Jim Wehsener, the quarterback for the Blue Earth football team in 1949, visited his alma mater recently and attended the football game featuring the battle for the Little Brown Jug between the host Blue Earth Area Buccaneers and the Fairmont Cardinals. He is shown holding a copy of the Register with a story about BEA defeating Fairmont and taking possession of the Little Brown Jug.

The parking lot was full and the stands were packed for the start of the football game between the Fairmont Cardinals and Blue Earth Area Buccaneers last Wednesday, Oct. 20.

Then the lightning and rain came and many fans left and did not return when the game resumed over an hour later.

Among the fans who did endure the rain and wind to stay for the whole game was a man by the name of Jim Wehsener.

In fact, Wehsener traveled all the way from San Diego, California, to see the game.

Now, Wehsener did not make the trip to Blue Earth just to see the football game.

“I am originally from Blue Earth,” he explained. “I come back to the area once a year to see family.”

And he was excited to be able to attend the football game.

“I was the senior quarterback for the 1949 Blue Earth football team,” Wehsener comments. “We had a pretty good team that year.”

Wehsener, who is now 91 years old, says the 1949 Blue Earth football team began the season with a loss against Minneapolis Southwest.

“We also lost to Waseca, but everybody lost to Waseca,” he offers. “They had a really good team.”

He recalls Fairmont and Blue Earth ending the season tied for second place in the conference. He also describes in detail the game between the two rivals.

“The game was at Fairmont and it had started raining in the afternoon and it was coming down even harder than it was for the game in Blue Earth the other night,” Wehsener explains. “Their field had new sod installed the prior spring and there was standing water on the field when we played.”

Wehsener, who in addition to being the quarterback, played linebacker, punted and did the placekicking for the team, says the conditions made playing tough.

“Back in those days there was only one game ball, so it was hard to keep it dry,” he shares. “I was back to punt and when the center hiked the ball it skidded along the ground on its way back to me. By the time I could pick it up, I was looking into the faces of two Fairmont defenders.”

The punt was blocked and Fairmont recovered the ball just four yards away from a touchdown.

“It took them four plays to get in the endzone, but they did,” Wehsener notes.

Following the touchdown by the Cardinals, Wehsener says his teammates had some advice for him in the huddle.

“Back then the quarterback called the plays,” he comments. “The guys told me not to hand the ball off because it was too slippery, just tell them which hole to block for and they would do it.

“I had a clear path to the goal line a couple of times but could not get there. The Fairmont paper said something like Blue Earth won the statistics but Fairmont won the game,” he says.

He was happy with the way the most recent clash between the two teams turned out.

“I would have liked to have been able to go down on the field to congratulate the boys, but with the way it was raining they did not hang around,” Wehsener explains. “I sat in the stands behind the dad of one of the senior players. I told him to tell his son this was revenge for the 1949 game. I really enjoyed it, the way we dominated on both offense and defense. Our lines on both sides of the ball deserve a lot of credit.”

He shared some of his other connections to Blue Earth.

“Lester, Dick and Orville Paschke were my cousins. Herb Schwen was my uncle,” Wehsener explained. “I was also related to McRea Willmert, who was the Faribault County treasurer for many years.”

He also talked about his high school friends.

“Dave Spencer, Johnny Hummel and the Storver boys all lived on Holland Street and I would pick them up in my ’28 Chevrolet to ride to school.”

He says he and his buddies made up the core of the football, basketball and baseball teams.

“We also organized the Letterman’s Club in 1949. Miss Paulson was the principal and Lee Pemberton was the superintendent,” Wehsener recalls. “Up until that time we had been known as the Blue Earth Maroons. We wanted a mascot which was not an animal and yet was well known enough we could find material related to it.

“So, in 1949 we became the Blue Earth Buccaneers.”

He says following high school he farmed for a couple of years before joining the Marine Corps reserves for two years. Then, he came back to Blue Earth and worked for Electric Service Company.

“I know where every conduit is in the old school building,” he says smiling.

According to Wehsener, his wife, Shari (Belau), operated a clothing store called Shannon’s on Main Street for a couple of years until they decided to relocate to San Diego.

“I worked as an electrician and started my own business in 1962,” he comments. “My wife and I had six children, five boys and one girl.

Even though he is 91 years young, Wehsener says he still enjoys winter skiing.

“I ski better than I walk nowadays,” he says laughing.

He shared he always enjoys his trips back to Blue Earth.

“Especially this year,” he states. “Beating Fairmont the way we did, it was worth the trip from San Diego.”