During the Oct. 10 game against Bowling Green, the Golden Flashes honored a group of former KSU football stars that helped put together the school's first postseason bid in 1954.

Roughly 20 members of Kent State’s famed ’54 Refrigerator Bowl team were on hand at Dix Stadium to be recognized and to reminisce about what was arguably the finest football season in school history.

“It was a team of good leaders and a team that followed the example of their good coaches,” recalled Allan Kaupinen, an end on the ’54 squad from Ravenna, Ohio. “We were blessed with a lot of athletes with a lot of talent.”

Kaupinen and Varsity “K” and Blue & Gold Associate Director Kara Warnke worked tirelessly over the past year to help make honoring the Refrigerator Bowl team a key part of the athletic department’s Centennial celebration.

The 1954 version of the Golden Flashes had a season to remember, posting an 8-2 overall record while going 4-1 in MAC play to finish second in the conference. KSU out-scored Waynesburg, Western Reserve and Baldwin-Wallace by a whopping 143-7 margin to open the year 3-0. After dropping a tough 14-7 contest to Ohio, the Flashes earned key MAC wins at Marshall (41-20), at Akron (58-18), against Bowling Green (28-25) and against Western Michigan (20-13) to lock down the school’s first postseason appearance ever.

“There was a winning spirit all season long because we were winning most of the games by such a big margins,” noted Kaupinen.
That winning spirit was shaped and molded by the man who is statistically the greatest coach in Kent State history, Trevor J. Rees. In addition to being the first head coach to guide KSU to a bowl appearance, his wins (92), winning percentage (.591), MAC wins (36) and years coaching the squad (18) all rank first in KSU annals.

Perhaps what truly makes the Rees era special was the fact that he basically had to build Kent State football back up from scratch as World War II forced the university to suspend play from 1943-45 due to a shortage of men. Rees rose to the challenge, leading KSU to a 6-2 mark in his first season at the helm in 1946. The Flashes and Rees enjoyed 11 straight non-losing seasons to begin his tenure.

“If you were going to have a movie of what a coach looked like, you would put Trevor Rees in the movie,” said Kaupinen. “He was a very well-conditioned guy. He looked like the coach should look.”

Not only did Rees look the part of a coach, but he pretty darn good at playing the part of one. He assembled an all-star staff, highlighted by assistant Don McCafferty, who went on to guide the Baltimore Colts to victory in Super Bowl V. Rees also recruited and coached four players during his 18 years that enjoyed playing stints in the NFL.

He was obviously was able to attract tremendous talent, as evidenced by his coaching staff,” offered Kaupinen. “His practices were very well-organized and he delegated responsibility well to his assistants. He scouted well and had great game preparation. He built something from nothing by attracting good athletes there. For a coach to do that, they have to be a good person. He fulfilled all the things you’d want in a coach.”

Tackle Luke Owens was one of Rees’ products to enjoy a career in professional football, being selected by the Colts in third round of the 1957 draft with the 32nd pick and is considered to be the team’s best player at the time. He wore the Baltimore Blue & White from 1957-65.
The team’s other star talent was back Lou Mariano. Mariano was a four-time letterwinner for the Flashes (1951-54) and still ranks tied for sixth in career rushing touchdowns with 25. Mariano achieved a stellar career despite being deaf and being forced to communicate with coaches and teammates using hand signals and lip reading.

“He was blessed with tremendous athletic ability,” emphasized Kaupinen. “He not only had speed, but he was also extremely quick off the ball and very shifty. He was a Barry Sanders-type back. The ball would be centered, and he would be through the line and by the linebackers so quick that they didn’t know what hit them. I don’t think it was easy what he had to do. He had to learn to communicate in a different way and overcome a lot of difficult handicaps.”

While Owens and Mariano were the team’s biggest stars, the heart and soul of the team was back Jack Rittichier. Rittichier served as team captain in 1955 and was also a member of the track & field team. He was responsible for Kent State’s biggest play of the ’54 campaign. With the Flashes trailing Bowling Green in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, Rittichier raced 90 yards to clinch a thrilling victory over the Falcons that was instrumental in the team clinching a postseason berth.

“Jack’s leadership was through his action,” said Kaupinen. “He wasn’t a ‘rah-rah’ guy. He led by example. When a special time came, when a special person was needed, when we had to go 90 yards, Jack Rittichier was the special person who came up with the big run. ”

Rittichier continued to be a special person. Upon graduating from Kent State, Rittichier joined the Air Force and Coast Guard. He is recognized as one of the greatest heroes in the history of the Coast Guard because of the bravery that cost him his life during the Vietnam War. Rittichier was part of a team that attempted to rescue downed Marines in Vietnam. His Jolly Green Giant helicopter was shot down during one such rescue mission and he was killed. Kaupinen was the driving force in helping to create a monument in his honor and the renaming of Kent State football’s most valuable player award in his honor. A pregame flyover of military helicopters is scheduled tonight’s game in Rittichier’s honor.

“I could see using Jack as an example for every future athlete at Kent to show that when the going gets tough, somebody has to step up and get it done,” said Kaupinen.

Rittichier’s leadership a key component that helped drive KSU to the Refrigerator Bowl. Excitement surrounding the team going into the December 5, 1954 meeting against the University of Delaware in Evansville, Ind. was at an all-time high.

“Kent had some pretty good teams and pretty good athletes,” said Kaupinen. “At that time, when you wore your ‘K’ jacket around campus and were known to be on the football team, people were very nice to you about that. Guys on that team were pretty popular around the campus because they were nice guys.”

The bowl experience was a cherished one by the players. There weren’t as many bowls during the time period as there are today, so participating in the Refrigerator Bowl was an enormous honor for Kaupinen and his teammates. The city of Evansville held a parade and a ball in honor of Kent State and Delaware reaching the game.

“It was a real big deal,” recalled Kaupinen. “Many of us had never flown on an airplane before. To go there and be in a parade and go to a dance and have everyone cheering for you and being able to participate in a bowl game was really special. It was great to be a part of that team.”
In the end, Delaware’s top-ranked passing attack proved too much for KSU as the Flashes fell, 19-7. The loss did little to diminish what the Refrigerator Bowl meant to Kent State.

Following their playing careers, many of the athletes on that team went on to enjoy great success in life. Kaupinen went on to enjoy a successful career in business with Proctor & Gamble and as a deputy staff member of President Richard Nixon’s administration. Twin halfbacks Jim & Bill Whitley became very successful architects and even helped design several buildings on the KSU campus.

“As the years go on, the legacy of the Refrigerator Bowl team becomes more pronounced because of the success most everyone on the team went on to enjoy in life,” stated Kaupinen.

Though much time has passed, the legacy of the Refrigerator Bowl team – both on and off the field – will continue to serve as one of the greatest in the history of Kent State football.