The Coaches and What They Did In 1900 a group of Parkersburg High School students got together because they wanted to play football. With no support, no coach and only a willingness to play the then brutal, and sometimes fatal, game of football, the students organized their own team, purchased or made their own equipment, practiced on their own after doing chores and arranged games with whoever they could find. They played independent teams from surrounding towns like Athens and Marietta while trying to persuade groups of student-only teams to play. The first known coach was Henry Nelly. His 1902 team won five of eight games. A local football wizard around the turn of the century, Paul Lehman, volunteered to coach the group of high school students in 1903 and 1904. Lehman was for being the leader of the local independent team, the Parkersburg Athletic Club, which traveled around playing various other teams. He even formed his own team later, called the “All Mauds.” That 1903 team was captained by a 15 year-old freshman named Dick Hoblitzell, who would go on to play baseball with Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox in the world series. Carfer Comes Along to Play & Coach In 1904 a student named Boyd Carfer, came onto the scene. Carfer fell in love with the game of American football at an early age. Before he ever got to high school he was playing on the local independent PAC team. He was the player coach of the 1905 PHS team. In 1906 the team got the blessing and support of Professor C.W. Boetticher, the PHS principal, who declared only students would be allowed on this team. Boetticher also served as the “official” coach although it was Carfer who did all the work. From 1904-1907 Carfer was the team captain a four-year feat which undoubtedly – will never be repeated as it is unlikely a modern day freshman would never be given such an honor. He graduated as a 21-year-old senior, something which was allowed in those days. Twenty years later he was still considered one of the
The Coaches and What They Did In 1900 a group of Parkersburg High School students got together because they wanted to play football. With no support, no coach and only a willingness to play the then brutal, and sometimes fatal, game of football, the students organized their own team, purchased or made their own equipment, practiced on their own after doing chores and arranged games with whoever they could find. They played independent teams from surrounding towns like Athens and Marietta while trying to persuade groups of student-only teams to play. The first known coach was Henry Nelly. His 1902 team won five of eight games. A local football wizard around the turn of the century, Paul Lehman, volunteered to coach the group of high school students in 1903 and 1904. Lehman was for being the leader of the local independent team, the Parkersburg Athletic Club, which traveled around playing various other teams. He even formed his own team later, called the “All Mauds.” That 1903 team was captained by a 15 year-old freshman named Dick Hoblitzell, who would go on to play baseball with Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox in the world series. Carfer Comes Along to Play & Coach In 1904 a student named Boyd Carfer, came onto the scene. Carfer fell in love with the game of American football at an early age. Before he ever got to high school he was playing on the local independent PAC team. He was the player coach of the 1905 PHS team. In 1906 the team got the blessing and support of Professor C.W. Boetticher, the PHS principal, who declared only students would be allowed on this team. Boetticher also served as the “official” coach although it was Carfer who did all the work. From 1904-1907 Carfer was the team captain – a four-year feat which undoubtedly will never be repeated as it is unlikely a modern day freshman would never be given such an honor. He graduated as a 21-year-old senior, something which was allowed in those days. Twenty years later he was still considered one of the
here_come_the_big_reds.docx