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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic: Night Raiders Football Team
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While surfing the net i came accross a few items about the,Navy PT School Night Raiders Football Team.
Info included,the Manager of the Team in 1944 was Lt Jonathan.S.England (Ron 9)
November 11 1944 Played Harvard
September 16 1945 Beat Worcester Tech 32-0
A post awhile back mentioned a Football Team on a PT Boat up the Hudson,this must have been the Night Raiders?
Does anyone have any photos or further information on the team.

ps. ive included a page on Lieutenant England.There is a wealth of information contained within its contents,does anyone know how to access the material.

http://www.history.navy.mil/ar/echo/england_js.htm

Thanks

Michael

Posted By: Michael | Posted on: Jan 26, 2009 - 9:37pm
Total Posts: 218 | Joined: Aug 6, 2007 - 7:25pm



Mike

I will post a picture when I get some free time.



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jan 27, 2009 - 4:14am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



Here is what I came up with from the Detriot Times newpaper:

Blanchard, Davis Again
Lead Rout
WEST POINT. Oct. 20—(AP)—
NEW YORK (AP)—
Paced by its touchdown twins—Glenn Davis and Felix (Doc Blanchard—Army’s mighty football
team got going after a slow start
today and ran all over the previ-
ously unbeaten Melville (R. I.)
Motor Torpedo Boat Training Cen-
ter to defeat the Night Raiders, 55 to
13.
Davis and Blanchard each scored
three touchdowns, Davis account-
ing for his own runs of 41, 77.
25 yards, while Blanchard ploughed
over twice from the one and
sprinted 25 yards for the other. Tom (Shorty) McWilliams, former
Mississippi State star, scored once and
End Clyde Grimenstein, on
a pass from Bill Gustafson, tallied
the other Cadet touchdown.

Take care,
TED



Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Jan 27, 2009 - 5:47am
Total Posts: 3054 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am




This is possibly from that 1945 Team. Although not 100% sure, the man to the far right top row might be Lt. Michael J. Holovak, coach of the Raiders. Holovak served with Rons 7 & 8, then went on to become General Manager of the NFL Houston Oilers. I need to do more research and check some of my Melville "Skeeter" Newspapers.

Frank

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/MTBTC-Football-01.jpg[/image]


[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/MTBTC-Football-L01.jpg[/image]


[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/MTBTC-Football-C01.jpg[/image]


[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/MTBTC-Football-R01.jpg[/image]






Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jan 27, 2009 - 9:09am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



The "Night Raiders" football team was formed in the fall of 1944. It was kind of late so they could only scheduled three games that year against Boston College on November 4, Harvard on November 11, and Holy Cross on November 19. The Night Raiders won all three games with scores of 45-0, 13-0, 13-12, respectively.

In 1945, they played five games, mainly against semi-pro clubs or small schools. With one exception: ARMY! One of the most powerful teams West Point had. But with the war ending and people being discharged, the Night Raiders weren't the same powerful 1944 team. The PT Boaters were undefeated going into the Army game (October 20). The PT Boaters played a good first quarter, then Army put in their first string and that was all she wrote. They were supposed to play Harvard again the week after Army, but MTBSTC was decommissioned and the game was not played.

If I can get the pictures to upload, I'll post some. (Was having toruble earlier.)

Charlie

Posted By: 29navy | Posted on: Jan 27, 2009 - 5:54pm
Total Posts: 598 | Joined: Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm



[IMAGE]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/CharlieJones/footballteam1944.jpg[/IMAGE]

This is the 1944 Football Team. Lt England is the Officer on the far right. Lenny Thom is Number 34, just to the right of center, back row.

[IMAGE]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/CharlieJones/PTRaidersFootballteam.jpg[/IMAGE]

These are the men on the 1944 football team that were returning Veterans. Lt England is the Officer on the far right. Lenny Thom is Number 19 (now), left hand side, back row.

[IMAGE]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/CharlieJones/footballwarvets.jpg[/IMAGE]

Here is the listing of names of the War Vets.
Charlie

Posted By: 29navy | Posted on: Jan 27, 2009 - 6:30pm
Total Posts: 598 | Joined: Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm



Frank and Charlie;
Ever since I found that article, all I could think of is Boy I bet if Lenny Thom , Whizzer White( I know he was only the intell guy), Ernie Pannell, Alex Schibanoff,Steve Levanitis, Cernie Crimmins, Paul Lillis, Lou Smith, Stu Lewis, Joe Kuharick, Red" McClain, Wally Lemm, Kermit Montz, Bill Hall, John Eastham, were in this game, I don't think Army would have won at all, and The Night Raiders would have remained undefeated that year. Unfortunatly, most of these guys were rither still out there, or because of thier experiance were already in later Squadrons and had rotated back out to the Pacific again like Lenny Thom in RON 39. As I see by Charlie's recent posts, a few of these guys were on the 1944 Night Raiders team, if they only had the time, all these guys plus what the had, they would have really whooped some Army ass!!!
Take care,
TED
P.S. I was in the same position in Panama playing for the Navy football team down there, so I can relate to this one.



Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Jan 27, 2009 - 7:08pm
Total Posts: 3054 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am



FYI:

The Lt. Robbins shown top left in last photo is Walter S. Robbins who served as XO on PT 121 in Div 17 (Ron 6) then Ron 8 in New Guinea.

Allan.



Posted By: Allan | Posted on: Jan 27, 2009 - 8:31pm
Total Posts: 161 | Joined: Sep 18, 2007 - 7:07pm



WOW
Thank you all very much for your responses.What great pictures,they certainly look like the real deal.I would have loved to have seen an Navy---Army Game,in those days.
Thanks Fellas

Michael

Posted By: Michael | Posted on: Jan 27, 2009 - 11:41pm
Total Posts: 218 | Joined: Aug 6, 2007 - 7:25pm



In viewing some other photos of Lt. Holovok, I am pretty convenienced that the photo I posted from 1945 is in fact him (upper right) with sweatshirt and whistle around his neck. As I mentioned in my post he went on to become GM of the Houston Oilers. From what I read, he was very well liked and repected in Pro Football. Great other shots of the MTBSTC Football Teams as well...........



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jan 28, 2009 - 11:22am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am