Leopard Legends of the Fall 1974

   After Lindsay's painful elimination in the first round of the state playoffs in 1973, the Leopards faced a rare rebuilding year. As many Leopard football fans and opposing coaches had noted in the past though - "The Lindsay Leopards don't rebuild, they only reload", and their repeated success seemed to prove it.

    While Lindsay had lost key players such as David Shahan, Duke Webb, Damon Clagg, Jeff Bates, Stan Everett, Mike Davis, Bobby Simonton, Danny Heatly and Jeff Ardrey to graduation, they had several returning starters in Steve Burnett, Rick Lawson, Rocky Robbins, John Sharp and Randy Underwood to anchor the team. On August 24, 1974, two weeks before the season opener, The Daily Oklahoman reported:

                                 Smaller, Swifter Lindsay Gets District Nod Again

   "Lindsay may not look like the same team it has been in recent years but the Leopards are their usual selves in the pre-season poll as the coaches of District 2A-3 made Joe Tunnell's outfit a unanimous favorite to win conference honors. In the past Lindsay has been known for its huge linemen and strong backs. There is a difference this season.

   Tunnell explains, 'This will be the smallest line that we have had in eight years. We have only one offensive starter (tackle Steve Burnett) back in the line so we lack experience and speed.' All is not lost, however, as followers of Lindsay footb all know. The Leopards possess what is probably the quickest backfield they've had in some time, which could make up for other weaknesses.

   'Overall, we have a very young team with only nine seniors,' Tunnell added. 'As many as 10 juniors could start on offense and defense. The talent is good but it must prove itself against strong opposition.' And the opposition is there. Comanche lost only one game in 1973 (19-7 to Lindsay) and the Indians return 14 players with starting experience and Pauls Valley, the Leopards arch enemy, has almost everybody back after its worst season (3-6-1) since 1963...

   Comanche should prove Lindsay's biggest hurdle in the Leopards attempt at their seventh district title in the last eight years. Coach Burl White has outstanding running backs in Mark Presgrove and Bob Sullivan..."

   

   On Thursday, September 5, 1974, the Pauls Valley Democrat reported:

                                      Lindsay Leopards have speed, lack size -

   "We'll be fast, but we've got the littlest team that I've had since I came here seven years ago," Lindsay head football coach Joe Tunnel said of the 1974 Leopards. "I think we'll be as good or better this year," Tunnel said, comparing this year's squad to his 10-1, 1973 District 2A-3 championship team.

   Tunnel returns 25 lettermen from the team that swept through the district unscathed with a 7-0 record. Tunnel lists six of those lettermen as starters last year, and one was a part-time starter. Senior Randy Underwood will start at fullback and defensive end again this year. The 5-10, 185 pounder has started in 21 straight games at defensive end for the Leopards.

   Speedster Jimmy Beckham flashed for 1,019 yards on 136 carries for a 7.4 average last season. The senior 5-9, 175 pounder scored 12 times, and has done the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. "Beckham does everything well," Tunnel said. "He's an excellent inside or outside runner, he's a good blocker, he runs back kickoffs (four for 81 yards in 1973), and he can play in the defensive secondary if he's needed."

   Tunnel lost All-District quarterback Danny Heatly to graduation, but he already has a fine prospect ready to go in 5-10, 165 pound Rick Dorman. The junior one-year letterman started at defensive back in 1973. "He should be a good option type quarterback," Tunnel said of Dorman. "He has good quickness, and he's tough and durable."

   Also missing from the Leopard backfield this year is All-State Bobby Simonton, but Tunnel may have found a suitable replacement for the All-District Back-of-the-Year in Johnny Sharp. Sharp started at safety last season and will probably start at halfback-tailback this year in Tunnel's wing-T and slot-I formations.

   Steve Burnett is a 212-pound returnee at tackle on offense and will be counted on to play defensive tackle a lot in 1974. Beside Burnett will be Lindsay's big man, 295-pound, 6-5 Rick Lawson, at defensive guard. Starting at center will be 5-9, 170-pound Bobby Bruton. Tunnel characterizes Bruton as small and quick, a hard hitter for his size.

   Tunnel lists split end-safety Scott Dickerson and tackle Wesley Wilson as his top junior players along with Dorman...

   So, the stage was set for the Leopards to open the 1974 season by playing the Purcell Dragons at Conger Field in Purcell on Friday, September 6. Since 1955, the first Leopard season profiled in this series, the Leopards had won 17 games verses Purcell and had only lost two. The Leopards were so dominant against the Dragons, they had 10 shutouts during the 19 game stretch and had outscored them 514-90 through 1973. As a matter of fact, the Purcell Dragons supposedly had the better team in many of those Leopard victories, but the Leopards had usually prevailed. For example, in 1972 Lindsay beat Purcell 8-6 in the opening game, but Purcell went on to run the table by winning the Class A State Championship and finishing 12-1. In 1973 Lindsay beat Purcell 25-7 in the opening game, but Purcell went on to finish 8-1-1, tying Wynnewood, but failing to make the playoffs. The Purcell Dragons had moved up to Class 2A for the 1974 season, and certainly were seeking to turn the tables on the Leopards beginning in 1974.

   The number one high school game of week one, 1974, came and went. Harold Bradley, Pauls Valley Democrat Staff Writer wrote on September 8, 1974:

                                   Lindsay Leopards slip by Dragons, 14-13 -

By Harold Bradley, Democrat Staff Writer - 

   The Lindsay Leopards pulled the rabbit out of the hat Friday night with 11 seconds to play, and defeated the Purcell Dragons, 14-13, at Purcell. Trailing 13-8 with 6:28 left in the game the Leopards stopped Purcell dead in their tracks at mid-field when the Dragons gambled on a fourth down play and the Leopards had new life.

   Southpaw quarterback Rick Dorman gathered his crew together and put on the best offensive drive of the night for the Leopards. Dorman guided the Leopards on runs by Jimmy Beckham and John Sharp that carried the Leopards to the seven yard line.

   The biggest play of the night for the Leopards was a 17 yard pass from Dorman to Beckham with time running out on the Leopards. The play put the Leopards on the Dragons seven yard line with 21 seconds left. A five-yard penalty for delay of game pushed the Leopards back to the 11 and it looked like the Leopards would be stopped at that point, but on a fourth down play, Dorman uncorked a rifle shot over the middle to Rocky Robbins, standing in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown that pulled the Leopards from defeat.

   The Leopards failed to convert their extra point when another delay of game penalty was called against them.

   The Dragons looked like they were going to run away with the game in the first quarter, when the Leopards had to punt the first time they had the ball. Beckham got off a 40-yard punt that pinned the Dragons on their 10-yard line.

   Purcell marched 90 yards in 14 plays to score for the first time. The Dragons were helped along the way with a 10 yard penalty called against the Leopards after quarterback Kevin Wilson completed a 29 yard pass to John Summers, the Dragons split end. The penalty put the Dragons on the Leopards 10 yard line where tailback Gerald Green quickly picked up 6 yards to the four and on third down, quarterback Wilson skirted the right end untouched for the touchdown. Jerry Merrell kicked the extra point and the Dragons took a 7-0 lead with 3:17 left in the first quarter.

   With only a minute and 57 seconds gone in the second quarter, the Leopards got on the scoreboard. It took the Leopards 10 plays to cover 56 yards and a touchdown. The big play in the drive was a 34 yard pass from Dorman to tight end Steve Fuller that set the Leopards up in business at the Dragons 10-yard line. Beckham got one yard to the nine as the first quarter came to an end. Sharp netted two and Dorman on a keeper got four. Sharp took a pitchout from Dorman and skirted left end from three yards out to score. The Leopards elected to go for a two point conversion and made it good with Dorman keeping up the middle for the conversion and the Leopards took an 8-7 lead.

   The lead didn't last long for the Leopards as the Dragons came right back on a strong offensive drive that netted them another touchdown. The Dragons marched 64 yards in 15 plays to score with Green going over from the one with 3:17 left in the first half. The Dragons made another mistake at this point which proved to be the downfall of the Dragons. They elected to go for a two-point conversion with a pass and the Leopards batted it down in the end zone, which left the score at 13-8.

   Defense was the name of the game throughout most of the third quarter with neither team with neither team able to muster a good drive. The Leopards were stopped at the Dragons 24-yard line and the Leopards stopped Purcell at mid-field when the Dragons tried to keep their drive going on a fourth down play which proved to be costly when the Leopards took charge and drove for their winning touchdown.

