OT... Plaino, you'll like this...
- Thread starter PtLavacaSooner
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That was my freshman year. I didn't become a manager until the next season. My junior year, was the second state title after that group won the first. John Griggs, the Wildcats first African American running back, was a great player on that 1965 team as a soph, but didn't join the team until about four games in, after being on the JV. 1965 was the first year of integrated athletic teams in Plano, and that being the first year for a state title. Their longest trip to the playoffs before that year was the regionals in the second round.
Number 77 on the right end of the second row is the answer to an OU trivia question. He was the guy who replaced Granville Liggins. His name is Kennith Davis, and he transferred to OU after two years in juco. But he didn't generate much pass rush in the season opening loss at South Bend in 1968 and never started again.
I always thought he'd be a better OLineman than DLineman at the college level, but he'd had a good year playing nose guard at juco and was the defensive MVP in the Oil Bowl after he graduated. He was a good player, but he wasn't Granny Liggins good. Who was?
After we won state in '67, Coach Clark apologized to me, because the managers weren't included in the team picture, which were always taken during two a days in August. So there are guys in that 1965 picture, who quit before the season really got underway, and guys not in the picture, who were key contributors. For 20 years, Mike Wheeler and Griggs were the only two Wildcat players to play on two state championship teams. Both were sophs that year, but neither were in the picture, which is still in the locker room along with the other state champions.
That 65 team was coached by Tom Gray. Coach Clark was the DC, but many credited him with being the difference in the state championship win over Edna, 20-17.
Number 77 on the right end of the second row is the answer to an OU trivia question. He was the guy who replaced Granville Liggins. His name is Kennith Davis, and he transferred to OU after two years in juco. But he didn't generate much pass rush in the season opening loss at South Bend in 1968 and never started again.
I always thought he'd be a better OLineman than DLineman at the college level, but he'd had a good year playing nose guard at juco and was the defensive MVP in the Oil Bowl after he graduated. He was a good player, but he wasn't Granny Liggins good. Who was?
After we won state in '67, Coach Clark apologized to me, because the managers weren't included in the team picture, which were always taken during two a days in August. So there are guys in that 1965 picture, who quit before the season really got underway, and guys not in the picture, who were key contributors. For 20 years, Mike Wheeler and Griggs were the only two Wildcat players to play on two state championship teams. Both were sophs that year, but neither were in the picture, which is still in the locker room along with the other state champions.
That 65 team was coached by Tom Gray. Coach Clark was the DC, but many credited him with being the difference in the state championship win over Edna, 20-17.
When I typed that, I hadn't watched the video. That was terrific. Coach Clark still looks tall and slender and I can promise you that everyone in the community respected him, even though he didn't become the head coach until a year later. One of the greatest men I've ever known.
That was a treat. Thanks. Where did you find that?
That was a treat. Thanks. Where did you find that?
I was just looking at silly videos on YouTube and it was on the side menu under "you might like"
Kinda just out of the blue, I look on occasion to see if there are any new stuff for the Wildcats. I've about given up finding much on the 77, 86, & 87 seasons, so I was surprised to see this one...
They did that for the 50th anniversary of the first state title in October last year. I saw the guys with video cameras, and told them they ought to interview Wheeler, since he is the only living returnee, who played on both the '65 and '67 teams. I am very much hoping that they'll do the same for the latter next year, 50 years later. That seems more than a little amazing.
Just as an aside, Ken Davis and I were the first black kid and white kid ever in the school district who roomed together on a PISD extracurricular road trip. The 1966 state AA track meet at the end of that same school year. Ken was on the sprint relay that made it to state, as a 215 pound O and D tackle in football. He was a talented guy. It was a different time.
James Thomas was my coach at Wilson in 8th grade and taught my English class in 7th. We would be in the weight room doing individual workouts and he'd come in and join us at times. He'd loosen up with 200 lbs on the bench, then have it maxed at 275-290... four of us would spot him with free weights... every weight in that room went on that bar, 470 lbs. I never saw him lift it six times, but he would five... it was the work ethic we were taught early... when the L.A. Rams would come to town, his brother Pat would stop by. It was always a treat. Coach Thomas was a lot shorter than Pat, who was a little undersized for a DB. Until then, we had no idea how big these guys were. There was one message he always stressed to us. "Work hard." It didn't matter what your job or position was, do your best. That continued for at least another decade...
