1947 New Hampshire Wildcats football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1947

| team = New Hampshire Wildcats

| sport = football

| image = 1947 New Hampshire Wildcats football team.png

| image_size = 285

| conference = Yankee Conference

| short_conf = Yankee

| record = 8–1

| conf_record = 4–0

| head_coach = Bill Glassford

| hc_year = 2nd

| captain = Clayton Lane & Ernie Rainey{{cite book |url=https://www.library.unh.edu/find/digital/object/yearbook:1948 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216022951/https://www.library.unh.edu/find/digital/object/yearbook:1948 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |title=The Granite |publisher=University of New Hampshire |location=Durham, New Hampshire |date=1948 |pages=236–240 |accessdate=December 15, 2019 |via=library.unh.edu }}

| off_scheme = T formation

| stadium = Lewis Field

| champion = Yankee Conference champion

| bowl = Glass Bowl

| bowl_result = L 14–20 vs. Toledo

}}

The 1947 New Hampshire Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented the University of New Hampshire as a member of the Yankee Conference during the 1947 college football season. In its second year under head coach Bill Glassford, the team compiled an 8–1 record (4–0 against conference opponents), won the Yankee Conference championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 255 to 59. The team's only loss was to the Toledo Rockets in the second annual Glass Bowl game.{{cite web|title=2017 New Hampshire Media Guide|publisher=University of New Hampshire|year=2017|accessdate=February 4, 2018|url=https://issuu.com/unhathletics/docs/unh_football_media_guide_2017_web}}

In the final Litkenhous Ratings released in mid-December, New Hampshire was ranked at No. 125 out of 500 college football teams.{{cite news|title=Michigan National Champion in Final Litkenhous Ratings|newspaper=Times|author=Dr. E. E. Litkenhous|date=December 18, 1947|page=47|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123152970/michigan-national-champion-in-final/|via=Newspapers.com}}

This was the inaugural season of competition in the Yankee Conference, which had been formed in December 1946.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39936385/ne_conference_formed_among_six/ |title=N.E. Conference Formed Among Six Colleges |agency=AP |page=20 |newspaper=The Berkshire Eagle |location=Pittsfield, Massachusetts |date=December 18, 1946 |accessdate=December 1, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}} Quarterback Bruce Mather led the team on offense, which used a T formation scheme.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39950663/northeastern_to_take_to_air_hope_for/ |title=Northeastern to Take to Air, Hope for Best Against N. H. |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=4 |date=November 1, 1947 |accessdate=December 2, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}} Mather, back Carmen Ragonese, and tackle Clayton Lane were each selected in the 1948 NFL draft.{{cite web |url=http://www.drafthistory.com/index.php/colleges/n |title=Colleges Beginning With N |website=DraftHistory.com |accessdate=December 15, 2019}} Ragonese, Mather, co-captain Ernest Rainey, and co-captain Lane were each inducted to the university's athletic hall of fame in 1982, 1984, 1986, and 1988, respectively; the 1947 team was inducted as a whole in 2001.{{cite web |url=https://unhwildcats.com/sports/2015/7/23/Development_0723150850.aspx |title=Hall of Fame |website=unhwildcats.com |accessdate=November 29, 2019}}

The team played its home games at Lewis Field (also known as Lewis Stadium) in Durham, New Hampshire.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| attend = y

| source = y

| seasonsource = {{cite web |url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/n/new_hampshire/1945-1949_yearly_results.php |title=New Hampshire Game by Game Results |website=College Football Data Warehouse |accessdate=November 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029060330/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/n/new_hampshire/1945-1949_yearly_results.php |archive-date=October 29, 2016 |via=Wayback Machine}}

