Wrestling State Championship Teams
EUCLID SCHOOLS SPORTS HALL OF FAME
EUCLID WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS
1949, 1952, 1958
The Euclid Schools Sports Hall of Fame is privileged to recognize three Euclid Schools State Championship wrestling teams, the only wrestling teams to have won this singular honor in the history of the Euclid School District. These teams won their championships during a 10-year span and were coached by the same man, Hall of Fame Coach Clarence Eckert. Coach Eckert's State Championship teams were the 1949 Euclid Shore and the 1952 and 1958 Euclid Senior High squads.
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The 1949 Shore High School team won its first State Championship in the final year of that school's existence as a high school, a "fitting climax to Shore High's last year of athletic competition," as the school's yearbook put it. On its way to an 11-0 undefeated season, Shore had also won the City Championship that year in a league which included teams from the City of Cleveland and many suburbs. There were three individual state champions on that team: Bill Erb, Dick Fox, and Bob Marich. Coming close was Phil Gutman who pinned one opponent and took a second place. All four of these wrestlers are in the Sports Hall of Fame. |
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The 1952 Euclid Senior High School team won the first-ever State Championship in the new school's sports history, the High School building on East 222 Street having just been completed, named, and opened in the fall of 1949 to replace Euclid Shore and Euclid Central High Schools. This team tied for first place in the Greater Cleveland Wrestling Conference with Shaker Heights High School, a team that the Panthers defeated in the final meeting of the year to clinch the tie as both teams had a 6-1 league record. Euclid had a 9-1 over-all record that year. At the State Wrestling Tournament, which was held at Euclid, the Panther wrestlers had one State Champion, Manuel Paz, and three runners-up to take the State Crown. Manuel, Mike Papouras, a sophomore on that team, and Joe Mayer, an assistant coach, are all in the Sports Hall of Fame. |
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The 1958 Euclid Senior High School team had a handbook that contained some simple wisdom that Coach Eckert tried with great success to impart to his wrestlers. These words sum up what his mat men tried to accomplish: "Wrestling is an ancient and fascinating sport. No other true sport has the same objective, that of subduing an opponent with nothing more than the native physical endowments of skill, speed, and strength." Undefeated in eight matches and winners of the Lake Erie League, Euclid sent eight boys to the State Championship Tournament, with three winning their individual championships and one earning second place as the team won its third State Title in 10 years. Taking firsts were Ken Ross, Don Green, and Bob Paz, each of whom is in the Sports Hall of Fame. Bill Murphy took a second. |
Although great wrestlers followed on other fine Euclid teams, no team ever had the success that these three teams had during a decade of unmatched wrestling team excellence.
Recognized October 2, 2008