Wasatch Academy Football Wins 9 Games over North Sanpete's 1 ~ 1924-1933 ~

In the ten years 1924 thru 1933 the North Sanpete  Rams beat the Wasatch Tigers just once – 1929.  That year a  team quarterbacked by Eugene (Ganny) Peterson and starring Neil Hafen, end and Vernon Christensen, fullback,  out scored Wasatch  for the first time in coach Brunger’s tenure.  They were not to do  it again for another five years. 

 The Wasatch team was quarterbacked by Johnny Becker though not from Mt Pleasant he did marry a Mt Pleasanter. The Wasatch line was anchored by two local boys, Dee Keusseff and Dick Candland and I would guess sitting on the bench, Glen Williams and Fremont Draper.     

   Both quarterbacks returned to their  high schools as teachers, Ganny to coach and Johnny to teach social studies;   where he made freshmen girls giggle with his risqué stories. 

The football game between the Wasatch Tigers and the North Sanpete Rams, played in early November, was among the five top events of the year in the  Mt Pleasant ‘30s, ranking just behind the Junior Prom and just ahead of the opening of deer hunting.  The climatic event preceding the game was a torch light parade that started on the North Sanpete campus. There nearly 200 students would  each pick up a flaming torch and in unison all march down Main street and on   to the corner of 1^st West and 2^nd South where they would throw their torch onto a flaming bon fire mid street. . Wasatch students would be circled around their fire.   For the next 30 – 40 minutes students from both schools sang, shouted, rang bells, tooted horns and banged drums hoping to make enough noise to carry thru to  next day’s game.      All the games were memorable but the game played 11 November 1938 unforgettable.  There was not even a threat of snow during the torch light festivities but during the night 10 inches of snow fell.   The game was to be played at North Sanpete so they called on the hiway graders to scrape the field.  Coach Brunger sensing Wasatch players had to stay warm bought long johns for the team... .... .... .... (Cleaned out J C Penny’s)

.      Wasatch scored first just before the half with a play that brought smiles to the rooters of both teams.    Wasatch had driven from mid field to the 3 yard line.  From there Dewey Fills, a running back, was given the ball to charge into and thru the line for the score.  Five yards into the end zone he was met head on and tackled by his younger brother, Elmer, North Sanpete’s safety.  The referee whistled loud and long and charged Elmer with a penalty only to be told by Dewey “don’t penalize him Ref, I’ll take care of the kid tonight at home’”.  Final score: Wasatch Academy 19 -   North Sanpete  0,    Fillis Family  tied. 

1927 Honor Battery ~ 222nd Field Artillery

Turning the Hearts of the Children to Their Fathers

In 1926 the 222^nd Field Artillery Battalion, Battery D , Utah National Guard was organized.  Prior to this time  the local National Guard was a Calvary Unit  

This new battalion consisted of young men, some of them not yet married. The photo above represents just a few of the children who were born much later and who are very proud of their fathers because of their many accomplishments

The photo they are holding is  Battery D, 222^nd .FA.  It was taken  at  the annual summer encampment held at Jordan Narrows  every summer. Their commander was Lee R. Christensen Sr.  The accompanying photo  was reproduced from one that is displayed at Utah National Guard Headquarters in Draper.  The donor of the picture is Lee R. Christensen Jr., who now lives in Washington State.  Lee had it reproduced, framed and sent as a contribution to the Mt. Pleasant Relic Home. He, himself joined the group in 1937, just shy of his 16^th birthday.  He has told us that it was standard practice back then to join during your sophomore year in high school.  Lee tells us that Elmer Fillis and Billy Hansen joined at the age of 14.

The brass label on the photo says this group of young men were  an Honor Battalion and here is why.  They earned Silver Cup for appearance, discipline, sanitation, quality of mess, speed and accuracy in firing works, control of instruments, close order drill, customs and ceremonies of the service.  In 1927 this group was also honored for having   best program at the camp and for the greatest percentage of attendance.  First Sergeant A. W. Peterson was awarded a cash prize for general efficiency during the encampment and  Earl Beck was awarded a small loving cup for boxing.  Captain L. R. Christensen was highly commended for the splendid showing of Battery D. 

The men mustered into the charter group were:  Officers, L. R. Christensen, Chesley P. Seely, James F. Jordon.   Enlisted men  were: Morris C. Pallard, Waldo M. Barton,   Evan A. Beck, Alden V. Borg, Milo Brewer, Arthur W. Brewer, Ray C. Brotherson, Ernest G. Brunger, Guy L. Candland, Grant Coates, Alvin H. Christensen, Harold Q. Christensen, Earl G. Christensen, Andy J. Draper, Robert L. Ericksen, Harold E. Frandsen, Othello P. Hansen, William Hansen, Harold Glen Johansen, Peter Jordan, Theron L. Jorgensen, Cannon Jorgensen, Drannen Kolstrom, Farrel Larsen, Ervin (Chris) Larsen, Joseph Larsen, Evan McArthur, Perry F. McArthur, Kent Nielsen, Edgar E. Olsen, Seymour J. Olsen, Mont Olsen, William M. Orrock, Axel W. Peterson, Ferry W. Peterson, Ray Prinera, Francis J. Rackman, Que E. Rasmussen, James Howard Rasmussen, Paul F. Reynolds, Peter W. Reynolds, John H. Rosenberg, Hyrum Carlton Seely, Harry Simpson, Gordon Staker, Alden C. Syndergaard, Fern Truscott, William Radford Wagstaff, Daniel LeRoy Wall, and William M. Williams.

 A quote from the Mt. Pleasant Pyramid, our local newspaper, in 1927 states “Battery D is trying hard to be your protection and your pride in times of trouble.  It expects you to give it support and encouragement in times of peace.  ….. With scarcely an exception fathers and employers of these boys said to them, ‘We will make the sacrifice, you go to camp’. “Battery D  extends to those fathers and those employers its sincerest thanks.”  And from a 1933 Pyramid we quote, “During the past eight years’ competition for the regimental merit cup, Battery D has won the coveted honor five times, the last three years in succession.

 Mt. Pleasants’ National Guard Unit Btry D was called up for Federal Service 3 March, 1941 and ultimately fought for our nation in World War II.       

Our Mt. Pleasant Community can be very proud of these men for generations to come.  Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Historical Association and Relic Home appreciate Lee R. Christensen’s very meaningful contribution.