Richard 'Dick" Mezquita (1954-1956)
Dick Mezquita broke into the starting lineup as a sophomore running back during the 1954 season under Coach Herm Hussey and went on to have an outstanding high school and college football career. He also starred in baseball and basketball at MHS.
After leading the team (3-6) in touchdowns as a sophomore, Mezquita scored 31 points in 1955 (4-4) and led the team in scoring with 57 points in his senior year. Playing quarterback, halfback, and fullback, as well as full time defense, he is one of the few one hundred point scorers (106) in MRS history.
In 1956, as co-captain with John Simon, he led the team to a 7-1-1 record and the Northeastern Conference crown, losing only to Class B champion Saugus 25-7, with a memorable 25-25 tie at Winthrop. Overall the team registered 199 points versus 108 for the season, one of the highest totals in MHS history, with a backfield of Ronnie Conn, Jack Robarts, Terry Prince and Dick Mezquita with Ed Carey and Warner Hazell at the ends.
Dick Mezquita went on to play football at Brewster Academy and at the University of New Hampshire. He was recently inducted into the UNH 100 Club Hall of Fame, where he was a three-year football letterman, earning All-Yankee Conference laurels as a junior and Little All-American as a Senior.
In addition to his proven abilities, Dick Mezquita's leadership qualities are best indicated by his being named captain of his team at every level at which he played - junior high, freshman, varsity (1956) at Marblehead, Brewster Academy (1957), and University of New Hampshire (1961).
Thomas "Tom" Manning (1958-1960)
Tom Manning threw 25 touchdown passes in 1960, leading his team to an 8-1 record and the Northeastern Conference title (6-1). The team's total points of 276 for the season (versus 113) are the highest recorded in MHS football history.
Manning was on Herm Hussey's last MHS team as a sophomore in 1958. As a junior under new head coach Noel Reenbacker in 1959, he shared the quarterback position with Bill Crane and threw his first touchdown pass. In his senior year, Manning enjoyed one of the finest individual offensive performances in MHS history. His 25 touchdown passes broke the mythical Harry Agganis' then season record of 19. Twelve of his touchdown passes were to end Bob Radcliffe, who shared team scoring honors with Hall of Fame member Daniel 'Jake" Healey at 84. The only defeat in what have been Marblehead's only perfect season, was a heartbreaking 21-20 loss to Danvers in the final minute of the game on a controversial point-after conversion kick. Memorable victories were 18-14 over Salem, 32-8 over a fine Woburn team and a late 12-6 win on Thanksgiving.
Not gifted with great natural physical skills and little speed, Manning was a dedicated athlete with a great love for sports who worked long and hard to accomplish his goals. His determined efforts were successful in producing MHS's best pure passer as a T-formation quarterback and one of the finest this area has ever seen.
Tom Manning's success on the gridiron earned him a football scholarship to the University of Cincinnati.