Football:Eric Moore

Written by Eric Moore with the aid of Beth Moore

Saturdays in Midland presented themselves as days to ride bikes all over town hanging out with friends, looking to pick up a game of baseball or football. It all depended on who showed up, and where, but the property where the Moore boys lived on Louisiana fit the bill for both sports because of its immense size, so most of the time they ended up there.

Eric first started playing football at San Jacinto Junior High in the 7th grade. The group of guys he played with (and remembers the most) were Jody Givens, Rodney Satterwhite, Knox Nunnally, Billy Owens, and Sammy Vaughn. A new junior high (Alamo) opened at the beginning of their 8th grade, but luckily most of them were still able to play together. In the 9th grade they all reunited to attend Midland High School and once again play together. They received strong, excellent coaching from Coach Selbo during their junior high years due to his taking several of the strong players under his wing and instilling good skills in them. He went on to coach at Lee High School in the fall of 1961 when a second high school was built.

A new rule was implemented the beginning of their freshman year that allowed freshmen to play varsity football. Eric, Jody Givens, and Rodney Satterwhite were the only ones chosen that first year. Tailback and halfback were the positions Eric played most of his high school years. Besides football Eric was able to participate in several sports in high school – track, baseball, swimming, and tennis, to name a few, but he was always available to help John and all the younger guys improve their skills … after all, they had a lot of catching up to do.

Eric and John attended high school summer football practice together the summer before Eric’s junior and John’s freshman year. Eric played several positions but at one particular time he was punting and, as usual, John followed suit. Whatever Eric did, John did, so he also became a punter. The two were put on separate teams and John was chosen to punt to Eric. On one particular day he punted the ball to Eric with perfect precision and alignment. Eric caught the ball, ran the entire length of the left side of the field behind the screen, and was headed for a touchdown. John saw his chance! He was his team’s last hope of stopping Eric! He set himself up in Eric’s lane, crouched down with both hands open wide, grinning from ear to ear in anticipation. When Eric saw John looming, he lowered his shoulder, faked to the left, totally ran over him, knocking him to the ground on his back, and scored! When John came to, he said, “WHAT??!!! WHAT JUST HAPPENED??!!!“ He was in utter shock! “That didn’t just happen!!! I HAD HIM!!”  Not only was John’s ego completely crushed that he wasn’t able to take him DOWN, his bruised pride was totally shattered… That moment, in Eric’s opinion, was John’s introduction to NEVER trying to take down a senior, much less an older brother. They never forgot that moment … and through the years John continually tried to “take down” his older brother (unsuccessfully I might add). Even into their late fifties John tried to wrestle Eric and take him down, but all John could manage was to “sit” on Eric and hold him down with his weight if he caught him off guard.

Pictures from MHS 1954-1959

Pictures and Clippings from the Personal Scrapbook of Jerry Callaway

Bruce Monroe was Davieann Monroe’s big brother. He went on to play for TCU, then law school at UT. He met his wife Lee, at TCU. After law school he went to Alaska to work in the governor’s office. He spent many years in Alaska, and his family loved the outdoor life there. He retired to north Texas and passed away several years ago. 

There was a beautiful blonde young lady named 
Diane (or Diana) David

I think this would be the right years.

But this is just a guess. 

Bulldog Offensive Stats
Bulldogs of the Week
Coach Tugboat Jones
Don Rone, Tugboat Jones and Jim Owens
Football MHS 1954
Football MHS 1954
Jerry Callaway 1954
Larry Cooper, Buddy Whitley and Wahoo McDaniel
Larry Cooper, Johnny Branson and Wahoo McDaniel
MHS Football Team 1954
Wahoo
Tom Inman

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Dedicated to John Tom Williams (RIP) , Jean Starr Lewis       

MHS

REMEMBER, REMEMBER, REMEMBER, “Precious memories”

Midland High School was erected in 1928, for a price of $150,000.  Carver High School was established in 1932. A new Midland High School started construction in 1948, and the Class of 1950 was the first to graduate from the new school.  The “CATOICO” student yearbook derived its name from the combination of: Cattle, Oil and Cotton.

