Top Moments In North Texas High School Football..

FirefightnRick · January 19, 2010

As you know "The Century in the Making" kicked off yesterday in which voters will choose the top 250 greatest moments in North Texas football history. This weeks ballot that was available in person at the stock show yesterday is the High School edition. In reading over the options on the ballot of the "memorable moments", I was disappointed in the choices, mainly for a few they left off the ballot.

1. With only 12 kids on the team that faced the greatest of odds life could throw at a child, the Masonic Home Mighty Mites tied Corsicana for the 1939? state championship at Corsicana, in which the crowd was so large that the stands broke and the overflow crowd had to stand ON THE FIELD behind the offfense during play. Can you freakin imagine? There is scheduled to be a movie released about this team that was inspired by the book "12 Mighty Orphans". Farrington Field was built because La Grave field couldn't hold the crowds that showed up to watch the Mighty Mites play during the 30's. Their playoff game vs Davey O'Brians' Woodrow Wilson team had to be moved to Amon Carter. How in hell is this team or it's program left off the ballot????????????

2. 1981, Cleburne and Brownwood, ranked 1st and 2nd in class 4a, faced off for the district championship in which the game had to be moved to TCU's Amon Carter Statdium. PKC89 and myself were there to watch this game unfold in front of 30,000 plus, and it came down to the final play at the goal line when a Brownwood RB dove over the goal line for the win, only to fumble into the endzone and Cleburne recovering it as time expired. How is it that this game was left off the ballot?????????????

3. 1983, Daingerfield Tigers, who played their semi against Post at the FWISD Clark Stadium located at South Loop 820, finished the season 16-0 and the 3A state championship, but played the final 15 games without being scored on, a record I believe that stands today. The only team to score on them was a 4A team (Mount Pleasant or Mount Vernon???) in the first game of the season, which scored a safety. That 4A team also went on to the playoffs as well. This team placed 6 or 7 kids in the NFL including the Dallas Cowboy's Thomas Everett, all from a school that had less than 300 students total. How in hell is this team left off the ballot????????

4. Again, in one of it's last seasons of existence, Masonic Home wins the 6 Man state championship? No mention of this team.

Here's the link about the event yesterday. http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/1902543.html. But it doesn't have the ballot yet as it will be available online in March.

Does anyone else have a great high school moment in North Texas history? If so list it and I'll see if it's mentioned.

Rick

Edited January 19, 2010 by FirefightnRick

UNT Mean Green · January 19, 2010

Southlake Carroll's run of winning 80+ consecutive regular season games back in the late 80's to early 90's.

Southlake Carroll's 5A run during TD's tenure.

...and there's more.

mitchmaher · January 19, 2010

The Year: 1977

The Teams: Plano vs. Highland Park

The Setting: Class 4A Quarterfinal Playoff Game at Texas Stadium

The Highland Park Scots had rolled through the opposition all year long in class 4A, the largest division at the time, while the Plano Wildcats opened the 1977 season with a 25-13 loss to South Garland and later were tied by Sherman 14-14. Though the Wildcats had posted a 10-1-1 record coming into this game it seemed every victory was a hard fought contest. The trend for both teams continued in this game and the Scots looked to be well on their way to a state championship as they dominated play into the fourth quarter and led 28-0 before Plano began to mount a comeback. Plano used a returned fumble recovery for a touchdown and a throwback pass to the quarterback to score with seconds left. Disdaining the extra point the Wildcats went for two and ran it in to complete an amazing comeback over Highland Park, 29-28. Plano survived a 3-0 defensive slugfest the following week against Odessa Permian and won the state title againt Port Neches-Groves, 13-10 at Texas Stadium the following week before the largest crowd to ever attend a Texas high school playoff game (49,953).

Mitch Maher

Stan R · January 19, 2010

3. 1983, Daingerfield Tigers,

Only #3 for Daingerfield? These guys still get no respect. I know, too easy. :rolleyes:

NTSUEagle · January 19, 2010

The Year: 1977
The Teams: Plano vs. Highland Park
The Setting: Class 4A Quarterfinal Playoff Game at Texas Stadium
The Highland Park Scots had rolled through the opposition all year long in class 4A, the largest division at the time, while the Plano Wildcats opened the 1977 season with a 25-13 loss to South Garland and later were tied by Sherman 14-14. Though the Wildcats had posted a 10-1-1 record coming into this game it seemed every victory was a hard fought contest. The trend for both teams continued in this game and the Scots looked to be well on their way to a state championship as they dominated play into the fourth quarter and led 28-0 before Plano began to mount a comeback. Plano used a returned fumble recovery for a touchdown and a throwback pass to the quarterback to score with seconds left. Disdaining the extra point the Wildcats went for two and ran it in to complete an amazing comeback over Highland Park, 29-28. Plano survived a 3-0 defensive slugfest the following week against Odessa Permian and won the state title againt Port Neches-Groves, 13-10 at Texas Stadium the following week before the largest crowd to ever attend a Texas high school playoff game (49,953).
Mitch Maher

+1 That Game was HUGE back in the Day! Now it seems almost totally forgotten.

Lurker · January 19, 2010

http://startelegram.typepad.com/cowboys_st...--cant-eve.html

It's a related story, but I think that guy with Haynes in the first photo may be from around here.

