Lilly Raiders football teams joyously celebrated in July, now plan a 2022 celebration with the 1964 and 1972 championship teams
All photos courtesy of Phil Andraychak: Purchase them by emailing him on the address above
… the "Golden Age": five championships in nine years!
On July 24, players from three consecutive undefeated championship teams of the Lilly Raiders (1967-68-69) met for a quickly-planned, but very nice, reunion. The celebration was great as many had no seen one another in decades.
In addition, the Lilly-Washington Historical Society filmed interviews with everyone who was there, and they plan to make a video. This 2022 date would be a great time to release that — if it were possible.
The problem this year was that quite a few players from past years who had to travel long distances were not able to attend. Therefore, I came up with a plan that would celebrate the history of 2021 while joining with two other teams in a period that was the "Golden Age of Lilly Raider Football."
Golden age?
When you are from a small town and put together five championship teams over a period of nine years, you have something to celebrate. That is exactly what the Raiders did over a period of less than a decade.
That is certainly something that could make a great celebration. It would combine many of the players who could not make the 2021 event with two other teams that have never celebrated their accomplishments either.
Here is the example of that success:
Championships in the 1960s and 70s
1964: Coach Jack Inman
1967: Coaches Hugh Conrad and Paul Erzal
1968: Coaches Hugh Conrad and Paul Erzal
1969: Coaches Hugh Conrad, Mike Felus, Bob Sorichetti
1972: Coaches Gene Talko, Mike Felus, Hugh Conrad
While Jack Inman, who served as the first coach and who came up with the idea of starting the Raiders, has passed away, the 1964 team has quite a few players who are still living and would probably like to join in that celebration.
The 1972 team was coached by Eugene Talko, who is still alive though in his 80s. It would be great if he were able to attend along with many of the players.
The advantage is that players from outside the area could plan vacation time for whatever dates we would select.
Personally, Labor Day weekend could be great in the sense that we could actually return to the Lilly-Washington War Memorial during football season for part of the event.
I am just throwing this idea out there. Other than casually mentioning it to a few former players, I have not done anything else.
The 2021 Reunion
The reunion in July was held at the Boxcar Restaurant in Lilly. It lasted for quite a while, and we had a great exchange of different recollections of the years in which those undefeated teams competed.
I will provide more details on that later. For now, I just wanted to make public that we are considering this idea, and to share some of Phil’s photos of that night. In addition, I will continue with two more stories of the teams that I did not complete, 1968 and 1969.
The history
1967 Champion Denny Lazar donated his 1967 Lilly Raider jacket
to the Lilly-Washington Historical Society
Photo: Geri Lazar
The great ones
Offensive and defensive back Dave McLucas, 1968, PharmaD, one of the best all-around athletes to come out of Lilly, enjoyed the reunion.
The Tough Ones
Denny Lazar (slice), Dave McLucas, Pat McCoy, Tony Stopka, Hugh Conrad, John Sweeney (slice)
Pat McCoy, in my humble estimation, was the toughest football player to come out of Lilly in my lifetime -- and I can remember from 1955 to the last Lilly Raider team in the 2000s.
Those at the 2021 Reunion
From Left: Denny Lazar, Tony Stopka, Bill Claar, Bob Sloan, Dave McLucas, Jerry Segada, Pat McCoy, John Sweeney, Mike Felus (Coach), and Hugh Conrad (Coach).
Again, thanks to Phil Andraychak for the photos. There are a few more that can be used for future stories.
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