Portsmouth High School’s 1968 varsity football team, which went undefeated and captured the Rhode Island Class C championship, will be inducted into the inaugural PHS Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Raymond Sullivan (posthumous): Mr. Sullivan started his career as a history and social studies teacher in Portsmouth in 1959 and was on the staff when the new Portsmouth High School opened in 1963. In 1964 he was hired as the football program’s first head coach. He influenced the selection of the mascot name “Patriots,” as well the school’s colors of red, white and blue. His 1968 football team went undefeated and won the R.I. Class C championship. Mr. Sullivan received R.I. Football Coach of the year honors in 1977 and was inducted into the R.I. Coaches Hall of Fame in 1980. He retired from teaching in 1990 and passed away in December 2015.
Pete O'Hara (posthumous): Mr. O’Hara taught mathematics at PHS and took over as head soccer coach in 1971. A master motivator, he developed teams that were known statewide for its hard-nose style of play and conditioning. Under his leadership, the soccer program won its first divisional crown of many in 1975, and went on to win the boys’ R.I. State Championship in 1978. His players also traveled on international trips to Sweden and Germany, as well as annual trips to Portsmouth, N.H.
James Martin (posthumous): James P. “Jim” Martin, a World War II veteran, started teaching history during the early days of PHS and coached the boys’ basketball team. Unfortunately, during the 1967 school year the beloved coach passed away at the age of 44. A tribute published in the 1967-68 yearbook states, “As a teacher, his gentle yet ever=firm manner encouraged both the junior and senior high school students. As a coach, he was respected and admired by all. Always thoughtful, always fair, Jim Martin was a man of accomplishment through the spirit of teamwork and cooperation. His greatness was measured by his kindness, his large heart, and his understanding.”
George McGaw: Mr. McGaw, the school’s first athletic director starting in 1963, built the PHS sports program while teaching a full schedule of graphic arts classes and operating without an office, computer, secretary or cell phone. He would complain to his wife Lee — former PHS school nurse, that his sport coat’s pockets would wear out from all the records and schedules he had to store in them. Mr. McGaw also organized the Portsmouth Athletics Boosters organization with Bob Crudup in 1963, and oversaw the implementation of Title IX.
Peggy Sherblom Matteson: Ms. Matteson taught physical education at PHS in 1969 and challenged the status quo the following year, when she found 27 girls to play both basketball and volleyball. Title IX was not yet law, so there was no requirement that schools provide athletics for girls. It was a challenging endeavor. Since there were no uniforms at the time, the JV basketball team wore their gym suits and numbers were made using athletic white tape. The varsity team, meanwhile, wore blue shorts and white shirts as their uniform. “The girls received minimal public recognition, yet the smiles on their faces reflected the excitement and pride they felt being able to represent their school,” Ms. Matteson said.
Sandy Reynolds: Ms. Reynolds began her teaching career in Portsmouth in 1971 and started coaching girls’ basketball at PHS in 1972. The first years of her coaching were challenging as there were still no uniforms, assistants, or consistent practice times at the school; on occasion, the team would practice in the St. Anthony basement gymnasium. After the Title IX federal law passed, the girls went from wearing old boys’ uniforms to their own new uniforms and practice times that were consistent and held at the high school. By the time Sandy retired from coaching in 1982, the girls program started to play night games and attracted student body support.
Roger Vierra: Mr. Vierra was the first boys’ soccer coach at PHS, starting the program first as an intramural and then as a varsity sport from 1963 to 1971. He also served as the assistant boys’ basketball coach from 1963 to 1971 and was the English department chairman at PHS from 1971 to 1990. He is unable to attend the ceremony.
Richard Travers: Mr. Travers, a multi-sport athlete at Bristol High School, came to teach and coach at PHS in 1964. He was on the coaching staff when the Patriots’ football team won the 1968 Class C championship. He later worked with head coach Richard “Foxy” Marshall and helped the team win several Class B championships. He continued his career at PHS coaching and serving as athletic director and director of PE and health for the district.
Maureen Ford: Ms. Ford started her career teaching physical education at PHS in 1971. Although there were few if any organized sports for girls in the early 1970s, she helped organize and coach field hockey and volleyball at the school. Upon organizing the girls’ volleyball team, she was partitioned by some boys who also wanted to play. She agreed, and both the boys and girls did all the same drills together at practices. She was also an interscholastic field hockey and volleyball referee for 30 years. She retired in 1999.
Joe Narcizo: Mr. Narcizo began his teaching career in Portsmouth at the elementary level in 1960, and became a PHS faculty member in 1963. He started out teaching English and social studies, but most students remember him as a guidance counselor. As a coach, he teamed up with Raymond Sullivan and Richard Travers to get he football program off the ground. He also coached baseball for the Patriots.
Dick Thibault (posthumous): Mr. Thibault began his career at PHS in 1963, teaching foreign languages, respectively. He shared the assistant boys’ soccer coaching duties with Ray Sabouin in 1971, joining head coach Peter O’Hara. His dedication helped PHS become a respected soccer power in the state.
Richard Heisler (posthumous): Mr. Heisler was a physical education teacher at PHS and the baseball program’s first head coach. Because of his background in physical education, fundamentals were stressed as well as conditioning. Always one to put his players first, he enjoyed seeing them become productive athletes of the program and well-rounded students.
Ray Sabourin (posthumous): Mr. Sabourin began his career at PHS in 1963, teaching science. He shared the assistant boys’ soccer coaching duties with Dick Thibault in 1971, joining head coach Peter O’Hara. His dedication helped PHS become a respected soccer power in the state.
Del Martin: Mr. Martin, a multiple varsity letterman at Warren High School and a member of its athletic hall of fame taught physical education in Portsmouth and coached football and basketball at the high school. He was the head freshman coach and varsity assistant in football for Raymond Sullivan in 1968, and also served as head JV and assistant varsity coach on the basketball team with Ed Ackucewich.
Ed Akucewich: Mr. Akucewich taught physical education at PHS from 1963 to 1990. He was involved with the Patriots’ basketball team, first as an assistant to James Martin and then head coach in 1967. His teams compiled a 38-18 record during the timeframe. Mr. Akucewich won’t be attending the ceremony as he lives in Florida full time.
Joseph Flood: Mr. Flood was hired as a math teacher at PHS and began his coaching career with the formation of both the cross-country and golf programs. While on staff at PHS, he left his job to serve in Vietnam, but later returned to resume his teaching and coaching jobs. He was head coach of the cross-country teams for 15 years and the golf team for 43 years, winning more than 20 divisional championships in that sport. He also coached the girls’ basketball program for four years and was athletic director on two separate occasions.
Ray Ainsworth: The first marching band and orchestra leader at Portsmouth High School was charged with starting a music program in a brand new school. Along with the late Raymond Sullivan — another honoree who started the PHS football program — he collaborated in the writing of the school song “For Portsmouth” (to the tune of the Boston College fight song, Mr. Sullivan’s alma mater).
The 1968 football team won the Class C Championship with an undefeated league record.
The golf team won the Eastern Divisional Championship in undefeated fashion in 1968.