ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – Looking back 100 years of Packer football in Green Bay, High School football played a big role in improving the cities sports climate.
“It really fueled the passion that fans had for football in this city.”
With the Packers playing one of their rivals this weekend, team Historian Cliff Christl says the Green Bay East vs West game brought a love of football to Green Bay.
“It was drawing 5,000 fans by the time Curly was a Senior and the first Packers team, 17 of the 25 players played at either East or West.”
Prior to that, Christl says Green Bay was a baseball town.
Christl says journalist George Whitney Calhoun turned another high school game into a high profile event.
“Calhoun got Watertown and Marinette to come here and play for a so-called State Championship. Calhoun promoted that game like no other. He helped turn Green Bay into a football hotbed.”
