My parents were here for dinner the other night and we got to talking soccer at the table. Spain had just been roundly beaten by the Netherlands and it was all we could think about. I called up a few replays of the scoring on my iPad and my dad asked, “What ever happened to Ralph Wager?” I played with Ralph in the summer soccer leagues in Webster and Charlotte and was hired as the soccer coach at RL Thomas in my senior year. He coached all my brothers as well and we all thought he was great. He was arrested two years ago on a first-degree child sex offense.
When my dad asked it hit me that I never would have gone to Indiana if it wasn’t for Ralph. And Peggi wouldn’t be sitting next to me. Ralph had played for IU and recommended the school as one of the best in the country for soccer. I was all-county in high school, had a few school records for goals when I left and was the first freshman to start for Indiana. The team was mostly foreigners at that time. I loved it but dropped out the next year. My father has been mining the Fulton History site, a giant database of scanned newspapers from New York State, and sent me this article on the Section Five championship game shown above.
WEBSTER HERALD November 15, 1967
Soccer Team Trips On Champ Route
by Jim Rickey
Championship escaped the Webster varsity soccer team as they were tripped 1-0 by newly crowned Section 5 champion Gates-Chill, Saturday, at Roberts-Wesleyan. Before a crowd exceeding 2500, the Rldgemen valiantly attempted to upset a rugged Gates squad which had defeated division champion Pittsford four days previously to advance to the Sections finals. The scrappy Webster outfit outplayed the cross-city rivals throughout the first half, but could not manage a tally. Superb passing and ball control were displayed by both teams when finally, with three minutes remaining in the fourth and final quarter, Harry Bruestle booted the ball into the Webster nets. The Rldgemen fiercely bombarded the opposition’s goal in the remaining minutes, but could not score to tie the contest. Coach Ralph Wager is proud of his well coached troops. All year he has repeated team work, team play and that is what these boys were — a real team.
6 Comments
Was Jerry Yeagley coach then. I remember when you were a freshman and you thought you had to study and stuff, and play soccer with no scholarship.
I was probably a bad influence as a roommate. My bad.
Jerry Yeagley was the coach. He smoked cigarettes at the time. I would have dropped out freshman year if if didn’t have such a great roommate.
So did you have those fake theatrical falls to get penalties back then? It’s one of my favorite things to watch right now. I just read that the US team doesn’t do them and it’s hurting their scoring.
The diving is my least favorite part. Happily there is so much more to enjoy.
Good hair, Paul. Good air, Paul. Go Paul!!!
I was a sophomore starter for Webster at left midfield when Ralph Wager was a senior and the midfield halfback. Ralph was a real self promoter. In fact he was the biggest phony ever. Never got his pants dirty and was always sucking up to something or someone and that included opposing coaches. He was nauseating to say the least. Ran into a coach and a former team mate and they thought Ralph was a piece of work also. Ralph got a scholarship to Brockport and then hid out in his dorm room claiming injury because he couldn’t live up to his make believe credentials. Would I say all this to Ralph’s face over 50 years later? Yes I would.