BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES

November 18 1957

Pawtucket’s Paul Leri, whose last fight was a disappointing loss, scored a fourth round knockout over Bob Blue of Boston in a scheduled six-round preliminary welterweight bout presented by the Downtown A. C. at the Arcadia. Leri, weighing in at 147.5 pounds, had easily the best of it throughout the fight and finally put Blue away with a solid left hook to the stomach at 2:20. Leri almost ended it with a stiff right to his opponent’s chin in the second stanza but Blue held on gamely.

1967

Larry Caswell and Frank Geiselman closed out in a blaze of glory with Caswell shattering Yankee Conference records in passing yardage and pass completions and Geiselman snaring 11 aerials, but it was not enough as URI ended up its campaign with a 26-18 loss to Connecticut before a sellout crowd of 8,000 at Meade Field. Caswell sparked a fourth quarter rally after returning from South County Hospital where he was rushed to just before the end of the first half with what was feared to be a broken leg. When X-rays proved negative, he returned tossing two fourth period touchdowns, the first a rifle over the middle to Geiselman who lateralled to center Howie Small for a 55-yard TD and finished with a 25-yard strike to Geiselman.

1977

Coach Larry Caswell’s Shea Raiders will bring a disappointing 1-5 Class ASmall record to the 10th game of its annual series on Thanksgiving Day against Lincoln with the rivalry tied at 4-4-1. The Shea offensive wall will have Chris Marshall and Rick Courtemanche along with Bob Shippley, shifting over from tackle at the ends, Gary Trottier and George Dionisopolous at the tackles, Mike Capuano and Bob Letendre at the guards and Brian Fortin at center. The backfield starts QB Jim Nesbitt and running backs Earl Daley, Jack Wine Gardner and Ray Horoho.