BIO

Truly one of the greatest athletes to ever don the Red & White, Nickula became somewhat of a household name in town when he co-captained and led the Red Raiders to a 9-0, undefeated mark his senior gridiron campaign for W. Leo Shields.

The starting quarter-back for Barnstable as a sophomore, Nickula shifted to halfback his senior year as part of a “Hall of Fame” backfield with high school All-American Ray Hostetter. Nickulas netted 43 points his senior season with seven touchdowns and one PAT kick.

In basketball, playing for coach Fred Maki, Nickula was equally formidable as he co-captained the Red Raiders to the Eastern Mass. Class B Championship in his senior year, along with fellow star Mel Fulcher. In baseball, however, Nickulas was truly one of coach Charlie Howes’ golden boys, as the solid-hitting, speedy second sacker earned his first varsity letter in the 8th grade in 1948. In all likelihood, Nickula would have gone on to letter iin baseball five times — rather than four — had he not opted his senior year to graduate early and join the United States Marine Corps.

All totalled, Nickulas earned four varsity letters in football and the teams he played on for Leo Shields were a combined 19-9-1. He was inducted into the Barnstable High School Athletic Hall of Fame on November 25, 2007.