Football

Football 1961

         What started out with high expectations as our Senior season in football became a tragedy. We had just completed our two-a-day practices. We were ready for our season opener. We were cocky, we were proud, we were headed for disaster. The Pep Rally was held in the school auditorium prior to our trip to Fredonia to play. Our team wore brand new jerseys, Mustang blue and gold. As warm ups came to an end, we gathered around the coach for the last minute “pep talk”. It was time for “the kick off”.

          We had lost the coin toss and we had to kick to the home team to start the game. The first quarter was spent pushing and shoving as both teams were trying to secure field position. Unfortunately the home team was having the best of it. It didn’t take long and they scored the first of many touchdowns followed by an equal number of extra points. Yes, we had let our team fall into a deep hole that September night in 1961.

          We were getting trounced on the scoreboard and on the football field. We could do nothing right and the opposing team made few, if any, mistakes. Late in fourth quarter, things had turned desperate. Bret, one of our outstanding halfbacks was determined to keep us together until the very end. However, as good football player as he was, he had little success in rallying those of us who were his teammates. As for myself I was tired and weary of the whole mess. But, what could I do to change the tide of the game? Suddenly after a short running play, which ended in a large pile up of players, I noticed that someone who was part of the pile was groping and doing his best to pinch and gouge everything his hands came in contact in the pile. “Ouch”, John Masterson let out as he had just been bitten by someone in the pile? As those of s got up from the pile, I remember John yelling at Bret, “If you’re gonna bite someone, make sure it someone on the other team!”. It was the only thing that happened that night that got a smile from any of us that had participated in the game that night. We lost 35 to 0. It was a long, silent and unhappy journey on the bus home that night. To make things worse, our season was filled with far more losses than wins. Looking back, we knew we had better talent, we just didn’t play well as a team.