Class History
Teenage Lament '74
Freshman Year
The W.H.S. sports scene greeted us favorably, with an 8-0-0 championship football season. The team soon after was awarded more than $8500 for a trip to Bermuda. At the same time, our freshman football team, was not even offered a trip to Chelsea. As we have come to expect, Cross-Country was number one.
It was in the winter of this year that the School Department began to make plans for a new high school.
In a radical departure from normalcy, the Dress Code was suspended for two weeks, to include only the "generally accepted standards of health, decency, and cleanliness." Personal taste was not accounted for.
In winter sports, indoor track was first in the ML and came in second to Catholic Memorial in the State Meet. Gymnastics had a mediocre season with a 4-7 record. While the varsity team struggled to a 5-12 record, our Frosh "A" basketball team came in second in the league, and the "B" squad went undefeated. To confirm the beliefs held by us for many years the Cheerleaders were number one.
To celebrate Ecology Day a few W.H.S. faculty members rode their bikes to school. Due to the Great Bike "Rip-Off" which was plaguing Wakefield at the time, many teachers were forced to make the homeward trip by taxi.
In their usual stunning style, our Tennis Team turned out an impressive 0-9 record: at the same time Spring Track was 9-0.
Remember the Juke Box? Eating our tasty lunches to the tune of "Fire and Rain" was about the only thing we got out of this experiment in open study. Sophomore Year At the beginning of our sophomore year, a drug education course for parents was instituted to enlighten parents as to the dangers of drug abuse. As one of the most shocking news stories in recorded history, the Walton Press Box, constructed by two custodians several years ago, was condemned.
When Mr. Jerry Boisen left the school system, Mr. Richard Laman replaced him as the Music Director. These two fine musicians still work together producing exceptional Greater Bostonian concerts, with nearly one fourth of the Greater Bostonians from Wakefield.
The championship football team of the year before was a hard act to follow, and the curtain never went up for the '71 team - with a 1-8-0 record, they just missed first draft pick. If it had not been for the assistance of the 5-4-0 sophomore football team, they could have had a perfect 0-9-0 record. The new Surety Bank scoreboard never did light up on the home side.
On December 12-13, 1971, the Atwell Building was gutted by a raging inferno. It was the only story ever to fill an entire Wakefield Daily Item (both pages!) The Atwell Building before ...and after Thus began one of the best periods in our school career - double sessions. Blackjack became a major field of study. Gestapo study halls came to an end, and getting out of school at 5:00 wasn't that bad.
Another by-product of The Fire was the demerit system. The School Committee had finally abolished capital punishment. Unfortunately, it was reenacted once again in our senior year.
Following "Whip" Halliday as football coach, Bob Bisacre was appointed to the task. Paul Fahey soon had a steady job doing his "Biz" imitations at pep rallies.
In winter sports, the Class of '74 placed Chuck Campbell, Ralph Burke, Paul Monroe, and Dave Herook on the J.V. Basketball squad. At the same time, Dan Christo, Paul Fahey, Bill Collins, and Paul Bugli held their own in a championship Indoor Track effort...And the Majorettes were number one.
"The long sought-for-dance is anticipated to be an overwhelming success." Yes, folks, that was the Sophomore Hop. We're sure those in attendance, all six of you, remember it well.
In February, 1972, the new high school proposal won by 873-98. The swimming pool and skating rink were out, however.
As far as spring sports were concerned, several sophomores began to come into their own in their respective sports. John Hurley made the Varsity Baseball Team and in Spring Track, Christo, Fahey, Collins, Browne, Bugli and Company started their rise to fame.
The music department's spring offerings were well received, with Jacques Brel's "If We Only Have Love", and audience favorite.
Who was it that kept writing "Mac the Hack is alive and well in the band room" on the black board? Junior Year Our Junior year saw a change in the W.H.S. executive branch. Mr. Raymond U. Osborne was our new principal. Another new face was Stephanie "Steve" Henderson, our AFS student from Australia.
The first big social event of our high school careers was the Junior Prom. Randy Haskell was the King; and Debbie MacLeod, the Queen.
The cross-country squad, about three-fourths Juniors, finished an impressive season by winning the Mass. Division Three Championship at Franklin Park, and second place in all of New England. Rolf Meyer, Paul Fahey, Kevin Crowley and Larry Tortorici were the mainstays in this effort. Also, as a result of this and many other winning seasons, Coach John DiCommandrea was named Coach of the Year in Mass. Division One, a well-deserved honor. The '72 edition of the W.H.S. football team showed strong improvement, with a 62-21 record. Among the standouts were Ralph Pasquariello, Nabil Boghos, Peter Calligandes, Bob Cardosi, Tim Halliday, Cliff Perry, and George "Tim" Roberto. The soccer team, under the guidance of Dick Kelly, posted their best record ever, 9-3-4. Artie Terravecchia, Larry Dwyer, Kurt Grazewski, Bill King and Joe Wahl were among the Juniors who contributed to this winning effort.
Moving on, the music department wasn't to be slighted. The Marching Band was featured in a commercial for the Jordan Marsh Company on television.
As as change of pace, mini-courses were instituted at W.H.S. The faculty taught us to speak Italian, play chess, and write in script (only if we were right handed; southpaws were force to take auto shop.)
