Football DeSales
Class of 1944
In the 1940s DeSales played in the All-Catholic upstate football league against such powerhouses as Holy Family of Auburn, St. Anthony's of Syracuse, Aquinas of Rochester and St. Joe’s of Buffalo. Although no stats were kept or all-star teams chosen, newspaper accounts and teammates all recognized Mike’s talent. Joe Iaconis Sr., a teammate of Mike said, “His teammates, visiting teams, and coaches recognized his talent as outstanding”. Newspaper accounts in the Geneva Times always singled out his play for special praise. Along with many of his classmates, Mike was graduated early from high school in January 1944 to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps where he trained and served as a flight engineer flying in B-29 bombers. After the war, Mike attended Niagara University for two years before transferring to Hobart College, where he lettered in football and lacrosse his junior year. He was an All-American candidate in lacrosse and played in the North-South lacrosse game. A construction accident in the summer of 1948 ended his playing career. Mike had the privilege of playing for three sports legends: Henry McDonald at DeSales and Babe Krause and Eddie Tyron at Hobart. After graduating from Hobart, Mike started his own business in Geneva. He was very active in the community, helping coach football at DeSales in the 1950s and serving as co-chair of Geneva Community Sports. While in that position he was instrumental in attracting the Chicago Cubs organization to assign one of their minor league teams to play in Geneva. Mike was named the Geneva Italian Club Man of the Year in 1979. Mike passed away in November of 1983 at the age of 57. The Geneva Community Sports organization dedicated their 1984 program book to him “for his unselfish devotion to church, country, family and friends”.