   Green was the Dragons top rusher for the night with 120 yards in 25 carries. (Gerald Green would ultimately rush for more than 2,700 yards during the Dragons 14 game season, in which they were Class 2A State Runner-up.) The leading rusher for the Leopards was Jimmy Beckham with 46 yards in 13 carries. Beckham is one of the Leopards returning starters from last year. He was injured in Lindsay's last regular season game, and missed the play-off loss to Bristow. The night he was injured he had rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the 1973 season...

   The Purcell Dragons would finish the 1974 season with 12 wins and two losses, losing only to the Leopards - and to Spiro in the State Finals. The Lindsay Leopards seemed to have the Dragons number, as they had won the last five season-openers against them.

   The second game of the 1974 season saw the Leopards play the Yukon Millers, a class 3A team. Lindsay won the rather lackluster contest, 14-12, but it may have been a harbinger of things to come... as they still didn't generate much offense.

   Game #3 pitted the Leopards against the Class A number one ranked Wynnewood Savages, at Wynnewood. A Lindsay News article following the game described the first regular season loss since 1972:                                           Savages Win, 23-14

   "The Wynnewood Savages are rated at the top of the heap in Class A football and proved they weren't overrated Friday as they lashed a strong Lindsay 2A team 23-14 before a large crowd of spectators. Rain came at halftime and continued the remainder of the game. Few fans left and the home team was cheered on for spectacular running plays.

   Roy Smith, halfback, took a handoff from quarterback Steve Musgrove and raced 30 yards for the opening touchdown in the second period. The first quarter had been a scoreless battle between the two teams..."

   Although the game was statistically close as Wynnewood had 15 first downs and 235 yards rushing, compared to the Leopards 14 first downs and 216 rushing yards - it was still a very painful and embarrassing loss for the Leopards. Wynnewood went on to finish the regular season with nine wins and only one loss... to Purcell.

   Up next would be a rivalry game for the Leopards and a chance to get back on the winning track. They would face the Marlow Outlaws in the season's fourth game. Lindsay had totally dominated Marlow the season before, 55-20, so the Outlaws should have been loaded for bear... or Leopards in this case.

   An article in The Lindsay News following the Marlow game told the story:

                                           Leopards Blank Outlaws, 21-0

   "The Leopards share the lead in the 2A3 district with a 21-0 win over the Marlow Outlaws Friday at Marlow. The Outlaws were highly keyed for the game.

   Jimmy Beckham ground out 147 yards in infantry fashion against the Outlaws and John Sharp went for 51 more. The Leopards drove for 256 yards on the ground and 105 in the air for their impressive victory. The Outlaws marched 92 yards on the ground and 65 in the air against the Leopard defense.

   Beckham drove in for the first touchdown from 10 yards out with 2:14 left in the first quarter. Wayne Todd kicked the extra point to give the Leopards a 7-0 lead which they carried into the second period. With only 2:04 left before intermission, Rick Dorman hit Rocky Robbins for a 41 yard pass play and a touchdown. Beckham carried over the extra two points to give the Leopards a 15-0 halftime lead..."

   The second half was marred with penalties, as Lindsay scored only one more time in the fourth quarter for the final.

   The season's fifth game pitted the Leopards against an old nemesis, the Sulphur Bulldogs. As we noted in the 1964 Legends article - Sulphur ended Lindsay's 34 game unbeaten streak during that season, 16-14. An article in the Pauls Valley Democrat summarized the Leopards/Bulldogs contest a day later:

                                               Sulphur Surprises Lindsay

   "Mr. do-it-all quarterback Clifford Agee did everything Friday night except crown the Leopards homecoming queen as he guided the Sulphur Bulldogs to a 22-12 victory over the Lindsay Leopards at Burford field in Lindsay. Agee hooked up with split end Scott Kirtley for a 12 yard touchdown pass, scored one from six yards out and then ran two keepers for the two extra conversions. The other Sulphur touchdown came on a three yard run by wingback Willard Morris...

   Lindsay got a 48 yard touchdown run by halfback Jimmy Beckham and halfback Johnny Sharp got the other Leopard TD on a one-half yard dive over the top early in the fourth quarter...

   Sulphur went ahead 14-0 with 6:43 left in the first half on Agee's pass to Kirtley for the TD and the run for the two-point conversion.

   The Lindsay Leopards made it 14-6 just before halftime following the Bulldogs second touchdown. Taking over at their own 42, the Leopards picked up a first down at the Bulldogs 48. On the first play at that point Beckham took the pitchout from Dorman and turned the corner and raced down the sideline 48 yards for the Leopards TD. A try for a two point conversion failed and the first half was history."

   (My recollections of the writers description in the previous paragraph are a little different: "Facing a fourth down and one yard to a first down at the Bulldogs 48, Joe Tunnel went to an old favorite short yardage play - 'Strong right, blast-at-four'. The play was designed to pick up only a yard or two up the middle, which is all the Leopards needed to keep the drive alive. Dorman turned to hand the ball to Beckham who reached the second level and bounced outside to cover the distance.)

   Lindsay scored again in the third quarter to make the score 14-12, but failed again to make the two point conversion. With 25 seconds left in the game, Agee scored again to make the final 22-12.

   "Beckham was the top ground gainer for the Leopards. He rushed for 115 yards on 22 attempts. (It was the most carries I ever had in one game.) Sharp was a distant second with 44 yards in six carries and Underwood netted 30 yards on six tries.

   Hallmark paced the Bulldogs with 72 yards in nine attempts. Agee was a close second with 65 yards in 15 attempts and Morris had 51 yards when he lugged the ball 14 times."

   Of the Leopards first five opponents, Willard Morris was one of four running backs who would reach All-State status in '74 or '75. The list included Gerald Green and Chris Willis ('75) of Purcell and Roy Smith of Wynnewood, and the list would grow before the end of the season.

   The Lindsay Leopards would face an old foe in the next game, as the Comanche Indians were coming to town. In 1973, the Leopards had defeated the Indians in Comanche, 19-7. Comanche had finished the '73 season with nine wins and only one loss, failing to make the playoffs - as only the district champions made the playoff series. The Indians had most starters returning for the '74 season, so they were expected to make short work of the Leopards.

   An article in the Pauls Valley Democrat in the Sunday edition following the Friday night game told the story: "COMANCHE CLIPS LINDSAY LEOPARDS - Comanche moved a step closer to the district 3AA title Friday night by defeating the Lindsay Leopards, 28-24, in Burford field in Lindsay. Comanche's win Friday night gave the Indians a 2-0 district record and pushed their season record to 6-0. The Leopards are now 1-1 in district play and left their season mark at 3-3...

   The Leopard's much improved football team from a week ago, played their hearts out throughout the game. Lindsay pulled within three points of the Indians early in the fourth quarter, trailing 21-18 with 11:36 to play, but the ball control by the larger Comanche Indians was just too much for the Leopards...

   Lindsay scored first in the ballgame after hooding the Indians following the kickoff. The Leopards went to work on the big Comanche team and proved that they could run on them when they marchned 84 yards in 14 plays to score. It took the Leopards about six minutes to do the job.

   Lindsay opened the drive with two short runs by Jimmy Beckham and Randy Underwood, then quarterback Ricky Dorman threw a quick pass over the middle to his right end Steve Fuller that was good for 16 yards and a first down at the Indians 45 yard line. Two plays later, Dorman, playing one of his best games this season kept the ball and broke through the Indians line for a 22 yard gain and another first down for the Leopards.

   But it took eight more plays for the Leopards to score as the Indians tightened their defensive line and the Leopards had to grind out the yards the rest of the way with Dorman scoring from three yards out. Dorman's pass was no good on  the conversion try. (The missed conversion would haunt the Leopards, as they did not convert on any of their four touchdowns, and could have been the difference in the game.)

   The Leopards lead was short lived as the Indians came back with a sustained drive of their own going 69 yards in 16 plays to score with their 203 pound senior fullback scoring from the one yard line. Lindsay's David Taylor broke through to block the extra point try and the score remained 6-6, with 5:08 left in the first half...

(The Indians scored once more just before halftime to move to 12-6, again missing the extra point try.)

   The second half started with Comanche scoring again to make the score 18-6 with 7:13 left in the third quarter. The Indians added three more points when Cain kicked a 28 yard field goal to take a 21-6 lead.

   With 4:04 left in the third quarter the Leopards made their move when Robbins took the Indians kickoff down the sidelines before he was dragged down from behind at the Indians 13 yard line. Beckham and Dorman picked up the 13 yards in three plays with Beckham scoring from three yards out to cut Comanche's lead to 21-12.

