Jimmy has written such classic love songs as the Smokey Robinson hit, "Just To See Her", Taylor Dayne's "I'll Always Love you", George Benson's" Love Of My Life", Bobby Caldwell's "Real Thing", Commodores''"Everything Reminds Me Of You", The Temptations' "I Wonder Who's She's Seeing Now", and Robert Winters and Fall's "Magic Man", and many more.
More About Jimmy George / Georgetones can be found at
Allan Sepkowitz accepted a position as a biology teacher and assistant football coach in 1965 at Andress High School in El Paso, Texas. In 1976, he became coach, becoming the winningest coach in El Paso high school football history.
Brian Young, starting defensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints: "Every game, without fail, there he was, standing by himself and picking that damn grass," Young said of Andress' 29th-year head coach. "He'd be screwed if they played on turf."
David Romaka “Coach Sep is a great man but quiet coach," at least most of the time. "My junior year against Socorro, he came in and ripped us at the half. To this day, I've never had a coach rip us like that. Spit was going everywhere ... It was incredible. We went out and won by 28 points."
Coach Sep has over 200 wins and is in the top twenty of winningest Texas high school football coaches along with Larry Dipple current Amarillo High School coach. An ironic twist is that Coach Sep played for AHS - Amarillo High School - and coach for AHS - Andress High School.
According to the El Paso Times Coach Sep's 200th victory was a bitter sweet affair. Although he recieved many gifts including a diamond ring, Coach Sep was not on field as the game ended, by request of the referees.
Coach Sep has been inducted into the New Mexico State Univeristy Football Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Gilmer
Those have been lucky enough to know Ron, have always been impressed by his friendliness, by his honesty, by his work ethic, by his ever-present big smile, and by his ability to continue a conversation that was started 10 years ago, as if no time had lapse.
Ron was one of T G's boys at AHS and earned a scholarship to TCU. It has been said that Ron selected TCU because of all the trees around the TCU campus; and many have said it was a good thing that he never saw Rice University.
Once while playing at TCU, the fans began chanting " We Want Mayberry" . The chanting became so intense that the game was stopped!! Buster Brannon -TCU coach - announced on the PA system that Ron was hurt and could not play. It has been said that Ron was in a state of "shock an awe" after a pickup game of basketball- during the his first week at TCU - playing with and against H E Kirchner, Kenneth King, Ronnie Stevenson, Phil Reynolds, Gerald Nipper, Jerry Pope, David Warnell and others.
After graduating from TCU Ron spent the next 44 years coaching, living in 21 different cities and being blessed with a coaches' wife and three lovely daughters. When Ron talks about awards, accolades and successes, Ron always says "our" not "I". This a man who loves his family and is loved by his family.
Ron's coaching record is one that many coaches can only dream about achieving. 834 wins and 324 losses - a fantastic record from one who was deeply hurt when he was cut from his 8th grade basketball team, Ron has coached basketball at every level - junior high, high school -girls and boys- basketball; junior college basketball; collegiate basketball and never left a school with a losing record. Ron has been the coach / assistant coach on football and golf teams that won the Texas State Championship.
Ron has a number of humorous stories to tell about his coaching career and most likely some that are not.
Ron was coaching at Odessa Periman; in his second year he had a record of 24 wins - 4 losses; a percentage he still holds at Periman; he received quality newspaper recognition. Midland College was opening the following year and the Athelete Director offered Ron the position of assistant basketball coach and head golf coach. Ron was estatic as he had worked hard to achieve the opportunity. However, the Board of Midland College rejected him because of his background was in basketball. Later in the year Ron was asked to become the defensive coordinator by a good friend at Borger High School - Ron coached the linebackers on the Periman football team. To the great surprise of many Ron accepted. The next year, during the spring game, one of the coaches sprinted to to field the field to tell Ron he had a phone call from the Midland College Athelete Director. His words were something like this: "Now Ron since you are football coach, we can now hire you as assistant basketball coach and head golf coach." TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION.