In what has become a Wakefield High tradition, the Senior Prom was in peril again. Along with the tradition, the deadline was extended several times and the down-payment reduced to $0.37!
In winter sports, the girls gymnastics were champs. High-rambling Juniors were Patti Gearin and Marilyn Siebert. Boys' gymnastics finished their season with an excellent 9-2 record. Outstanding members of the class of '74 were Larry Dwyer, Dave Walter, Ken Chapman, Dan Harrington, John Hurley and Joe Wahl.
Indoor Track finished second in the state to a strong Milton team. Building quite a reputation for themselves were Rolf Meyer, Paul Fahey, Kevin Crowley, Jeff Browne and Larry Tortorici.
Running into triple overtime, the hockey team lost a heartbreaker, 1-0 to Malden Catholic in the "States" tournament. Tim Roberto, named to the Middlesex League All-Star Squad and John "Chester" Crocker, were high scorers.
In one of the greatest success stories in W.H.S. sports history, the '72-'73 basketball team were Division One North Champs, under the direction of Coach of the Year "Sonny" Lane. Who can ever forget RAW - Rowdy Association of Wakefield?
Three talented W.H.S. music students, Sue Carrai, Steve Hylan and Cheryl Nickerson, were named to All-State.
In spring sports, outdoor track tied for the lead in the Middlesex League with Reading, and won the Eastern Mass. Relays. Standouts in the relays were Paul Fahey, Rolf Meyer, Steve Hylan, and Jeff Browne. In baseball, a 9-9 record was contributed to by Juniors Bruce Canty, Rick Furness, Bob Perry, Fred Gallugi and John Hurley. Girls' Tennis had a fine season aided by first-rate members of the class of '74: Mary Gallagher, Janet Thomas, and Jean and Joan Fitzgibbons. Meanwhile, Boys' Tennis had a disappointing 2-7 season. The student-faculty mixed doubles tourney, under the direction of Bob Simpson, attracted much attention. In an exciting, hard fought battle, Scott Donahue and Renee Gregorio were the eventual victors, with the team of Larry de Garavilla and Mary Gallagher the runners-up.
To top off a thrilling sporting year, the coveted All-Sports Trophy found a home at W.H.S. in recognition of a job well-done. Senior Year In the fall (and decline?) of our Senior Year we became the only class in W.H.S. history to see two championship football teams. After losing the first game to Watertown, this year's team put together a streak of eight straight wins, the last being a crushing 18-0 Thanksgiving Day victory at Melrose. They were Tri-captained by Nabil Boghos, Ralph Pasquariello and "Tim" Roberto.
Soccer was number one in the Middlesex League with a 12-4 record, so that Dick Kelly was named Coach of the Year. Artie Terravecchia was captain.
As usual, Cross-Country, captained by Rolf Meyer and Paul Fahey, were league champs. And in Field Hockey a 6-1-2 record was sported: the team was captained by Sue Winsor and Mary Gallagher.
In the continuing line of AFS students, Sorn Shutipatwipa, from Thailand, joined our class. An excellent student, he is a favorite of faculty and fellow students.
Early in November, forty seven members of the Senior Class were inducted into the Wakefield Chapter of the National Honor Society. Officers elected were Michael Mitsock, President; Laura Sen, Vice-President; Robin Berardinangelo, Secretary; Cathy Delory, Treasurer; Gay Wishart, Historian; and Peter Falabella, Tutoring Chairman.
That same eventful month the Senior Play Alice in Wonderland, was presented on November sixteenth and seventeenth. Gini Mangan played the title character of Alice with George Giglio as the Cheshire Cat. The play was a financial as well as a dramatic success. At this writing, W.H.S. seems well on its way to another All-Sports Trophy. The Hockey Team is in the states, under the leadership of Tim Roberto; and Indoor Track is number one once again, with Dan Christo and Bill Collins as co-captains. Girls' gymnastics looks like a favorite for the League Championship once again. Boys' gymnastics has "still got a long way to go". They are led by captains John Hurley and Dan Harrington.
And what remains?
The Senior Prom??
Graduation???
And then we enter the "cold, cruel world," as Mr. Bennett has often told us...
WebMaster note: The following excerpts were taken from the Yearbook Supplement: W.H.S. won it's second consecutive All-Sports Trophy. At the Spring Sports Awards Assembly, individual senior honors included: John Hurley, Doyle Trophy; Dan Christo, Chisholm Award; Rolf Meyer, Squires Trophy; Marcia Veale, MVP, Girls' Track; Robin Pietrello, Most Competitive, Softball; Larry deGaravilla, MVP, Tennis; Paul Fahey, Event Performer Award, Track.
Senior Prom: TAPESTRY
Faculty advisor: Margaret Wheeler
Class History Committee
2/11/74
Tapestry ... May 31 ... Montvale Plaza ... boys in tuxedos with ruffled shirts and bow ties ... girls in fancy gowns ... flowers ... roast beef dinner ... dancing waitresses ... John Crocker and Sue Sullivan as King and Queen ... favors and the Grand March ... everyone dancing ... a memorable evening.
| Let us weave the threads of our existences |
| In designs, simple or complex; |
| Let the colors of our daily lives |
| Mingle and run together freely. |
| Our lives are tapestries, woven with care: |
| Works of art, enriched by the presence |
| Of other people and places ... |
| And other pictures and patterns. |
| - James Ventura, W.H.S Class of '74 |
