1970 Forney football was fifty years ago, and my two buddies and I find it hard to believe that we are even that old! But like the popular country tune somewhat goes: “I believe that a day takes forever to go by, and a year takes no time at all!” Isn’t that right, Roy and Marty? For those of you who somehow missed last week’s column, Don and Chester (Roy) and Marty stood at the curb of J. C. and Peggy Swain’s house in the Pinson Addition and discussed the “old days” of Forney Football and other important events of Forney history. Here is the followup!
And, I must mention that when I remember Forney football, I still see Bob Lucas (science teacher extraordinaire), taking up tickets at the gate, “free gratis,” as he always told us when we asked about his pay, and Ed Wilson (one of Forney’s best high school principals), selling the tickets in the little wooden stand. For some reason, going back to the WPA High School Building area always reminded me, too, of Mrs. Rea Thomas, Spanish and English Teacher and later one of the hardest working librarians Forney has ever claimed—her vertical file and other literary offerings beyond just books always amazed me. And, boy-oh-boy, could she “diagram” sentences!
Probably the final time I had to “pay” for entrance into a game occurred when I was still a college student and came home for homecoming. Mr. Wilson saw my beard and never said a word about it, after having to tell me to “shave” during my high school years, and Mr. Lucas started one of his pronouncements that began with, “Well, boy, let me tell you one thing,” and ended with one of his “rule of thumb scientific ideas!” Later, Mr. Wilson, at halftime, came up to me and said, “Well, Don, I actually like your beard! I was just following rules of the school when I ‘gave you the razor’ when you were in high school.” I guess you can tell, those two men are in/on my list of all-time favorites and role models!
**Of course, there could not have been high school football without a “training ground”—Eighth Grade Cheerleaders (Carla Dunson, Mary Duckworth, Kathy Ransom, Head Cheerleader Cheree Hamblen) and Football Team, coached by Seth Adams and Jimmy Wells.**
But, back to the High School. Of course, there was the Varsity Team, with Cheerleaders (Sally Reeder, Mary Whittemore, Carol Compton, Jana Smith, Tana Green, Head Cheerleader Becky Anderson), and Majorettes (Teresa Thomas, Janie Buice, Drum Major Pam Wilson, Jana Adams, Sally Hatley).
And, what would football season have been without a Homecoming Queen (Teresa Duckworth), a Football Sweetheart (Becky Anderson), a Band Sweetheart (Teresa Thomas)?
Also, as I recall, the “Big Jackrabbit” was on a platform and driven up to the field for display, at least during Homecoming!
As a result of his football feats and other sports prowesses and accomplishments, Ray Perkerson was chosen for the Departmental Award for ATHLETICS.
According to the JACKRABBIT, the following players from the 1970 Varsity Jackrabbit Football Team were awarded “District” recognitions. All-District: Rickey Hollon, Judd Lewis, Darrell Penny, Ray Perkerson, Tommy Tune, Perry Farmer, Charlie Choice.
Ah, football in the ‘60s and ‘70s—when quarterbacks still called the plays, paddles were still used for disciplinary reasons, kickoffs into the end zones were free balls that could be recovered for T.D.s, we could still “crack-back,” “leg whip,” hit until the whistle, “forearm,” tackle the quarterback, fumble as a result of being pounded into the ground, and had to hit the ground in the end zone for a T. D. Oh, yes, “two-a-days” were actually two full weeks of two practices per day, mostly, if not all, in full pads, with maybe two water breaks if we were lucky, and “old men” (nearly all experts at football) stood around the field and critiqued the coaches and players and loudly applauded hard hits and long runs during the evening drills, such as “BULL IN THE RING.” Coaches were usually men who could be so gruff at practices but yet still throw snow balls with the players if they happened to all be on the snowy streets at the same times—especially I remember Coach Canup doing this in front of Jack Venner’s Grocery Store one evening!
Let us close with one of my (and many of the boys with whom I played on teams) favorite parts at the ends of games: Many, many PRETTY girls of the Jr. High and High School “walked the players off the field and told them how great they had played, even if they hadn’t!”
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