John Cudihy (1932-1934) 

John Cudihy played three years of football at Marblehead. In 1932 as a sophomore he saw considerable action, became a regular in 1933 and was one of the main cogs in the great 8-1-1 team of 1934 under Coach Charlie McGuinness that scored 252 points against only 47 for the opposition, winning the Northeastern Conference in its first year of existence.

     John Cudihy was one of Marblehead's most versatile players. He played both center and end on offense, and end as well as linebacker on defense. He also was a fine kicker. His left-footed punts are remembered for both their distance and a spiral with a reverse spin that bothered opposing punt receivers. He is described by a teammate as follows - "John was a hard-nosed kid, a real competitor and, a determined player. He was large by 1934 standards."

     Under Coach McGuinness, Marblehead was known for its whirlwind deceptive attack. In one of its many post season games of the era, and perhaps its biggest win, Marblehead defeated Edison High of Miami 52-12 in 1934. That game caused a southern sportswriter to call the team from the north - "the Marblehead Magicians" - a name that has carried to this day. Typical of the multiple offense, Cudihy threw a long pass off a lateral for the game's first touchdown and caught a pass for the second touchdown.

     John Cudihy attended Kiski Academy and Stanford University, playing in the Rose Bowl. A pilot in World War II, he was killed in action on July 29, 1944 at the age of 26.