   On the kickoff the Leopards jarred the ball free from Comanche at the 50 yard line and in eight plays  scored again with Beckham scoring from 10 yards out to make the score 21-18.

   With 11:36 left in the ballgame, Comanche took control of the game at their 33 and just ran the clock down in 22 plays to score their final touchdown with only 1:04 left in the game. Cain kicked the extra point to make the score 28-18.

   Lindsay made a run for it in the closing minute when they took over on their own 34. Dorman kept the ball and raced 47 yards down to the 19. A 10 yard penalty moved the ball to the 10 yard line as Dorman got seven, and Beckham scored from three yards out to make the final score 28-24. Dorman was the top rusher for the Leopards Friday night. He carried nine times for 97 yards. Beckham was held under 100 yards when he rushed for 60 yards in 17 attempts.

   Bruce Jones led the Leopards defense with 10 unassisted tackles and David Taylor was a close second with nine.

   For me, the Comanche game of 1974 was the most memorable even though the Leopards lost. We never gave up, scoring with 11 seconds left in the contest. Lindsay still had three games left to play and a chance to make the playoffs - as for the first time ever the district second place team would also make the playoffs.

   The Lindsay Leopards faced the Anadarko Warriors in the seventh game of the '74 season. An article in the Pauls Valley Democrat told the story on Sunday following the contest: Lindsay Leopards plaster Anadarko - 

   "The Lindsay Leopards defeated the Anadarko Warriors 40-0 Friday at Anadarko in a crucial 2A3 battle. The Leopards have suffered only one defeat in conference play, that coming at the hands of Comanche.

   Jimmy Beckham scored the first three touchdowns at Anadarko, John Sharp went in for one, quarterback Rick Dorman passed to Bruce Jones for 47 yards and a touchdown while Stoney Robbins took a quarterback keeper 35 yards for a touchdown in the final seconds of the game..."

   (Needless to say that Anadarko was not a very good football team in 1974, but it was a good 'bounce-back' game following the devastating loss to Comanche.)

   The week following the Anadarko game Lindsay tied the El Reno Indians 0-0. The Pauls Valley newspaper summed up the game:  Lindsay fights El Reno to scoreless draw -

   "It was a first in Lindsay! In 22 years, Friday night was the first time that the Leopards had the misfortune of having to play at home in the rain and it proved a jinx. The result was a wet football, a wet field and fumbles that cost the Leopards a victory. Although Lindsay had 18 first downs to the Indians two and 196 yards rushing compared to El Reno's 70, the weather was the only winner.

   It was a bruising game on the field. Near the center of the field the footing was soft and the backs constantly slipped while turning the corner on end runs. Fumbles were frequent and the wet ball was hard to handle." 

   Next up for the Leopards was the Pauls Valley Panthers. An article in the Panthers hometown newspaper - the Pauls Valley Democrat, described the upcoming game: County Prep Battle Royal Countdown Nears Ignition -

   "The big one. The game the season has been all about. The Army-Navy game, Norman-Lawton, Midwest City-Putnam City, but most of all, the Pauls Valley-Lindsay 'asylum series'. The arch rivals will meet this Friday night at Burford Field in Lindsay and both coaches agree the season records and the like do not matter in the annual battle royal... Lindsay's Joe Tunnel calls it a 'dogfight'. Pauls Valley's Jack Hays' state finalist '72 team topped Lindsay at Leopardland 8-6, but Tunnel's '73 state playoff crew defeated the Panthers last year, 24-7...

   Lindsay was ranked No. 1 in class 2A-A when they came to Pauls Valley last year. The No. 2 ranked Broken Bow went on to take the class 2A crown, after Bristow edged the Leopards 9-7, in the first round of the playoffs. The Panthers played a credible first half game against the No. 1 Leopards and trailed only 12-0, but the Leopards eventually smothered the Pauls Valley team with a 401-79 edge in rushing and a 27-9 first down superiority.

   The big names in that game are gone for the most part from the Panther and Leopard rosters this year. Bobby Simonton gained a lot of yardage for Lindsay in that game, but graduation took him as well as Damon Clagg, who played an outstanding defensive game for the Leopards. Graduation got many of the district champion Leopards, but Lindsay speedster Jimmy Beckham played well in the PV-Lindsay game and he will be back to menace the Panther defensive corps again this year..."

   A quick look at the PV-Lindsay series prior to the '74 game revealed that since 1961, Lindsay had won 13 of the 'asylum' games and Pauls Valley had won only two. The Leopard dominance over the Panthers certainly rivaled the Lindsay dominance over the Purcell Dragons at that time.

   The '74 game came and went, and the Pauls Valley Democrat described the action in the Sunday edition: Lindsay Takes Panthers, Playoff Spot -

   Lindsay turned three Panther mistakes into three touchdowns and went on to defeat the Pauls Valley Panthers, 22-7, in a District 2A-3 battle at Lindsay Friday night. The Leopards moved into a play-off spot as a runner-up with their win Friday night...

   The Leopards are now 3-1 in district play, while the Panthers ended the district season 2-3. The Comanche Indians won the district 2A-3 title and will meet the winner of district 2A-4, which should be Sulphur...

   The Panthers committed their first mistake of the night to start the second quarter when linebacker David Taylor intercepted a Jay Ward pass at the Leopards 35 and raced to the Panthers 10 yard line but the Leopards were guilty of holding and the ball was brought back and 15 yards stepped off against the Leopards.

   It didn't take the Leopards long to get on the scoreboard after that. Jimmy Beckham was called on for two yards and fullback Randy Underwood picked up a first down with a 13 yard play and then quarterback Ricky Dorman caught the Panthers with a perfect strike to Scott Dickerson that covered 62 yards and six points with 9:25 left in the first half. The PAT was no good.

   Jimmy Beckham drove over from the four yard line with 3:36 left in the half for the Leopards second touchdown. Dorman kept the ball for the extra two points to give the Leopards a 14-0 lead...

   The second half began and another bad snap by the PV center resulted in a 16 yard loss and a turnover at the Panther 41 yard line. Dorman called on Beckham five straight times and he responded with an 11 yard gallup, another nine yard run and then a three yard run, he lost one on the next play then he came back for three more and then Dorman crossed the Panthers up by passing 16 yards to Bruce Jones for their third touchdown of the night. The Leopards went for another two-point conversion with Dorman pitching to Beckham for the two points, with 6:06 left in the third quarter..." Neither team scored in the fourth quarter, leaving the final 22-7.

   Only one regular season game remained for the '74 Leopards. They were to play the Frederick Bombers for the tenth and last game of the year. An article in the Pauls Valley Democrat described the action: Frederick Run Over By Leopards -

   "Lindsay exploded for 27 points in the second and third quarters Friday night at Frederick to wrap up another District 2A-3 victory, 40-8. Senior speedster Jimmy Beckham's four touchdowns led the Leopard route and two of the 180-pound tailback's scores came on cross-country jaunts.

   Beckham got loose in the third period with Lindsay leading, 19-0, and returned a Bomber punt 55 yards for 6 points; then followed that act in the final period by scoring from 45 yards out. Lindsay jumped to an early, 6-0, first quarter lead when Beckham scored his first TD on a two-yard plunge, and his other score came on an eight yard run in the third stanza.

   Fullback Randy Underwood blasted out the two second quarter TDs that iced the game for Lindsay. The bruising 200 pounder ripped into the endzone from the five and six yard lines.

   The Bombers were never really in the game as Joe Tunnel's Leopards simply overpowered them with 269 yards rushing and a crushing defense led by towering 6-5 x 295-pound guard Rick 'Big Daddy' Lawson. The big senior and sophomore 185-pound defensive end Bruce Jones spearheaded the shutdown of the Bomber running game and defensive backs Rocky Robbins and Johnny Sharp each picked off a Danny Brittain aerial when Frederick tried to go to the air in the second half..."

   The '74 Lindsay Leopards finished up the regular season 6-3-1, and were to play Elk City in the first round of the playoffs. The Leopards wound up the season by losing to the Elk City Elks, 33-7, and ending 6-4-1. It was certainly a very poor season by Leopard standards.

