Fritsch: Halfback, hitter, hoopster

Continued from previous week

The oldest Fritsch son, Larry, followed his dad into the railroad industry, while the next two sons, Emery and Myron, took the path of education via the Stevens Point teachers college.
Ted visited his brother, Myron, in Stevens Point and eventually followed him to the teachers college.

While Spencer was years from having its own football team, the high school did organize its own men’s basketball team in the 1930s and the Fritsch boys excelled at the sport.

Ted played basketball and baseball throughout his high school career in Spencer, and after graduating in 1938, he headed to Stevens Point.

At the Central State teachers college, he now had access to a football team, as part of the Wisconsin Teachers College Football Conference.

Myron was a former player, and Stevens Point Football Coach Eddie Kotal invited Ted to try out for the team.

Ted was one of seven freshmen selected to start on the varsity squad, with Ted in the halfback position.

The Stevens Point team finished the 1938 season tied with Whitewater for third place, but Fritsch showed what he was capable of — sealing his spot on the squad.

The team started to click, and in 1940, the Central State team fell one game short of a conference championship, losing to Whitewater.

Ted spent his summers on the ball diamond, taking his place as a solid first baseman.

In the summer of 1940, the Wausau American Legion club signed Fritsch to its team in the Northern League.

“Fritsch looks like a natural around first base, and he is a good hitter,” stated then State Legion Director Dr. S.R. Cohen stated after the signing.

Ted also played and lettered in basketball for the teachers college.

“In addition to playing football, Fritsch became a star in basketball,” a 1942 Green Bay Press-Gazette article stated.

Ted played four years of varsity football, alternating as fullback and halfback, while making teachers all conference three of those years, the fourth — his freshman year — was his first year playing the sport.

For his final two seasons with the teachers college, he was selected as a unanimous choice.
Fritsch graduated from the school with a bachelor of science degree in biology.

He then went on to obtain a masters in physical education, with intentions of pursuing a career in education.

However, a call in the spring of 1942 would derail those plans.

To be continued