Robj
Well-Known Member
I was looking through a folder on the computer and came across this photo again of my Grandpa's 1925 team. I scanned it from his yearbook.
These were some tough looking 17 and 18 year old guys- more like street thugs from that era. I love this photo. My Grandpa is second from the left in the second row, Clarence Johnson. You can imagine what a season of football in those temps with little headgear does to your face. Use the "Control" "+" feature on your keyboard to enlarge the page and really take a look into those faces. Those were determined young men.
It was one of those Cinderella stories where they were the small team from Ironwood way up on the U.P. and beat the big class B school from just outside Detroit. They shut out every single team they faced that year including Redford in the championship game.
From the yearbook:
"A fitting climax to a brilliant season was the Redford game at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Redford had demonstrated her superiority over the Class B teams of the southern peninsula and was suggested by the State Director of Athletics as a suitable opponent for Class B honors. It was the first time Ironwood had sent a team to the lower peninsula and the first team from the north in several years. Iron was conceded little chance to win but the fans showed their enthusiasm by giving the boys a rousing send-off and the Red Devils went down determined to win, and defeated Redford by a score of 47-0, outplaying them in every department of the game. Redford was unable to stop Ironwood's dazzling aerial attack and open style of play. Playing before the critical eyes of the foremost football authorities of the state, Ironwood proved beyond a doubt that her strength had not been overestimated."
View attachment Ironwood football.jpg
These were some tough looking 17 and 18 year old guys- more like street thugs from that era. I love this photo. My Grandpa is second from the left in the second row, Clarence Johnson. You can imagine what a season of football in those temps with little headgear does to your face. Use the "Control" "+" feature on your keyboard to enlarge the page and really take a look into those faces. Those were determined young men.
It was one of those Cinderella stories where they were the small team from Ironwood way up on the U.P. and beat the big class B school from just outside Detroit. They shut out every single team they faced that year including Redford in the championship game.
From the yearbook:
"A fitting climax to a brilliant season was the Redford game at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Redford had demonstrated her superiority over the Class B teams of the southern peninsula and was suggested by the State Director of Athletics as a suitable opponent for Class B honors. It was the first time Ironwood had sent a team to the lower peninsula and the first team from the north in several years. Iron was conceded little chance to win but the fans showed their enthusiasm by giving the boys a rousing send-off and the Red Devils went down determined to win, and defeated Redford by a score of 47-0, outplaying them in every department of the game. Redford was unable to stop Ironwood's dazzling aerial attack and open style of play. Playing before the critical eyes of the foremost football authorities of the state, Ironwood proved beyond a doubt that her strength had not been overestimated."
View attachment Ironwood football.jpg