  

   

   

     

 

    

   

   

   

   

Cindy Roe for State House District 42

   As voters in District 42 of the State House of Representatives elect their Representative on June 30, 2020, it is important to many that incumbent Cindy Roe is a true resident of the District. At least one of Cindy's opponents in the House race must be considered a "carpetbagger". A carpetbagger candidate in any election is a candidate who has not previously been a resident in the House or Senate, but is sent into the district for the sole purpose of taking the seat for either the democrat or republican party. An example of a democrat carpetbagger may have been Hillary Clinton when she ran for the New York senate seat years ago. At the time she decided to run for the seat, she was a legal resident of Arkansas, not New York. Clinton had probably already decided she would one day be a candidate for the presidency, so determined it would be an easier route to win the president of the U.S. through New York, not Arkansas. Hillary was evidently sent to New York by the democratic party in order to take the seat, so many consider her a carpetbagger.
   Republicans may also be carpetbaggers, as there are plenty of examples. For instance, after the Civil War ended in 1866, several republican candidates from the North moved to southern states in order that the federal House and Senate seats would be filled with republicans. Those southern state seats were previously held by democrats.
   As most voters know, Representative Cindy Roe is a true resident of House District 42 in Garvin and McClain County, and cares greatly about the well-being of her constituents. Voters should do their homework in determining the best candidate for House District 42, and I believe that Cindy Roe is just what we need. By the way, I'm registered Independent, not Democrat nor Republican.

Leopard Legends of the Fall 1973

   On September 4, 1973, a few days before the opening kickoff of the 1973 season, an article by Lynn Garnand of The Oklahoman read:
                                   At Last! Prep Football Begins Thursday
    The top ten games of the week list is headed by a traditional clash at Lindsay, where the Leopards host defendind Class A state titlist Purcell. Lindsay, which failed to make the playoffs last year for the first time in six seasons, is the favorite in District 2A-3 while Purcell has lots of experience returning from its 13-1 championship team of a year ago. (From reading this article, one may tend to believe that Lindsay had no chance of beating Purcell).
   "We haven't looked too sharp in our scrimmages," said Joe Tunnel, who is starting his seventh year at Lindsay. "We're big and slow and sluggish. We've scouted Purcell in both of their scrimmages and they've got some of that speed. Ours was the only game they lost last year so they'll be after us."
   Purcell fell to Lindsay, 8-6, in its season opener a year ago then reeled off 13 straight victories in the Dragons' drive to the Class A throneroom...

   So the stage was set for a certain Leopard thrashing, as the article indicated. I was really nervous as Friday approached, as it was the first game ever that I expected to be a starter. I did not really know who would be watching the game, but one who I was certain would be in attendance was "the blind man in the bleachers", my dad. The Oklahoman's No. 1 game of the week came and went, and an article in The Oklahoman on Sunday proclaimed:
                                          Lindsay Marches to 25-7 Win
    LINDSAY -- The Lindsay Leopards welded together a trio of jarring cross-country scoring marches and bashed defending Class A state champion Purcell, 25-7, in the two teams' 1973 football debut at Burford Field Friday night. Purcell, which lost only to Lindsay last year during a 13-1 title campaign got the jump on Lindsay as the Dragons scored the first time they touched the ball.
   But Lindsay regrouped, and displaying its usual ball control tactics, slowly but surely took the momentum away from the visitors. As expected, tailback Bobby Simonton carried the load in the Leopards devastating running game. The 192-pound senior carried the ball 27 times for 135 yards and scored Lindsay's last three touchdowns. The Leopards amassed 308 rushing yards as Jimmy Beckham totaled 73, Randy Underwood 61 and Johnny Sharp 43 to back up Simonton's big total...
   For Purcell, Gerald Green picked up 78 yards on the ground, but was topped by a scrappy newcomer to the Dragon backfield, Rodney Combest, a 140-pounder who barrelled his way for 82 rushing yards.
   Lindsay's Simonton was busy not only on offense but he did double duty as an outstanding linebacker, teaming with tackle Stanley Everett and safety Rocky Robbins to help stifle the Purcell attack.
   The Dragons took the opening kickoff and steamed 65 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 count. Green blasted over right guard from 21 yards out to score practically untouched and Jerry Merrill toed the extra point.
   Lindsay came right back with a 55-yard drive of its own with Underwood going the final eight yards. The Leopards then glued together what may have been the game-deciding drive of the night. Taking over on its own 20 with 4:07 remaining in the half, Lindsay swept to the goalline in 10 plays with Simonton scoring the first of his three touchdowns. That set the tone for the second half, which Lindsay dominated. Simonton ended marches of 80 and 90 yards with touchdown runs coming from inside the 10-yard line.

   Pauls Valley Daily Democrat staff writer Susan Pratt reported after the Purcell game:
                                                 Lindsay for real!
   Everything they say about the Lindsay Leopards is really true. They've got the manpower and the size to grind out yardage faster than a packing plant turns out sausage -- and that makes mincemeat out of their unlucky opponents. As always, they've got the class to capitalize on whatever mistakes befall their competition.
   Making their debut before the homefolks against defending Class A champ Purcell, the Leopards put on a bruising display of power that drained the Dragons 25-7...

   So, it was back to business for the Lindsay Leopards as they once again thumped Purcell in the opening game of the season. In fact, it now seemed that no matter how good Purcell was... Lindsay always won. It was a fact that would be magnified in the 1974 season opening game. The win over a highly regarded Purcell club elevated the Leopards to a No. 2 ranking in Class 2A football. Purcell eventually finished the 1973 season 8-1-1, with a tie, 13-13, against Wynnewood, and its only loss to the Leopards, 25-7. Purcell did not make the playoffs that year because Wynnewood, a Class A district foe, advanced on penetrations.
   In the season's second game of 1973 - Lindsay was to play the Yukon Millers, a Class 3A school. It seemed that Joe Tunnel always scheduled opposing teams that were above the Class 2A Leopards. He believed it would prepare Lindsay for Class 2A competition and District 2A-3 foes, and it usually had the desired effect. As usual, I became nervous just before game time on Friday night - so much so that my stomach often became upset. An article in The Oklahoman on Saturday following the Yukon game detailed the scoring:
   LINDSAY 28, Yukon 7 at Yukon: Yukon went down to defeat for the second week in a row. The No. 2 ranked Class 2A Lindsay Leopards, led by Jimmy Beckham's three scores, reeled off 21 straight points in the second half and held the Millers scoreless at the same time. Yukon took a 7-0 lead on a one-yard run by Joe Dawson in the first quarter, driving 76 yards in 13 plays. Lindsay, however, took the ensuing kickoff and went 70 yards in 13 plays with quarterback Danny Heatly connecting with Beckham on an 11-yard pass, to tie the score at 7-7. After a scoreless second quarter, Lindsay's Beckham then scored two more TD's to give the Leopards their insurmountable lead. Jeff Ardrey scored the final points of the game on an 11-yard pass from Rickey Dorman. Jimmy Webb booted four extra points...
   The PV Daily Democrat recounted the Lindsay/Yukon game:
                                        Leopards stone Yukon Millers
   The Lindsay Leopards gave up the first touchdown to the Yukon Millers, but they then came storming back to win by a score of 28-7. Yukon's only successful scoring drive was also their last. The Millers traveled 76 yards to make the score and made good on the kick for a seven point lead.
   Lindsay did not let the score stay that way long. The Leopards took 17 plays to move 70 yards to the endzone to even the score during the second quarter.
   After the half the Leopards were even hotter. Jimmy Beckham who picked up Lindsay's first score on an 11-yard pass from quarterback Danny Heatly also captured the second six points by smashing through the Yukon line for a nine-yard run.
   Beckham got the call again to make the third Lindsay score. The 165-pound junior halfback plowed through for three yards to reach the endzone.
   The final score came in the fourth quarter when end Jeff Ardrey pulled down an 11-yard pass from Ricky Dorman.

