With the sport pages screaming the results of the collegiate football games during the season, the football fan, unless he had a son or daughter in high school, was entirely unaware of the bitter struggles that were fought every Saturday afternoon on the scholastic gridirons.
The high school football player seldom gets the same share of the sporting spotlight and rarely are the headlines on the sport pages devoted to him. He plays as hard a game as the college hero and gives the best that is in him. These unsung heroes who provide such colorful, thrilling and exciting games are the college players of next year and the all-Americans of the future.
Last week we picked a Jewish all-American which Benny Friedman called “a perfect combination.” “It would be a pleasure to coach such a formidable array of grid talent,” said Friedman. “Behind a fast-charging line as you picked, a backfield foursome composed of Cooper, Weinstock, Smukler, and Mintz could travel from New York to the Rose Bowl. It’s a natural.”
Today we are selecting the outstanding Jewish scholastic football players for the Bulletin all-metropolitan eleven. With this as a precedent we shall choose such a team each near. Our first team selections follow:
Pos. Name School Wt.
L.E Gottlieb Boys High 185
L.T Handler Madison 210
L.G S. Singer Madison 240
C Stein Madison 165
R.G Mankoff Adams 185
R.T Levine Madison 215
R.E Kurch Commerce 180
Q Glickman Madison 155
R.H.B. Sandick Roosevelt 185
L.H.B. Rosenbl’m Madison 175
F.B. Luckman Erasmus 185
Coach—Mike Torgan.
REASONS FOR OUR CHOICE
The Bulletin sports staff was aided considerably by Irving Resnick, assistant coach at Madison; Irving Mondschein, assistant coach at Evander Childs, and Babe Scheuer, coach at Roosevelt High School.
Gottlieb, of Boys’ High, was picked for left end because of the almost flawless brand of ball he has played at his school for the past two seasons. He won his varsity post last season. He has been rated with the best scholastic ends of the past. This year he has proved himself an A-1 end by his ability on the receiving end of passes.
Handler at tackle was one of the chief cogs in the Madison offense and defense during the year. He is big, heavy, fast, and a tower of strength on the line. This year he was called out of the line on kicks and his punts have averaged fifty to sixty yards. He can kick equally well with either leg. Unanimous choice.
Singer at guard has played heads-up ball for the past two seasons. His 240 pounds of beef and brawn have made him an almost impassable barrier on the defense. He is six feet tall and uses his height to advantage. Despite his tremendous weight, he is a fast youngster.
Jerry Stein, the 165-pound center, has made up in speed, flawless passing, and deadly tackling what he lacked in weight and height. His expert backing-up of the line as roving center stopped many an enemy attack shortly after it had been started. It was Stein’s snaring of that forward pass for a touchdown which put the Roosevelt game on ice for the Madison men. Though he weighs but 165 pounds, his tackles rock the opposition. One of the best pivot men to play for the Black and Gold.
Mankoff, of Adams, has proved to be one of the fastest running guards in scholastic football. He is a splendid blocker, an excellent defensive man and a fine tackler.
Bert Levine, the giant tackle from Madison, has displayed real ability on the forward wall and used his weight and height to the best ends. He weighs 215 pounds and stands six feet tall. Expert on diagnosing opposition’s plays. No team has made a considerable gain through his position this year.
Kurch, of Commerce High, has shown himself to be one of the deadliest tacklers under kicks. He is off like a whippet and hits like a ton of bricks. Snares forwards with dexterity. Hard to ride out on an end play.
FOUR ACES IN BACKFIELD
Marty Glickman, a senior at Madison, is the outstanding football player in this stellar aggregation. He is destined for big things on collegiate gridirons. For the second year he has been quarterback of the Golden Tornadoes. He is a brilliant field general, a good line bucker, a perfect passer, and at the same time is the fastest sprinter in the city. He can step 100 yards in 10.2 while in football togs.
Sandick, of Roosevelt, was Glickman’s opponent in the recent clash. The game was all Sandick, though his efforts were to no avail because of the splendid Madison defense. However, it was Sandick, who carried the brunt of the Roosevelt attack all season and was the chief reason for their great offense.
Arty Rosenbloom, of Madison, rates as one of the best line buckers in the city. Is very deft at off-tackle shoots. Can pass. Splendid defensive back. Powerful ally to Glickman on the offensive.
Sid Luckman was the Brooklyn scholastic hero a year ago. His ability to romp over a gridiron and tear an opposing team to shreds has stamped him a scholastic great. This year, though, hampered by severe physical injuries, he has revealed the flash, form and speed which have made him such a threat in scholastic circles
MIKE MORGAN AS COACH
Early this season, Mike Torgan, coach of the Black and Gold men, who recently won the city championship, said to your scribe: “We should come through this year in the same fashion as 1929.”
After the Erasmus game, in which Madison trampled the Buff and Blue contingent by a score of 25—0, Torgan said: “It took us four years but it looks like we’re in.” Last Saturday proved the truth of his words when Madison beat Roosevelt to the tune of 12—0.
The reason why Torgan could say these things and get away with them was the fact that his wing-men, tackles, guards and centers averaged over 200 pounds from end to end to make up the heftiest squad of linesmen, scholastic or collegiate, in New York City.
Torgan is an expert coach when it comes to creating fast, shifty backfield men. He has developed such stars as Jack and Nat Grossman, Leo Lynn, Sonny Balber and Irv Resnick. The latter made all-America rating at Rutgers as a wingman and is now the head line coach at Madison. It was under Torgan’s tutelage that the great behemoth, Abe Scheuer, was converted from a guard to an all-State quarterback in 1929. It is because Mike Torgan is the outstanding Jewish coach in the metropolitan area that we have named him as the director of this formidable grid machine.
SECOND TEAM
L.E Sholum James Monroe
L.T Sossna Evander Childs
L.G Sandler Curtiss
C Lesser Jamaica
R.G Golub De Witt Clinton
R.T VoIner Theo. Roosevelt
R.E Aber James Monroe
Q.B Singer Seward
R.H.B Jacobs White Plains
L.H.B Vogel Cleveland
F.B Rosenberg Seward
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
