ROBERT LEE LEKITES, Class of 1952

ROBERT LEE LEKITES
Class of 1952
Inducted in 2017

One of the most versatile athletes of the Coach Ray Riddick Era at Lowell High School, Bob Lekites’ contributions to the success of the Red and Gray gridiron juggernauts of the late 1940’s and early 1950’s encompassed all aspects of the sport.

A well-rounded athlete, Bob was a sprinter for legendary Coach George “Mike” Haggerty’s undefeated track team in 1951 and also played on the LHS basketball squad in 1949-1950. However, it was as a member of Hall of Fame Coach Riddick’s powerhouse football teams that Bob left his mark in the annals of Lowell High School athletics.

As a sophomore (1949) Bob was a member of the Raiders undefeated squad that compiled a record of 11-0, winning the school’s first Eastern Mass Class A Championship and traveling to the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, where they defeated Florida powerhouse Landon High School 14-7 in a postseason contest.

Bob blossomed during the 1950 season, exhibiting skill in a variety of roles. ln addition to his offensive talents, Bob was described as a hard runner and accurate passer-the talented junior handled the team’s punting chores, unleashing kicks of 65 and 63 yards, still ranked 5th and 6th in the LHS Record Book 67 years later. Bob was also a standout defensive player, executing perhaps the most electrifying defensive play in the 127-year history of Lowell High School Football, picking a Lawrence fumble out of mid-air and sprinting a school-record 98 yards for the tying touchdown in a 13-13 battle versus archrival Lawrence before a packed stadium on Thanksgiving Day.

As a senior (1951), Bob made his mark offensively as a running back and receiver, scoring 8 touchdowns as LHS enjoyed a 9-1 season. Bob continued his penchant for big plays, ripping off runs of 75 and 70 yards (TD) from scrimmage and returning a kickoff 85 yards for a TD versus Manchester Central, then the 2nd longest return in school history. Bob also caught 15 passes for the season, then 2nd on the LHS all-time list in an era when the passing game had not yet fully evolved. Bob capped his career by scoring a touchdown and grabbing an interception in a 34-0 win over Lawrence.

At the conclusion of senior year, Bob was named as an All-Scholastic and was selected to participate in both the North Shore All-Star and Greater Lowell-Greater Lawrence All-Star games.

At the conclusion of the 1955 season, Coach Riddick was asked to pick a 4-year All-Star team from among his players from 1951-1955, a period during which the Red and Gray compiled an overall record of 46-2 and won 3 EMass Class A Championships. lt is a tribute to Bob Lekites that Coach Riddick included him on that dream team.

ln addition to Coach Riddick and numerous teammates, Bob joins his beloved daughter Amy Lekites in the Hall of Fame.