Richard Dickerman (1945-1947)
Dick Dickerman played football under Coach Dave Morey as a sophomore in 1945. That years's team was the best of Morey's four years at Marblehead (1944-1947), posting a 7-2 record, losing only to Coach Tony Tassinari's powerful Northeastern Conference champion Amesbury 6-0 and Lynn English 12-6. Coach Morey had a long and distinguished football coaching career, at both the high school and college levels, the highlight of which was his Bates team stunning the football world with a 0-0 tie with then perennial football power Yale. He also coached basketball and baseball at Marblehead.
Earning his 'football Letter" in 1946, Dick returned to the 1947 team as starting offensive center and middle linebacker. He was co-captain of that team with Ed Johnson and Gil Bray. Overall 4-5-1 for the year, MHS shared the Northeastern Conference title (3-0-1) with Winthrop, after a 12-12 season opening tie with their NEC rivals. Marblehead had the disadvantage of playing all of its games 'on the road" in 1946 and 1947, after abandoning Joel Reynolds Playground and before the opening of United Spanish War Veterans Memorial Stadium in 1948.
Dickerman was described as "the best center on the North Shore' by Coach Morey in 1947. As a fine blocking offensive center and a hard-hitting middle linebacker, guided also by line coach Herm Hussey, he was regarded as one of the best all-around lineman in the area in 1947, being named to all of the local All-Star teams. He is also generally regarded as the best lineman of the Morey years at MHS.
Dick attended and played football at Manlius Prep and Cornell University.
Frank Gardner "Gar" Hamlen, Jr. (1946-1948)
'Gar" or "Gugga" Hamlen was one of Marblehead's finest all-around athletes, starring in football, baseball and basketball at MHS. Perhaps best-known as a baseball player, he played three years of football under Coach Dave Morey in 1946 and 1947 and first-year head coach Herm Hussey in 1948.
After seeing some action as a sophomore, Gar played defensive back and shared the quarterback job with John "Tinker' Gilbert in his junior year, as MHS went 4-5-1 overall, but shared the Northeastern Conference crown (3-0-1) with Winthrop. As a senior, he led the Magicians to the NEC championship (4-0-0 and unscored upon), and a 6-2-2 overall record. Hamlen was a real "triple threat" as a fine passer and kicker and an excellent runner, in addition to earning honors as defensive safety. In 1948, he completed 49 of 84 passes for 531 yards (5 touchdowns) and rushed for 151 yards in 46 attempts. He was named to all of the local All-Star teams.
The highlight of the 1948 Season and cited as one of Marblehead's biggest football games, on a Monday afternoon in November, Marblehead still trailed Saugus 13-12 after a 53 yard scoring pass from Hamlen to Captain Dave Bartlett late in the final quarter. The Salem News stated, "Hamlen, working from the Headers' tricky T-formation, took the ball from center and faded to pass, taking plenty of time until his receivers could get down field. Then, spotting Bartlett streaking for the enemy goal, he uncorked a 35-yard aerial down the middle and the colorful captain snatched the ball with a sensational fingertip catch at the Saugus 30 and sped into the end-zone with the winning touchdown without a Sachem having laid a hand on him." The game ended 19-13 one play later.
Gar Hamlen signed a professional contract with the Chicago White Sox upon graduation from MHS in 1949 and subsequently played minor league baseball (see below), losing two contract years due to enlisting the US Marine Corps and fighting in Korea. As evidence of his all-around athletic ability, in 1960, he won the Massachusetts State Championship for Archery and in 1983, he qualified for the Massachusetts Amateur Golf Championship. Hamlen passed away in 2006.
Gar Hamlen is in the 1st Row, 3rd from right