Record: 1 Win, 1 Loss

1923-24 Geneva Panthers Wrestling Team

FRONT ROW: Bunis, Price, Potter (captain), Martin, Beatty. BACK ROW: Coach Loman, Calabrese, Johnson, Hay, Pendergast, Tills (manager). (SOURCE: High School News, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, Geneva High School, 1924.)

Potter, team captain

Wrestling as an interscholastic sport was taken up this year for the first time in the history of G.H.S. We participated in two meets winning one and losing one.

In our first meet ― that with East High of Rochester ― we met a team composed of veterans several years and proved easy victims, altho we did secure 2 decisions over our more experienced opponents.

It was a different story when we met the team representing Charlotte High of Rochester. Like ourselves Charlotte started wrestling only this year. We defeated them quite easily.

We will have practically the same team next year and ought to "go big." The team was composed of Bunis 105 lb., Beattie 112, Price 118, Martin 124, Johnson 133, Hay 147, Capt. Potter 160, Prendergast 175, Calabrese 175 and over. Beattie, Price, Potter, Prendergast, and Calabrese earned letters. (SOURCE: Senior Annual, Geneva High School, 1924.)

Coach Loman, this year has decided to introduce wrestling into Geneva High's athletics. This sport has never before been attempted in G.H.S., so its success can be determined only after matches with other high schools.

The first call for candidates was issued shortly before mid-year exams and about twenty responded. A few of these men have had little experience in wrestling but to the majority it is a new art.

The introduction of wrestling in Geneva High will raise its reputation to a considerable extent as only a few of the larger high schools in the state have taken up this sport.

The first match was held in Geneva with Rochester East High, the best and most experienced team in the state. The final score was 38-8 in East High's favor. Decisions won by Potter and Price gave High School its eight points. The other seven bouts went to East High by either fall or decision. This was certainly a showing to be proud of considering the fact that East High has had years of practice where Geneva High has had weeks. East High should be ashamed of itself to allow "the boys from the cow pastures," as the Geneva grapplers were called by the East High "Clarion," to secure two out of nine decisions against their highly touted team. Considering the small amount of practice and experience which G.H.S. has had, the showing made in their first match should draw forth praise rather than ridicule and contempt from their opponent.

―W. Martin, '24

(SOURCE: High School News, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, Geneva High School, 1924.)

In order to get more boys interested in securing proper exercise and to start developing boys physically for football and basketball, I started wrestling as a sport in Geneva High this year. The venture has proven a success in every sense of the word. From twenty to thirty boys are participating in this branch of athletics; and next year we ought to have more than double that number out.

Basketball has its allotment of boys securing real exercise, but this year we are handicapped in the number participating. Wrestling takes less time than basketball even to work out twenty boys.

Without a doubt, wrestling is king of all sports. It develops every muscle in the body, puts on weight (real muscle), increases strength, develops agility, quickness of eye, and, like football and basketball, develops character. Most university coaches insist that their football men take up wrestling during the winter months.

In order to secure the proper amount of enthusiasm necessary to make it worth while to start a class in wrestling, I felt that if the boys had an objective in view―such as one or two outside meets―we could have better results because the the seriousness necessary for such an undertaking. Of course, to think of winning a meet our first year was out of the question. We hoped only to make a respectable showing and get valuable experience for next year.

It was truly a remarkable showing our green team made against the cocky and over-confident East High team. To think we could develop the G.H.S. boys to such an extent in a little over three weeks, that they could secure two decisions and nearly a fall and draw from the veteran East High aggregation, seems quite wonderful.

―J.C. Loman

(SOURCE: High School News, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, Geneva High School, 1924.)

East 38, Geneva 8
Geneva over Charlotte