Whitpain High School's Soccer Team That Won 3 Consecutive Championships
- Yen Ho
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins this week, we would need to understand how soccer (or football) became a popular sport in America. Even before the FIFA World Cup became a huge event to watch, soccer became a popular sport in America thanks to the immigrants who came into the country who brought the sport with them.
Early Days of Soccer
In the late 19th and early 20th centires immigrants from England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Italy brought the sport of soccer with them. They even form clubs once they settled into America. Industrial towns like Bethlehem, PA became a soccer hub for factory workers and mill laborers where they played matches on weekends.
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Soccer's introduction to high schools was not from the immigrants, but rather from universities and colleges. It started in the year 1905 when people shared their concerns about the number of injuries and deaths from playing American football, which was considered a dangerous and violent sport at the time. There were debates whether to reform the sport, or even abolish it completely. This leads to a shift of playing football by actually using their feet, hence calling it "soccer."
"Many things have come about to increase the public interest in the association or kicking game of football, and indications in various parts of the country indicate that this will be the most successful year in the history of the sport in the United States. About thirty clubs play the 'socker' game in Philadelphia. New York is taking it up, and St. Louis had two leagues of four clubs each playing in autumn and spring. The most salient point, however, is that some of the colleges have become interested in the sport, which will undoubtedly do more to bring it to the attention of the American public than any other method that could be devised."
- The Inter Ocean (1905)
High schools decided to follow pursuit by adapting the sport of soccer. Soccer was included in school sports with football still being an option to play it for students. People saw soccer as a "democratic" sport that allowed students to enjoy the sport without getting violent with each other.
The Whitpain Booters
Soccer became a popular sport at Whitpain High School during the 1930s due to their 3-time championship reign under the leadership of coach Francis "Frank" Donnon (1913-2003). He was a graduate at North Wales High School in 1932, and then attended West Chester State Teacher's College (now West Chester University) for four years. Francis became a science teacher at Whitpain High School in 1937. He was a basketball player back at North Wales High School, which gave him the opportunity to coach the school's boys and girls' basketball teams. Another opportunity came around for Francis to coach the boys' soccer team after the team won its first championship, becoming one if the most impressive teams in the area.
The team is part of the Tri-County Soccer League with other schools in the Philadelphia area like Abington, Richboro, Hatfield, Buckingham, and Southhampton. The Whitpain Booters won their first championship in 1935 under coach Fred Corson, and won again in 1936 and 1937 under coach Donnon, making it a "three-peat" for the team. Some notable players included Albert "Al" Slingluff, John Heim, Henry Griffing, and Fred Koffel.
In 1940, Whitpain High School became part of the newly formed Twin County Soccer League along with five other schools: Hatfield, Richboro, Southhampton, New Hope, and Buckingham.
Athlete Spotlight
Albert "Al" Slingluff (1919-1943) was the son of Lyle and Isabelle Slingluff in Blue Bell. He graduated at Whitpain High School in 1937 after playing center forward for the school's soccer team as co-captain. After high school he attended the Drexel Institute of Technology (now Drexel University) to study engineering. In 1941, Al was enlisted in the Naval Reserve four months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He received flight training in Philadelphia and then in Jacksonville, FL where he received his wings. He was commissioned an Ensign in June 1942, and then Lieutenant, Junior Grade the same year. On November 28, 1943, Al and five other men were killed in a plane crash near the Beaufont Naval Air Base in South Carolina.
The Griffing brothers (Harold ('36), Henry "Pete" ('39), and Ralph ('41)) were the sons of a Spanish American War veteran Alfred B. Griffing. All attended Whitpain High School and played on the soccer team during their times. They shared a connection with Wings Field and their experiences there lead them to be drafted into the US military: Harold at the Air Force; Henry at the Marines; Ralph at the Army.
Bibliography
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"Funeral Services on Saturday for Lt. Albert M. Slingluff." Ambler Gazette. December 2, 1943. Pages 1 & 8. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_21610.
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Pruter, Robert. "Early Days of Soccer." Illinois High School Association. Accessed June 8, 2026. https://www.ihsa.org/archive/hstoric/soccer_early.htm.
"Soccer Champs Rewarded." Ambler Gazette. January 20, 1938. Page 7. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_21352.
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"Whitpain High Booters Made Credible Record in 1938." Ambler Gazette. December 22, 1938. Page 6. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_21077.
"Whitpain High Wins." Ambler Gazette. December 12, 1935. Page 4. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_21681.
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"Won Soccer Title." Ambler Gazette. December 10, 1936. Page 6. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_23980.
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