|September 27||{{cfb link|year=1947|team=Colby Mules|title=Colby}}|Lewis Stadium|Durham, NH|W 28-0|6,500|{{cite news|title=Mather Sparks New Hampshire to 28-0 Triumph Over Colby|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 28, 1947|page=31|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28049634/mather_sparks_new_hampshire_to_280/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 4|at|Rhode Island State|Meade Field|Kingston, RI|W 33-7|3,000|{{cite news|title=Mather Sparks New Hampshire Over Rams, 33-7|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=October 5, 1947|page=31|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28049750/mather_sparks_new_hampshire_over_rams/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 11||Maine|Lewis Stadium|Durham, NH (rivalry)|W 28-7|7,500|{{cite news|title=Mather's Aerials Pace N.H. to 28-7 Win Over Maine|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=October 12, 1947|page=28|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28049843/mathers_aerials_pace_nh_to_287_win/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 18|at|Springfield|Pratt Field|Springfield, MA|W 21-7||{{cite news|title=N.H. Air Attack Overhauls Springfield, 21-17|newspaper=The Boston Globe|author=Vic Wall|date=October 19, 1947|page=28|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28247928/nh_air_attack_overhauls_springfield/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 25||Vermont|Lewis Stadium|Durham, NH|W 28-6|5,000|{{cite news|title=New Hampshire 28-6 Winner; Stays Unbeaten|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=October 26, 1947|page=28|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28053658/new_hampshire_286_winner_stays/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 1|at|{{cfb link|year=1947|team=Northeastern Huskies|title=Northeastern}}|Huntington Field|Brookline, MA|W 55-6|3,000|{{cite news|title=Unbeaten New Hampshire Eleven Crushes Northeastern, 55 to 6|newspaper=The Boston Globe|author=Clif Keane|date=November 2, 1947|pages=29–30|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28403761/unbeaten_new_hampshire_eleven_crushes/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 8||{{cfb link|year=1947|team=Tufts Jumbos|title=Tufts}}|Lewis Stadium|Durham, NH|W 34-0|8,000|{{cite news|title=N.H. Cruises, 34-0, at Tufts' Expense|newspaper=The Boston Globe|author=Ed Shea|date=November 9, 1947|page=30|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28403864/nh_cruises_340_at_tufts_expense/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 15|at|Connecticut|Gardner Dow Field|Storrs, CT|W 14-6|5,500|{{cite news|title=Wildcats Down Huskies For Undefeated Season|newspaper=The Hartford Courant|author=Frank Keyes|date=November 16, 1947|pages=C1, C5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28050208/wildcats_down_huskies_for_undefeated/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|December 6|at|Toledo|Glass Bowl|Toledo, OH (Glass Bowl)|L 14-20|13,500|{{cite news|title=Toledo U Scores Early To Win Glass Bowl Game, 20-14|newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal|date=December 7, 1947|page=3C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28049979/toledo_u_scores_early_to_win_glass_bowl/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

Wildcat co-captain Clayton Lane went on to play in one professional football game, with the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference in 1948.{{cite web |url=http://gridirongarb.blogspot.com/2014/12/unh-wildcats-1947-48.html |title=UNH Wildcats (1947-48) |first=David |last=Bailey |website=Gridiron Garb |date=December 10, 2014 |accessdate=February 1, 2020}} He later was a civil engineer in the United States Army Corps of Engineers for 32 years;{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43435404/clayton_lane_to_be_inducted_into_unh/ |title=Clayton Lane to be inducted into UNH Hall of Fame tonight |first=Gary |last=Harrington |newspaper=Brattleboro Reformer |location=Brattleboro, Vermont |page=15 |date=November 4, 1988 |accessdate=February 1, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43435652/lane/ |title=Lane |first=Gary |last=Harrington |newspaper=Brattleboro Reformer |location=Brattleboro, Vermont |page=16 |date=November 4, 1988 |accessdate=February 1, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} he died in January 2000 at age 77.{{cite news |url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerl/lane00400.html |title=Clayton Lane |website=profootballarchives.com |accessdate=February 1, 2020}} Co-captain Ernie Rainey became a salesman and later vice president of sales for Stihl chainsaws;{{cite web |url=http://www.stancrader.com/the-first-man-of-stihl-sort-of/#.XjX_dC2ZNxw |title=The First Man of Stihl – Sort of |first=Stan |last=Crader |website=stancrader.com |date=June 20, 2016 |accessdate=February 1, 2020}} he died in November 2011 at age 89.{{cite news |url=https://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20111130/PUBLICRECORDS04/111300362 |title=Ernest A. Rainey Jr. |website=seacoastonline.com |date=November 30, 2011 |accessdate=February 1, 2020}}

1947 New Hampshire Wildcats football team

Schedule

References

Further reading