Memories and Memorabilia of Wheatley Football
A Call for Help
Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,
Tom Fitzpatrick, Wheatley’s former Director of Physical Education, Health, Athletics and Medical Services, is helping compile a record of Wheatley Football’s glorious past. If you have ANY connection to Wheatley Football in the late 1950s or 1970s, please read his letter, immediately below, and help if you can. (Ken Martin, Paul Hennessy, and John Moncure, all Class of 1960, have already started compiling and forwarding information.)
Art Engoron, 1967
Writes Tom Fitpatrick - “I retired from the East Williston Union Free School District in 2018 after a 29-year career as a physical education teacher at Willets Road and Wheatley and served as the Director of Physical Education, Health, Athletics and Medical Services for my final 11 years.
A former colleague of mine, Steve Carroll, from Baldwin, is writing a book on Nassau County Football. He wants to be all-inclusive and reached out to me, as his research shows Wheatley had some successful football teams in 1958 and in the 1970's. I went back to Wheatley to research and gather photos of these teams. Unfortunately, the yearbooks of the times did not list records for the 1970's team and photos of a photo do not transfer well for Steve's project. I spoke to the Yearbook staff and was told that no archives of the past exist, so I contacted Jay Davis, son of Jack ‘Cat” Davis, the coach of the 1970's football teams. A flood in the basement destroyed all memories of Cat’s career.
I would love to hear from alumni who played on Wheatley’s past successful football teams and from the players’ family members as well. If they have information or photos of these teams or individuals playing in games I would like to borrow the photos and share the information with Steve for his book. I will make sure that all photos would be returned in the condition I receive them.
Thank you for your time and assistance in this matter.
If memory serves me correctly (and it may not), the football team was disbanded in the early "70's" as there was no one over 180 lbs on the team and there was concern over the safety of the players. I believe before that the coach was Pat Oleskiak (sorry for the spelling) whose picture as a baby was on the Ivory Snow detergent box and it is safe to say that the team was less than stellar. Dan Wolf '71