Perhaps the classic story of Ron's career happened in Amarillo. Many who attended the game were from Hereford -to see their old coach and their friend; in fact the entire Hereford School administration as well as friends from Amarillo and AHS. The game was an exciting and emotions ran high as the game went into overtime, time, then a second overtime and a third over time. Behind the bench was a fan who kept Ron a bad a bad time. A really bad time!!!!! In third overtime when victory was assured Ron finally made a comment back to the fan. Ron and his team went quickly to dressing room. Suddenly the dressing room burst open and the Superintendent of the Hereford Schools, told Ron he needed to get back out on the floor. Ron's comment and the loss really "got" to this fan - he was still voicing his comments. Ron's lovely wife [Jeanie Bryson] had had her "fill" of the fan they were getting ready to fight. Finally situation cooled off. It is hilarious to hear the story now from Ron, but at the time I am sure it was not funny.
When Ron coached at Hereford High School, he had an assistant coach who eventually became the head coach - for the last 25 plus years and over 250 coaching victories in football of the AHS Sandie Football team - Larry Dippel.
A native of Amarillo, Ron Munn began his trampoline career at the age of 12 under the watchful eye of well known coach, Nard Cazzell. He won the 1956 National AAU trampoline title while a 15- year old sophomore at AHS, and once again as a freshman on the University of Michigan gymnastics team in 1959. During these years he was also named a member of the AAU All-American Gymnastics Team, and in 1959 won the Gold Medal in trampoline at the Pan American Games.
In 1960 he was selected to be a member of a USA team that was sent to South Africa to introduce and demonstrate the sport of trampoline throughout that country, and also to participate in the first international competition with Europeans held in Germany. After winning the Gold Medal Ron returned to South Africa and during the next two years began a company producing trampolines, and opening trampoline jump centers along the South African coast. Returning to the United States at the end of 1962 Ron was drafted into the Army and assigned to Special Services where he continued to perform on the trampoline as well as traveling with professional water shows representing the U.S. Army. He was eventually stationed at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York as the trampoline coach for the West Point gymnastics team.
Upon discharge from the Army, Ron began doing promotional work traveling world-wide for the Nissen Corporation which was the world’s leading manufacture of gymnastics equipment. For three years he was based out of Toronto as the National Sales Manager for Canada, and finally moved to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa company headquarters as Director of International Sales and Marketing where he continues to live today.
During the 70’s he was President of the U.S. Trampoline & Tumbling Association and an active member of the United States Sports Acrobatics Association. Ron was recently inducted into both organizations Hall of Fame. His responsibilities with these associations included management duties, as well as traveling and performing with numerous foreign groups such as the Russian and Romanian Gymnastic teams. He was also instrumental in the formation of the World Age Group Games for acrobatic activities, along with support for the introduction of trampoline in the Olympics.
In 1979 the Nissen Corporation purchased the Universal Gym Equipment Company, which allowed Ron to introduce fitness equipment to his international connections. Because of this, the next 20- years revolved around promoting, marketing and selling exercise equipment products throughout the world (102 countries).
Throughout his travels Ron has had numerous exciting and fun filled experiences, but probably a few that stand out include:
Carrying a trampoline to the top of the Great Pyramid of Egypt and being the first person ever to turn a somersault (together with the trampoline inventor, George Nissen, it took five hours to carry it up….while getting it down was another story!)
Performing in Trafalgar Square, London, England. [Mary Poppins]
Doing a handstand on the Great Wall in China, since there was no trampoline available!
Ron’s life has truly had its “Up’s and Down’s! Within the near future he and his wife Dagmar will be moving to Arizona to escape the Iowa winters and enjoy retirement year-round.
