Sports & Recreation

Club Sports

In the late 1800s and early 1900s Highspire was infected with the sports fever sweeping the country. Organized baseball was played in the Harrisburg area soon after the Civil War. In 1867 Harrisburg had a team called the Tyroleans that played other city teams in the region. We find no reports of Highspire baseball until 1896. An article in the Oct. 7, 1896, edition of The Patriot in Harrisburg reported that the “Highspire baseball club … has disbanded for the season. The club had a very successful year, and played creditable games with the strongest clubs in Central Pennsylvania.”

This picture of the Highspire Athletic Club Baseball Team dates from around 1910.

By 1910, the Highspire team had reached the top of the Dauphin County sandlot league. An article in The Patriot on April 29, 1911, headlined “Highspire On Island” stated that the Highspire baseball club were champions of Dauphin County in the previous season and that the largest crowd of the season was expected to attend a game between Highspire and the Harrisburg Senators. “The Highspire team would come to the city in a special (trolley) car with a hundred or more rooters.” Home games in this era were usually accompanied by business half-holidays and the fans were entertained by the Highspire Band.

This article from The Patriot on April 18, 1912, mentions that Highspire had erected a grandstand that could seat 500 people, more than a quarter of the town’s population at the time. A decade later, an article in The Patriot on March 31, 1922, about an organization meeting of the Highspire A.C. (Athletic Club) for the coming season mentions that the club is planning a new field and new bleachers and grandstand. It also mentions that some of Highspire’s best baseball talent had been recruited by other local teams and they were trying to bring them back to field a team with all Highspire players.

The Highspire A.C. continued to field teams through the 1930s. An article in the Harrisburg Telegraph on June 20, 1938, reports that the Highspire team was 11 and 1 and leading the Lower Dauphin County League. After World War II, Highspire would again field a team in the Lower Dauphin League. The team was sponsored by the United Steelworkers of America Local 1688.

The last Highspire adult “Twilight League” baseball team played in the Lower Dauphin League
in the late 1940s. The team was managed by Sam Varnicle, on the far left of the first row.
(Photo courtesy of Samuel A. Varnicle III)

Youth baseball in Highspire dates to 1922. An article in The Patriot on Aug. 26 of that year notes that a Highspire juvenile baseball league was being organized as an experiment for the remainder of the season. Youth baseball became very popular after World War II. The Lions Club sponsored a Little League team for boys 12 and younger starting in 1948. It also started a Teener League team in 1952.

Highspire had a Teener League baseball team for boys aged 13 to 15 for more than 60 years.
The 2012 team sponsored by Champions Sports Bar included, from left to right in front row,
Trevor Kisler, Tommy Huff, Alex Furlan, Taj Roach-McClendon, Travis Kisler, Tyler Ruggles,
Matt Pilsitz, Josh Ramos. Back row left to right: Coach John Hoerner, Jonathan Ferrer, Tyler
Vaupel, Justin DeWalt, Keagan Shay, Jaron Grayer, Tyler Gardner, Austin Shelby, Jakya Scott-
Williams, Coach Doug McCarthy. (Photo courtesy of John Hoerner)

From the late 1960s to the early 1990s Highspire had girls’ softball teams. There were two age groups: the junior Kitty Kats, ages 8 to 12, and the senior Astros, ages 13 to 16. They played on the softball field at the northeast corner of Memorial Park. The Kitty Kats were the Suburban League champions in 1977, 1979 and 1980.

The 1977 Highspire Kitty Kats Girls Softball Team won the Suburban Girls Softball League
championship. Front row left to right: Beth Smith, Trisha Parthemore, Missy Parthemore, Dee
Dee Stouffer, Bobby Jo Berstler. Middle row left to right: Cathy Gingrich, Jayne Crumlich, Stacy
Gray, Sherry Sutch, Lisa Smith, Joan Judy. Back row left to right: Coach Judy Lebo, Penny
Alexander, Rachelle Coleman, Kelly Hart, Linda Miller, Lisa Lebo, Danette Schweitzer, Kathy
Geyer, Coach Ron Lebo. (Photo courtesy of Judy Lebo)

The earliest record we have of Highspire football dates to 1895. A brief report in The Patriot on Oct. 21, 1895, Football Chat column mentions that “Highspire’s team and a Steelton eleven played a tie game at Highspire.” The Highspire Athletic Club fielded football teams at least through the late-1910s. The 1907 team were Dauphin County champions. Highspire also had a semi-pro football team in the early 1920s.

This 1907 Highspire Athletic Club football team was the Dauphin County champion. Back row left to right: Manager Charles Wendel, E.L. “Cap” Manning, Beard, Denny, Reed Gracey, Frank Etter, Noots Green, George Thompson, Arron Shaffner. Front row left to right: Clyde Etter, John Frazer, Milt Hainlen, Ralph Green, Milt White, Bunny Learch, Ray Coover, Joe Leedy, Sam Hainlen.

