David Vail          #35                BMHS Class of 1982

    Dave Vail was our co-captain (along with Tim Holey) in the 1981-82 season. Now, Dave Vail is our Major. Recently, Dave has retired from the United States Marine Corps. Dave played for Ed James and said, “I liked Coach James. He was tough when he had to be. And as the Dean of the MVC he was well respected.” Dave remembers our basic offensive the Lowell and the Baseline.
    The top teams these years were Central, Lowell, and Haverhill. Dave’s senior year he remembers our tough loss to Haverhill at home by one point. We missed a ton of free throws that night! The Major loved playing against the cross town rival -- Chelmsford. And he enjoyed games against Austin Prep who was in their last year of the MVC at this time. 
  Dave’s favorite memory of basketball was attending Boston College’s basketball camp during the summer of 1981. BC hoop was a powerhouse then and Dave got to go up against some of the iron there. He still stays in contact with some of his old teammates, such as, Derek Dixon and Tim Holey.    
     Number 35's advice to today’s Indians “Play hard. Sports are important in that they provide valuable life lessons, ie, teamwork, hard work, dedication, organization over self, learning to win, and how to deal with failure.”   
    Dave Vail in high school was 6’1” and could jump with the best. He never had a chance to dunk over anyone, but like myself, enjoyed watching Derek Dixon dunk on people. Major Vail sees a natural progression in basketball overall. Teams are bigger and move faster, but he is adamant in his thought of “the team concept usually wins out as demonstrated by the Celtics last year, though you still need some great players.” “The practices were two hours long, and in practice we scrimmaged a lot. We also ran a lot; I think you have to unless you want to lose the game in the second half. Good teams are in shape.” 
    He remembers like most of us never getting new equipment. And when asked about how BMHS basketball prepared him for college, work, or the military after high school, #35 bluntly states “any team sport usually prepares those to success. Most of my peers who did well in the Marine Corps played team sports in high school and/or college.” The Minuteman covered our games then with Wayne Braverman as the sportswriter. Our volunteer/coach was the legendary Larry “Hector” McDonald.
    The place Dave dreaded playing in was Methuen. Methuen’s gym is wide open, plus Methuen had a great player named Gary McClain who later went onto Villanova to win the NCAA D I Championship in 1984. Dave’s teammates who went onto play in college were Andy Dagle at Suffolk University, Derek Dixon at Bentley College, Mark Gallison at Plymouth State, Dave Perrow played football at UNH, and me.
    As far as where basketball fits in the pecking order of high school sports, Dave played only basketball. But… he now wishes he had tried to play another sport, such as, football, baseball, or lacrosse. Kids, Dave believes, kids should be able to participate in all the sports they want and he believes any Coach that tries to persuade a kid to stay in one is a bad idea. AMEN, MAJOR!   
     After BMHS, Dave attended and graduated from University of Rhode Island with a BS in mechanical engineering and ocean engineering. He entered the Marine Corps after graduation in 1987 and entered flight training where he latched onto AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters. He spent most of his early career in San Diego, where he would see former teammate Derek Dixon. Dave eventually became an instructor at the Marine aviation weapons school. Major Vail would serve three combat tours in Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom (Iraq Wars I and II). During these conflicts Major Vail served his country with distinction earning the Air/Strike Medals and the Bronze Star. Having recently retired from the Marine Corps, Dave and his wife of 18 years, Rosalind, still live in San Diego, California. Currently he works for Grey Aviation as a government contract pilot. Our co-captain is now our Major and we’re all proud of you Sir. Ooh rah!