United States Tramopline
&
Tumbling Association [USTA]
Hall of Fame
George Nissen
Inventor of Tramopline
Ron's Father-In-Law
Nard Cazzell
Trampoline Promoter
Ron's Trampoline Mentor
Ron Munn
"World Traveler"
'King of Trampoline"
Performing in President Carter’s Inaugural Parade
[Ron: In Blue-Far Left
Meeting with King of Tonga
Nuku’alofa Palace - 1991
"Meeting" and “Advising” President Marcos of the Phillippines - during Southeastern Asian Games 1975-76 - to inform his wife Imelda to eliminate her thousands of shoes,
since it could be his potential downfall, and cost him the Presidency
(He didn’t listen )
Performing on the “Mike Douglas” show with the “Jackson Five” (Michael Jackson) & John Davidson 1974
USA Trampoline Team Performing throughout South Africa -1960
Coached and recuited 17 players who made it to the NBA
Selected as speaker for various clinics throughout the state of Texas - 6 times
Developed a recuiting service of who's who in the JUCO that provides service to 400 4-years colleges.
Coach of the Year: District Level - 11 times; Regional Level - 2 times; State Level -3 times; National Level- 1 time. The State Level is selected and voted upon by the members of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches,[TABC}. Ron is the only male to coach to have won this award 3 years striaght.
Milestone Awards for 600 and 800 victories in basketball
Selected to coach the annual Texas All Star Game 3 differnt times
Selected by NCAA to conduct clincs in South America - 2 times.
Keynote speaker for the National Association of Intercollegiate Atheletics Convernton and National Tournament.
Nominated by to the Hall of Fame by the Western Junior College Conference by Odessa College in the 70's and South Plains Junior College in the 80's
Honesty, Integrity, Work Ethic, Friendliness, to an unknown number of people who played for Ron and knew him.
Ron retired from high school coaching in 2004, after taking St Michael's, Santa Fe NM to the New Mexico State Basketball Tournament. Ron is now is a volunteer basketball coach for Trinity Christian School in Lubbock Texas.
Ron has lived and is living a successful life.
However, Ron did keep the fact that R B Norman - AHS principal - was his uncle from classmates for many years, has no idea who starred in the "Jim Swink Story" a popular movie shown at TCU nightly while he was TCU and has the tendency shout "Wa.....Zoo" periodically for no apparent reason.
Ed Blackburn sits scowling in his ruminating chair, a beat-up beige velvet wingback worn gray with abuse. He's in his art studio; although his neighbors probably refer to it as his garage, it is also Blackburn's den of creativity. His artist wife, Linda, has commandeered the dining room in their small house for her studio, so Ed, being a gentleman, uses the garage.
It's not a romantic garret or even a trendy loft, just an unheated and un-air-conditioned two-car garage on Fort Worth's southwest side. But it will suffice. The work that is created here will go on to the Walter Maciel Gallery in Los Angeles and the Sunday Gallery in New York City.
Right now, Blackburn is toiling on a work that will soon be moved to the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, and he's doing what artists do when they are not actively creating: He's actively thinking. A little more of this? A little less of that. Brighter? Darker? Bigger? Smaller?
The decisions made in the ruminating chair will advance the work, which will be hung or situated as part of an installation piece, "Joseph and the Pharaoh's Dream," that will open Saturday.Blackburn, 66, has been granted this show, which opens with a public reception 6-9 p.m. Saturday, as the recipient of the 2006 Distinguished Texas Artist award bestowed by the Exhibition Advisory Panel of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. he Saturday reception is part of the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association' s Gallery Night, an annual event in which galleries all over town have special shows and events that last well into the night. Blackburn, who also teaches art at the University of North Texas, has made the list of finalists for the award every year since its inception in 2003.
With so many viable candidates, "It's difficult to choose one above the rest. We look for artists who are mature in their career and who have had a significant impact," says Robert McAn, a member of the panel. Ed's one of the great mentors for younger artists. He has a great interest in the artistic process. He knows how to follow through with ideas, and he can explain to artists how to make art. This year is his year, and rightfully so."
"The reasons for choosing Ed are the same as for Peter Feresten [Texas Distinguished Artist for 2005]," says panelist Ann Ekstrom. "Both are > wonderfully individual artists who have something to say. Their statements are very distinct, and they are both extremely influential teachers in this area. The decision of the panel was unanimous: We wanted to do something for Ed." Blackburn has a national reputation, and he has pieces in the permanent collections of the Dallas Museum of Art and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. "His work alone makes him the best candidate that I have seen so far," says panelist Dan Blagg.The work contains themes not to be discussed in polite company -- politics and religion -- but in Blackburn's deft hands, they are handled with gravitas and gentle humor.
