I received this amazing email from local Dundalk Author and former Delegate Bob Staab.
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Dundalk’s Most Wanted
1949 Dundalk Athletic Club unlimited football team
Front row: Don Martin, water boy; Ted Wagus, Frank Usher, Ed Ewing, Jim Moskos, Mickey Hisler, Art Baker, Bill Usher, Lou Franks, Bob Pluchak, Ray Baumer, water boy 2nd row: T.S. Martino, Bud Doebriener, Walt Cox, George Jones, Haggy Barton, Russ Coleman, Archie Thompson, Charlie Holston, Joe Rosario, Chuck Bands, team physician 3rd row: Bob Kelly, general manager; Bud Weatherly, Roy Wickert, Wally Draper, Jim Peterka, Ed Lazzeri, Grant Shives, John Gregory, John Pastis, Tom Shillings, Bert Paul
Back row Geno Franks, assistant coach; Bob Strawsbaugh, John Rosasco, Mert McClure, Guy Marcum,
Nick Wischuck, head coach; John Pauline, team captain; James Ouimette, Dan Weinicki, Jack Lander,
Ray Wernecke, line coach.
These men and those listed below are wanted for winning numerous football championships and playing some of the finest football the greater Dundalk area has ever seen. They were well known for evading opposing team tacklers and fleeing from scrimmage to score touchdowns.
It seems as though football has always been a huge part of the Dundalk and Sparrows Point Fall scene. Opposition between the two communities was intent and hard fought during the Dundalk Bowl years between Norris A.C. (Dundalk) and Jones Creek Lodge Forest (J. & L. – Edgemere) games beginning in the late thirties and extending up to the beginning of the war years in the early forties. The games were equally hard fought during the Steel Bowl era beginning in the mid-forties through the seventies between Dundalk and Sparrows Point.
However, the two communities and surrounding areas came together after the World War II veterans came home to formulate the Dundalk Athletic Club Semi-pro football team. Many of the players that were so prevalent during the Dundalk Bowl era like John Paulini, Frank Usher, Moose Green, Bob Kelly, Roy Bands, Cliff Barton, Geno-Jules & lou Franks played together again for the A.C.
Unfortunately, at least one of the players, like Ralph “Pee Wee” Darr would not return to the gridiron as a player because of a sustained injury he received during the war. “Pee Wee” Darr was mentioned often in Kimbel “Scoop” Oelke’s exciting weekly sports articles in the “Community Press and Baltimore Countian,” during the Dundalk Bowl days. In 1938, “Blasting away at the J. & L. line in the opening quarter, Norris led by Pee Wee Darr and Tony Kinel kept the play in the J. & L. sector—-.” “Ralph Pee Wee Darr and Paul Kortisses were chosen as outstanding players for their respective teams.” In 1940, “Ralph Darr knifed 10 yards through the J. & L. line, as the final minutes ticked away, for the lone touchdown.” In 1941, “Geno Franks and Ralph Darr were consistent ground gainers and played above average ball.” Ralph “Pee Wee” Darr was unable to participate on the field with the Dundalk A.C. team because of loss of his leg in the closing hours of the war in Germany, but he was consistently on the team sidelines coaching and cheering his fellow Dundalkians on to victory.
The D. A. C. veterans were augmented by an infusion of players graduating from the ranks of the Steel Bowl years such as Ronnie Binetti, Joe Buckholtz, Russ Coleman, Jack & Bill Goodman, John Haggerty, Guy Marcum, Dave Masincupp, Jack McGinty, Jim & Tom Moskos, Vic Paccura, Jim Peterka, Bob Pluchak, Bunky Rainer and Ted Wagus.
A bevy of, normally rival, players from Patterson High school and the Highlandtown area joined the D. A. C. team like Mike Amenioius, Spiro Asmanius, Johhny Bish, Bob Curreri, Tom Demitrakis, Ray Glaze, Guido Iozzi, Ed Lazzeri, Ernie Maffei, Flavio Nardoni, Bob Pivek & Joe Rosori.
