot mark. And speaking of Dick, as a sideline, you’ll be hearing that name a great deal in the future with Dick’s son already shaping up as a fine athletic prospect. And returning to Al Stover, I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear that his nephew, Jan Staalenberg, is a mighty fine looking prospect. Jan, a sixth grade North Hampton student, is already showing signs of. becoming a fine basketball player and all-around athlete.
One of the most cherished items, an actual game football, was salvaged by Winnacunnet’s present track and cross country coach, Harold Fernald and returned by Harold to the committee. Back in 1944, the then Buccaneers upset a highly favored Exeter team on a muddy field on Armistice Day at Tuck field. Score: Hampton High 12 - Exeter 0. The win gave Hampton the 1944 Class D state championship. There is quite a story that goes with the game. The old, wooden goal posts were pulled down by Halloween pranksters a few days earlier and the heavy rains had left the playing field a quagmire. The day of the game dawned clear and cool. All morning volunteers worked — the volunteers being the 15 or 16 members of the squad of that year — with Coach Wes Root in erecting temporary goal posts and spreading sawdust and sand around the wettest spots on the field. By game time, the players were tired and I mean tired. But once the kickoff came, one would never have known it. Exeter was literally played right off the field.
That game ball was salvaged but was "kicked" around plenty from that point on. Some of the white paint has chipped off but the score is plainly visible with the names of the participating players also clearly legible. They included Captain Dick Grenier, lhb; Coach Wes Root; Dick Chevalier, rhb; Bill Powers, re; Dick Weeks, le; Don Palmer, lt; Bill McIlveen, lg; Dick Higgins, center; Carroll Brown, qb; Wayne Elliot, fb; Tad Wilson, rg; Fred Russell, le; and George O’Brien, rt.
Each one of these trophies has an individual story to tell. Perhaps at some future date, we will be able to go back into the records of The [Hampton] Union and bring you the achievements of these players and performers who won these coveted trophies and even perhaps of the persons and organizations who donated them. Whether they serve to recall old memories or stand for achievements for which they were given, they have returned "home" — "home" to Hampton Academy (Junior) High school. Next week, we’ll give you a quick rundown on the remainder of the trophies won through the '50’s prior to the inception of Winnacunnet High school in 1958. We will also bring you a few of the names on the trophies of the Most Valuable Player and similar awards.
This Week In Sports
By Wayne I. Elliot, Sports Editor
Hampton Union, Thursday, January 30, 1964
Part 2
There are trophies for the Southeastern B League Basketball 2nd Division winners in both 1945 and 1946. These finals were played before jam-packed houses at Phillips Exeter Academy gym. Moving up a couple of years, there is the Hampton Lions club award presented to Hampton High School Class D football champions of 1948. Back in 1946, Hampton High School won the Wetmore trophy for public speaking in the state Declamatory contest. The honor was won for the school by Bob Jeralds with "Brothers at the Broadcast." Also, as the '40’s came to a close and the first decade of action an competition at the "new" Hampton Academy and High School drew to an end, the Buccs brought home the Southeastern B League track championship trophy it 1949.
Another major item on display is the NHIAA plaque presented to the powerful 1954 Class C state football champs. One of the smaller trophies denotes 2nd place in the Small School Relays in 1957. The Buccs brought home the Southeastern B League 1951 2nd Division Basketball Tournament trophy. In 1950, a quartet of boys — Robert Robinson, Stan Southwick, Norman Lavigne and Bernard Campbell — brought home the Lions trophy in the half-mile relay won during the SENH track and field meet. Again in 1950, the Buccs copped the Southeastern B League 2nd Division trophy in the tournament at PEA. A year earlier, in 1949, Hampton emerged as the League Tournament Winner and added still another trophy to their laurels.
In 1953, the Buccs brought home the Track and Field Southeastern League championship trophy. A trophy representing the 1956 relay championship of the Southeastern League was won in 1953.
There are two trophies presented by the American Legion Post #35 Auxiliary to the Most Valuable Girl Basketball Player. The first trophy goes from 1944 through 1953 — the second from 1954 through 1958. Here are the names of the girls: 1944 — Doris Batchelder; 1945 — Shirley Brown (Carter) ; 1946 — Mona Flanders; 1947 — Arlene Tobey (Ratoff); 1948 — Jewel Sherburne (Brown); 1949 — Lois Parker; 1950 — Joanne Hobbs (Martin); 1951 — Jacquelyn Hoar; 1952 — Dorothy Weeks; 1953 — Marjorie Rice; 1954 — Irma MacKenzie; 1955 — Sandra Blake; 1956 — Shirley Clark; 1957 — Constance Jones (Bedard); and 1958 — Alice Fishlock.
Similarly, two trophies were presented for boy's basketball Most Valuable Player by the American Legion Post #35. One of th earlier trophies is still under repair. The other names are as follows: 1952 — Steve Kuchty; 1953 — David Lloyd; 1954 — Ray Clark; 1955 — John Cann and Irving Jones; 1956 — Paul Sturgis; 1957 — Pete Johnson.