   Two personal observations from this Yukon game: Rene Huckaba was Yukon's head football coach in 1973, and a close personal friend of Joe Tunnel. Huckaba's wife was also a Tunnel friend, and present at the 1973 Lindsay/Yukon game. Rene Huckaba, as stated in the "1967 Legends" article, was on hand to honor Tunnel at his (Joe Tunnel) "retirement from coaching" banquet at Duncan's Simmons Center in 2000. Huckaba recounted some of his memories as Tunnel's friend, such as the Clinton Red Tornadoes' story quoted earlier. He also recounted another story about Tunnel, which related to the Lindsay/Yukon game of 1973 -
   As the 1973 game ended with Lindsay thoroughly dominating Yukon, the coaches for both schools met at midfield to shake hands and wish the other coaches well for the rest of the season. Since Joe and Rene were particularly good friends - Rene's wife also was on hand to congratulate Tunnel. The final score, 28-7, was anything but a thorough beat down, and Tunnel had not intentionally tried to run up the score - and Rene Huckaba knew that. Huckaba was cordial to his old friend, as they chatted about their teams for a moment. After Rene and Joe finished their handshake and saying "good luck" for the rest of the season, Huckaba's wife approached Tunnel. (Or maybe she reached Tunnel before Rene did, as it's still not clear). At any rate, Joe Tunnel was expecting his old friend, Rene's wife, to offer her hand in congratulations and wish him good luck in the future. Instead, she walked up to Joe and slapped him. She may have only chastized him for running up the score, not slapped... I'm not sure, but it sure caught Joe Tunnel off guard - that I'm sure of.
   My other memory of that 1973 game is a bit more personal, but still true...
While in junior high at Lindsay, I began to take notice that all my high school "football heroes got along with all the beautiful girls", like the song says. They all had very attractive girlfriends and were even popular with girls who were not "girlfriends". The evidence was in, so my theory was confirmed - but since I had never been a "football hero", I could still not say for sure. I decided to "test" my theory for confirmation, since the Yukon game may have been the closest I would ever hope to being a "football hero". Of course I was only a "wanna be", and would soon discover that fact.
   On the Sunday afternoon following the Yukon game, I was casually visiting with two friends who happened to be beautiful girls, and mentioned that Lindsay had beat Yukon, 28-7, on Friday night. I also mentioned that I had scored three touchdowns in the game. The desired effect of my "bragging" was to impress these two friends. I hoped at least one response would be something like "WOW! Tell me more?" One friend simply replied "No way...", and the other did not respond at all about my "heroism". I don't know what I was expecting, but one thing was certain - either I was not a real football hero (which was likely) or I was not even a shadow of a real football hero (which was more likely). It seems very funny now, but it was devastating in 1973.
   The third game of the season pitted Lindsay against El Reno, another Class 3A team. The Leopards beat El Reno, 30-14, and then faced the Marlow Outlaws in what would be the first District 2A-3 clash. While Marlow and Lindsay usually squared off in an intense rivalry game, the 1973 game proved anything but a heated battle to the last play. PV Democrat staff writer Harold Bradley reported after the game:
                                                 Lindsay again 55-20
   The Lindsay Leopards displayed a devastating ground attack Friday night and crushed the Marlow Outlaws, 55-20, in a District 2A-3 game at Lindsay. Led by senior tailback Bobby Simonton, the Leopards made it 4-0 for the season and their first district win of the year. The Leopards played almost perfect football. They had only two turnovers during the night and both of those were on fumbles early in the game.
   Coach Joe Tunnell's Leopards had the ball 10 times Friday night and scored eight times out of the 10. Simonton scored four times on three short runs and one time on a 37-yard pass and run.
   Junior halfback Jimmy Beckham had two touchdowns and senior Jeff Ardrey caught a 33-yard pass for another TD. Halfback Rocky Robbins had a 17-yard touchdown run. The Leopards ground game was so bruising, they did not punt the ball all night.
   Quarterback Danny Heatly mixed his plays well all night, using the pass to keep the Outlaws loose. Heatly attempted six passes and completed four for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
   Halfback Beckham, by far the lightest player on the Leopards first unit was the top ground gainer Friday night. He picked up 142 yards on 14 carries, a stunning 10 yards per carry average...

   Lindsay beat Mustang, another District 2A-3 foe, 34-21, in the season's fifth game, before clashing with the Comanche Indians in the sixth game. In setting the stage for the Lindsay/Comanche showdown - Lindsay was now 5-0, and ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, behind No. 1 Broken Bow. Comanche was also 5-0, and ranked No. 9 in Class 2A, but the game was to be played in Comanche giving the hosts a decided intangible factor. (When two teams are pretty evenly matched, the home team usually wins.)
   I was nervous, as usual, prior to kickoff on Friday night, but several Leopards tried to loosen the team up by providing some levity while we dressed for battle. It had been raining sporadically before game time, so the field was slick and the Leopard ball carriers and receivers were using brown kiwi shoe polish on their hands to prevent fumbling. One or two had used the brown shoe polish to make hand-prints on their orange pants, or their buddies faces. There was much hushed laughter, as we were supposed to have our "game faces" on. S.J. Foster and H.O. Estes would not have thought it so funny. The subject did come up at halftime of the game, because we were trailing the Indians 7-6. On October 14, 1973, one day after the game, Lynn Garnand of The Daily Oklahoman recounted the battle:
                                           COMANCHE FALLS, 19-7
                                              Lindsay Wins on Rally
   COMANCHE -- Aroused in the second half by an interception by Jeff Ardrey and the hard-running of Randy Underwood, Lindsay stormed from behind to tame Comanche, 19-7, in a battle of District 2A-3 unbeatens before a packed house at Harley Stadium Friday night. Comanche, vying for its first Class 2A district title, outplayed the visitors the first half and took a 7-6 lead to the dressing room at intermission. But the roof fell in on the Indians as Lindsay completely dominated the second half with a fired up offense and a smothering defense.
   Lindsay, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, is 6-0 on the season and has a commanding 3-0 record in district play. The ninth ranked Indians are 5-1 and 2-1.
   Lindsay failed to move the ball the first time it had possession in the third quarter, but Ardrey got the Leopards going with an interception four minutes into the second half at the Comanche 42. It took Lindsay eight plays to capitalize on that scoring opportunity with wingback Jimmy Beckham carrying the final two yards to make it 12-7. Underwood, who only had seven yards rushing at halftime, contributed runs of 11, 11 and two yards. After that, it was all Lindsay. Comanche had 107 yards on the ground in the first half but added only 35 more the final two quarters. The closest the Indians got to Lindsay's goal line in the second half was 39 yards away early in the fourth quarter.
   While the Lindsay defense was shining, the Leopard offense began to look like its usual self. Held to 40 yards rushing the first half, Lindsay gained 121 after intermission to control the tempo of play. Lindsay iced down the victory with a 95-yard, 11 play drive in the fourth quarter that consumed almost seven minutes. Comanche forced Lindsay to punt once in the march but the kick was fumbled and Beckham gave the Leopards new life at the Indian 45.
   Eight plays later, tailback Bobby Simonton tallied his second touchdown of the night with a nine-yard burst up the middle. Jim Webb put the final point on the board with the conversion kick.
   Comanche scored first with a 67-yard surge midway in the first half. Fullback Steve Etheridge found gaping holes up the middle and scored the touchdown by carrying the final four yards. Steve McCord, who played an outstanding game at linebacker, kicked the extra point to make it 7-0 with 8:53 left in the second quarter.
   Lindsay came right back with its first touchdown drive, which was highlighted by a 54-yard pass from quarterback Danny Heatly to Ardrey that carried to the Comanche 13. Simonton swept right end for the final eight yards and a touchdown but Webb's conversion kick was partially blocked by McCord to allow Comanche to own a one-point edge at halftime.
   A personal note about three of the Comanche game participants: During the 1980's and early 1990's, I coached high school football in Duncan with Steve Etheridge, the fullback for Comanche mentioned above. Also, Burl White, the head football coach for Comanche at the time, was the athletic director in Duncan while I was coaching there. As a matter of fact, I coached Burl White's two sons - Jay Lynn, who is now a dentist, and Joe Kyle, who is now an attorney, while in Duncan. Probably the most important Comanche connection to that game, though, is the fact that I married a Comanche cheerleader, who was on the other sideline in 1973. I did "get along with one beautiful girl". It's a small world.
   Lindsay then beat Harrah in another district game as the Daily Oklahoman recounted on October 21, 2013:
   LINDSAY 14, HARRAH 0 at Lindsay: The Leopards' Jimmy Beckham scored two touchdowns on short runs and carried the ball 16 times for 124 yards. Lindsay's Bob Simonton had 90 yards on 22 carries. The deepest penetration by Harrah was to the Lindsay 45. Sophomore punter Ronnie Hicklin kept Harrah in good field position with five punts that averaged 48 yards.
   Daily Democrat staff writer Harold Bradley reported on the Harrah game:
                                                      Lindsay wins 7th
   Lindsay unleashed its vaunted running attack in the third quarter and made its usual tough defense performance Friday night to slip by a tough Harrah Panther team, 14-0, at Burford field in Lindsay. Coach Joe Tunnel's defensive brigade held the Panthers to only 92 net yards all night and the Harrah Panthers never crossed the Leopard's 45 yard line.
   Meanwhile, Danny Heatly was engineering the Leopards to 237 yards on the ground with junior halfback Jimmy Beckham rushing for 124 yards on 16 carries as the Leopards top ground gainer. Defensive safety Johnny Sharp set the stage for the Leopard's first touchdown late in the third quarter when he picked off a Ronnie Hicklin pass at the Panther's 34 yard line.
   From that point the Leopards scored their first touchdown. Beckham led the way with a 26-yard jaunt that put the ball on the eight. Bob Simonton got seven in two tries and Beckham scored from the one. Jimmy Webb kicked the extra point to make it 7-0.
   On its next possession, Lindsay scored again going from their own 40 in nine plays with Beckham scoring from the four. It was fullback Randy Underwood, Simonton and Beckham carrying the pigskin top set up the Leopards final score of the night. Webb kicked the extra point and the final score was 14-0...
   The Leopards remain undefeated this season with a 7-0 mark and now lead the district 2A-3 race. They will be on the road next Friday night when they travel to Tecumseh for their fifth district game. Looking ahead for the rest of the season, the Leopards will be at Pauls Valley on November 2 and end the season at home against Noble on November 9.

