Staff Writer Last week’s article concluded with the 1958 Jackrabbit football season and the 1958—1959 Forney I. S. D. school year. I was in the 4th Grade and had a wonderful teacher, Mrs. Lena Jones, who visited me at home and diligently sent home assignments as I missed weeks of school with mumps and then the “complications” (as Dr. Christine Walker called them) of meningitis and a lingering terrible headache, even after I had returned to school.
And I remember that year’s Jackrabbit Football games and especially a player (George Anderson), a cheerleader (Patsy Vineyard), a majorette (Judy Wortham). I suppose that those three did “something special” the three or four games I attended.
And then came THE YEAR—5th Grade—and in those days, 5th Grade boys became part of the prestigious program of FOOTBALL; they took part in “Spring Training” the final month of school. I remember the afternoon my fellow male 5th Graders and I boarded the bus after school and headed to the Varsity Dressing Room at the High School.
Coach Henderson and a “Manager” handed us practice uniforms and helmets that, in many cases, did not fit very well—and we “hurried up to hit the practice field,” directed by Coach Randall Canup, another coach or two, and some high school football “studs” that would ultimately become our coaches for the next two weeks and then the final game of Spring Training.
Our first drill on that first day, after we did “cal” (calisthenics), was tackling. All we knew was how we dragged and wrestled down boys during recess football games, but we soon learned real tackling—bodies and and shoulders smashing together loudly! When I (5th grader) reached the head of line one, Bob Pinson (8th grader) reached the head of line two. I knew this big guy from playing trucks with him out in our garden after school several years earlier.
Coach Canup said, “When I slap your rear, Themer, and say ‘hut,’ I will toss Bob the football, and you run at him with all you’ve got and put him on the ground.”
“Down, set, hut”—and straight ahead I (skinny 5th grader) went and hit Bob (muscular 8th grader) with all my might and managed to put him on the ground— on top of me! I looked up, with dirt in my eyes, my nose feeling like it was bleeding, breath gone, and heard Coach saying, “Way to go, Themer!—Next!” Football was not exactly like I had expected!
However, the intra-squad game at the end of the two weeks was pretty much fun; the two Jr. High teams into which we were divided were pretty evenly matched, and the team I was on lost by one touchdown. **Note: I think the officials (varsity players) knew more guys on the other team and “called it for them!”
By 5th Grade, I had really started noticing the football players and remember four captains of ’61— Jerry McCuistion, Ronnie Jones, Martin Popp, Jimmy Latham, who had all won many post-season honors! I also remember that during those days, some of the majorettes twirled “fire batons,” and the one I most remember is Carol Sline, who practiced in the backyard across the alley from the Themer home.
In 6th Grade, boys were allowed to “go out” for football but were basically out there to learn the game and to provide practice material for the 7th and 8th Graders. It was the ’62 Season, and our 6th Grade Team had exactly 9 players—our class was one of those abnormalities that happen every few years and has twice as many of one gender as another!
The most memorable game of that year in my opinion was one that Coach Hernandez from the High School came and helped coach and insisted that we 6th Grade Boys would play several plays. You don’t have to ask who our favorite coach was for a long time after that!
The Jackrabbits were District Champs that season and lost a “heartbreaker” to the Clifton Cubs. The Captains were Ronald Montgomery, Richard Norwood, Arthur Beeler, and Alvin “Sonny” Kvapil. Drum Major was Marcia Whittemore, who had been in that leadership position for three years!
The ’64 Season found the Jr. High Cottontails with a new head coach—Don Barry— and I think most of us guys would have “jumped off the building” if COACH would have told us it would be good for us! He was really popular, and not just on the Jr. High Campus but all over!
By this time, 5th Graders did not take part in Spring Training, and also the 6th graders were not allowed to practice with the Jr. High! We had about thirty 7th and 8th Grade players on our team and managed to win 2nd Place in District, losing to a big and tough Ferris team in District Play.
The Varsity Rabbits were Tri-Champs that year, along with Midlothian and Cedar Hill. Captains were Mike Swindle, Lanny Anderson, Gary Thomas, and Bob Pinson.
Cheerleader squads were not as large as these days, and the “4” were Patricia Reeder, Dixie Burchfield, Marsha Cannon, and Sarah Kelly. Majorettes were Darlene Eudy, Paula Hughes, Becky Borth, Janet Hussey, Judy Townsend, with Carla Eudy as a “mascot.”
To finish out this article, we move on to the 1965— 1966 F. I. S. D. School Year and the 1965 Forney Jackrabbit Football Team. The Faculty and Staff did not number many, and we had one High School Principal (W. E. Wilson) and four District Coaches (Johnnie Henderson, Gus Hernandez, Jimmy Johnson, and Don Barry.)
25 players, for the most part, made up the “B Team,” which today would be called the Junior Varsity. There was no “Freshman” team. The Varsity, at the end of the play-offs, had 29 players. A few boys had played on both teams at one time or another! To “make” the team, we had been part of two weeks of “2-a-day” workouts in August, and sometime around this season, we had run the “Cowboy Mile” in full pads under a certain time—and we had to run it each day until we were successful! Man, oh, man, was it hot!
The team was “Undefeated Regional Champ” and had four Captains: Bob Pinson, Stanley Anderson, Gary Whittemore, Roger Duckworth. We were a “running team” and threw passes only when necessary. Two games that year were won on “field goals of some distance” by Stanley Anderson, and, if I am not mistaken, he kicked “left-footed.”
There were four Cheerheads leaders: Head Leader Patricia Reeder, and Leaders Julie Lewis, Dixie Walker, and Nancy Page……and five Majorettes: Drum Major Darlene Eudy; Majorettes Janet Hussey, Judy Townsend, Paula Hughes, Theresa Jameson, Mascot Carla Eudy.
Our way of life then was sort of epitomized by Stuckey’s Pecan Logs, Ford’s Snow Cones, “sock-hops” after the varsity home games, and Feagin and Farmer “filling stations.” Everything has grown a little since those days of the 1960s! I wish Hardy Mae would come back and make those rainbow snow cones and help us endure this heat!
And now it is School Year 2023—2024, and “GO, JACKRABBITS”…..“GO, FALCONS”…..both are in the air.
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