In his re-created photographs of world leaders, tiny attribution credits in the lower right corner with the photographer' s name and news agency, dutifully rendered in paint, are all it takes to land the images in the collective consciousness as those of Important Persons (although without accompanying stories and quotations, the faces fade to the merely familiar). "They feel newsy but sort of don't belong in a timeless painting," Blackburn says of the images. His religious works are biblical stories rendered in a contemporary style. "They are meaningful stories in our culture and a huge tradition > in art. I thought it would be interesting revisiting them," he says. He takes the most popular narratives from both testaments and renders them with a heavy black outline and flat, bold colors. It's akin to comic-book illustration, but with more nuances and sophisticated colors. Finding a balance between the historical narrative and pop imagery creates a tension, which Blackburn says has to be there. "There is an expressionistic edge, but I want the stories to come to the forefront without an emotional interpretation. Even though the black line is associated with comics and illustration, it's an information line, not an aesthetic one." Ed and Linda work together on occasion. Several years ago, they created the fictional character Eddie Leon, sign painter by day, detective by desire. They also created a nom d'artiste, Ray Madison, for these collaborative works.
Eddie's adventures were told on large canvases, each one a cartoon panel with dialogue and thought balloons. "I would do the lines; Linda did a lot of the color choices," Ed Blackburn recalls. They created a large body of Eddie Leon paintings before the Eddie story morphed into a video, The Lonesome Utrillo, with local artist Brian Fridge playing the lead. It will be shown during Blackburn's show at the FWCAC.
Blackburn, a native of Amarillo, attended the University of Texas and the University of California at Berkeley before he was lured to Fort Worth in 1965 by the first Texas Distinguished Artist, Beth Clardy, who hired him to teach at a museum school.
Since then, he has had 19 solo exhibitions and been in a huge number of group shows. In fact, the night "Joseph and the Pharaoh's Dream" opens at the FWCAC, another of Blackburn's solo shows, "Bible Paintings," will open in New York City.
JOSEPH AND THE PHARAOH'S DREAM
Saturday through Sept. 30 at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy St.
Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday
Free
817-738-1938 or www.fwcac .com
"Ed Blackburn patrols the no-man's land between religion and politics. In his ongoing investigations of faith versus inquiry, of the unknowable versus the whodunit, he mines the culture for imagery as he celebrates the mysteries of the banal and the sublime. Blackburn's restless, protean art has advanced far beyond the Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art in which it took root. Those seminal movements, the forerunners of today's conceptual art, are no longer central to his work...yet their legacy of social consciousness informs each painting and installation piece."
[From the program honoring Ed -courtesy Pete Meador]
Ed Blackburn Quotes
"Ritual (along with pollution) is the disappearing skyline."
"An image will tell you everything you can see in it."
"The way an image is made available becomes the shape of art."
"Certain shapes at certain times have great possibilities for
meaning...our special windows of opportunity. "
"To analyze the nature of art follow the money, go for the payoff,
(look at how perception is working."
Distinguished Texas Artist of 2006
Lynda Crawford only had the privilege of attending AHS her sophomore year, then graduated from Paschal High School in Fort Worth Texas. Lynda was well known by many AHS students. She taught music and follow a musical career.
The Humble Moderator who began the AHS Friends Site that has enabled AHS Classmates to be able to remain in contact with another and has helped Sandies with the minor problems of the Yahoo AHS Friends Group took a "leap of faith recently - Sept 2004. This small beginning blossomed into mini reunions and various other endeavors. Pete words can never thank you in an appropiate manner and all we Sandies can say "Thanks"
Pete found a quality lady- Marilyn [Jones] Stogsdill and soon cupid arrows created a happy marriage. The very best to Pete and in their coming years of marriage
Front Row: Pete and Marilyn Meador
Second Row: Pete's daughter, Karen, Marilyn's mother Lucille.
