Remembering late Dunmore legend Jack Henzes coaching debut in Dream Game
Late legendary Dunmore coach Jack Henzes coached his first Dream Game in 1976 with three objectives.
Former Sunday Scrantonian Tribune sports editor Guy Valvano, Dunmore, in his book, “The Dream Lives On,” wrote about these objectives in Coach Henzes’ Dream Game debut:
“The first objective, ” Henzes said in 1976, “is to beat the County. The second is to try to develop some special relationships between the players that they can keep for the rest of their lives. And the third is to try to get them in the best physical and mental condition for the game.”
Henzes described the philosophy as the same one used by late USC legend John McKay when he coached the College All-Stars.
A participant in the 1953 Dream Game, coach Henzes was always a stickler for detail and game preparation.
According to Valvano’s book, Henzes called a meeting for his City team in advance of the 1976 game for the purpose of setting up a schedule for the two weeks of practice.
Valvano, who will be 96 next month, wrote in his book that Henzes planned on using his players in companionship. He would try to put players from the same school together. He would place players from the same school, for example, side by side at offensive guard and tackle at the same time in the contest.
Coach Henzes and his staff planned to use players on either offense or defense, but the coaches prepared a number of them for two-way assignments in case help might be needed due to an injury to a key player.
According to Valvano’s book, Henzes said, “The players are very enthused about playing and I’m very enthused about coaching. The kids have come well-prepared, which is a credit to their coaches.”
Riverside coach Bernie Lazevnick, who was directing the opposing County team, followed the same general practice pattern he used for his own team.
According to Valvano, Lazevnick did emphasize that the basic difference from normal pre-season workouts is that there is more teaching involved when preparing players for an all-star game.
In what would be Lazevnick’s only appearance coaching a Dream Game, the County rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns to earn a 14-12 win over Henzes’ City team.
Riverside’s Paul Jesuit, normally a split end under Lazevnick, was pressed into duty as the County’s quarterback and threw key passes in both fourth quarter touchdown drives. He completed six of 15 passes for 58 yards.
Paul Papi of Old Forge ran for both County touchdowns, the second on a seven-yard run with 37 seconds left in the game. Ray O’Kon booted the two extra points for the County.
Henzes, who played in the Dream Game as a player for the Blakely Bears, won three of his next four Dream Games as City coach.
The 1976 Dream Game had been under scrutiny due to declining attendance, a battle with rain, and a couple postponed.
The 14-12 County win over the City drew 7,067 to Scranton’s Memorial Stadium. The County’s dramatic finish kept the lore of the game alive for years to come.
A pair of Dunmore players scored the touchdowns for the City.
Dunmore’s Bob Mesko scored the first touchdown for the City on a 10-yard run and Dunmore teammate Cory Meade added a two-yard tally in the third quarter.
Old Forge’s Papi scored a touchdown on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter. O’Kon then kicked the extra point.
With less than three minutes left in the game, Paul Kern recovered a fumble for the County.
Papi then scored his second touchdown on a seven-yard burst and O’Kon made his second extra point kick.
The County defeated the City, 12-0, in the inaugural Dream Game Dec. 7, 1935 at Athletic Park.
The City earned its first Dream Game win over the County, 6-0, Dec, 5, 1936 on a frigid afternoon before only 2,000 fans at Athletic Park. Dunmore’s Jim Gatto coached the City to the win over the County’s Fiore Cesare of Scranton Tech.
Scranton Tech’s Bill Bradshaw scored the game’s only touchdown on a pass from teammate Paul Amato who had snared a lateral from Saint Paul’s Gene Moran.