   The Leopards did play the Tecumseh Savages on October 26, 1973, in the eighth game of the season. The PV Democrat reported following the clash:
                                     Tecumseh snowed by Lindsay Leopards
   The Lindsay Leopards sailed to their eighth win of the season Friday night with a 35-0 shutout of Tecumseh at Tecumseh. There was not any scoring in the first quarter, but in the second quarter the Leopard attack began to extract points.
   Jimmy Beckham went in from the two yard line and Jimmy Webb booted the extra point. Later in the second quarter Bob Simonton ran three yards for a score and again Webb kicked the extra point. This sent Lindsay to the locker room ahead by 14-0 at the half. In the third quarter the Leopards widened that lead with a one-yard dive by Simonton that capped a drive with six more points. Webb's kick was good.
   Jimmy Beckham broke free later in the third period of play and dashed through the Tecumseh team on a 60-yard scoring play. Webb again performed flawlessly to add the extra point. The final score of the night was by Danny Heatly who pushed across from the one-yard line in the fourth quarter and Webb made his fifth successful kick of the night. Next week the Lindsay Leopards will travel to meet the Pauls Valley Panthers at Pauls Valley.

   Also following the Tecumseh game the United Press International reported:
                                            Lindsay number 1 in state 2A-A
   Unbeaten Lindsay climbed atop the weekly UPI ratings of Oklahoma's Class 2A-A high school football teams today, replacing fallen Lawton MacArthur. Lawton Mac plunged to No. 6 after losing 14-12 to Elk City, which stepped up two notches to No. 5.
   Three undefeated teams - Broken Bow, Spiro and Bristow - each moved up one step, filling the second, third and fourth spots, respectively. Seminole edged upward, from No. 8 to 7, and Skiatook entered the ratings for the first time, at No. 8.
   Wynnewood, the only Class A team winning a spot in the rankings, stayed in ninth position and Comanche remained at No. 10.
   Lindsay's advance came on a 35-0 trouncing of Tecumseh, while Broken Bow was thumping Talahina 36-0 and Spiro was downing Checotah 28-16. Bristow defeated Cushing 19-0. The top four teams this week have 8-0 records.

   The Lindsay Leopards were now facing arch-rival Pauls Valley for the season's ninth game of the year. There was "bad blood" between the two teams because of previous encounters which did not always end well. The boys basketball game in 1970 which ended in a bench clearing brawl at Pauls Valley comes to mind. Friday night came and went, and Mike Berger, staff writer for the PV Democrat reported:
                                                         Leopards top PV
   The Panther defense played well Friday night against the mighty Leopards scoring attack holding the Lindsay team to only two touchdowns in the first half. The Panthers, however were not able to get on the score board themselves in the first half and though they closed the gap to 18-7 at one point they could not narrow Lindsay's lead any further. The final score was boosted by two more Lindsay touchdowns in the fourth quarter to end the game 24-7 in Lindsay's favor...
   Pauls Valley got first crack at moving the football and soon discovered that the Leopards weren't giving away any free yardage. Held to only three yards gain on their first possession, Tommy Felan kicked the ball away for the Panthers.
   Lindsay moved well after the punt, but after they scored a penetration to the Panther 18 they fumbled the ball and an alert Keith Story pounced on it  to stall the first Leopard attack. The Panthers moved a total of 27 yards in their next seven plays before they had to punt. A Leopard signaled for a fair catch and dropped the ball at the Lindsay 25, but the Leopards were able to recover the loose ball.
   Starting from their own 21 the Leopards got their rushing game in gear and moved 46 yards in the next eight plays. Down to the Panther 33-yard line Halfback Jimmy Beckham broke through to go nearly all the way. Stanley Peters caught Beckham and knocked him out of bounds at the Panther one yard line, but with a first and goal from the one, the Leopards had more field possession that any team could defend against. Bobby Simonton went in for the score on the next play...
   On their first possession of the second quarter the Leopards again mounted a drive from their own 25 where they had received a Felan punt. They moved methodically in 14 plays to cross the Panther goal for the score with four minutes 53 seconds left in the half. The Leopards moved consistently on the ground in this drive attempting no passes and getting no help from penalty causing Panther mistakes. Simonton again carried from the one for the score.
   (Following the ensuing kickoff), the Panther drive started with an illegal procedure penalty that moved the ball back to the 15 and Felan was forced to punt from his 19 a few plays later. A Leopard hit Felan after the punt and was called for roughing the kicker, giving the Panthers a second chance from their own 34 yard line. The Panthers ran one play for a four-yard gain and one for a four-yard loss and threw an incomplete pass to wind up back on the 34 to punt again.
   The Leopards started after the punt from their 33 and moved to the 45 where Lindsay made its second pass attempt of the night. Stan Peters pulled in the pass interception for the Panthers with 30 seconds left in the half. Two plays later the Panthers gave the ball back to Lindsay on a fumbled handoff that was recovered by Damon Clagg for the Leopards. With nine seconds left the Leopards moved ten yards toward the Panther goal and time ran out leaving the halftime score much lower than many expected, 12-0.
  This "less than stellar" display of football was not lost on Joe Tunnel, as he made it clear at halftime that he would not tolerate any more mistakes. Also, at halftime, during Tunnel's "do better" lecture, a Leopard assistant coach handed Tunnel a clip board which indicated that Jimmy Beckham had 105 rushing yards. Coach Tunnel's only comment was "This guy right here will have 200 yards rushing tonight if we don't make any more mistakes." His comment made me feel nervous again, as if it was the beginning of the game.
   The Leopards did eliminate many mistakes during the second half and I wound up with 177 yards rushing on 18 carries, but it was a team effort as the Leopards rushed for 401 total yards and 27 first downs, with no yards passing (0-4).

   In the final game of the regular season Lindsay was to play Noble on Friday night, November 9, 1973. The date happened to be my birthday, and I was looking forward to a hard fought game with the Bears. All the Leopards had to do was to beat Noble to be district champs and finish the regular season 10-0, before starting the playoffs. The Daily Oklahoman reported after the game on Saturday, November 10:
   Lindsay 28, Noble 0 at Lindsay: Senior tailback Bobby Simonton had 93 yards on 18 carries to finish with 1,033 yards for the year. The Leopards, who finished on top of the Class 2A-3 standings with a 7-0 mark to go with an overall 10-0 season, picked up 292 yards on the ground compared to Noble's 57. Jim Beckham, Lindsay's junior halfback, was the game's leading rusher with 115 yards on 15 carries before he left the game in the third quarter with a broken arm. He finished with 1019 yards...
   The PV Democrat reported on Sunday, November 11:
                                                  Lindsay dumps Noble
   Lindsay kept its football machine rolling with a resounding 28-0 triumph over Noble in a district 2A-3 contest at Burford Field in Lindsay Friday night. But in doing so, the Leopards lost the service of junior right halfback, Jimmy Beckham.
   Beckham, one of the Leopards top ground gainers all season, broke his right arm in the third quarter. The Leopards completely dominated the football game after a slow start, and in the end it was the Leopards 10th win of the season.
   The Leopards will now turn their attentions on the playoffs starting next Friday night. Lindsay will host Bristow in the first round of the class double A playoffs. It will be two unbeaten teams facing each other.
   Two Lindsay players reached a milestone in the season's final game Friday night. Bob Simonton and Jimmy Beckham, reached and passed the 1,000 yard rushing mark. Beckham came into the ball game needing 96 yards to reach the magic number and he picked up 116 yards in 15 carries before having to leave the game with 8:47 left in the third quarter.
   Simonton needing only 60 yards for the 1,000 yard mark went well over the mark when he scored his third touchdown of the game Friday night. At the end of the game Simonton went well over the mark with 1,033 yards. Beckham had 1,019 yards when he left the game...