Third Row: Marilyn's sister, Karen, and Karen's daughter, Mary.
Fourth Row: Marilyn's son, Trent, and daughter, Tracy.
Top Row: Tracy's husband, Keith Johnson
Denver Mini Reunion
McKinneyMini Reunion
Amarillo Southwest Kiwanis Club Helping Schools
Our Soapy Sudbury is president of the Amarillo Southwest Kiwanis Club. The SW Kiwanians support Emerson Elementary, providing Santa Claus for 550 kids every year with Santa giving each child a gift bag with an apple, orange, candy cane and a couple of small toys. The SW Kawanis Club also sponsors the BUGS program (Bring Up Grades). Each grading period, if a student maintains or improves their grade, their name goes into a drawing box. At the final assembly, a drawing is held and the SW Kiwanis Club present two girl's and two boy's bicycles. and also provide helmets for each winner.
To fund these activities, the club solicits people to pay them to put vent covers on their turbine roof vents in October and remove them in April.
Spudnut Lovers
Eat Your Heart Out Durl
Ken Kendrick & Bobbie
Ken Kendrick, Soapy Sudbury, Eva Jo Miller Sudbury
Ginger Gilbet Clark, Jimmiy Kizer
Marita Firestone
Left: Mark Askew, Sylvia Ramsey, Jerry Conners
Jerry and Eliane Conners
L=R : Jerry Conner, Marks Askew, Sylvai Ramsey Askew,
Bob Jolley, Susie
Mark and Sylvia Ramsey Askew
The Game of Games
On Friday December 7, 2007 the Amarillo Globe Times ran a feature on what has beome the "Game of Games" on December 7, 1957 when more than 22,000 fans crowded into Dick Bivins Stadium ( then known as Amarillo Stadium) to watch the quarterfinal game between the Sandies and the Abilene Eagles. The Sandies were ranked as the No. 1 4A team in the state. The Sandies were favored to win the game against the defending state champion Abilene, who had won a record 48 straight games coming into this battle. It was not to be for the Sandies, who lost 33-14. This game, as the article states, is still widely dicussed by both Sandie and Eagles fans.
For more about the game see articles below
Soapy Sudbury & Joe Ted Davidson
Ginger Gilbert Clark at the last Spudnut store in Amarillo
Soapy Sudbury, Eva Jo Miller Sudbury, Mary Lee Owens Shumaker, Larry Lupher
.Mary Lee Owens Shumaker, Larry Lupher, Ginger Gilbert Clark, Eva Jo Miller Sudbury, Soapy Sudbury
AHH !! THE DONUTS OF OUR YOUTH!
AND AGAIN AT LARRY'S GARAGE SALE
Larry Lupher & Mary Lee Owens Shumaker take a break with a Spudnut
Eva jo Miller Sudbury, Larry Lupher, Soapy Sudbury enjoy refreshment time
'Oh, What a Day'
Amarillo High-Abilene playoff one for record books
By Greg Jaklewicz
gregory.jaklewicz@amarillo.com
December 7, 2007, Amarillo Globe-News
(See Picture Above)
Former Amarillo High quarterback Johnny "Soapy" Sudbury, left, and end Joe Ted Davidson look at the 1958 AHS graduation annual Thursday. The pair played before the largest crowd in city football history Dec. 7, 1957, in a playoff against Abilene High at Amarillo Stadium. Abilene beat the No. 1 Sandies, 33-14, to extend their winning streak to 49 games. In the background is the Amarillo Sunday News-Globe from Dec. 8, 1957, which displayed an aerial photo of the game that was attended by 22,000 fans.
It was 50 years ago today that the biggest high school football game in Amarillo history was played.
Decades before 23,000 fans packed Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon to see a West
Texas A & M game, a crowd of 22,000 filled every inch of available space in permanent stands and temporary bleachers in both end zones before spilling onto the grass berms at nine-year-old Amarillo Stadium (renamed Dick Bivins Stadium in 1959) to see if unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Amarillo High could end Abilene High's 48-game winning streak.
