With all the talk these days about the condition of our playing fields, let’s look back exactly 100 years ago.
This is where Westport’s Owls football team played:
(Photo courtesy of Christopher Maroc)
I’d never heard of the Owls. I don’t know where this field is (though I’m guessing it’s the one behind what is now Saugatuck Elementary School).
If you’ve got any insights, click “Comments” below.
And if you’ve got something to say about the field conditions in 1925, we’d love to hear those too.
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other than the uniforms, the fields look the exact same, maybe better condition in that picture!!!
That photo is part of the collection at the Westport Museum for History & Culture (which posted it quite a while back and also did a taped lecture on the semi-pro team). The former Longtime Norwalk Hour Sports Editor, Willard Williams, played for the team and donated a uniform to the museum when it was the WHS.
I decided to pot Google’s AI – Gemini – to the test on this question about the Owl’s. Here is Gemini’s response to a series of questions I asked.
Westport, CT Football Teams
Created with 2.5 Flash May 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM Published May 23, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Owl’s football team, Westport, CT
In Westport, CT, the high school football team is the Staples High School Wreckers. Their mascot is a construction worker named “the Wrecker.”
For youth football, Westport has the Westport PAL Football program, which includes flag and tackle football for various age groups. They are part of the Fairfield County Football League (FCFL).
No, I am referring to an old-time football team not associated with a school.
You’re right to specify! There was indeed an old, independent football team in Westport, CT, known as the Westport Owls.
The Westport Owls were a semi-professional football team that competed locally starting in the 1920s. They were a notable part of Westport’s history, and the Westport Museum for History & Culture has information and photos related to the team. They were even involved in some “unbelievable stories,” as one 1927 article mentions a player being arrested on the field!
Where did they play
It appears the Westport Owls played some of their games at the field behind what is now Saugatuck Elementary School. For example, they played a game against the Saugatuck Wanderer Juniors.
Who won the game
Sure, I can try to find out who won that game.
I need a little more information to narrow down the search. Could you tell me:
• When did this game take place? (e.g., a specific year like 1927, or even a decade)
• Do you remember anything else about the game or the teams involved?
Knowing the date would significantly help in finding the outcome. However, without a specific date for the game you are referring to, it’s very difficult to determine who won. The Westport Owls played many games against various teams over their existence.
If you can provide a year or any other details about the specific game you’re curious about, I can try to look it up for you. I found information about a specific game between the Westport Owls and the Saugatuck Wanderer Juniors that occurred in late November 1931, just a few days after Thanksgiving.
According to the Westport Museum for History & Culture, the game had a “heated rivalry brewing” and was very intense. The Westport Owls were leading 20-0 roughly halfway through the game.
However, the game ended abruptly and without a clear winner due to an unusual incident: the ball disappeared! During a play in the waning winter daylight, the Westport fullback fumbled, and when players were removed from the pile, the ball was gone. With no other ball available, the game was called off. The Owls’ manager even reported the disappearance to the police, believing it was an act of sabotage by the opposing team, but the ball was never recovered.
Owls vs Saugatuck Wanderers Juniors in the 1920s
My previous search found details about a game between the Westport Owls and the Saugatuck Wanderer Juniors in late November 1931, where the Owls were leading 20-0 before the game was called off due to the ball disappearing.
While the Westport Owls definitely existed and competed locally starting in the 1920s, and the Saugatuck Wanderer Juniors were also a team, specific game results between these two teams within the 1920s are not readily available in the search results I have access to. Historical records for local semi-pro teams from that era can be fragmented and difficult to find.
It’s possible a game occurred in the 1920s, but without more specific information (like a year or exact date), I cannot tell you who won. The most detailed account I found between these two teams is the 1931 game.
We, Laddier Lawrence and I have some pictures and scores from some of the games. Laddie’s father Johnny was captain and I know we have a picture with the record of a few seasons. Not sure if it has the game you’re referring to but I can check (when I get home from a hospitalization) if you’d like.
Katie Lawrence
I think most of the towns had semi-pro teams in the old days. My grandfather played for the Fairfield Giants in the 1930s.
Must have been been a bummer for the refs to call a certain individual for a foul?
Johnny Lawrence, father of John “Laddie “ Lawrence was captain of the Owls. We , Laddie and Katie, have more pictures of the Owls along with their record one year. They were considered semiprofessional. Laddie’s father’s nickname name was Grizz. A lot of the “Saugatuck boys “ played on the Owls. Check with Laddie for more information
Meant to mention-Laddie Lawrence is the Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field and Outdoor Track and Field coach at Staples, his Alma mater and is finishing his 57th year of coaching. The Outdoor Track is named after him.
Johnny Lawrence is in the bottom row (kneeling) without an “O” on his jersey