Arnie Herber: A winning combination

Continued from last week

“West High’s first game in the Valley Conference will be staged on Saturday when ‘Murph’ White’s squad takes the field at the city stadium against Sheboygan. It should be a great battle between two very evenly matched teams, and a very large crowd is expected to be on hand for the battle,” the Press-Gazette announced on Oct. 8, 1925, as West kicked off the season, where Herber was recruited as a quarterback.

“Who will start for the Purple on Saturday is unknown. An injured back is certain to keep Captain (Kenneth) Radick on the sidelines unless his services are absolutely needed. Arnold Herber, recruit backfielder, is nursing a badly wrenched leg, and there is some doubt that (Francis) Brunette, the only regular left from last year’s backfield, will see action.”

But, that Saturday, Herber was on the field throwing passes and West beat Sheboygan 27-0, in a “bitterly contested battle.”

That season, Herber was one of 18 football players to receive a letter for the year, which the Press-Gazette noted as the “largest number of men ever to gain the coveted award in one year at West High.”

That spring, Herber was also awarded another “W” in basketball, and one month later, received a letter in track.

Herber continued to display his passing and punting prowess throughout the 1926 football season, all while make the West High honor roll, and was selected first team quarterback in the All Valley All Conference team.

“This boy is about the classiest quarterback seen in scholastic circles in a long time,” Ed Johnson wrote for the Press-Gazette. “His accurate forward passing to the giant (Jerome) Quinn at end has been the biggest factor in the success of West this season.”

West’s winning 1926 football season was capped off by a 7-2 triumph over East High — its first victory in nine years over the cross-town team.

As a token of their appreciation, several Westside businessmen got together and presented the 17 members of the team with “honor sweaters.”

A couple of weeks later, Herber was elected captain of the football team for the 1927 season.

“The announcement created no surprise, as it was generally considered that Herber was the logical choice for the award,” a Press-Gazette article stated.

“During the past season, Herber proved to be one of the best all-around backfielders in the Valley Conference. His punting, especially in kicking out of bounds, was of collegiate caliber.

At returning punts, he had no rival in the Little Eight, returning several of them for touchdowns. As the passer in the famous Herber to Quinn combination, he kept his team in the running during the early-season games by his accurate tosses to the lanky Quinn, when this was about the only offensive threat the West Siders had.

“His field generalship was remarkable, and he possesses an uncanny knack of getting the utmost out of his team…”

Continued next week