Alan Greenwood

It isn’t often that one finds high school football debates featured in a newspaper’s editorial. The Nashua High School team found itself in this day’s editorial twice.

OCT. 15, 1947 – “Football is a wonderful game – and also a dangerous one for the participant.

“No sport holds the imagination or interest to a greater extent than football. Yet last year, throughout the nation, 430 deaths resulted from football injuries.

“… Here in Nashua every precaution is taken to safeguard the high school players. The best of equipment is purchased. A doctor is ever in attendance.”

Then, at the bottom of the multi-subject editorial:

“One suspects that the high school 11 would have been a lot more effective this year if Coach Harvey had used his substitutes more frequently last year. The men who sat on the bench last year while the regulars rolled up scores are the first stringers this year.”

Any bets on which observation inspired more conversation?

OCT. 16, 1952 – “Although winter is still quite a way off, the Nashua Royals hockey club has already begun another rugged season of activity. The local sextet is a member of the North Shore Harvest League, which is comprised of 16 teams from New Hampshire and

Massachusetts.

“… The nucleus of the Royals’ roster this season is practically the same as that of last season, with the exception Rene Joyal, who left for the Army last week. To offset this, Pete Dione, a strong husky lad, just released by the Navy, has been added and swift Butch Bouchard will be back as soon as he gets out of the army within a month.”

OCT. 17, 1962 – “Nashua’s Frank Ulcickas has been shifted from right to left end and has won a steady assignment in that spot as part of the ‘The Minute Men,’ the second unit for the Harvard football squad.

“… Against Cornell, Ulcickas stopped one Big Red drive by throwing quarterback Gary Wood for a 6-yard loss. Against Holy Cross, he turned in a number of plays designed to go around him.”

OCT. 18, 1972 – “The Hollis Cavaliers, sparked by a four-goal effort by Dan Martin, defeated the Milford High soccer team by a score of 5-0 yesterday afternoon.