1972 Game Action vs Cortland

1972 Game Action vs Cortland
Eagle QB Dennis Rosolowski around left end
Half a century ago we endured triple sessions in the August heat, pounded each other on a daily basis, and battled rugged competition weekly, all in spartan conditions. We bled green and gold.

And we had fun together, too.

Half a century later we have our memories and we have each other. We no longer flash the green and gold like we did in the day. Ours is the color that comes with age, experience, and some wisdom.

We are The Gray Eagles. Our stories are preserved here.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017


 Stats seen here: from 1996 50th Anniversary program

 Steve Lashbrook should be credited with at least 1,235 career rushing yards. As of 1996, 'The Flash' should have been ranked 6th on the all-time Brockport career rushing yards. And 'Superman' should be credited with 948 yards rushing for the 1971 season. Won't happen, and Steve has me to thank for that.

 Curry College (MA) was in town for the next to last game of the '71 season. Important game; we win it, we're at 4-4 with RIT standing between us and a winning season. We expect to win handily. We'd grown used to beating Massachusetts teams.   
Early in the second quarter, we're up, but doing little. Coach is frustrated. I'm frustrated. We're all frustrated. Then Steve breaks free up the left side from our 40 or so and sprints into the end zone. TD?
Nope. I've been called for a clip on a DB who had no chance of catching Flash; turned his back on me at the last second. Good play by him. Stupid play by me. Only time I was ever called for a clip.Coach is livid and takes me out. Now I'm livid.

I put myself back in after the half. We pull out a 14-8 win on a day when we weren't our best. In my minds eye, I'm sprinting down the field alongside Steve on that play, stiff-arming would-be tacklers unconscious, and crossing the goal-line side-by-side with him. In reality, there was no one on the field who could run with him, and that was probably true on any of the small-college fields of play in New York that day. As fast as Steve was, he was rugged, as well, and would punish anyone inclined to take him on.

 There is a 'rest of the story' ....

 Note of interest: During the ten years of Coach D's tenure, his teams played sixteen games against Bridgewater, Curry, and Nichols - our Massachusetts competiton - and won all sixteen by a cumulative score of 500-83.  

 Frank Connell, '72
Greece, NY



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