Children could sing the Bulldog Fight Song Pre-Kindergarten. Games were broadcast via radio.  Attendance at the games were heels, sportscoat/ ties, cigars and flasks (pinkies), popcorn and cokes.  Friday Night 1949, was a social event.  Wahoo, special trains to Abilene, Chuck Moser’s Mighty Eagles, and Lynn Gregory.  MHS Monday Night “Booster Club Meetings” donuts/cokes for kids, laughed each time Coach Tug Boat ran game films backwards and the players ran backwards.

Fall Season always began on Thursday nights with large crowds for Carver games. The 1961 Carver Team, coached by Johnny Williams, won the State (First State Championship for Midland) and again in 1963.  Carver teams brought speed, excitement and entertainment not seen on Friday nights

click here to continue reading

MIDLAND HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, 1961 by Bill Wood

Written by Bill Wood

     The first year Midland ever had two high Schools was 1961. Austin and about two thirds of San Jacinto Junior High were assigned to Midland High and Alamo and about a third of San Jacinto went to the “new School”- Lee High School. Neither school had very many seniors but there were some good ones. I remember Carl Schreiner at Lee and at MHS, among others we had Steve Thomas, Ferrell Davis, Jeff Edwards and the head coach’s son, quarterback Mike King. I was one of three sophomores on the team with Quentin Remy and Bill Sallee and Ross Montgomery was the only freshman. Splitting the schools like that made both teams weak that first year and we just weren’t very competitive. I think we finished 3-7 and it certainly didn’t help that Mike broke his collar bone after the first game and was gone for the season. It resulted in me getting to start three years at quarterback. I always thought Coach King liked me. We improved as a team and gained confidence as the year went on.
     One of the best memories is that first game against Lee, which we won 15-6. This would never happen today, but there I was, barely 15 years old, calling every play we ran. The coaches just didn’t do much play calling in those days. Poor Steve Thomas, I ran him off tackle probably 25 times that day, and occasionally would call Ferrell Davis’ number on a reverse or an option. I think Quentin caught four or five passes that day plus one I threw to him for the two point conversion. 
     Remember I said I thought Coach King liked me? Here is one reason why. His son Mike had to wear a weird cast on both shoulders all year after his injury. Of course he couldn’t play or practice. He wanted desperately to get into that Lee game, however. After we scored the first touchdown, he talked his Dad into letting him come in to kick the extra point, which he had been working on a bit in practice. I was the holder. Mike kicked and it was good, but just after the ball left his foot, Sammy Flornoy  came in to try to block it, flew past me and the tee and cut Mike’s feet out from under him. Mike flipped over and He and Sammy were in a pile. Without any hesitation as they hit the ground, I dove into Sammy and threw a punch (probably my first ever)  into his chin. The refs didn’t call any penalties. A few days later when the team gathered to review the film, and many times after that, Coach King would get to that part and then run it back over and over again. I can still hear the click and the whir of the projector. Coach King was the kind of man ( as were Sam Cox, Stan Cobb and other coaches we had) that all of us just wanted to please. I was sure glad to have had that opportunity. 
     Thinking back on it now, I realize that there was, of course, no time to think about whether to do that or not- it was just a reaction. I think it must have been “something in the water!”

Midland High School Football 1962 & 1963

Written by Bill Wood (MHS #10)

   The way I recall it, the fall seasons in both 1962 and 1963 were not only times that indelibly imprinted unforgettable memories on boys headed for manhood, they were near brushes with greatness. In ’62, with senior leadership of Joe, Hurley, Bill Cumbie, Robert Stanford, Joe Berneathy, Bob Stanley, Harry Miller and a few others, the highlight of the year may have been a 21-20 victory over the San Angelo Bobcats at Midland Memorial Stadium. A two point conversion pass to Sophomore sensation Ross Montgomery was the winning score late in the game. That was the first brush with greatness and although it was followed by a few tough losses, the season ending 43-14 victory over the cross town rivals and long time friends Lee Rebels was a game the bulldogs put together a great effort in. Had as many teams been allowed into the playoffs as is common these days, that was a team primed and ready for a deep run.

Continue reading