Today is Staples High School’s Homecoming football game.
At 5 p.m., the Wreckers host Darien. Even with the threat of rain — and an earlier-than-usual start time — the stands will be packed. That’s the allure of “Friday Night Lights.”
Back in the day — the pre-lights day — Homecoming was a Saturday afternoon affair.
Seniors, juniors and sophomores worked for days, creating paper-mâché floats. Companies like Kowalsky lent their tractor trailers, to haul them around the track.
(The track, of course, was cinder. Today’s more expensive one would be ruined by those behemoths.)
Senior (left) and junior class floats, at the 1969 Homecoming.
Also at halftime: the crowning of Homecoming Queen.
In 1969, students chose Carol Luciano over 5 other seniors: Karen Appy, Patty Crangle, Gay Heirtzler, Jill Manning and Marilyn Briggs.
All the nominees went on to lead notable lives. Carol — the daughter of well-respected police chief Sam Luciano — still lives here.
As for Marilyn Briggs: She modeled while still at Staples, most famously as the Ivory Snow girl. She then earned fame — as Marilyn Chambers — in hardcore films like “Behind the Green Door.”
Some of the Homecoming Queen nominees were Staples cheerleaders. But they were well prepared.
From the 1950s, until 9th graders moved to the high school in 1983, junior high sports were a very big deal.
Bedford, Coleytown and Long Lots Junior Highs fielded teams. Starting with football, basketball and baseball — and then soccer, field hockey, girls basketball, wrestling, softball and track — they competed against each other, and junior highs in towns like Darien and Greenwich. There were cheerleading squads too (even for a time, spectator buses to away games).
For some young teenagers, it was a chance at competition and camaraderie they’d never achieve at Staples. For others, it was an early step on the road to athletic success, and personal fulfillment.
As for Marilyn Briggs: She may not have been Staples’ Homecoming Queen.
But among many other things, in 1966 she was a Long Lots cheerleader.
Long Lots Junior High School cheerleader Marilyn Briggs, and football captain Dave Roodhuyzen.
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Marilyn was my cheerleading coach when I was in 8th grade at Long Lots. I was a trained ballet dancer and not athletic so the transition was challenging. Without her help, I never would have made it on the squad. Great memories of Marilyn’s kindness and patience.
We all know Marilyn Briggs was the Ivory Snow girl with her picture on the box. Now my first cousin, Dennis Parise, who played on the Staples Football team in 1966 was a senior when Marilyn Briggs was in 8th grade and she had a huge crush on him. Naturally, a Staples high school senior who played football would never embarrass himself by dating an 8th grader, so he refused to date her! He regrets that decision now. Oh dear how he regrets it.
Indeed the rivalry between Long Lots and Bedford Junior High was intense and good training for some excellent Staples teams. It was great fun which now seems to lacking on the freshman squads. A postscript, Dennis Parise was in my class and didn’t exactly end up with chopped liver in his soul mate and also classmate.
I agree- Ann Wiggins and their kids are extraordinarily successful. But you do know he still says this jokingly! He to Vietnam and was shot in his helmet and the bullet missed his head by an 1/8th of an inch. I have a picture of it. He went to Vietnam with Peter Kluchnick, who recently died, and Matt MacVane who ended up in the C.I. A.
Indeed, I lived just down North Avenue from Echo Manor where the Wiggins lived. The son was a big time golfer and I followed in his footsteps as captain of Staples ‘66 team. I was also in Vietnam flying NSA recon flights out of DaNang. Dale Hopkins was also Marine RECON, two Purple Hearts.
Now that you mention it, I remember Ann’s brother coming to the golf range. He was a lot older us and the only memory of him is golfing. Does anyone remember an Ellen Burchette who lived on the corner of North Avenue & Cross Highway and she rode horses and there was a barn on her property? She was , I believe, in the Staples class of 1965. Not sure if she went to the 60th reunion at the Patterson Club last year. Also, anyone know where Leslie Harrison is nowadays.
Bob Hotchkiss from Old Road was a friend of mine who worked at the golf range and ended up living in Georgia. I can’t remember who he married, but he had some type of heating and air conditioning business that they owned.
Do not recognize the first two you mention but Hotchkiss used to be on Facebook a lot. Engineer in GA and became a big body builder as well. Glenn Wiggins was class of ‘63, went to Cornell and a became a doctor.
I actually knew Marilyn Briggs from the YMCA Camp Mohawk. She was a great swimmer and diver.
If Carol (Luciano) reads this, please say hi to your sister Jo from Bonnie Scott – We played on the Field Hockey team together and probably basketball also.
Marilyn Briggs was a childhood crush of mine and her Mom: Ginny, nursed me through many lacerated fingers, broken bones and broken hearts as the surgical nurse at Drs Beinfield, Hughes and Kessler. Marilyn taught me how to waterski at Candlewood Lake the summer of ‘64 she was very patient and a great athlete- May she rest in peace.
Great memories and especially love the photos! I remember making the (now totally amateurish) R. I. P. float featuring the “dead” Cardinal with friends. I was so excited to make the Cardinals feet out of yellow Playtex rubber gloves! And that shot of Marilyn is exactly how I remember her: friendly, athletic and happy. Thank you Dan!