The Alexander Sulloway Most Valuable Football Player trophy carries the following names: 1941-42 — Eugene Keenan; 1942-43 — William Lessard; 1943-44 — Harold Higgins; 1944-45 — Richard Grenier; 1945-46 Wayne I. Elliot; 1946-47 — Eugene Heal; 1947-48 — William McIlveen; 1948-49 — William Meyer; 1949-50 — Donald Brown; 1950-51 — Bruce Aquizap.
The Joseph 0. Hobbs Memorial trophy for all around extra-curricular activities and academic work is as follows: 1941 — John M. LaTourette, Jr.; 1942 — Earl Blatchford; 1943 — Richard Blake; 1944 — Russell A. Merrill; 1945 — Richard Grenier; 1946 — Wayne I. Elliot; 1947 — Frederick B. Russell; 1948— William S. McIlveen; 1949— Alan Weeks; 1950 — Bernard W. M. Campbell; 1951 — Carl Campbell and Murrey Smith; 1952 — P. Kendall Hobbs.
Names on the Babe Ruth Foundation Sportsmanship Award plaque given in honor of "Babe" Ruth whose contribution to American youth will live forever", are as follows: 1952 — Donald L. Ring, Anna J. Seavey; 1953 — Lucy O’Dea, Bernard Dunbrack; 1954 — Jane Worden, Malcolm Graves; 1955 — Mary Oliver, Robert Woodes; 1956 — Deborah Bourne, Loring Mills. 1957 — Judy Osgood, Stacy Bragg; 1958 — Joanne Lamprey, David Chevalier.
Two remaining trophies are the Freshman SE M League Relay won in 1957 and the award given the Hampton Academy and High School cheerleaders when they captured first place in the state in 1954.
Over the years records have been set, championships earned and won and thrilling moments captured on the local sports scene which will go down in history. At the same time, frustrations were there but most of them have been forgotten. The thrills of the victories and the despair which came after the losses all eventually found their ways into one melting pot with the outward product the making of young women and young men. So perhaps more important than the trophies themselves are the stories behind these trophies — the stories which will never be told about the making of men and women, ladies and gentlemen, at Hampton Academy and High School.
This Week In Sports
By Wayne I. Elliot, Sports Editor
Hampton Union, (Date Unknown)
Part 3
....... Still endeavoring to give Hampton schools a well rounded sports program, it was announced in March of 1947 by Coach Peterson, that Hampton High [Buccaneers] would have its first full-fledged track team. That year, 12 boys made up the squad and competed in four meets. Athletic history was again made. Participating were Bernard Campbell, Roger Parker, Neil Harvey, Roman Aquizap, Dudley Autio, Doug Hunter, Bob Daniels, Carl Perkins, Harold Fernald, John Brooks, Nelson Smith and Ray O’Neil. The ensuing era of Hampton track will have to go down in Hampton history as one of the greatest of all time. In fact, it has yet to be surpassed. Led by Bern Campbell and Neil Harvey, the Buccs wrote record after record into the local archives.
In their first big year of competition - 1948 - both Campbell and Harvey made the New Englands following fine wins in the New Hampshire state meet. Neil with a 5’ 8" high jump tied for third and gave New Hampshire two of its five points in the Third Annual New England Track meet. Campbell, running the 220, was eventually eliminated in the semi-final heats after qualifying in the trial runs against the top schoolboy runners in New England. A few other highlights — this time in 1949 — Harvey and Campbell were the first boys from Hampton to compete in an indoor New England track meet. The Buccs that year swamped Exeter 105-12 with 12 firsts, a new "Bucc" record. En route, they set six new meet records and four new school marks. The Buccaneers swept to the state Class B track title as Harvey and Campbell set four new state records.
This aggregation also participated in the Manning Bowl Interscholastic Invitational meet — the initial outdoor meet ever staged under the lights in New England. Of 37 schools which participated, Hampton was the only out-of-state school to score points as the one-two punch of Harvey and Campbell again succeeded. In 1950, in the state winter track meet held at PEA, Hampton placed second against schools participating which included Class L teams. In spring track, Hampton tracksters won the Southeastern New Hampshire meet relay trophy and then went on to take the one-mile relay in the famed Clipper relays.
In 1953, the "Buccs" won the Southeastern B League Track title as they captured six first places. In 1948, Hampton tied for third in the state NHIAA track meet; in 1949, they were crowned state champs; in '50 and '51 they placed second in the state. In 1949 through 1953 and again in 1956, the teams topped the Southeastern B league competition. In 1956, the team paced by Glen Dalton placed third in the state meet. They also eked out a 56 ¾, to 56 ¼ win over Somersworth for Southeastern B League honors.
Athletic Fields Dedicated to John Peterson 32 Years After His Retirement;
Peterson Field Photographs and Obituary of John G. Peterson.]