SilverEagle · January 19, 2010

The Year: 1977
The Teams: Plano vs. Highland Park
The Setting: Class 4A Quarterfinal Playoff Game at Texas Stadium
The Highland Park Scots had rolled through the opposition all year long in class 4A, the largest division at the time, while the Plano Wildcats opened the 1977 season with a 25-13 loss to South Garland and later were tied by Sherman 14-14. Though the Wildcats had posted a 10-1-1 record coming into this game it seemed every victory was a hard fought contest. The trend for both teams continued in this game and the Scots looked to be well on their way to a state championship as they dominated play into the fourth quarter and led 28-0 before Plano began to mount a comeback. Plano used a returned fumble recovery for a touchdown and a throwback pass to the quarterback to score with seconds left. Disdaining the extra point the Wildcats went for two and ran it in to complete an amazing comeback over Highland Park, 29-28. Plano survived a 3-0 defensive slugfest the following week against Odessa Permian and won the state title againt Port Neches-Groves, 13-10 at Texas Stadium the following week before the largest crowd to ever attend a Texas high school playoff game (49,953).
Mitch Maher

I believe that Plano is still the only HS that has won state championships in every classification but 1-A.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · January 19, 2010

Even though the North Texas school lost, the Plano East comeback...then failure in 1994 has got to be in there. My first wife was an East grad and we went to the game. Her brother played football and her parents were in the booster club. They left with Tyler JT up 41-17 and about three minutes to go.

For whatever reason, we decided to stay. And, man, we were gald we did! It's the best high school football game I've ever seen. Recap here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool/rise/...tory?id=3789110

Edited January 19, 2010 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

mitchmaher · January 19, 2010

During the summers of 1989 and and 1990 I worked in the warehouse at a place called Magnatron. Who was the fella who ran the operation in the back? The great Steve Ulmer, the QB of the Plano team that beat Highland Park in 1977. Needless to say, we talked a lot of football those summers.

Mitch Maher

meanrob · January 19, 2010

Early 1980s at Texas Stadium. Port Arthur Jefferson leads Permian 19-7 at halftime in a game that wasn't even that close. My dad, mom, and whole family went to TJ so we got there before the gates opened and waited for hours on an extremely cold December afternoon. I can still remember how good that hot chocolate was at halftime.

So me and my delicious hot chocolate sit down in my seat when somebody who is walking down the aisles passing out something gives me one. I turn it over and it's a bumper sticker that says "Port Arthur Jefferson State Champs 19XX" or something to that effect. Knowing you don't mess with the football gods, i figure this can't be good.

Permian came out and rolled to a 28-19 victory.

Not the greatest game ever but one that i'll never forget.

The QB for TJ went on to UT and i hear is a coach somewhere.....

adman · January 19, 2010

the final play at the goal line when a Brownwood RB dove over the goal line for the win, only to fumble into the endzone and Cleburne recovering it as time expired. How is it that this game was left off the ballot?????????????
3. 1983, Daingerfield Tigers, who played their semi against Post at the FWISD Clark Stadium located at South Loop 820, finished the season 16-0 and the 3A state championship, but played the final 15 games without being scored on, a record I believe that stands today. The only team to score on them was a 4A team (Mount Pleasant or Mount Vernon???) in the first game of the season, which scored a safety. That 4A team also went on to the playoffs as well. This team placed 6 or 7 kids in the NFL including the Dallas Cowboy's Thomas Everett, all from a school that had less than 300 students total. How in hell is this team left off the ballot????????

It was Mount Pleasant. Mount Vernon was and I'm pretty sure still is 3A.

MP had some pretty decent teams in the 80's but Daingerfield was dominant in the the first half of that decade. If memory serves they won 3 State titles in the 80's?

(As an aside Daingerfield, MP and Mt Vernon all have a Tiger as their mascot. Daingerfield is about 17 miles SE of MP. And MV is about the same distance to the west.)

Edited January 19, 2010 by adman

NT80 · January 20, 2010

The Year: 1977
The Teams: Plano vs. Highland Park
The Setting: Class 4A Quarterfinal Playoff Game at Texas Stadium
The Highland Park Scots had rolled through the opposition all year long in class 4A, the largest division at the time, while the Plano Wildcats opened the 1977 season with a 25-13 loss to South Garland and later were tied by Sherman 14-14. Though the Wildcats had posted a 10-1-1 record coming into this game it seemed every victory was a hard fought contest. The trend for both teams continued in this game and the Scots looked to be well on their way to a state championship as they dominated play into the fourth quarter and led 28-0 before Plano began to mount a comeback. Plano used a returned fumble recovery for a touchdown and a throwback pass to the quarterback to score with seconds left. Disdaining the extra point the Wildcats went for two and ran it in to complete an amazing comeback over Highland Park, 29-28. Plano survived a 3-0 defensive slugfest the following week against Odessa Permian and won the state title againt Port Neches-Groves, 13-10 at Texas Stadium the following week before the largest crowd to ever attend a Texas high school playoff game (49,953).
Mitch Maher

A great year to be a Plano fan. I went to all those games with two close friends who were seniors that year. After the win over HP many Plano fans returned to their cars at Texas Stadium to find their windshield wipers bent around or other damage...never have seen a more classless group of fans as those of HP/Smut!