Along with numerous other locally talented players, the conglomeration of area football standouts formulated an outstanding, and the nearly unbeatable Dundalk Athletic Club Semi-pro Football team that won numerous championships and delighted and thrilled Dundalk crowds for over a decade. The team was only as good as their coaches, who were the best in the area including Nick Wischuck, Don Wernecke, John Pastis, John Paulini, Geno Franks and Ralph Darr.
On September 13, 2008 between 1 Pm and 6 PM, the Dundalk Athletic Club would like to bring back as many of these outstanding players along with their family and friends to revisit and reminisce over the golden years of the Dundalk Athletic Club football at a bull roast at the Dundalk Athletic Club, 7801 Seaside Drive. Tickets for the bull roast are $ 25.00 and can be obtained from Bob Staab at Email bstaab13 @aol.com or by calling 410-285-1719.
The following is a partial known list of players:
Amenioius, Mike dec.- Amenioius, Spiro dec.- Baker, Art- Bands, Chuck dec.- Bands, Roy- Barton, Bob dec.- Barton, Cliff dec.- Ray Baumer dec.- Binetti, Ronnie- Bish, John- Bonincountri, Doc dec.- Bowens, Chots- Bucholtz, Joe- Burnett, Dick- Butler, Bob- Carneal, Fred- Cisco, Joe- Coleman, Russ dec.- Cox, Wally dec.- Curreri, Bob- Coyle, Tom- Darr, Ralph dec.- Davis, Lynn dec.- Demitrakas, Tom- Deluca, George- Draper, Wally dec.- Doebriener, Ed- Ewing, Ed dec.- Franks, Gino D.- Franks- Jules J.- Franks, Lou- Ginger, Dick- Goodman, Bill dec.- Goodman, Jack “Gooch”- Glaze, Ray- Green, Moose- Gregory, John S.- Graves, Nolan- Haggerty, John F.- Harris, Whitey dec.- Hayden, Cookie dec.- Histler, Mickey- Holstein, Charlie- Iozzi, Guido- Iozzi, Ray dec.- Jones, Charles- Jones, George- Jones, Red- Kashenbach, Len- Kelly, Bob dec.- Kelly, Jake- Keyes, Jim dec.- Kirkwood, Joe -Kramer, Maynard- Krouse, Maj. dec.- Lamdin, Ed- Landers, Jack dec.- Lathinghouse, Carl- Lazzeri, Ed- Lichtel, Dick dec.- Loftus, Mounder dec.- Maeby, Jack- Maffei, Ernie- Marcum, Guy E.- Masincupp, Dave dec. – Martin, Don dec.- Martineze, F.S.- Martino, Michael dec.- McClure, Mert dec.- McGinty, Jack- Might, Don dec.- Minnick, Daniel J, Jr.- Minnick, Joseph J. “Sonny”- Moskos, James E. Jr.- Moskos, Steve J.- Moskos, Tom J. Sr,- Nardoni, Flavio- Obrigkeit, Joe- Olshefski, Frank- Ouimette,- Paccura, Vic- Pastis, John- Paul, Bert dec.- Paulini, John W.- Peterka, Jim- Pfeifer, Frank- Pivek, Bob- Pluchak, Bob-Rainier, Kenneth N. “Bunky” – Rau, Skinner- Rosorio, Joe- Rush, Harley- Ryan, Jack dec.- Shagna, Joe- Shilling, Tom- Shives, Grant- Skalniak, Walt- Strausbaugh, Bob dec.- Sleski, Don “Duck” dec.- Stone, Porky- Straka, Frank- Sullivan, Ed- Szymanski, Steve- Trevathan, Henry- Usher, Bill- Usher, Frank C.- Wagus, Edward O. “Ted”- Way, Leroy- Weatherly, S.- Weichert, Roy- Wernecke, Ray dec.- Wernecke, Dan- Wernecke, Don- Wicker, Wimp- Wischuck Nick dec.- Wolf, Bernie – Wolf, Jim dec.