A Coach's Profile    Coach Nat Federico    Howe H.S.    1949-1955

     On Sunday October 19, 2008, I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing the architect/coach of Billerica’ first championship basketball team,  Coach Nat Federico at his home in Ipswich, Massachusetts for this website. I’ve said this several times, but I believe it is worth saying again, only a fool would not benefit from listening and learning from Coach Federico. Coach Federico’s 1951-52 team won Howe High School’s first Suburban League Championship.  This team was one of Billerica’s greatest teams, with four Howe/BMHS Hall of Famers on it:  Rich Myles, Fred Glavine, Billy Robbins, and Jack Fay. Coach Federico was at the helm from the 1949-50 season to the 1954-55 season.  He compiled 62 wins and 32 losses during his six seasons at Howe High School. 
          He was Billerica’s first basketball coach.  Learning much from his Uncle who coached at URI, Coach Federico was a basketball guy.  He told me that during those days basketball coaches were usually the football coaches, and football coaches wanted to get back at Chuck Lampson for losses on the football field by destroying Howe High School on the court. The coaches that preceded Coach Federico, Coach Burns and Coach McGuirk could attest to that.  Billerica basketball was more of a club activity before.  With the evolution of the Suburban League came more of an effort to compete in basketball.  Coach Federico was the precise man for this moment. 
          Coach Federico would drive to Howe High School from his home in Ipswich with Billerica icon Chuck Lampson.  The day started at 5:00 A.M. and ended usually at 11:00 P.M.  Billerica kids Coach Federico said were “tough kids, especially the Pinehurst kids.”  The word from Coach Federico’s players that often appears in describing him is fair.  Coach Federico did not like hot shots. “It is a team game and not an individual game, treat all players alike” he told me from his Ipswich home.  Coach Federico laughed when I asked him about the equipment from that era. “We were lucky to have enough basketballs for the season!” His former players told me that the basketball that didn’t warp would be set aside for the games. Practice time depended upon (he laughed) “when the girls would come in and complain” And then the boys would step off the court.  Practice locations varied some were at the Howe, but again, this gym was a stage too, so falling off would be dangerous.  Most practices and games were at the “old” Ditson School.  Basically, the “old”  Ditson School’s Thurza McClellan Gymnasium is exactly the same as it was in the 1950s.  Tile floor and all, and the clock was on the upper side by the stage.  Practice time was usually two hours long.  Ten or twelve players were expected to be there.  Coach Federico told me only legitimate excuses were valid to not be at practice, otherwise, no practice meant no playing.  When I asked him about playing at the Ditson he said, “We didn’t know any better, unlike today where everyone has these beautiful gyms, everyone was in pretty much in the same boat back then.”
          Coach Federico’s favorite basketball memory is beating local archenemy Chelmsford, getting to work with Billerica kids, and winning Howe/BMHS’s first championship.  One of his toughest losses was when he coached Ipswich and lost to St. Ann’s in their bandbox sized gym. He is extremely happy in which the game of basketball has evolved particularly the WNBA.  
          Coach Federico practice tied into his philosophy as a coach. Points were  made off transition through fastbreak offense.  It was drills, drills, and more drills.  But, he believed in letting the players play.  “Let them play!  Let them freelance and they’ll create and they’ll do the right thing.”   On defense he played man to man.  And thinks the success of a team depends on the need to gel as a group. Coach Federico and Chuck Lampson were known as disciplinarians.  They handled all athletes when it came to discipline.  Three strikes and you were out, and you didn’t challenge Coach Federico.  He dreaded playing in Chelmsford’s gym and Tewksbury’s gym.  He described Fred Glavine as the best athlete he coached, Billy Robbins and Rich Myles as really tough kids, and Jack Fay as the best, pure basketball player.  
          Coach Federico started in Athol, Massachusetts and taught physical education for five years, was at Howe High School for five years where he taught general science and coached, and moved to Ipswich and taught math and coached many sports, and finished up at Hamilton-Wenham Regional HS and taught/coached as well.  Nat Federico taught and coached for 38 years in public schools.  He coached football, baseball, golf, and basketball.  I asked him his favorite sport and he told me, “all of them really.”  It was an honor and privilege to meet and talk with a Howe High School legend. Thank you Coach! And welcome to the Billerica Boy’s Basketball Alumni Association website where we honor those who have helped establish our proud tradition with basketball.  

Carl Jahnle         #25                 BMHS Class of 1960

    Carl Jahnle played at BMHS for Hall of Famer George Gracie. Carl describes George as “a really good football guy.” Carl’s teammates include: Captain Phil Scott, Ed Richardson, Jim Baybutt, Bill Fitzpatrick, and Joe Valley. Carl and his teammates ran Coach Gracie’s barnyard offense and defense was mostly man-to-man.  
    The Indians were still in the Lowell Suburban league during this time period. The powerhouse team was North Andover. Carl and the Indians were ahead of this powerhouse squad at the end of the third quarter one night, and would have ended North Andover’s five year winning streak! Unfortunately, the Indians couldn’t beat North Andover’s press near the end of the game. This qualifies too as #25’s toughest loss as an Indian.  
    Carl’s favorite basketball memory is taking Tewksbury’s great player Doc Guthrie out by setting picks for his cousin/teammate Phil Scott to shoot all night long. Phil went on to have a great night scoring points almost at will. Meanwhile, Carl did the dirty work of setting picks and getting rebounds, the stuff that never seems to show up in the end of the game stat sheet. Carl’s other memory is fronting Win Farfield from Wilmington who was 7’1” and later went on to play at Indiana.  
    Carl stays in contact with Phil from this team. His words for today’s Indians are, “Take at least 50 foul shots a day, 365 days a year---free points!” Sound advice from a teacher/coach. The uniforms and conditions he remembers have really changed. The shorts were, well, old school shorts. The gyms are a little bigger today. Dracut’s gym was so small you had to put a foot on the wall to inbound the ball! Number 25 remembers the fans were great because boy’s basketball was the only game in town.   
    Everyone shot jump shots on this team and no one could dunk the ball. Carl is pleasantly surprised at how far high school, college, and pro basketball has come. Coach Gracie’s practices were 90 minutes long and everyone showed up. And they ran for the entire 90 minutes. The former Indian says that basketball was a fun part of high school. Carl, like so many Billerica kids, dreaded playing in Chelmsford. The Lowell Sun’s George McGuane covered the high school games. Carl’s family had academic expectations of nothing below a B. Coach Gracie (and Coach James for that matter) never really communicated any expectations for grades.  
    Carl played college ball at Tufts and at Lowell. His teammates he believes could have played if they wanted to. And Carl’s parents, like so many from the earlier generations, were too busy to get to games. The post game hang out was Chelmsford Skip’s restaurant (which, sadly, recently closed its doors). Carl states that basketball was his sport. He and Ed Richardson also played for Hughes Lumberjacks, a team otherwise made up of college players. Remember, there were few sports at all in the school then.   
    Carl later went back to Billerica Memorial High School and taught English for 38 years. A great guy and a Coach James favorite. Welcome aboard Carl!  