Starting in the mid-1950s, Bill Morris organized the first Highspire midget football team for boys aged 12 and 13. They had no sponsor, and the players went door to door to raise funds. Mr. Morris also opened a line of credit in his name with Shank and Tittle Sporting Goods to purchase uniforms and equipment. After a few years, the Jaycees took over sponsorship and assumed a small remaining debt. Don Shields coached with the help of other Jaycees members. They added a pony team for boys aged 10 and 11. The midget and pony football programs operated into the 1960s.

Scholastic Sports

Highspire High School fielded sports teams intermittently during its first 30 years of existence. The high school population was small during many of those years. For example, in 1909 there were only five students in the graduating class. With the growth in student population, high school sports found a permanent place in the school in the 1930s under Supervising Principal Harvey Nitrauer. Highspire fielded football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball teams every year from the mid-1930s until the last year for Highspire High School sports, school year 1956-57. In 1950 girls field hockey was added as a varsity sport.

Highspire High School had three undefeated football teams in its history. According to the steel-high.com web site, the 1904 team had four wins and no losses, and was not scored on in any of its four games. The 1948 team under Coach Anthony “Tony” Cernugal was probably Highspire’s best all-time team. Out of their ten wins, they had four shutouts and they outscored their opponents 329 to 53. Their narrowest victory was a 26 to 13 win over Juniata Joint, the last game of the season. They were Lower Susquehanna Conference Class B and Twin County Conference champions. The last Highspire football team, the 1956 team under Coach Jim Reedy, had nine wins and no losses, with four shutouts to win the Twin County Conference Championship. They outscored their opponents 240 to 44, with narrow 6-point wins over Camp Hill and Hummelstown. It was a great way to end Highspire High School football.

This is the Highspire High School team of 1904. Front row left to right: ____ Kapp, George Thompson, _____ Sapp; Second row left to right: Charles Wendal, Jacob C. Hocker, Robert T. Hastings, Charles McLaughlin, Elmer L. "Cap" Manning, Oden Robinson; Top row left to right: John Frazer, Milton "Milt" Hahnlen, Ralph M. Green, Elwood S. "Jack" Ruth, Levi C. Schaffner, Clyde L. Etter.

The Highspire High School Tigers football team in the early 1930s included, in the back row left to right: Coach Ray Cable, John Thompson, Charles Clugston, Robert Crumbling, Jacob Hummer; front row left to right: George Dintiman, Lee Myers, Harry Fink, Amos Miller, Marlin Fink, Murray Field, Joseph Schaffer. Based on the graduation years of the players, this was probably the 1931 team.

This 1948 Highspire Tigers football team was undefeated. First row left to right: David Berner, Robert Williamson, Walt Lichtenberger, Harry Nophsker, Robert Hendricks, John Poor, John Mijac, Richard Rupp, Nevlin Snyder, Walter Ford, Sam Santeusanio. Second row left to right:Manager Elwood Kaylor, Robert Shields, Elwood Duncan, Donald Roth, Edwin Higgins, William Waizennegger, Charles Boyer, Kenneth Chubb, Miles Miscevich, Robert Nelson, Richard Hoover, Coach Anthony Cernugal. Third row left to right: Manager William Hughes, Marlin John, James Hoover, Richard Porr, Robert Zeigler, Lawrence Appleby, Wayne Shank, Donald Wilson, William Porr, Donald Manning, William Gerhards, Jack Detweiler, Manager Robert Morris.

The last Highspire Tigers football team was undefeated. Pictured first row left to right: managers B. Shaffner and R. Keller, players D. Colver, R. Stiles, J. Urban, J. Keller, T. Alleman, J. Stroll, E. Beard, L. Richmond, C. Motter, J. McDonald; second row left to right: Manager J. Dugan, R. Moore, L. Wydra, G. Shaffner, J. Porr, D. Hagenberger, A. Rhodes, G. Gruber, J. Mayhew, D. Nickle, K. Hess, D. Smith; third row left to right: Coach James A. Reedy, E. Vozenilek, M. Stevens, B. Sweigert, K. Hoover, R. Blaydon, C. Colver, L. Pickle, R. Alleman, T. Crumbling, D. Umholtz, A. Williams, Assistant Coach George Steel.

The 1935 Highspire High School boys basketball team consisted of, front row left to right: Edwin Hoover, William Schiefer, Jack Shaffner, Floyd Cross, Charles Gingrich; second row left to right: Coach Ray Cable, Manager Harry Sleighter, Robert Shaffner, Neal Rife, Earl Hoffman, Warren Dintiman, John Colm, Manager Samuel Varnicle.

The 1954 Highspire High School boys basketball team consisted of, left to right: Richard Heist, Ray Huckaby, Donald Shields, William Parthemore, Hillary Bitting, Coach Carlton Lehman, Keith Witmer, George Dintiman, Fred Sweigert, Jack Thompson; kneeling left to right: managers Richard Chapman, Charles Brown and David Smith. Dintiman led the league in scoring in 1954.