"We knew a lot of people would come," said Sandies quarterback Johnny "Soapy" Sudbury. AHS regularly played before at least 10,000 home fans, he said.
But this was a game matching a pair of 11-0 teams with postseason glory on their minds.
AHS scored late in the first quarter on a touchdown pass from David Russell to Joe Ted Davidson, marking the first time during Abilene's streak the Eagles had trailed.
But ultimately, the Sandies couldn't salt away the upset. The Eagles, who won Class 4A state championships in 1954, 1955 and 1956, ran for 225 yards in the second half, breaking a 14-14 halftime tie to blow away the Sandies, 33-14.
It was the first game that season in which the Sandies, who had posted five shutouts, had given up more than one touchdown. In fact, Abilene scored almost as many points that afternoon as Amarillo had given up (36) in its previous 11 games.
The win vaulted Abilene into the state semifinals and ended AHS' quest for a fifth state championship. Abilene's win evened the series between the schools at 10 victories apiece.
"Oh, What a Miserable Day!" read the banner headline on the Amarillo Sunday News-Globe sports section.
The coach of the Sandies was Joe Kerbel, who later coached 11 seasons at West Texas State (68 wins, two bowl games). It was his last season at AHS.
"The Sandies were determined to win and gave a great effort, but it just wasn't enough," Kerbel told the News-Globe. "Abilene played a fine defensive game."
To get an idea of how many people were packed into Amarillo Stadium, which had a capacity of 15,156, the News-Globe chose to print an aerial photo on the front page.
Still, Sudbury said, "I don't think the crowd made much difference."
The game matched two of the state's premiere programs: Abilene was coming off another championship season while AHS was 9-2 in 1956, losing, 13-7, to Fort Worth Paschal in bidistrict.
Abilene had won the last meeting, a 35-13 romp during the 1955 regular season.
The Sandies suited up Dec. 7, 1957, in gold and the visiting Eagles in black. The game kicked off under "perfect football weather," according to newspaper accounts, though a cold front later blew in as disappointed AHS fans made their way home.
The Sandies owned four state titles, including three straight from 1934-36, and two runner-up finishes. Abilene already had won three championships before its three-peat in the mid-1950s.
The Eagles had not lost since falling to Breckenridge in 1954. Ironically, Kerbel was head coach at Breckenridge before moving to Amarillo in 1955.
After the game, he said the Eagles were "a much better team" than the 1954 squad Breckenridge defeated by 20 points.
While the teams were giants among other Class 4A teams, neither was physically impressive. According to the News-Globe, AHS averaged 169 pounds per player on offense and 174 pounds on defense. For Abilene, it was 177 (offense) and 183 (defense).
The biggest starter for the Sandies was offensive tackle J.W. Whitt at an even 200 pounds. For Abilene, it was 216-pound defensive tackle Frank Aycock.
Abilene had six two-way starters to nine for AHS, which started the only sophomore, linebacker Don Broom.
The Sandies definitely had the most colorful names, starting players named Soapy and Toe. (See Soapy's notebelow)
The Eagles tied the game 7-7 in the second quarter but a short run by Sudbury and Dickie Polson's kick gave AHS its second lead, 14-7.
"I thought we were doing pretty good," said Davidson, who, like Sudbury, is an Amarillo businessman.
Abilene tied the game before halftime, then dominated the second half. Bill Sides' 1-yard run in the third quarter not only gave Abilene its first lead, but the Eagles the lead for good.
Sudbury said the Eagles converted a fake punt on fourth-and-nine on the go-ahead scoring drive.
He said another key play in the second half was a long run by an Abilene player, during which Russell, a defensive back, took the ball out of the Eagles player's grasp but was tackled immediately. Abilene kept possession.
Film of the game showed the official's view was obstructed and he did not see Russell take possession, Sudbury said.
"All he saw was two players on the ground and gave them the ball," Sudbury said. "Those two plays were big."