   Lynn Garnand of the Daily Oklahoman reported on Monday, November 12, that Lindsay had knocked Broken Bow out of the top spot in its weekly football poll. (The Leopards were already ranked No. 1 by the United Press International poll):
                                         Lindsay Tops 2A in Final Ratings
   After playing second fiddle to defending state champion Broken Bow all year, Lindsay took over the No. 1 ranking in Class 2A from the Savages in The Daily Oklahoman's final weekly high school football ratings of the season for all classes except 4A and 3A.
   Lindsay (10-0), capping its season with a 28-0 victory over Noble, got its chance to step up to the top perch when Broken Bow's winning streak was ended at 22 in a row by Idabel, 7-0. Lindsay had been ranked second behind the Savages (9-1), who slipped to third behind the Leopards and now No. 2 Spiro (10-0), all season.

   The 1973 Leopards were set to enter the playoffs as the No. 1 ranked Class 2A team and were to play the Bristow Purple Pirates in the first round. On Friday, November 16, The Daily Oklahoman reported:
                            Lindsay to Meet Bristow As playoffs Start Tonight
   Lindsay puts its newly acquired No. 1 ranking in Class 2A on the line against unbeaten Bristow... Lindsay, after being ranked second all season, took over the top rating in its class last week after Broken Bow lost to Idabel, 7-0. The Leopards will match their 10-0 record against Bristow's identical mark and the Pirates No. 4 ranking.
   Bristow, after posting its first unbeaten season in history, will be making its first playoff appearance simnce 1958. The Pirates are led by halfback Wes Hankins, who has over 4,000 yards in his high school career.
   "He's a super, super back," Lindsay coach Joe Tunnell said of the Bristow flash, "but he's not all they've got. They're awfully quick, as quick as any team we've seen. They've got some good backs and they're well coached. We're going to have to control the football an d win both ends of the kicking game. They have one of the best defenses we've played against. We're ready to play but we're going to have to find some way to get a hold of Hankins."
   Lindsay suffered a blow in its 28-0 victory over Noble last week as halfback Jimmy Beckham, who had gained over 1,000 yards rushing this season, broke his arm. Leopard tailback Bob Simonton will now have to shoulder most of the ball carrying chores.
   As the Leopards approached the Bristow game in 1973, some Lindsay football fans may have had flashbacks to the 1964 Lindsay Leopards - who lost to Holdenville in the championship game. The 1973 Leopards were very similar to the 1964 Leopards, as both teams had a devastating rushing game. Both teams also lost a large part of that rushing game, during or before the playoffs began. An excerpt from a Daily Oklahoman article which detailed the 1964 state championship game with Holdenville read:
... Holdenville defeated Lindsay, 14-0, before a crowd of 4,000 Friday night to win the state Class A high school football championship for the first time. Lindsay, winner of state championships in four previous appearances suffered its first loss in 19 playoff games.
   Holdenville used a magnificent defense to throttle Lindsay's famed running attack. The Leopards never got closer than 33 yards to pay dirt and that came on their first possession.
   Lindsay halfback Ken Fleming injured a leg so badly he was hospitalized. He was hurt on Lindsay's first possession, eight plays deep into the contest...
   As Leopard assistant coach Charlie Heatly noted a few years later: If the Leopards had finished the game with Ken Fleming, they would have won the fifth state championship.
   As Yogi Berra, New York Yankees catcher and former manager, said many years earlier about recurring themes in sports: "It's deja vu all over again". It appears that it was deja vu all over again for the 1973 Leopards as they played the Bristow Purple Pirates in the first round of the '73 high school football playoffs.
   As the game with Bristow approached that week of November, I had an arm cast on from shoulder to wrist. I had broken both bones in my fore-arm, the radius and humerous, in the same place they were broken a year earlier in the auto accident. I always thought that once a bone break healed, the bone became stronger at the point of the break. I guess not.
   The Lindsay Leopards did play the Bristow Purple Pirates on Friday, November 15, 1973. On November 17, The Daily Oklahoman reported:
                                            Bristow Spanks No. 1 Lindsay
                                              Pirates Score 9-7 Triumph
   LINDSAY--Bristow's superb defense, playing all year in the shadow of super halfback Wes Hankins, smothered Lindsay with brilliant play Friday night to give the Purple Pirates an upset, 9-7 Class 2A quarterfinal victory over the No.1 ranked Leopards before an overflow crowd of 3,000 fans.
   Hankins had his moments, however, including his electrifying 37-yard run for the winners only touchdown. But the unheralded Bristow defense was the real star.
   Lindsay's vaunted rushing attack, minus halfback Jimmy Beckham who broke his arm last week, gained only 76 yards and earned but four first downs in the first half while Bristow built a 9-0 lead. Then, in the crucial third quarter, the hosts made only 16 yards and no first downs. The aggressive Bristow line, led by Reggie Fields, and linebacker Steve Sly, didn't allow Lindsay a first down the entire second half until less than two minutes remained.
   It was then Lindsay quarterback Danny Heatly guided his team on a 51-yard 10 play drive for Lindsay's touchdown. But Bob Simonton's one-yard plunge with 29 seconds left was too little and too late to prevent Bristow from running its record to 11-0 and gaining the semi-finals in its first trip to state. Lindsay finished 10-1...
   Hankins scored the visitor's touchdown just 52 seconds after the opening kickoff, but Lindsay played superb field position football and contained the Bristow speedsters the rest of the night. Hankins still finished with 126 yards on 16 carries.
   Simonton, forced into the workhorse role in Beckham's absence, gained only 39 yards on 15 carries. No other Leopard made more than 15 yards on the ground, and Heatly threw 16 times to get his 83 yards passing...

   This loss to Bristow in 1973 is still seared in my memory, just as the loss to Nowata in the 1970 championship game is seared in the memories of those Leopards who played. The loss to Bristow was especially painful for me, as I was forced to watch from the sidelines. A few days after the Bristow game, a good friend told me that Coach Tunnell lamented in Drivers Education (the class he taught) that " If we had Jimmy, we would have won the game." I don't know about that, but it made the loss that much more painful...
   The next article will detail the 1974 Lindsay Leopards football season...


   

State Senate District 43 Election

   I'm independent as I decide who to vote for in the upcoming state senate District 43 election. I am a "conservative" by nature, as I believe in our traditional public institutions, such as our traditional public schools. I do not believe that liberal or progressive education for our youth is "traditional" in any sense of the word. I always support the candidate for any office, regardless of their affiliation (Republican or Democrat), who is conservative and traditional. Many candidates say they support our public schools, but are endorsed and supported by liberal institutions such as the State Chamber of Commerce. One such candidate has been endorsed by the liberal State Chamber in Senate District 43.
   As for me, I'm supporting and voting for Senator Paul Scott in the upcoming Senate District 43 election because he is "conservative", "traditional" and has always supported our traditional local public schools. Please consider these facts as you decide for yourself who to vote for in the 2020 state elections.

Leopard Legends of 1972

   On August 27, 1972, an article appeared in The Daily Oklahoman:
         Lindsay Favored for Seventh Straight Title in 2A-3 Race

   Lindsay appears all set to march to a seventh straight district title according to a vote of District 2A-3 coaches, all of whom pegged the Leopards as the conference favorite. The biggest stumbling blocks in Lindsay's path toward that goal in the monstrous eight team league are Pauls Valley, Marlow and Comanche...
   The Leopards of Joe Tunnel have only six returning starters but 20 other lettermen stand ready to fill in the gaps by graduation. Cliff Krcha will move from fullback to quarterback but the rest of the backfield will be green. David Orr, a 6-4 by 220 giant defensive tackle, will try his hand at fullback while the other two running back spots will probably be filled by Ronnie Clements, a defensive regular, and Bobby Simonton, a junior letterman. The line will be rebuilt around center Craig Blankenship and guard Tony Wilson...

   An article in The Daily Oklahoman on September 3, 1972, appeared which reported:
   Who's No. 1?
   Well, a whole season awaits high school football fans before that question is answered in the state's six championship classes. A quick look at the old crystal ball foresees two defending titlists and four playoff-hardened veterans winding up in king's row.
   In the Sunday Oklahoman's annual attempt to predict the outcome of the upcoming gridiron season, Lawton is the pick in Class 4A, Altus in 3A, Lindsay in 2A...
   The picture in Class 2A is much the same with a lot of solid clubs developing but no one dominant team. Lindsay faces a long, hard struggle in its district against Pauls Valley, Marlow and Comanche but that will be only the start if the Leopards are to claim the state championship that has eluded them since 1963... 

