Voted best male athlete by the class of ‘65
When any discussions or reminiscing happen about 1960’s sports in Amesbury, the immediate focus is the fire of 7 April 1964 at AHS. The total destruction of the school left AHS sports with no locker rooms, no showers, and poor practice facilities. All students & athletes are bussed to Haverhill (now City Hall) for school, including your sports gear.
In football, Paul “Desi” Desautels, # 30, is a running back playing for Coach Norman Chadwick, with bobcat like moves. He plays all four years earning 2 letters. AHS football competes in the powerhouse Northeast Conference. Desi leads in offensive yards gained and plays linebacker on defense. He also returns punts and kickoffs. Coach Stan Bondalevitch of Swampscott calls Amesbury “carriage town” and hates coming to Landry stadium Saturdays, expecting bruising skirmishes, with the conferences “most improved ball club of the 1964 season”.
Desi finishes the season as Amesbury’s invitee to the Agganis All-star game. At the end of the season banquet he is awarded the Tassinari MVP trophy. He earns all NEC honors, All-Scholastic honorable mention in both the Boston Herald and the Globe. He is awarded several game balls. Mr. Ed Gleed of the local newspaper cites Desi as “steady not flashy, supplies his own power, top gun at AHS, with exciting plays like a pick 6 vs. Marblehead, scoring more than ½ of the team’s yards”. Teammate Dave “Tootie” Bailey cites one favorite game vs Newton South; after a received punt, the ball lays idle with no contact by the kicking team. No whistle is heard. Desi picks up the ball and sprints off with opponents staring. A touchdown ensues and the Red and White win 12-8.
On the hockey team, Desi is a wing, # 18, playing in the NEC from 1962-1965. He played all 4 years and is a 3-year starter on the 1st line, leading the team in goals scored. He earns three letters. In ’65 he was awarded all NEC honors. In 1962 he is awarded the Chiefie Lemoine MVP trophy. Frosh Coach Albie Roy and senior Coach Dupere, drill the ice men in endless conditioning exercises, keeping the team in competition shape. Practice ice time, organized by Mr. Bill Clark of AHS formerly the admin. at Exeter Academy, is on the frigid outdoor rink. Practices are at night. All hockey games are at night, in the Lynn arena.
Amesbury’s small squad wins many games in the third period with fresher legs and a “can do” attitude of superior conditioning. Coach Dupere quotes “when you play Amesbury you better play all 30 minutes of each game”. We were always the underdog. Desi plays all four years. Teammate Rallis quotes “It is no wonder of this man’s leg strength, as early Pee Wee hockey pads may have been Sears catalogs wrapped in place with large ace bandages, for shin pads.” Teammate Pudge Kitchen recalls a game vs Woburn that Desi’s helmet falls off. The rule is, all play stops, but no whistle is heard. Desi cuts to the goalie and scores. The game ends tied 1 – 1. Woburn is devastated. Classmate Dave Twohey ’64, remembers Desi as a “Pie Face” MacKenzie (Bruins) like player; a bowling ball on skates. Hockey helmets consist of a leather button on the forehead and backhead, connected by a canvas strap. Socks are wool and help up with garter belts using a penny through the clip.
On the baseball diamond, Desi pitches and plays second base under Coach Joubert for AHS. He plays two seasons with 2 letters for his contributions to the team. He leads in runs scored, with a batting average of .341, best in the conference with this stat. In a game vs Andover, he pitched a 4 hitter and bats 2 for 3. At the end of the junior season he was awarded the MVP trophy by the local VFW. Again, he was awarded with NEC All-League honors.
Desi plays golf his senior year. He plays 1 season and earns his AHS letter on the links. He plays golf every day to this day.
Desi earns a total of 8 AHS letters and a leaves legacy that many recall, in our stadium, where 8,000 spectators filled the bleachers and sat on the walls to watch and listen. One of his middle school kid memories is “to play in the stadium and compete”. His sports prowess leads to a football scholarship at UNH and also plays on the hockey squad.
Congratulations to Paul “Desi” Desautels, Class of 1965, inductee to the AHS Athletic Hall of Fame with the elite, blue chip, gold star, top of the line, superb athletes from AHS.
