The Montclair High School Football team of 1953 had a very succes

1953 (From the 1954 Yearbook provided by Rosalie (Tango) Nicastro.) The Montclair High School Football team of 1953 had a very successful season by winning 8 and losing only 1 game. East Orange administered the one defeat and it ruined undisputed State title hope for the Mounties. However, Montclair finished high in the Saylor ratings and in the Collition Rating system and tied for sectional honors with Orange and East Orange. The Mounties traveled to Orange for the opening game and won 20-0 despite looking quite ragged. The tempo of the play picked up each week; and after trouncing Irvington 38-6, the team met the undefeated Kardinals at Kearny before 9,000 roaring fans. After trailing twice, the Mounties pulled the game out 27-14 with a fine second half rally. A stubborn Nutley eleven was subdued also by a second half rally 31-0 to set the stage for undefeated East Orange. Before 11,000 screaming fans at Martens field, East Orange, Montclair decisively outplayed the Panthers in statistics but lost 27-14 as East Orange converted fumbles and erratic passes into touchdowns and played heads-up ball throughout. Montclair bounced back by running wild over Columbia 40-0, by shutting out West Orange 14-0, and by annihilating previously undefeated Clifton 40-6. On “Turkey Day” Bloomfield won the first down statistics but Montclair had better balance and won 20-7, thus tying the series at 16 each and total score at 456 each. The JV’s were undefeated and featured Bernest Peoples’ running, Dick Rosevear’s passing and the line play of Luis Enos, Charles Jefferson Andy Christmas, and Gary Wells. *Aubrey Lewis went on to Notre Dame and played briefly for the Chicago Bears. He graduated from MHS holding the schools scoring record, tallying 122 points. 109

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