I’m so excited about the new football season I decided it’s time to talk a little more football. I just want to look back and tell you how different it used to be. The first playoff game the Brownwood Lions were ever in was in the early 1950’s. Of course, only one team went to the playoffs and we won the flip and we played the game here at home against Big Spring. You’ve probably heard the story. We jumped out to a 12-0 lead. Twelve to nothing on the first two possessions! Then they scored 54 unanswered and we lost the playoff game 54-12.
Then in 1960, we went to Austin and that unbelievable team ended up winning Brownwood’s first State Championship against Port Lavaca Calhoun. In 1965 we made it again. We went to College Station and beat Bridge City 14-0. In 1967, in Austin, we beat El Campo 36 to 12. In ‘69 we went to Waco and beat West Columbia 34-16. In 1970 we went to Austin and beat Cuero14-0. I’ve got to throw ’77 in even though we didn’t win. But, we got there. It was the only time we ever got to the Big Game and didn’t win it. We lost to Dickinson in ’77 but turned around in ’78 and went to Texas Stadium and beat Gainesville. Then in 1981, in Austin, we beat Fort Bend Willowridge 14-9. In all of these years, Brownwood was the only 4A State Championship. It was later when they divided 4A into two groups. Also, back then only one team made it to the playoffs. Today, there are four who go.
Now, we’ve gone deep in the playoffs many other times and we had teams that we thought we could win with. Fact is, we have seven State titles and there are at least five more that I thought we had a legitimate shot at – but anyway, I’m getting off the subject.
Nowadays, radio stations have their teams. They go with their teams – doesn’t matter if it’s six man or 6A – they go with their teams to one locale, Cowboy Stadium, and they play their game and that’s it. Back in the day though, the rights to the games were owned by Shamrock Oil Company. They had a guy up in the Panhandle that they had do the games. So, that was it. You could go to the State game. You could get in the press box. You could stand on the field, but that was it.
You couldn’t broadcast it unless Shamrock said you could, and they did that for me in ’77. They were tied up with other games so me and my crew went to Memorial Stadium where we did the Dickinson game, where we got clobbered. Anyway, it was a big deal back then. It was a really big deal if you got to do a State Game because Shamrock Oil sponsored all of them and they had their own crews. So, I was very honored for the opportunity. Shamrock continued to do those State games until the ‘80’s and maybe into the early ‘90s, but they had a death grip on those State Championship games.
Anyway, it’s fun to remember the differences back then and today. Back then the State games were all played at different stadiums and at different times. Back then, they only had one network, now everyone has their own. There were a lot of other differences as well, but we’ll save them for another day.
The main difference back then was that we were playing in a bunch of those state games from ’60” – ’81’ and now we haven’t in a long, long, time…but we should have. I’m tired of saying about every few years – “Our team could have won State” or “We should have won State”. I’m personally ready for the Brownwood Lions to put a team on the field that WILL win State.
Until next time, so long everybody.
***
‘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 [email protected].