SPORTS STORIES:
HERITAGE DAY
MODERN DAY SPARTANS TO REMEMBER THEIR HERITAGE...
CIT'S GELA FONDLY REMEMBERS MERGER ERA...
SCAFE RED CAT FIRST, SPARTAN SECOND AS PLAYER AND COACH
This September 5 the modern day Case Western Reserve University football team will pay tribute to the University’s gridiron history, which began in 1890, by wearing retro jerseys as part of a first ever Heritage Day. Pictured below are senior receiver Ryan Kolesar (right) and senior linebacker Jeff Brown (left).
The Spartans will face Kenyon College at 12:00 p.m., but instead of wearing their usual blue and white uniforms with the Spartan logo on their helmets, Case Western Reserve will wear a red and brown jersey with white pants.
Brown and white were the school colors for Case Institute of Technology (Case, Rough Riders) and red and white were the colors of Western Reserve University (Reserve, Red Cats). The Spartans will also wear Rough Rider and Red Cats logos on their helmets in place of the Spartan. Across the front of the retro jerseys is “CWRU”, paying tribute to all football players who competed when the school's second reference was CWRU. After the decision to federate in 1967, Case Western Reserve saw the continuation of the Case-Reserve series for three more seasons.
In the fall of 1970, Case Western Reserve University was represented by a single team in intercollegiate football. The proposal to merge the Case and Reserve football teams was made by the Case Athletic Director Phillip K. (Nip) Heim after discussions with the players of the two football squads and the Reserve and Case athletic directors.
Flory Mauriocourt, head football coach at Reserve, was named head coach of the merged University team. Ernie Green, assistant vice provost for student affairs and former Cleveland Brown, announced the appointment in February of 1970 and said that it was strongly supported by Reserve Athletic Director Ed Lewis, Heim, and Case Football Coach Doug Mooney. The new team, the Spartans, continued to play in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.
The Case-Reserve rivalry started 78 years prior to the union. At the time, it was the oldest rivalry in the Midwest and third oldest in the country. Reserve won 49 games, Case won 18 and six ended in ties. In the early 1900’s both Case and Reserve played Big Ten teams on an even basis and both schools had winning records against Ohio State.
For many years the Case-Reserve game was played at League Park on Thanksgiving Day. In 1940, Reserve defeated Case 15-14 and went on to beat Arizona State in the Sun Bowl. Reserve had undefeated seasons in 1894, 1935, 1936 and 1938. Case won four Ohio championships prior to 1933. From 1934 to 1942 Reserve won 65 games and lost only eight.
The Case Rough Riders received their nickname during the 1930-1947 coaching regime of Ray Ride. Two of their greatest players were Bill Lund, one of the original Cleveland Browns, and Ray Mack who declined a professional football career to star with Lou Boudreau as half of the Cleveland Indians’ second base-shortstop combination.
Reserve teams were dubbed the Red Cats in the early 1930’s. Eddie Finnigan was the outstanding figure in Reserve football history. He was an all-American player in 1932. In 1951, he returned to Reserve as coach and Athletic Director. His teams won PAC championships in 1955 and 1960. The outstanding player of this era was the late Warren Lahr, who later starred as a defensive back with the Cleveland Browns.
MORE FUN FACTS … The last Thanksgiving Day game played between Case and Reserve was November 26, 1953 at Clarke Field, the home field for Case at the time. Besides League Park, where they played over 10 times, the holiday game was also played several times at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The last Case-Reserve football game was played November 15, 1969 at Finnigan Fields. The Red Cats defeated the Rough Riders 28-14.
**The above information was obtained from a "Rough Cats or Red Riders?" article printed in a Reserve alumni publication [The Men of Adelbert]. It was provided to the sports information office through the cooperation of University Archives.
CALLING ALL FOOTBALL ALUMS…
12:00 p.m. Case Western Reserve vs. Kenyon at Case Field
Halftime Special Recognition on field (RSVP required)
Postgame Informal Reception at Euclid Tavern (cash bar)
-A pre-game tailgate will be held at The Alumni House from
10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
-$15.00 per person includes tailgate lunch buffet, refreshments, a ticket to the game and a show by the Marching Spartans!
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All former players from 1966-1972 plus one guest are free, compliments of Case
Western Reserve University
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To register, call Beth Jones at (216) 368-6280, or email alumnirelations@case.edu, or register online at http://alumnet.case.edu
**PLEASE RSVP BY AUGUST 28!
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