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The Gridiron Club of Mansfield re-established the Mansfield High School Football hall of Fame. The event was part of the Football High School Annual Awards Banquet on December 8, 1992 at the Taunton Cultural Center.
Each inductee received a beautiful plaque presented by this season's captains, Jamie Sullivan, Matt Carpenter and Tony Forte. Inducted into the Hall of Fame were: the late Wallace Gordon (Class of 1935), Joseph Stachelek (1937), Arky Robertson (I943), William Reynolds (1956), Peter DeGirolamo (1960), and Joseph Nett (1972). Gordon was also an outstanding 12 year semi-professional football and baseball player, catching doubleheaders after his 4Oth birthday. He was a charter member of Mansfield Little League, serving for 33 years as a manager, coach, field agent, secretary, treasurer and chief umpire. Comments from coach and papers, "played football, both ways and was tough as nails" In fifteen years of coaching,, Wally is one of the best players I coached". His son, Wallace Gordon III accepted the plaque. Called one of the greatest school-boy tackles in Bristol County, Stachelek was a standout on the 1936 team, which won the Bristol County Championship. He was also an out-standing baseball and basketball player. Boston Globe "one of the greatest tackles to be turned out of the local high schools in Bristol County"; coach, "He would open large holes for the backfield"; paper, "He defied his opponents to come through his area". Stachelek served in the Marines from 1942-45 and won the heavy-weight boxing championship of the American Division. The former Mansfield Police Officer lives in Maine. His niece, Mrs. Patty Ann Bureau accepted the plaque. During his career at Mansfield High School, Robertson kept busy playing both ways as an end, kicking and returning kickoffs. Some of his coaches comments were "sweet a player as the school has produced since Don Currivan", and "Captain Arky Robertson would continually foil trick enemy plays". In 1942 he was named to the Areas All Opponent Team. He served in the U.S. Army, in Europe 1943-1946 where he played service ball in 1946. He was a mem- ber of the Allied Olympic Hockey Team 1945-1946. He presently lives in Wrentham, Ma. Reynolds was capable of playing anywhere on the field, seeing action at both ends and quarterback. He was awarded the Standard Metals Award for achievement in scholarship and athletics over a four year period. Comments: High School Coach, "Great performances and when other team members received injuries, he could switch to other positions"; at UMASS, "Tremendous speed and shifting gears"; 1957 Sports Illustrated. "one of the outstanding players to watch in the Northeast"; 1959-Boston Globe. "All Yankee Conference Grid Squad-2nd team": 1960 Kappa Sigma, "Nationwide All University Football Team". Reynolds earned 12 letters and was a captain in football, track and baseball. He went on to a four year career as a baseball and football player at UMASS, graduating in 1961. He was a coach at Dighton-Rehoboth where he was also the Athletic Director. He retired in 1989. He lives in Mansfield. DeGirolamo was the captain of the 1959 team, which won the state Class D championship with an 8-0 record, scoring 174 points, while only allowing 30. In 1959, he was the winner of the Nick Rossi Memorial Trophy as the outstanding player. His coaches comment was "As a sophomore he is a great blocker, hard runner and a determined player". The newspaper comments, "Pete is only 152 lbs., but a dynamite-packaged type runner who is compact, tough and fearless"; "Compact senior with inborn fight from head to toe, keeps defense honest with hard smashes into line"; and "watch for patented end-over-end tackles". He also played basketball and baseball and was a former teacher and coach at New Bedford High School. DeGirolamo played at Northeastern University where he graduated from in 1964. He is a charter member of Mansfield Pop Warner, a charter member of the Mansfield Gridiron Club and resides in Mansfield. Nett played varsity football for four years and was the co-captain of the 1977 team and received full athletic scholership to Syracusem University. In 1977 he was the Sun Chronicle All-Star Team at tackle. Some or the many comments; "An awesome tackler, bread-and-butter blocker and anchored the defensive line"; Coach Redding, "my body can still feel Joe Netts tackling". To assist in researching in many areas like future Hall of Fame members, a Gridiron Club Library has been established and we would appreciate receiving any scrapbooks, photographs (especially of the team) or newspaper articles concerning the football team. We would accept them as a donation or for reproduceinging. We guarantee their safety and return.
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