BENNETT BEACON

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Paul Swartz

Paul Swartz

by | Feb 17, 2023

Swartz was one of the finest all around athletes of his era. He was a strong-armed third baseman with outstanding power. He played three years of varsity baseball from ’35 to ’37, achieving All-High status in 1 936 and 1 937. He was also All-High in football in 1 935, when Bennett won the Harvard Cup, and in 1 936.


In football, he was a genuine triple threat. An elusive halfback, he could throw the ball with great accuracy and also kicked the extra points.


After graduation, Swartz earned an athletic scholarship to Colgate University, where he played football and baseball.


Swartz was a U.S. Marine veteran. He later returned to Buffalo where he became a swimming official and baseball umpire with the Western New York Umpires Association.

Tom Smith

Tom Smith

by | Feb 17, 2023

Smith was a basketball and baseball star at Bennett in the early 1 950’s. He was a four year starter on the varsity baseball team, and led Bennett to the Cornell Cup title in 1 955. A left handed pitcher, he threw two career nohitters, one in his junior year and one as a senior, exhibiting a wide array of pitches.

In basketball, Smith was a three year varsity player and a starter in his senior year. During his sophomore year Bennett won the Yale Cup, symbolic of basketball supremacy in the Buffalo Public Schools.

After high school, Smith signed a professional baseball contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. After his pro career, Tom played MUNY baseball locally for many years and was part of an AA championship team.

Greg Batt

by | Feb 17, 2023

Greg Batt was one of the greatest athletes that attended Bennett High School. Most people that saw him play hockey have stated that he was the greatest player they have ever seen.

He attended Bennett for three years before transferring to Nichols School. At Bennett he was All-High in hockey in 1935 and 1 936. He was a halfback on the football team and played third base on the baseball team. At Nichols he was a star in hockey and baseball and is in their Sports Hall Of Fame.

He won a scholarship to Colgate University where he was also a star in hockey and baseball, and was captain of both teams. He played tennis for three years. During 1942 – 1943 as player-coach, he led Colgate to its only undefeated hockey season. He scored 52 of his teams1 16 goals that season, along with 36 assists to propel Colgate to an 1 1 – 0 record, including a 1 3 – 3 victory over Army. While at Colgate he became an All-American, and is in their Sports Hall Of Fame.

Greg had offers in hockey from the Chicago black Hawks when there were only 6 teams in the NHL. He also received an invitation to play on the American Olympic Hockey team, but decided not to accept because of school work. After graduation he joined the U. S. Marines and was in on the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. There he was injured and received the “Purple Heart”.

After the war he returned to Colgate and coached hockey, soccer and tennis, but commuted to Clinton, NY to play center for the Clinton Comets, a professional team in the New York – Ontario Hockey League. He was named All-Star center by the American Hockey Association. He had acquired a legendary reputation on the ice by the time Hamilton College invited him to coach at their school in 1 948. He coached hockey and was backfield coach in football. He coached hockey for 36 years and was elected to be chairman of the rules committee of the American Hockey Coaches association and was formerly Dean of hockey coaches. Hamilton College named their new hockey arena the Perryman-Batt Arena.

Greg had six brothers who attended Bennett H.S. All of them were on sports teams. They are as follows; Dr. Richard Batt ’31 – was on the cross country team and ran the mile in track. Paul Batt ’34 – was on the football and hockey teams. James Batt ’35 – was on the cross country, hockey and tennis teams. Theodore Batt ’37 – cross country team and ran the mile in track. Jerome Batt ’37 – was on the baseball team. He captained the hockey and baseball teams at Cornell University. Dr. David Batt ’43 played baseball and football, and was All-High in baseball in 1 943.

Fred Helmer

Fred Helmer

by | Feb 17, 2023

Fred was one of the greatest all-around athletes at Bennett High School. He earned major letters in football, baseball, and basketball. He was All-High football in 1 943 and second team All-High football in 1942. He was a triple threat back and one of the best punters the Harvard Cup has ever seen. He played shortstop and was a pitcher on the 1 943 Cornell Cup baseball team and a guard on the Bennett basketball team.


After graduation, he went into the Navy. Fred played softball (fastball) for many years and was considered one of the best pitchers, if not the best of his time. He is in the softball Hall of Fame.

John Decarolis

John Decarolis

by | Feb 17, 2023

John came to Bennett from Buffalo School #63 in the fall of 1953. Sensing the spirited winning tradition of athletics at Bennett, he soon joined the baseball and basketball teams.

Showing his baseball versatility as both an infielder and a pitcher, Decarolis starred on three consecutive Cornell Cup baseball championship teams from 1955-57. In his junior year, DeCarolis hurled a five hitter at Offermann Stadium, striking out six batters along the way, as Bennett defeated Grover Cleveland 5-2 to finish undefeated. It was his fourth win of his junior year as a pitcher, and helped pace the Tigers to the crown in the city championship game. /ls a senior in 1957, performing at second base and as a pitcher, DeCarolis was a key component as the Bennett baseball team again finished undefeated. By winning over Riverside 3-2, the Tigers completed the “hat trick” of three straight baseball championships.

For his stellar infield play and timely hitting, he was named first team All-High after his senior year as a second baseman.

Decarolis played three years of basketball at Bennett He was a heady guard on the 1 957 Tiger team that won the Yale Cup championship, emblematic of city supremacy on the hardwood.

Following graduation from Bennett, DeCarolis went on to Cortland State and lettered as a baseball and soccer player. After a career of more than 30 years as a Physical Education teacher and coach in the Kenmore School system, he retired in 1996. He now resides on Grand Island.