Plano is a different place now. It no longer has the small town roots that I watched disappear growing up. By the time I was watching R.D. Lashar consistently nail 47 yd FG's in practice, Plano had been the largest class in the state for years. It was definitely a different time...
We called James "Baby Doodie" which was his nickname in the Douglass community. His dad was big Doodie. James was a year behind me. That group of guys was the only great junior high group at Plano going undefeated every year. But they ended up being the only team in John Clark's ten years as HC, that were not undefeated district champions as seniors. There were five or six of them, though, who were sophs on the '67 state champs. Tommy Carroll was likely the best of the group. He ended up coaching close to 40 years mostly at Coppell. He blocked a punt against Daingerfield in the quarterfinals that set up the winning touchdown in the 14-7 win.
Then his junior year, our first year in AAA, he ran 43 for the only score of a 7-0 win over McKinney in the first game between McKinney and Plano in years. He also, was the quickest guy I ever saw trying to throw out in slow pitch softball going to first. He wasn't super fast, but a lefty batter and incredibly quick.
When Bob Woodruff started the Plano Parks and Recreation Dept around 1968 or 69, I used to play a little table tennis in the first building they used, which is now the post office on 18th street. Pat was three years younger than I was, but I seldom beat him. In the third state championship in 1971, he was greatness. I believe he is he beat player ever at Plano, and the best athlete. He started at corner at A&M as a freshman, the first year they could play on a varsity in 1972. Jerry Pettibone wanted him bad, but wouldn't offer his cousin, Jackie. Coach Pettibone told me he thought we'd have gotten him if not for that. That was one of OU's best classes ever.
Jackie Williams was really small, but ended up playing three years at A&M, and though he didn't make it, was a mid round draft pick back when the draft had more rounds than it does now. I think he went in the 7th.
Pat Thomas probably is the best ever from Plano, athletically speaking. I'd probably put Sam Bickham, Billy Ray Smith, Rex Burkhead, and a few others after that. Jimmy King came out of PESH, there have been a few pretty good ones...
Back when I was officiating high school basketball, I was working a game at Clark High School, on a Saturday morning. For those who aren't aware of the configuration of schools in Plano. there are three senior highs in the whole school district. They each have graduating classes up over 1000 students. And there are now six high school. Senior highs have juniors and seniors only. The high schools have freshmen and sophomores.
These days, sophs are allowed to play varsity athletics, but back then, they weren't. Clark pressed a good bit of the time. And this kid is coming off the bench in the second quarter. He steals the ball on the press, goes to the basket and does a 360 dunk back over his head. You don't see that much from a game with sophs only, and especially not from a guy who doesn't start.
It was Jimmy King. He couldn't play varsity basketball because in Plano back then, the varsities were juniors and seniors only. The sophs at different schools weren't allowed to, no matter how good they were. Apparently that morning, King was coming off the bench because of some infraction of team rules that required a quarter of penance. I didn't know who he was, but my officiating partner knew all about him, and was telling me about him in the pregame.
I probably rolled my eyes, until that happened. Three years later, King was starting the second half of the season on the varsity at Michigan, as part of the fab five. Hard to believe that those guys are now in their 40s.
These days, sophs are allowed to play varsity athletics, but back then, they weren't. Clark pressed a good bit of the time. And this kid is coming off the bench in the second quarter. He steals the ball on the press, goes to the basket and does a 360 dunk back over his head. You don't see that much from a game with sophs only, and especially not from a guy who doesn't start.
It was Jimmy King. He couldn't play varsity basketball because in Plano back then, the varsities were juniors and seniors only. The sophs at different schools weren't allowed to, no matter how good they were. Apparently that morning, King was coming off the bench because of some infraction of team rules that required a quarter of penance. I didn't know who he was, but my officiating partner knew all about him, and was telling me about him in the pregame.
I probably rolled my eyes, until that happened. Three years later, King was starting the second half of the season on the varsity at Michigan, as part of the fab five. Hard to believe that those guys are now in their 40s.
Found that in a June 2015 DMN story... Billy Ray Smith and J.P. Shannon in Lubbock after beating Permian 3-0 in state semis in 1977. I remember throwing a fit about not being able to go to the game. I had no concept of how far away it was at that time...
