Sports Shorts

Potomac State College in West Virginia has inducted two of Middletown's athletes into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Ted Lauer, '49 and Joe Caruso, '52, both graduated from Leonardo High School, as the Middletown Township school was known.

Lauer was a three-sport, four-year varsity star for the Lions coach, Arnie Truex. He earned all-shore and all-state honors in football, basketball and baseball. He established still-standing school records of 19 touchdowns and 115 points in a season. As a senior in 1948, Lauer led Leonardo High to an unbeaten state championship in football. He was also a pitcher on the baseball team that captured back-to-back conference and state championships in 1948 and 1949. Lauer attended Potomac State on a full football scholarship and is now retired and living in Belford. He was inducted into the Middletown Lion Hall of Fame in 1990.

Joseph C. Caruso was a two-way lineman who played for the Truexmen from 1949- 51. In 1950 he led the Lions to the Central Jersey Group II State Champions. In addition to being named all-shore and all-state, he was presented the DeWitt Trophy as the most valuable football player in the Shore Conference. An all-around athlete, he served as captain of the basketball and track teams for the Lions. Upon graduation from MTHS, Caruso earned a football scholarship to Potomac State College. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he landed a teaching and coaching position at Middletown Township High School. In 1968 he moved to the Keansburg School District where he became the director of guidance. In 1979 Caruso was promoted to superintendent of schools in Keansburg. His outstanding service and contributions to the school district were honored when the Joseph C. Caruso Elementary School was named after him. Caruso was inducted into the Middletown Lion Hall of Fame in 1995. He is retired and lives in Middletown.