’76 Softball Champs Reunite, Recall Victory on Diamond

WILDWOOD ─ June 5, 1976: a date in distant memory for some and, for many, a number that borders on the historical, but for the members of the Wildwood High Girls Softball Team June 5 will live forever. 
On June 5, 2016, teammates celebrated the 40th anniversary of winning the state championship by attending a Philadelphia Phillies game, followed by a dinner sponsored by Michael Shultz, manager of Little Italy Restaurant in Wildwood.
In a brief write-up, provided by Donna Frederick, former team captain, and West Wildwood municipal clerk, the team anticipated a “bitter-sweet” reunion: “Debbie Suppa, the team’s starting left fielder lost her courageous three-year battle with pancreatic cancer on May 13, 2016.” Frederick continued, “The players may not see each other every day, but we have all remained close, and the loss of Debbie has greatly impacted all of us.” Teammates wore T-shirts honoring Suppa; all bore her number 24 emblem.
Summer dreams ran high and mellow in 1976 as the girls’ softball team faced a “skilled and determined group of girls” from Woodridge High at a field in Mercer County.
According to the yearbook, the 8-5 score was a “10 inning thriller.” 21 wins, two losses, and three pre-season wins combined to make the state championship, a first in girls’ sports at the time.
The yearbook’s words capture the essence of the dream come true: “The girls suffered their only losses during the first half of this memorable season, then they went on to defeat each and every team that stood in the path to the well-deserved crown.”
Black-and-white to colored snapshots preserve the memories, showing smiling faces and proudly-worn maroon uniforms. One can almost hear the crack of bats and smell freshly raked dirt at the mound.
In a previous article by Wildwood Crest Deputy Mayor Joyce Gould, Gould wove the championship with the spirit of ’76: “The U.S.A. was readying itself for the bicentennial. Our county was 200 years old; there were parties and firework spectacles, and everything was red, white, and blue.” Although America faced the uncertainties of the Cold War era, the Warrior girls went on to victory in Mercer County.”
Though the teammates have gone far and wide, they remain close and “get together” every five years, according to Frederick. 
Life has provided twists and turns, joys and recent heartache for the winning team of ’76, but the determination and spirit of cooperation lives beyond that field of dreams.
To contact Rachel Rogish, email rrogish@cmcherald.com.