THE MODERN ERA BEGINS!
In their first full season of football in the modern era, the 1947 Covington Buccaneers recorded two wins in eight contests.
On Friday, September 12, 1947, the Covington Buccaneers traveled to Maria Stein St. John, for the first football game of the modern era and dropped a 12-0 decision, and a week later journeyed to Eaton and lost again by the same 12-0 score.
The starting line-up for the 1947 Buccaneers was: Jack Farling, left end; Keith Langston, left tackle; Bill Trembly, left guard; Tom Finfrock, center; George Brandt, right guard; Frank Hemm, right tackle; Charles Phillis, right end; Dean Finfrock, left halfback; Junior Deal, quarterback; Don Via, fullback; and David Beard, right halfback.
Friday, September 26, 1947, was designated as “Booster’s Night”. In the semi-darkness at Smith Field, over 1,500 eager fans heard the words, “We have honored our country with the playing of the National Anthem…now we honor the Boosters by turning on the lights. Let there be light.” R.K. Johnston, Booster president, then presented the athletic facility and Kermit Stade accepted of behalf of the school board. Covington fans were only minutes away from witnessing the rebirth of a sport that had been dormant in Covington for 37 years.
Covington hosted the Piqua Catholic Cavaliers in this first game on the friendly confines of Smith Field, and midway through the first quarter, David Beard went 30 yards around right end for the first touchdown. Dick Supinger booted the extra point as Covington put their first seven points on the scoreboard. Late in the third period, Beard and Supinger duplicated the feat in the same manner and the Buccaneers had their first triumph, a 14-0 victory.
Covington then showed their inexperience as they dropped their next three games, only scoring six points in the process. Their losses came at the hands of Trotwood, 13-0; Brookville, 15-6; and West Milton, 26-0.
The Buccaneers rebounded, however, and defeated rival Bradford, 24-0 before dropping a 19-0 decision to Randolph to close out the inaugural season of the modern era.
1947 BUCCS - 2-6
OPPONENT
SCORE
Maria Stein
0-12
Eaton
0-12
Piqua Catholic
14-0
Trotwood
0-13
Brookville
6-15
West Milton
0-26
Bradford
24-0
Randolph
0-19
Burr Simpson…He Started It All!
He coached only 3 seasons and recorded a modest 13-10-2 record but Burr Simpson is the foundation for Buccs football. He coached the Buccs’ first team in 1947 and built the program from nothing into a 6-2 team in 1949. He set the foundation for coaches who followed him. Consider, Burr Simpson’s first season ended with a 2-6 record and in his second year he built his team into a winner by going 5-2-2. His team improved again in 1949 with a 6-2 record. With the wheels in motion, Paul Devine stepped in and recorded a 6-3 record in 1950, a 7-0-2 record in 1951 and a perfect 9-0 record in 1952.
From the 1948 Covington High School yearbook…
On Sept. 12, 1947, the Fighting Buccaneers traveled to Maria Stein where they played the first football game in the modern history of Covington High.
For several years, there has been talk of a football team at CHS, but nothing definite had been done until this year, when the Board of Education purchased land directly east of the high school building and constructed of Smith Field. Then on Aug 20, Coach Simspon, with the assistance of backfield coach Apwisch and line coach Watson, started from scratch to build a team.
The Buccs played eight games this season, winning two and losing six, for an average of .225%. This is conceded by most fans to be a very fine record for the first year on the gridiron.
The lineup for this year’s team was as follows: Left end, Jack Farling; left tackle, Keith Langston, Captian; left guard, Bill Trembly; center, Tom Finfrock; right guard George Brandt; right tackle, Val Hemm; right end, Charles Phillips; quarterback, Marion Deal, Jr.; left halfback, Dean Finfrock; right halfback, David Beard; fullback, Don Via.
