BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES

November 23

1952

Pawtucket West battled to a scoreless tie with Woonsocket in the Rangers’ first Thanksgiving Day game before a crowd of close to 1,000 fans at Barry Field. Defensively for the Westerners, Bob MacBeth intercepted a pass, knocked several down, recovered a fumble and picked up 10 yards on a pass play, while guard Chet O’Neill led the offensive line play. QB Marcel Rouselle and halfbacks Bill Sumers and John Notardonato were outstanding for the Villa Novans.

1962

Warren Procter, who returned to action after being sidelined with an injury for two games, led the way with 13 points as coach Dick Lynch’s Cumberland football team closed out its season with a convincing 27-13 victory over Middletown. Procter scored on runs of 10 and two yards and Bernie Norton had a six-yard dash for a TD. The Clippers final tally came on an 11-yard option play scamper by QB Dick Carr who completed 13 passes for 85 yards.

1972

A fired-up Cumberland football team, outweighed by 50 pounds to a man along the line, battled heavily favored and unbeaten (8-0-2) Woonsocket to a 14-14 standoff in their annual Thanksgiving Day game played before some 4,500 thoroughly chilled spectators at Barry Field. Fullback Dan Crimmins romped 69 yards and QB Peter Gomes scampered 27 yards for the Clippers touchdowns, while Tom Levesque went 16 yards and Tom Zielinski dashed 33 yards for the Villa Novans’ tallies. Coach Frank Morey’s Woonsocket team holds a 4-2-3 Turkey Day series edge over coach Pete Dalpe’s Cumberland squad.