OTSELIC VALLEY heritage series

Part 3: Foundations of OV Pride

Athletics, Teamwork, and School Spirit at South Otselic

OV Pride did not begin as a slogan, it was built through shared experiences. In the late 1940s, students at South Otselic formed strong connections through athletics, school spirit, and participation in extracurricular activities. These moments, preserved in the pages of the 1949-50 yearbook, The Centralian, reflect the early foundations of the pride that continues to define Otselic Valley today.

Where OV Pride Took Shape

Athletics and school activities played an important role in student life at South Otselic. Teams, spirit groups, and classmates supported one another across seasons, building a sense of belonging that extended beyond the classroom. Participation, teamwork, and commitment helped shape a shared identity, laying the groundwork for what we now recognize as OV Pride.

Members of the South Otselic varsity teams, pictured during the 1949-50 school year, represent the teamwork and school pride that defined athletics at the time.

Football

First row: Kenneth Sheldon, Paul Fitzgerald, Stanley Hartwell, Lawrence Franklin, Paul Horton, Robert Moore, Rodney Auwater, and Eugene Wilmot. Second row: Tommy Thompson, Leslie Wilcox, Donald Sheldon, Robert Law, Ted Law, Dave Fitzgerald, Donald Bates, Dale Greene, and Coach Stanbro.

BASEBALL

First row: Hugh Church, Dudley Tallett, Donald Sheldon, Eric Fostveit, Robert Law, Rodney Auwater, Eugene Wilmot. Second row: Coach Stanbro, Lawrence Tucker, Donald Bates, Grant Kenyon, Lawrence Franklin, Paul Horton, Ted Law, Paul Fitzgerald and Kenneth Sheldon.

Basketball

First row: Ralph Brown (Mgr.), Ted Law, Bob Law, Donald Sheldon, Stanley Hartwell, Bob Moore, and Leonard Law (Mgr.).Second row: Coach Stanbro, Paul Horton, Eric Fostveit, Grant Kenyon, and Lawrence Franklin.

Pep Squad

Lavern Miles, Mary Wasilewski, Alice Crandall, Margaret Cruikshank, Loretta Ryan, and Jane DeForest.

During this era, many students participated in multiple activities while balancing academics, family responsibilities, and community life. Sports were not only competitions, but shared events that brought students, families, and neighbors together, reinforcing values of cooperation, commitment, and pride in representing South Otselic.

For some students, experiences rooted in teamwork and school pride became the foundation for future opportunities. While not every student followed the same path, each shared in the early culture of OV Pride -- learning the importance of leadership, responsibility, and representing their school with pride.

OV Pride wasn’t created overnight, it was built through shared experiences.

These photographs capture the foundations of OV Pride -- formed through participation, connection, and shared purpose. While uniforms, facilities, and traditions have evolved over time, the spirit behind them remains unchanged. The pride built on the fields, courts, and within the school community of South Otselic continues to shape Otselic Valley today.

From South Otselic to Otselic Valley, the foundation remains the same.

Sources for this segment include:

  • Centralian Yearbook (1949), Otselic Valley Central School Archives
  • Significant contributions from local historian Mike Shuman
Otselic Valley Central School 2025