I was driving to a friend’s house to dig up and transplant a plant or four when I saw two “old men” standing at the curb just a little way from that house’s driveway. I wondered what “they were up to,” and then as I inched closer, I noticed that the two guys were friends of mine, who were probably saying to themselves, “What is that ‘old geezer’ doing over here in this neighborhood? Do you think he is looking to steal something?”
I stopped and rolled down my window (Yes, the ’88 Ranger has “roll-down” windows.) and then realized the two “old-timers” were younger friends of mine and had been two years behind me in school—Marty Rouvaldt and Roy Snyder, whom I still call, “Chester,” because that is what his name was when we were at FHS together.
We made small talk about what I was about to do and about what they had been doing lately and how we ought to get together more often instead of just “shooting the breeze” at the edge of a street!
To get to this article’s import, we also talked about old times at FHS and different schoolmates and family members and then the really important things, such as SPORTS! All three had played various sports with varying degrees of success, but we all three remembered many experiences and teammates and coaches, etc. fondly—and we wondered just how this school year’s sports were going to “play out!” (pun intended)
Since there were two of them and one of me, this article will remember and speak of their class, the Class of 1971, which means their sports were those fall of 1970 ones and also the spring of 1971 endeavors.
I think that my two buddies would agree with me that sports in the 1960s and ‘70s seemed to involve more of the entire school population, from Superintendent down to auxiliary personnel who might have only been at the school a few hours per day. And I “think” we agreed that more of the town’s population might have been involved in one way or another. But, of course, time and growth have ways of changing perceptions! Percentages might be almost the same today as then!
Mr. O. B. Johnson was the Superintendent and had been for quite some time. Mr. W. E. Wilson was the High School Principal, and Mr. A. D. Whitaker was Grammar School (Grade School) Principal. Both had “principled” me!
The School Board was composed of Jimmy Smith, President; Kenneth Robertson, Vice-President; Dr. Christine Walker, Secretary-Treasurer; J. E. Hamblen, W. E. Featherston, G. A. Yeager, D. R. Honeycutt (members).
The Annual Staff (’71 JACKRABBIT) was composed of Mrs. Winn Lowe, Advisor/Sponsor—Mynetta McDaniel, Tana Green, Mona West, Becky Anderson, (members). [Themer’s comment: No one knows how much time and effort it takes to produce a high school yearbook until he or she is the sponsor or a staff member. And a big “Thankyou!” is in order for and to all past Sponsors and Members whose efforts allow us to time and again reminisce and “check our memories” when they grow dim. Yearbooks have been invaluable to us at the Museum and to me as a writer as we try to record and tell about Forney’s past!]
The Senior Class Officers were the following: Mack Frazier, President; Marty Rouvaldt, Vice-President; Teresa Duckworth, Secretary; Karen Gowen, Treasurer. Sr. Sponsors were Coach Jerrol Parker, Mrs. Hester Pender, Coach Weldon Strain. (Strain worked at FHS at least three different eras!)
And, according to those pictured in the Yearbook, the 1971 Seniors were Jana Adams, Claudia Alexander, Becky Anderson, Barbara Andrews, Michael Bannister, Raymond Bayliss, Billie Bennett, Dianne Brooks, Mary Ann Conard, Gloria Crosby, Robert Croxton, Phyllis Davis, Eddie Dodson, Teresa Duckworth, Vicki Dykes. Mack Frazier, Karen Gowen, Linda Henderson, Ricky Hollon, Bobby Johnson, Pam Kearney, Ernest King, Judd Lewis, Ann McCuistion, Mynetta McDaniel, Mike McDonald, Freddie Moss, Loyd Nickolson, James Nobles, Darrell Penny, Ray Perkerson, Holman Price, Ricky Roach, Marty Rouvaldt, Carolyn Runnels, David Sands, Dara Schindler, Ed Shaw, Chester Snyder, Ilene Stasny, Ann Themer, Doris Thomas, Teresa Thomas, Cheree Townsend, Donna Tucker, Tommy Tune, Roy Wade, Debra Watkins, Sadie Watkins, Mona West, Linda Whaley, Linda Williams, Pam Wilson.
In those days, FHS had a Pep Squad of more than thirty young ladies, complete with uniforms, and they had their own section of the stands!
And, the 1970 FHS Jackrabbits Football Team captured the District Co-Champions Title, losing only two games and defeating long-time rivals (Rockwall—Midlothian—Ferris) by scores of 20-0, 55-0, and 69-0. The team was primarily coached by Head Coach, Weldon Strain, and Assistant Coaches, Jim Johnson and William Stell.
Captains for the season were Tommy Tune, Darrell Penny, Chester Snyder, and Ray Perkerson. Voted Football Sweetheart for 1970 was Becky Anderson.
The High School was still the structure that is now the Administration Building, minus a few parts and plus a few others, and the games were played on the field that is still behind the building and towards the west, with a “big gulley” behind the “visiting” bleachers. That hill was a favorite place for Coach Strain to have players get exercise and gain leg muscles and stamina for the late minutes of the games!
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