Ronald Conn (1955-1957)
Ronald Conn was one of Marblehead's finest all-around athletes, excelling in football and basketball for three seasons, and baseball for four years. He captained all three sports in his
senior year.
Conn was the starting quarterback as a sophomore in all games in 1955. Coach Herman Hussey said, " He is a remarkable youngster. Although only a sophomore, he calls the plays like a veteran, passes very well and runs like a pro". Following the Swampscott 19-18 victory in a Thanksgiving thriller, Coach Stan Bondelevitch called Conn "the best passer I've seen this season".
In 1956, MHS had an excellent 7-1-1 season overall, losing only to Class B champion Gloucester (Harding & Hickey) and tying Winthrop 25-25. The team was the Northeastern Conference Champion at 4-0-1. Led by Dick Mezquita's nine touchdowns, the team scored 199 points. Conn scored three touchdown's and passed for four more.
Co-captain with Dick Booma in 1957, Conn missed part of the season with injuries and the flu. MHS finished 4-4-0, after winning four of its first five games.
Following graduation in 1958, Ron Conn passed up a professional baseball offer to attend Colby College. An unfortunate football injury ended his college sports activities in his freshman year.
Ken Eldridge (1960-1962)
Ken Eldridge started all three seasons in the backfield for MHS in 1960-1962. He was described by his coach Noel Reebenacker as "an excellent all-around hard-hitting two-way football player".
Eldridge was the sophomore RHB on the powerhouse 1961 Northeastern Conference Champion 1960 team which was 8-1 and scored 276 points behind the passing of Tom Manning, the catching of Bob Radcliffe and the running of "Jake" Healey. Eldridge scored four times, three of which were 11) passes from Manning, who had an E. Mass season record - 25 for the year. He moved to the fullback position in his junior year for the 4-3-2 1961 season, which ended with the 35-14 upset of unbeaten Swampscott on Thanksgiving.
Ken Eldridge and Scott Dittrich were the Co-Captains of the 1962 MHS team, which won its second conference championship in three seasons (5-1-1) and posted an overall 6-2-1 record. Eldridge, now recognized as a fine running back at LHB, led the team in scoring with eight touchdowns, three on pass receptions, to end his MHS career with a total of 104 points. His final touchdown was the most important. As described by the November 23, 1962 Boston Herald - "Co- Captain Ken Eldridge sloshed 82 yards through rain and mud , with the second half Kickoff for the game's only touchdown as MHS defeated Swampscott 7-0 and won the NEC championship yesterday at Blocksidge Field".
Eldridge was also a fine hockey player and Captain of the 1963 team.