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Poppa’s in the house
By George Starks
CNO Sports Editor
ANSONIA- ‘Poppa Tiger’, a name given to him by the kids of Ansonia.
At the age of 80, life long native of Ansonia, Jack Amspaugh, is known
by only one name: ‘Poppa Tiger.’
“The kids here at the schools put that name on me,” said Amspaugh.
“They told me I was like their poppa. It wasn’t like my dad or grandpa
but it was Poppa and it stuck.”
Born just north of Ansonia, Amspaugh has never lived anywhere else in
Darks County. When it comes to the Tiger sports scene, he’s all orange
and black. Nothing else will do.
“I was born here and needless to say, I will die here,” said Amspaugh.
“I went to school here and graduated in 1950. We started football my
senior year and I played for Ansonia. At the time, we didn’t know one
end of a football from another. Jim Hockins was our coach out of
Versailles and polio hit. When we (us boys) decided to get it going, we
had no idea what we were doing but we had 30 days to get ready.
“Minster went to football the same year we did. We had no lights so my
dad went to Dayton to a stadium there and got lights. They are still up
out at the park and our field was named Hockins Field. We went 5-4 that
year. Not bad for a bunch of guys that barely knew what a football team
was about.”
For 61 years, Amspaugh has been a popular face in the crowd at most
Ansonia sporting events.
“I love the kids,” Amspaugh stated. “It’s all about them. I’m very
proud of our teams, not just one, but all of them.”
When it comes to Tiger pride, all one really needs to see is his front
yard.
“Every year, I put all the kids’ names on individual plaques and right
now, it’s football,” Amspaugh said. “When basketball season comes, it
will be the same for the boys and girls teams. I love kids and I love
Ansonia Tiger sports and that’s what drives me to come to this field
and go to all these games.”
While Ansonia can boast of many successes in sports, the highlight for
Amspaugh came recently when the football team recorded its undefeated
season, 10-0.
“We had Miami East the last game of the season and we played there,”
Amspaugh recalled. “Our kids were not going to be denied. We went there
and beat them for the championship.”
It was also recently when Ansonia softball went to state. Another thing
that stays in the mind of Amspaugh.
“That was a thrill,” said Amspaugh. “That was a great team. They were
the last of four teams left in the state. We got beat 2-0 in the
semi-finals but what a thrill just knowing we were one of the four best
teams in the state that year.”
So who is the one Tiger athlete he remembers the most? Actually, it was
a set of brothers.
“I remember the Anthony boys the most,” admitted Amspaugh. “They are
twins and they were the elite. They could do it all in sports.”
Suffering health problems with his nervous system, Amspaugh said he’s
been slowed down considerably.
“As long as I can get here, I will be coming to watch my Tigers,”
Amspaugh said in closing.
Go to Ansonia, look around and you will spot him.
Then you will know, ‘Poppa’s in the house’.
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