Thursday, December 05, 2019

Let's hear it for those 1919 Chargers


Chariton's Chargers --- and they were the Chargers then as now, symbolized by a mounted knight in armor --- concluded the 1919 season as was traditional on Thanksgiving day with a record of five wins, two ties and two losses.

Sadly, the final game of the season was a loss, 22-0 to Knoxville, but the neighbors to the north had experienced more difficulty during an encounter earlier in the month. When the two teams met on Nov. 11 for the traditional Armistice Day game, neither team had managed to score and the game ended in a 0-0 tie.

Home games were played on a field located in what now is Eikenberry Park and teams walked to and from the high school, then located in a building called Alma Clay, two blocks east and one block north.

There were no field lights, so it was imperative that play end before nightfall. The Corydon boys got on the road late that fall and so play in Chariton ended late, too --- after dark. That probably wasn't a factor in Chariton's 47-0 win, however.

The Chargers defeated Ottumwa 7-0 in the season-opener, fell to Indianola 6-11, slaughtered Osceola 68-0, tied with Centerville 0-0 and defeated both Seymour and Albia 7-0. 

The men of the team were awarded letter sweaters for their efforts --- in a subdued color scheme of wine and grey, at the time the school colors.

Team members were (first row from left) Leo Miller, Lowell Wiren, Alva Wood, Paul Wells, Miller Ream and George Nobel; second row, Harold Moon, Glenn Burgett, Lee Threlkeld, Don Foster, Wenrick Nelson, Clarence Hass and Gerald Dotts; third row, Booker T. Richmond, Frank Munch, Clarence Flatt, Harry Malone, Dave Storie, Paul Curtis, Dale Clarke, John Hall, Dave Whittier, Harold Pettyjohn and Coach Fred Wright.

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