… unbelievable skein of victories
A few years ago, I wrote this about the 1968 Lilly Raiders grade school football team, one that went undefeated for the second consecutive season:
How often do you have eighth graders calling audibles, especially back in the 1960s? The 1968 team did that with a quarterback who became an M.D. These young men were not just outstanding athletes, they were quality young people who worked hard and used the lessons they learned in football to go on and succeed in life. That is what makes me so proud of them.
Hugh Brady Conrad Jr. blog
Paul Erzal Jr. and I coached two of those teams, 1967 and 1968, and the teams put together undefeated records. This entire experience was strange because we thought that we would be coaching for only a few weeks in 1967 when asked to fill in for a time.
However, we both agreed that the 1968 team, while not the biggest or strongest, was the most talented of those three years.
The other two, 1967 and ’69, may have been stronger defensively, this one was special because it had an offense than arguably was one of the best ever seen in the Cambria County Grade School Football League.
2023 Celebration
We are having another reunion that will honor the first five football championship teams for the Raiders: the 1964 squad, coached by Jack Inman; the 67-68-69 teams, and the 1972 team coached by Eugene Talko.
This reunion will take place on Sunday, Oct. 22 at the Lilly American Legion starting at 1 pm.
Everyone who ever played on those teams is invited, along with a spouse or significant other or a family member.
Those were special times.
All are welcome with a wife or friend or significant other or family member. This is our third but not our last celebration.
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