Local author produces another work

Gene Janecko’s latest scrapbook is about Woodrow Wilson.

By JOHN KOVACH

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — When you shake hands with someone, remember this: It could become “A Classic Handshake” that could lead to “A lifetime Handshake,” as it did with Gene Janecko and Howdy Friend.

In other words, make it your best handshake because it can lead to a lifetime of friendship, as it did with these two retired area teachers and coaches who first met after the Campbell Memorial-Woodrow Wilson high school football game in 1943 at the Red Devils’ field in the sixth season of Wilson football that began in 1938.

Janecko was a junior and rookie halfback for Memorial at that time while Friend was an All-City fullback, but did not play in the game because of injury.

Campbell emerged with a 32-13 victory after losing the year before to Wilson and Friend, 13-12, in a snowstorm also at the Red Devils’ field.

That year, Friend was an All-City end. Thus, he was a rare All-City pick at two different positions.

Janecko, now an author from Austintown, recalled “The Classic Handshake” that occurred in the Campbell locker room right after the 1943 game in his seventh high school football scrapbook called “Wilson’s Last Stand” which was published and released last month. It chronicles the now-closed school’s 69-year history of football.

“While in our dressing room after the game I was approached by a young fellow who extended his hand to me to offer congratulations for my achievements in the game,” writes Janecko in the Wilson scrapbook. “It was an impressive handshake, too mature for a kid in high school, in my judgment. We didn’t shake hands like this in Campbell, I thought. This left a great impression on me, the handshake was so meaningful.

“This young fellow, by now you guessed, was none other than Howdy Friend. I call this the ‘Classic Handshake’ and never forgot it. I’ve mentioned this incident many times as it so impacted me.”

Led to lifetime friendship

It also led to “The Lifetime Handshake” between Janecko and Friend, which occurred recently while Friend took the lead role in helping Janecko gather information to launch the Wilson scrapbook project.

“Howdy helped to get this scrapbook project started,” said Janecko, who was a member of Ohio State’s national-championship team in 1944 and later served in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II. “He contacted a number of Wilson graduates laying out my plans in developing the story. The response was impressive in start-up money and information. Along the way, others joined in my meeting with Howdy and me. Nick [and] Jack Bolkovac, Bob Filips and Dick Franko showed up for sessions and furnished much information.”

Janecko, who also played for the Youngstown College football team before graduating in 1951 and was a teacher and coach in the Struthers and Youngstown school systems, mainly at Struthers and Chaney Highs, said that “the success of the project was largely due to [Friend].”

In addition, “Coach Joe Nudo joined us and I must say that if Howdy was my right hand in all this then Joe Nudo was my left hand.”

They all pitched in and got the scrapbook done, and “Wilson’s Last Stand” takes its place along with six other Janecko scrapbooks — “Falcon Football Pride” (Austintown Fitch), “The Fighting Irish” (Ursuline), “The Rivalry” (Youngstown East vs. Campbell Memorial), “Red Devils Football Scrapbook” (Campbell Memorial), “This is Wildcat Country” (Struthers) and “The West Side Saga” (Chaney).

Friend lauds staff, parents

Friend, who now lives in Boardman, also has great memories of Wilson High and the high-quality people who were associated with the school, and is glad that many of them are being preserved by Janecko’s scrapbook.

“The Wilson school environment was of high quality,” writes Friend in the Wilson scrapbook. “The staff was outstanding, warm-hearted and caring led by such personalities as George Glasgow and Paul Wachter. The teachers were from the old school and were interested in the overall development of young people.”

Friend, a 1950 Mount Union College graduate who served as Mahoning Valley Vocational School superintendent, Poland High principal and Boardman High football coach, also said that the coaches at Wilson were high caliber.

“The football and basketball sports were coached by Howard Hartman and Mike Mitchell. They were men of good character and had a strong impact on our development toward maturity,” recalled Friend.

Friend believes that without his athletic preparation, “I would not have survived my wartime experience of being wounded and spending 18 months in the hospital, including one full year in bed.”

He was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

Friend also contends that the parents of Wilson students and their home lives were the foundation of the school’s success.

“This was especially evident when America’s young people were called to war in the 1940s,” said Friend. “They were strong, dedicated individuals who went on to defeat the enemy, with many giving up their lives in the effort.”

X“Wilson’s Last Stand” by author Gene Janecko is priced at $43 (for local pickup at 3835 Dunbar St., Austintown), $45 (local delivery) and $47 (out-of-town mailing). For more information, contact Janecko at 330-792-0611 or at jinx44@zoominternet.net.

kovach@vindy.com