Sudbury said the Sandies' "dead legs" may also have been a factor in the second half, as well as extra-long workouts the week prior to the game. The 26-6 bidistrict victory over Paschal - AHS' closest game of the season - was a physical contest, he said.
Said Davidson, "I remember looking at the guys at halftime and they were kind of drained."
After notching win No. 49, Abilene lost the next weekend to Highland Park in the semifinals. That contest ended 20-20, but Highland Park won on penetrations, 5-3.
The Scots popped Port Arthur, 20-9, the following week for the 4A state title.
Neither AHS nor Abilene has won or played in a state football championship since the 1957 showdown.
Abilene's 49 wins from 1954-57 set a Texas Interscholastic League (now the University Interscholastic League) record.
Sudbury said he later talked about the game with Abilene receiver Jim Perry, who, he said, told him "there was no way we'd beat you guys again. Nine times out of 10, you guys would win."
Lineups
Abilene High (11-0)
Offense
Ends: Jim Perry, 176 pounds, Sr., and Mike McKinnis, 184, Sr.
Tackles: Mike Bryant, 192, Sr., and Ronnie Alldredge, 167, Sr.
Guards: John Young, 166, Sr., and Truman Bridges, 163, Sr.
Center: Gerald Galbraith, 167, Sr.
Quarterback: Gervis Galbraith, 153, Sr.
Halfbacks: Stan Cozy, 158, Sr., and Chuck Colvin, 162, Sr.
Fullback: Bill Sides, 167, Sr.
Defense
Ends: Ronnie Ingle, 170, Sr., and Joe Ward, 169, Sr.
Tackles: Bryant and Frank Aycock, 216, Sr.
Guard: Young
Linebackers: Gerald Galbraith, Gervis Galbraith, Bridges and Charles Harrison, 140, Jr.
Defensive backs: Perry and Bob Swafford, 165, Sr.
Amarillo High (11-0)
Offense
Ends: Doug Veazy, 158, Sr., and Joe Ted Davidson, 175, Sr.
Tackles: Toe Cox, 195, Sr., and J.W. Whitt, 200, Sr.
Guards: Billy White, 187, Sr., and Buddy Clayton, 180, Jr.
Center: Phillip Ehly, 190, Sr.
Quarterback: Johnny "Soapy" Sudbury, 150, Sr.
Halfbacks: David Russell, 169, Sr., and Dickie Polson, 175, Sr.
Fullback: Ken Kendrick, 175, Sr.
Defense
Ends: White and Kendrick
Tackles: Cox and Clayton
Guard: Whitt
Linebackers: Davidson, Don Broom, 170, So., and Charles Rice, 175, Sr.
Defensive backs: Veazy, Russell and Polson
Coaches: Joe Kerbel, Tom Moulton, Homer Simmons and Paul Alley
Stephen Spillman / Amarillo Globe-News
Soapy's note-Toe Cox and J.W. Whitt were misprints in the original article in 1957 & should be Tom Cox and J.W. Witt. This writer did not show us this story before this article was printed.
Lance Lahnert: The passion still remains
Fifty years later, pair fondly recounts high school days
Column-December 7, 2007, Amarillo Globe-News
Lance Lahnert
Our world today seems light years away from that Dec. 7, 1957, day when the largest crowd to witness a football game in Amarillo showed up at Amarillo Stadium for the Amarillo High-Abilene High state quarterfinal.
Footnote to History
Southlake Carroll won 49 straight games before losing, 29-21, to Miami Northwestern in the second game this season. The game played in Dallas drew almost 32,000 fans and vaulted Northwestern over Carroll to No. 1 in Sports Illustrated's weekly rankings.
Last weekend, Abilene upended Southlake Carroll, 22-21, to deny the Dragons a shot at a fourth straight Class 5A state title.
When those 22,000 fans packed the place we now know as Dick Bivins Stadium, the majority of that crowd would go home that night and watch a black and white television.
Some new school in Amarillo named Tascosa was eight months away from opening its doors for the first time.
Abilene High was the only high school in Abilene.
An Amarillo city school named Palo Duro had recently completed its third football season.
