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T.L. Handy Junior High, later high school, just after its construction in 1922. Harold Who? and Handy Football Mates to be Honored at Western-Central Game
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The pre-game and half time festivities at the Central/Western varsity football game on Friday, Oct. 22 will pay tribute to T.L. Handy High School, its athletes and students.
Handy was closed as a high school in 1990, after having established a four-decade long tradition of academic and athletic excellence and producing many outstanding alumni. Handy survives as a junior high (middle school) with more than 1,000 students today.
The school was converted from a junior high to a high school after World War II and graduated its first class in 1949. Among notable graduates in the first class was J. Robert Traxler, longtime state legislator and retired Member of Congress.
There will be a tailgate party under a red and white tent from 5-6:45 p.m. on the baseball diamond behind the Western football stadium. Alumni, faculty, boosters, etc., are asked to wear their red and white and stop in, said Fritzi Stevenson, graduate and former swimming star. She is the daughter of longtime principal, the late George Stevenson, and Patricia Foss Stevenson.
It is also the 40th anniversary of the "Harold Who?" victory over Central on Nov. 13, 1970. Bill Johnston (the only surviving coach from that team) has commitments from nearly 30 members of that team, including Mark Elzinga and Harold Greenleaf, to attend. They are meeting at the Auburn Hotel at 3:30 p.m.
Unsung player Greenleaf (Pictured at Right) won local fame after catching a pass in the end zone from Mark Elzinga to seal the 18-16 victory over Central, earning a newspaper headline "Harold Who?" that has lived on.
Greenleaf, a substitute end, had caught only one pass for 13 yards all year until his breakout against Central. The winning grab came with just six seconds left on the clock in a hard-fought contest. Handy had come all the way back after being down 9-0 at the half at the Central stadium.
Bay City Times sportswriter Bill Siel commented in Saturday's paper: "The celebration on the West Side went on into the night. Horns honked, kids hung out of car windows, firecrackers went off, the Handy band marched onto its own field where the lights were turned on. The Wildcats were home in Wildcat Country . . . that's where the city champions roam."
Handy students wore "Harold Who?" pins for the next year and a half.
The Handy team, coached by the late Bill Smiley, finished the season with an 8-1 record and earned a third place ranking among state Class A teams.
"We will have memorabilia in the tent to look at as well as alumni t-shirts and sweatshirts for sale; we may also have old athletic apparel from the various high school sports over the years for sale," said Ms. Stevenson.
The Central and Western bands will be playing the Handy fight song and alma mater both pre-game and at halftime. The 1970 team will be introduced as well as any "VIPs" such as former staff, administrators, etc.
She concluded: "Any and all Wildcats are invited...past and present. Please spread the word. Wear your red and white! Come to the tailgate and be a part of the festivities both before the game and at half time! Any questions, please feel free to email me or call me at 714-4732."
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