You know, I have a lot of people ask me, and it seems like on a fairly consistent basis, “Dallas, what’s the best ballgames you’ve ever seen? What were the ones that touched you the most?” There are so many and I usually just throw out a whole bunch, but what were the best I ever saw? That’s a tough question!
I guess if you’re going Brownwood football, this is going back a long way, but it would have been September of 1960. San Angelo had the number one 4A team in Texas and Brownwood, they weren’t much thought of. Fact is, I think in an eight team district we were preseason picked number seven. We were a prohibitive underdog against San Angelo but we opened the season with them in the old stadium and at half time, it was Brownwood 28, San Angelo 0. Each team had a touchdown in the second half and we won 34 to 6. The other question I’ve been asked is how many State Championships would Gordon Wood have won at Brownwood had they gotten beat by 34 to 6 in that game. I can’t answer that question. I just know that it was like a magic season was born that night. We had one loss, went thirteen and one, and won Brownwood’s first State Championship. Without that first one, it may have taken a while.
Basketball for Brownwood? Brownwood High went to the State Tournament in the early ‘60s, so not a lot of great basketball history.
But, what do I remember more than anything else about Brownwood basketball? Charley Pattillo had that team in the early ‘90s that was absolutely unbelievable and I enjoyed broadcasting them and watching them so very, very much. I know early in that season we played a non-district game in Waco against the Dallas team that had won State the year before in 5A or 6A or whatever. We played them pretty dog gone good, inside of ten or so. I remember telling guys going home that night, “I think we can win State this year. I have no doubt.” We ended up going like 31 and 3 and got upset in the Regionals by Burkburnett but that was a great Brownwood team.
I’ll always remember playing Andrews in baseball in extra innings in Abilene. I know, it was a loss, but it was a memorable loss and a whale of a series.
Howard Payne, the best football game I think I’ve ever seen was when they beat Texas A&I down in Kingsville in 1971. They probably should have won the National Championship but didn’t get a chance.
Basketball, in 1970 Stephen F. Austin came to town. Again it was a loss but it was a terrific ballgame. I think it was 100 to 96 and we lost the game only because we had players foul out in the ballgame.
Howard Payne’s most memorable baseball game was another loss. We went to Baylor one year. I knew we were going to Baylor. I wanted to broadcast the game, but I didn’t know that we weren’t going to throw any of our top three pitchers. We got murdered 30 something to 3.
Oh, and then women’s basketball, we had a pretty good team. You know the one that won the National Championship, undefeated, 33 and 0, but the National Championship game wasn’t played on National Championship day. It was played in the coliseum with the two best teams in the country, Howard Payne and Hope College and what a ballgame. Howard Payne trailed the majority of the game, but behind Mia Daniels and that company, they came charging from behind and won in the last five minutes and the Lady Jackets won the best women’s basketball game I’ve ever seen.
Thanks for letting me reminisce!
Until next time, so long everybody.
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‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at linda[email protected].