A trip to Sears and a man could buy a white dress shirt for $3.98 and a slim-shaped pure silk tie for two bucks.
Buck's Sporting Goods was offering Christmas specials that included baseball gloves for $2.95 and up, a basketball goal and net for $2.95 and the ever-popular "electric vibrating style" football game for $6.95.
Ray Kroc's McDonald's franchises were 32 months old. For 45 cents you could get a hamburger (15 cents), fries (10 cents) and a milk shake (20 cents).
Some up-and-coming youngster named Frank Broyles signed on as the Arkansas football coach about the time Amarillo High's Joe Ted Davidson scored the first touchdown in the Sandies' 33-14 loss to Abilene.
While Abilene was continuing one of the storied traditions in Texas high school football history by winning its 49th consecutive game, Southern Methodist University senior quarterback "Dandy" Don Meredith set the NCAA record for passing percentage in a season at 69.6 during the Mustangs' 54-21 season-ending loss to Notre Dame.
Meredith later quarterbacked the Cowboys and became most famous for his crooning "turn out the lights, the party's over" during broadcasts of Monday Night Football.
On the Amarillo Stadium field that day, two of the 22 starting players cracked the 200-pound mark on the scale. The majority of Amarillo High and Abilene players were wearing a single bar, or the newest double bar face mask.
Certainly, the city of Amarillo, along with the size and look of football players are much different today.
But not everything has changed.
The passion for the game hasn't swayed from those 1957 Sandies, who spun records and listened to Buddy Holly, to today's iPod listening teenagers.
Amarillo High was a dedicated group of athletes under the watchful eyes of their drill sergeant of a coach, Joe Kerbel.
The two players scoring touchdowns for Amarillo High that day were senior receiver Davidson, and, the senior quarterback with arguably the greatest nickname in Sandies history, Johnny "Soapy" Sudbury.
Davidson and Sudbury - each longtime residents of Amarillo and successful businessmen - enjoyed those high school days. Hanging out at Stanley's Drive In. Saturday nights at The Drift Inn in the basement of the YMCA. And, of course, their football seasons which now includes entertaining stories about Kerbel.
Kerbel was a brilliant tactician and motivator, but he also was tougher than beef jerky sitting out for a week in 100-degree heat.
Players were not allowed to drink water during practice so they would sneak lemon slices in their helmets to get rid of cotton mouth. Postgame dances? Off limits for the players. Curfew? Every night a coach would call each players' house to make sure they were in bed at 9:30.
Yes, Kerbel knew his players when he coached Amarillo High from 1955-57.
"He would talk to your mom or dad every night to be sure you were there," Davidson said. "If coach Kerbel didn't like who were dating, he'd let you know."
"We called all our own plays back then," said Sudbury, who went on to play two years at Texas Tech. "So after practice, the quarterbacks would go home for dinner, and then go over to coach Kerbel's house. He would set up blocks like they were the defense and we would have to call five or six plays that would work against that defense."
Those quarterbacks never fumbled their most important assignment of the nightly Kerbel house meetings: A gallon of ice cream for their leader.
Under Kerbel, AHS went from 5-5 in 1955 to entering the 1957 Abilene game 11-0 and ranked No. 1.
That toughness, Kerbel's love for his players (the best uniforms money could buy) and a talented group of bonded players paved the way for that legendary game of unbeatens able to draw a massive crowd that stills stands in the record books 50 years later.
"It hurt to lose and I cried," Davidson said.
Whether it's at the grocery store, out eating or in their work duties, Davidson and Sudbury don't go long stretches of their life without somebody bringing up the Abilene game.
Their wives can tell you that.
Both still attend games in Dick Bivins Stadium and entering the place brings on a smile.
One of the most special days in Amarillo sports history hits them in the face.
"Every time I walk in the place I remember that game," Davidson said.
"Oh yeah," Sudbury said. "Every time."
Happy 50th birthday, Amarillo High vs. Abilene High.
Write to Amarillo Globe-News sports editor Lance Lahnert at lance.lahnert@amarillo.com
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