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Portrait of William Knapton, Class of 1971, Old Rochester Regional Athletic Hall of Fame
2015

William Knapton

Football, Track & Field
Induction Year
2015
Category
Athlete
Class of
1971

Hall of Fame Plaque Biography

Bill Knapton was a co-captain, an MVP and a powerful force running the football for the Bulldogs. He led his team to many victories, perhaps none bigger than a 14-0 victory over Wareham in the 1970 Cranberry Bowl. But Bill truly dominated on the track, breaking records, earning MVP honors, and winning the Kenneth Monteiro Memorial Award and the Lester S. Texeira Athletic Award. With 187 points, he eclipsed the school points record held by standout Peter Trow. Bill won 27 of 31 events that spring and joined Trow representing the state of Massachusetts at the Junior Chamber of Commerce Track Meet in Minneapolis. After ORR, Bill headed to UMass Amherst. He lives in Mattapoisett with his wife, Karen. Their two sons attend Bridgewater State, both having distinguished themselves in ORR athletics as well.

Original Hall of Fame Plaque

Original 2015 Hall of Fame plaque for William Knapton

THE COMPLETE STORY

Expanded Historical Profile

William “Bill” Knapton was a powerful two-sport athlete at Old Rochester Regional. As a football co-captain and team most valuable player, he became a major force in the Bulldogs’ running game and helped lead ORR to a memorable 14–0 victory over Wareham in the 1970 Cranberry Bowl.

Knapton achieved his greatest individual success in track and field. He scored 187 points during his senior season, surpassing the school record previously held by Peter Trow, and won 27 of the 31 events he entered. His accomplishments also brought him the Kenneth Monteiro Memorial Award, the Lester S. Texeira Athletic Award, and team MVP recognition.

Knapton and Trow represented Massachusetts at the Junior Chamber of Commerce Track Meet in Minneapolis. After graduating from ORR in 1971, Knapton continued his education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

ARCHIVAL MEDIA

Photo Gallery

Historical photographs, action images, team photographs and later-life images will be assembled here as verified source material becomes available.

William Knapton’s complete 2015 Hall of Fame display with historical photograph and induction plaque
Complete 2015 Hall of Fame display for William Knapton, preserving the historical photograph alongside the induction plaque. Original photograph from the ORRAHOF archive.
ORR football coaches and captains, as captioned in the original yearbook.
ORR football coaches and captains, as captioned in the original yearbook.

INDUCTION CEREMONY

Watch the Hall of Fame moment

Watch induction ceremony →
01:00:40

Vimeo labels this segment “Bill Knapton”; matched to ORRAHOF inductee William Knapton.

SOURCES & HISTORICAL NOTES

Documenting the record

The approved Class of 1971 yearbook portrait was standardized to the Jefferson presentation standard, with the original historical source preserved.

The Hall of Fame archive also preserves the complete 2015 display (IMG_1858.HEIC), pairing the historical photograph and induction plaque. That original display is included in the profile gallery.

October 10, 2026: original yearbook material was reviewed and added to the gallery. Captions follow printed labels or describe the team/page without asserting uncertain individual identities. Original files remain in the Hall archive; publication copies use format conversion only.

October 10, 2026: plaque biography checked word for word against the original physical 2015 plaque photograph IMG_1859.HEIC. Printed wording and punctuation are preserved. Approved portrait and existing gallery retained; original files remain in the Hall archive.

The plaque’s family and residence descriptions are preserved as induction-era wording.

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