Lackawanna County coaches and the Scranton Lions Club had a decision to make as the 1937 high school football season neared its conclusion.
Was the Dream Game worth continuing for a third year?
The decision they made and the events that followed set the annual all-star game, now featuring recent graduates from the entire Lackawanna Football Conference, on a course that brings it to its 87th year this summer.
With a commitment from local sports writers, the coaches and Lions Club decided to heavily promote the game to see if they could boost interest.
That approach and a weather break after playing the first two games in icy conditions led to an estimated crowd of 12,000, more than double the first two games combined.
Then, the players on the field did their part, giving fans an exciting game and impressing the college recruiters who used such games to find players during that era.
Scranton Tech’s Edgar “Special Delivery” Jones, already an established prospect on his way to earning All-American honors at the University of Pittsburgh and playing for the Cleveland Browns, returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown and kicked the deciding extra point in a 13-12 City victory.
Six players were reported to have received scholarship offers in the locker room immediately after the game.
Mayfield’s Bobby Tallett had an 80-yard run for the County in a game that featured three players covering at least 60 yards.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 87th annual Dream Game is scheduled for July 21 at Valley View’s John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium in Peckville at 7 p.m. NATION NOSTALGIA is taking a daily look at the game’s history between now and this year’s game, which is being presented by Northeast Rehab and Riverfront Sports.
