Classmates still cheering for SRHS, 50 years later

The South River High School class of 1956 cheerleading team posed during a recent reunion in the same order as a shot from Thanksgiving Day 1955 at Rutgers Stadium. Left to right in both are Jane (Hala) Davis, Rita (Romanowski) Molnar, Connie (Goletz) Marchesi and Marilyn (Palomba) Draper.

SOUTH RIVER - It's a half-century since they bid farewell to South River High School, but the members of the class of 1956 still share an appreciation for their alma mater and its football team.

Class members came from 19 states to attend the 50th reunion Oct. 7, including a tailgate party, a South River football game at Denny Stadium, and a dinner at the Ria Mar restaurant.

Of the 189 graduates, more than 60 attended the reunion. This was somewhat easier for the 20 who continue to reside in South River than it was for people like Jo (Truskowski) Dagon, who came from Juno, Alaska.

The class, which holds reunions every five years, has no members that went on to national fame, but plenty who went on to enjoy successful careers in fields including police work, administration, education, real estate and the medical profession. Several became business owners. Many are now retired.

The class produced two police chiefs who served in local municipalities - Frank Eib, former chief in South River, and the late Joseph Forrar, who served East Brunswick.

Class member Connie (Goletz) Marchesi continues to have a close relationship with the high school, as her son, Rich Marchesi, is head football coach of the Rams.

Connie Marchesi was one of four cheerleaders from the class of 1956, along with Rita (Romanowski) Molnar, Jane (Hala) Davis and Marilyn (Palomba) Draper. The four re-enacted a picture taken at Rutgers Stadium during the annual Thanksgiving Day game between South River and New Brunswick in 1995.

In the 1950s, a fierce rivalry existed between the SRHS Maroons and the New Brunswick Zebras. Always the final game on the schedule, it was traditionally held on Thanksgiving at Rutgers Stadium. Approximately 5,000 people came out each year to attend the game. In the 1955 season, South River won by a score of 6-0.