Harland “Sonny” Robbins # 5 Howe High School Class of 1949

    Mr. Harland Robbins and I spoke together for the first time in the summer of 2008. He has been very valuable in helping me with the history part for this website. And Harland was able to make two home games this past season; and we’re 2 and 0 with Harland there!
    Harland played in the late 1940s for Coach Walter Fowler. Home games were played at the Howe’s small gym. The team Captain was Harry Martell. The team’s most outstanding performer was future Howe/BMHS Hall of Famer George Gracie. He wore #5, and later Jack Fay said he wanted that number because Sonny wore. This made it a special number for Harland. 
    Harland describes Coach Fowler’s practices as hard! “He pushed us, we did a lot of running.” Harland went on, “in practice Coach Fowler stopped and explained anything, right or wrong.” The Howe Indians would drill, drill, and drill the plays. The offense was based on fast break. If the fast break wasn’t available the Howe Indians would play a half court game and try to pound the ball inside to Martell or Gracie. Defensively, the Indians played mostly man to man, but sometimes a little 3-2 zone. And out of that sometimes Coach Fowler would send a man long for fast break points. 
    The teams the Indians played were: Burlington, Johnson (North Andover), Tewksbury, Wilmington, Chelmsford, and Dracut. Harland says the latter two were the best. But overall, Chelmsford was tops. Sonny’s favorite memory was just getting out and playing the games. He says, “winning and losing taught me a lot about growing up. Good things and bad follow you all your life. You need to learn, adjust, and keep going.” 
    This Howe Indians toughest loss was the loss of teammate George Gracie due to an injury. The Indians’ season started with two wins and then when Gracie was injured they lost their next eight games. When Gracie returned they lost two close games to Dracut and Chelmsford. The Howe Indians would then go on to rattle off four more wins. These were against the teams that had beat them without George Gracie.
    Sonny doesn’t really get to see his old teammates that often, but when he does it is swell to see them. For players of today Harland says, “learn to love the game and challenge yourself to be as good as a player possible. Learn to respect your opponent and give them credit if due. But if you respect them, they will respect you. Anyone of them could be going off to war with you, end up being your next door neighbor, or their son or daughter could end up marrying your son or daughter.”
    The uniforms, conditions of play, the referees, and fans Harland describes as follows: the uniforms had short pants with tee shirts with numbers on them and Coach Fowler had only three basketballs for the season for equipment. Coach Fowler would not tolerate any talking to the referees or cheap play at all. The fans Harland loved and felt proud they’d cheer or jeer. Harland said the jeers motivated him to play better. 
    Coach Fowler’s practices were two hours long with lots of running. The girls team would practice an hour. Harland says there were some hook shot and set shots, but the one handed push shot (precursor to the jump shot) was coming into fashion. The highest scoring game was Howe 55 and Wilmington 42. Foul shots were the two hand between the leg set shot (the last player to do this was NBA legend Rick Barry.)
    The Indians had 20 players, but only 12 traveled to away games. All 20 were there for the home games. The boys traveled with the girls and there were no freshmen or junior varsity teams whatsoever. Sonny didn’t really care where he played, but Johnson (North Andover) did have a low ceiling. 
    When asked if Howe/BMHS basketball prepared him for college, work, or the military after it was over Harland answers, “Absolutely!” Sonny did not go to college but felt his study habits would have enabled him to handle it. Harland graduated Howe High School at age 16. He was drafted into the Korean War in 1952. Harland served his country with distinction, and has many commendations and medals. But having seen the horrors of combat in the war, Harland wants to leave that in the past. After the war Harland worked for the Polaroid Corporation for 35 years. He started up manufacturing plants for Polaroid in Holland and Scotland. Harland also did well in the market too!
    Since Harland graduated at a very young age, playing in college was not an option for him. One of his Howe teammates, however, George Gracie, was able to go to Boston University and George’s teammate at Boston University was the New England sports legend Harry Agannis. 
    Coach Fowler’s expectations were passing grades and hustling during practice. If you didn’t do both -- you wouldn’t play. Harland’s mom and dad were able to go to the home games and a few away games. After the games the Indians would go to their respective parts of Billerica. Harland was from Pinehurst and would go to the old Pinehurst Park near the Shawsheen River. Dancing after Friday night home games was very popular. Harland “Sonny” Robbins favorite sport was whichever one was in season. Welcome, Mr. Robbins to the Billerica Boys Basketball Alumni Association. And we hope to see you at a few more home games.