Gardner High alum makes surprise $10K donation to Wildcats football program

Some people never forget where they came from. A cliché, perhaps, but Scott Pollard is living proof.

Pollard, a proud graduate of the Gardner High School Class of 1977 now living in Missouri, recently donated $10,000 to the Wildcats’ football program.

“I had never met Scott. He walked into the high school last month asking if he could see the athletic director,” Gardner High Athletic Director Dan Forte said. “He was holding his checkbook and said he wanted to make a donation. I was shocked when I saw the amount. His generosity will go a long way to help our kids who play football, and we’re thrilled to say the least.”

Back in Gardner for his 45th class reunion and to see his father, John, Pollard, one of the captains of the 1976 GHS football team, said he had been wanting to “give back” for a few years now.

“I do pretty much everything in person, so I said to myself that this was the time, and I just drove to the high school,” the 63-year-old Pollard said in a recent phone interview. “I’m a little bit of a dinosaur with the in-person stuff, but I find it works for me.”

It worked for Gardner High football coach Sean Whittle, too.

“It was an awesome surprise. Such a very generous donation from Scott, and we are so grateful,” said Whittle.

The money, he said, will go to the football booster program and help pay for many of the extras — including jackets, sweatshirts, cleats and team-bonding functions — that are not covered by the athletic budget.

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“I just wanted to help out Gardner football because budgets are tight right now and football costs a lot of money,” said Pollard, who, after graduating from UMass-Amherst, began a long and successful career with General Electric Co., rising to vice-president and CFO of power systems. “Giving back is important because it all counts. I hope my donation will encourage and inspire others to give.”

Pollard, who retired after 28 years with General Electric and held positions in several cities including Fitchburg, Nashville, San Diego, Fairfield, Connecticut, and even overseas in France, now works as an executive for Pro Energy in Sedalia, Missouri. He and his wife, Cathy, have three daughters, Jennifer, 30, Patty, 28 and Becca, 26.

Decades after leaving GHS, Pollard still holds fond memories of his high school athletic career, especially his senior football season under first-year coach Jack Michalak. Running Michalak’s veer offense, the Wildcats posted a 6-4 record and closed the season with a win over Wachusett in the last Gardner High football game contested at Stone Field until 2018 when renovations to Watkins Field forced the Wildcats to return to Stone Field for one season.

Pollard, who graduated from Gardner High with honors, also fondly recalled his wrestling career at GHS, and the inaugural team put together by the late Dave Bujnicki, a Gardner High football Hall of Famer.

“I still have my old Gardner football jersey here in Missouri, number 61. I don’t put it on too much,” Pollard said with a laugh.

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“We played in the tough, Central Mass. Conference where just about every team we faced, Leominster, Fitchburg, St. John’s and St. Peter’s, had a full, separate offensive and defensive crew, and we had nine of our 11 guys going both ways,” recalled Pollard, who captained the ‘Cats in 1976 along with Steve Hirons and Jeff Wickman. “We had a winning record and Michalak got the best out of us. We weren’t a big team that could overpower opponents, so the veer offense, with a lot of trap blocking, was right for us.”

Among the six victories in Pollard’s senior season, the win over St. John’s in early October is unforgettable in his memory bank.

“The highlight of my football career, no doubt,” Pollard said. “St. John’s was highly favored and we played them in heavy rain at their place and won in overtime, 12-6.”

Pollard, as if it were yesterday, recalled Kevin Audet’s 1-yard TD to put Gardner ahead in overtime and then the Wildcats’ defense holding off the high-powered Pioneers’ offense in four downs from the 10.

With future New York Mets star pitcher and current popular TV baseball broadcaster Ron Darling at quarterback, St. John’s failed to make it into the end zone.

Pollard, who played left tackle on offense and inside linebacker on defense, recalled the final play of the game.

“They went on the first count, which was good because there was an opening between one of their guards, and I just shot the gap and tackled Darling right in the backfield,” he said. “Ron Darling may have beaten the Red Sox in 1986, but he didn’t beat the Wildcats in 1976. That’s a fact."

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Of course, the four football losses in 1976 still hurt all these years later, especially the 16-12 squeaker to Southbridge.

“Those memories stick with you, no doubt,” Pollard said. “That Southbridge game? We lost that one because of a lousy call by the officials. I’ll still say it. Always will.”

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gardner High football alum donates $10K to Wildcats program