The 1941 Highspire High School girls basketball team consisted of, first row left to right: Betty Motter, Jane Albright, Charlotte Keefer, Faye Lippy; second row left to right: Dorothy Hoch, Georgia Crum, Lois Biemesderfer, Joel Leedy, Betty Daniels; third row left to right: Manager Betty Hess, Ruth Leiter, Betty Harder, Coach Mildred Stevick, Geraldine Ritter, Mary Zimmerman, Jane Urich.

The 1952 Highspire Tigers girls basketball team consisted of, first row left to right: Manager J. King, A. Brown, S. Shank, S. Bisset, B. Brown, S. Parthemore, K. Shank, P. Urich, Manager L. Barnes; second row left to right: Coach Mrs. Keener, Manager H. Sauder Jr., N. Gruber, A. Bisset, D. Heberlig, N. Miller, N. Crumbling, B. Richmond, J. Moore, J. Bell; Manager E. Chubb Jr.; third row left to right: P. King, E. Santensanio, D. Hoover, V. Bell, S. Bergstresser, J. Heberlig, P. Myres, P. Morris.
S. Smeltzer and J. Grauel were absent when the picture was taken.

The 1935 Lower Dauphin County Champion Highspire High School baseball team consisted of, first row left to right: Jack Shaffner, William Schiefer, Sam Varnicle, Floyd Cross, Ed Hoover, Ira Alleman; second row left to right: Coach Ray Cable, Harry Sleighter, Ed Byres, Charles Gingrich, Paul Whittle, Neal Rife, Bob Shaffner, and managers John Colm and Charles Wilburn. (Photo courtesy of Samuel A. Varnicle III and Patsy Whittle Krasevic)

1948 Highspire Tigers baseball team consisted of, first row left to right: William Hughes, Elwood Kaylor, William Bausman, Francis Hatison, Kenneth Baer, Ronald Shaffner, Harold Chubb, Emory Cook, Robert Morris, John Sweigert; second row left to right: Earl Ebersole, Edward Ebersole, Calvin Etnoyer, Samuel Santeusanio, Miles Miscevich, Robert Hendricks, John Porr, Walt Lichtenbereger, Walter Ford, Wayne Shank, Coach Anthony Cernugel, and Jack Nelson.

The Highspire High School field hockey team for 1954-55 consisted of, from left to right, Gladis Barry, Jill Holmes, Grace Heagy, Janet Heberlig, Roberta Strauss, Jean Nophsker, Coach Lupp standing, Phyllis Hamilton, Nancy Gruber, Patti King, Pat Zapcic, JoAnn Moore, Pat Pacella.
Pat Zapcic was selected for the Mid-State All-Star Team in 1954 and 1955.

Football and basketball wouldn’t be the same without cheerleaders. The Highspire High School cheerleaders for 1952-53 were, from left to right: Pat King, Nancy Miller, Irene Cross, Pat Morris, Evelyn Santeusanio.

Recreation

In addition to having access to the beautiful Susquehanna River for boating and fishing, Highspire has had several popular winter recreational activities. Generations of Highspire residents have ice skated on the old Pennsylvania Canal reservoir at the east end of town. When the ice was good, large crowds could be seen skating, and it was not unusual to have bonfires on the canal bank, especially at night. Skating isn’t as good now because of heavy vegetation growth, but skaters can occasionally still be spotted on the east end of the reservoir.

Ice skating on the former Pennsylvania Canal reservoir was very popular in the early and mid-20th century. On a cold, clear weekend day, hundreds of skaters from Highspire and surrounding communities could be seen on the shallow 20-acre pond.

Another popular winter recreation was sledding on Roop Street. Up until around 1990, the borough would put barriers up at the Roop Street intersections, and sleders could travel from Poplar Street to Second Street. Old-timers tell of sledding all the way down to Front Street. Whenever school was cancelled due to snow, most Highspire children could be found on Roop’s Hill. The borough stopped barricading Roop Street because the State Highway Department objected to blocking an intersecting street on a state highway, and the borough’s insurance company had concerns about liability.

Sledding on Roop Street was a popular pastime for children on snowy winter days. The borough would barricade the intersecting streets so children — and a few adults — could safely coast from Poplar Street at the top of the hill all the way to Second Street. In good sledding weather, scores of children could be found sledding on Roop’s Hill. (1996 photo courtesy of Jim Brown)

In 1967, Donald Shope, developer of Shope Gardens, donated three and a half acres of land along Market Street Extended for a swim club. The club was incorporated that year as Highspire Tinian Manor Swim Club. Richard Buffington was the first president. It provided a great recreational opportunity for adults and children. The location allowed children to walk or ride their bicycles to the pool from any part of the borough. By the late 1990s membership dues were no longer sufficient to cover the cost of operation and maintenance, and the club closed around the year 2000. The land was eventually acquired by Wheatland Custom Homes to build townhouses.

Highspire Tinian Manor Swim Club provided summer recreation for Highspire residents for 30 years, from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. (Photo courtesy of Harry H. & Helen E. Gross Family)