   Lindsay started out the 1972 season as usual - beating a very good Purcell club, 8-6. I was now a sophomore Leopard on one of the most "tradition rich" high school football teams in Oklahoma, so saw limited action in that first game. I played mostly on special teams, but got to play my defensive position for much of the time during the Purcell game. The Purcell Dragons had several players such as Joe McReynolds, quarterback, who would go on to be named The Sunday Oklahoman "Back of the Year" in 1972 and receive a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma.
   In the week of practice leading up to the Purcell game, the Leopards worked against defending against the "option" game of the Dragons - since they had maybe the best option quarterback in the state and the fastest halfback in Gerald Green. While Green was only a sophomore like me, he was a much better player than I ever could be - and could "run a hole in the wind".
   As a right cornerback on Lindsay's vaunted defense, my job was to "take out the pitch man" (Green) whenever the option play came my way. Our defensive end's responsibility was to "take out the quarterback" (McReynolds) whenever the option came our way. We worked all week long in defending against the option, because as everyone can recall - the OU wishbone option was the Sooners' best play during the early 1970's.
   The Purcell game arrived on Friday night, and I was not too nervous, as I was sure that I would never darken the field. I would be relegated to cheering on our Leopards from the safety of the sideline. I was sorely mistaken, as Coach Tunnel thrust me into the game early.
   I desperately tried to remember my assignment if the option play came my way, and it soon did. What respectable Purcell offensive coordinator would not pick on the sophomore when McReynolds and Green saw the newcomer enter the game? As the option play developed, I saw our defensive end miss the quarterback as he came down the line toward me. McReynolds was often "missed" by defensive ends though, as he was to become the OU Sooners' new option quarterback in 1973. My job, as practiced, was to take out Green when the option play appeared. When I saw the end miss the tackle on the quarterback, I came off the pitch and hit McReynolds squarely under the chin. The only problem was that McReynolds pitched the ball to Green at the last moment, just before I hit him. I seem to remember that Green went on a long run, due to my irresponsibility. He may have even scored, as it was all a blur to me at the time, and still is. I was certainly happy that one girlfriend at the time did not witness my high school debut, as it would have been an embarrassment.
   I do remember about that Purcell game as seeing one of the hardest hits I ever witnessed in a high school game. The Leopards had punted to the Dragons, and as the return man for Purcell received the ball - our defensive linebacker Rick Billingsley was bearing down on him. The returner caught the punt, took about two steps, and was met with the force of a runaway locomotive. The hit evidently knocked the Dragon into an uncertain future, as he had to be assisted from the field. In the film room on Sunday afternoon, an assistant coach - either S.J. Foster or Hodie Estes, ran the same play back and forth several times - so the younger Leopards could see how to tackle an opponent.
   A note about the Purcell Dragons following their close loss to the Leopards in 1972 is that they finished the season with a 13-1 record and Class A state champions. An article from The Oklahoman on December 10, 1972, read:
                                  Purcell Pops Hominy for (Class) A Title

   Led by wonderful Joe McReynolds, Purcell exploded for three first-half touchdowns then hogged the ball after intermission to throttle Hominy, 24-7, Friday night for the Dragons' first Class A state high school football title ever...

   The Lindsay Leopards beat Yukon, 20-6, in the season's second game, beat El Reno, 6-0, in the season's third game before facing arch-rival Marlow in the first District 2A-3 game. I have several memories from that Marlow game in 1972:
   The week of practice leading up to the battle with Marlow, found the Leopards preparing for the Marlow "single wing" offensive attack. It was an offense not used by any other high school teams in Oklahoma, other than maybe Tuttle. It was a "scary" offense, as the Outlaws were led by three-year starter Jr. Thompson at "quarterback", who took the direct snap in "shotgun" style. The other running backs would then usually cross running patterns, so the defense never really knew who had the ball. The offense was very effective against teams which usually didn't get to see the "single wing" very often.
   During the week of the Marlow game in practice, Coach Tunnel had told me that I would be returning kick-offs against the Outlaws. I became nervous as Friday night approached, as I did not want to be embarrassed once again. Once again though, I could not be too embarrassed - as a girlfriend at the time was not expected to attend. How badly could I truly screw up?
   As I was lining up to receive the opening kick-off at Outlaw Stadium with the other Leopards, I heard over the loudspeaker that Jimmy Beckham would be returning the opening kick-off for the Leopards, and then  "He is the son of Johnny Beckham, the great Outlaw who played for Marlow in 1946, 1947 and 1948." Coach Tunnell knew this fact about my dad, and it was probably the reason he put me in the game to return kicks. It was to honor my dad, who was now blind, and could not really see me play. What a great man Coach Tunnell was, and still is today!
   We eventually lost the game, 20-19, on a long pass play in the waning seconds. As I recall, Jr. Thompson, the Outlaw quarterback, heaved a "hail mary" into the end zone with only a few seconds left in the 4th quarter. The ball was tipped by, I believe, Jeff Ardrey into the waiting arms of one Marlow receiver standing in the end zone. It was a heartbreaking loss under any circumstances, but especially the way it happened. We believed the best team did not win on that Friday night, and it may have set the tone for the rest of the season.
   In the fifth game of the season and the second District 2A-3 contest, the Leopards beat Mustang, 35-3, and an article in The Oklahoman on October 7, 1972 reported:
                                          Lindsay Hops On Mustang

   LINDSAY -- A Mustang field goal with 4:10 left in the half seemed to rile up the Lindsay Leopards who quickly wiped out that deficit and rolled to a 35-3 victory Friday night. Lindsay drove 74 yards in eight plays following a 28-yard field goal by Robert Lynch to score with 54 seconds left in the half. The Leopards poured across three quick touchdowns in the third quarter.
   Bobby Simonton opened the second half barrage with a 46-yard run. Lindsay scored again three minutes later after Tony Wilson recovered a fumble on the Mustang 14. Benny Chambers intercepted three Mustang passes. Simonton scored two touchdowns, Cliff Krcha scored two touchdowns and Ronnie Clements scored once.
   In the sixth game of the year, Lindsay was to play Comanche in what was billed as the The Oklahoman's No. 5 "top game" in the state. Lindsay beat Comanche, 12-7, in a close physical contest. The Leopards then beat Harrah, 34-6, and The Oklahoman reported on October 22, 1972:
                                Quick Lindsay Scores Dump Harrah, 34-6 

   Lindsay scored the first two times it touched the football to breeze to a 34-6 victory over Harrah Friday night. The Leopards marched the opening kickoff 55 yards with David Orr breaking for the final 18 and struck again in the first period on a four-yard run by Cliff Krcha. Bobby Simonton on a one-yard plunge, Bennie Chambers on a 38-yard pass interception and Krcha again on a 52-yard punt return raised the lead to 34-0 before Harrah got on the scoreboard in the fourth period on an eight-yard run by Terrance Valinski.

   Lindsay beat Tecumseh, 25-0, in the season's eighth game, and then faced the Pauls Valley Panthers - an old and familiar rival - for what would be for the District 2A-3 championship. Once again, an article in The Daily Oklahoman by Lynn Garnand on October 31, 1972, before the clash with Pauls Valley opined:
   As usual, the Lindsay - Pauls Valley donnybrook will mean a district title but until last week it didn't look like it would. Lindsay dropped a 20-19 decision to Marlow late in September and the only way for the Leopards to get back in the playoff picture was for Marlow to lose two games. The Outlaws did! (emphasis mine). The Lindsay - Pauls Valley clash was rated by The Daily Oklahoman as the state's No. 2 best game of the week leading up to it, and fireworks were expected. I suppose now would be a good time to share my memories of the Lindsay- Pauls Valley rivalry and what sports rivalries were truly like in high school "back in the day".
   During, I think it was the 1971 or 1972 basketball season, Lindsay played Pauls Valley. I did not attend the basketball game at Pauls Valley, but several of my friends, including Roger Dodd, did see the game in person, so my recollections of what transpired was second-hand. I don't remember many details and certainly may be mistaken about several facts, but this is my recollection:
    The morning after the game, we (junior high boys) were standing around on the front steps of the school visiting and eyeballing junior high girls, but mostly just telling stories to each other. I may eventually stand corrected, but Roger told me that there had been a giant bench-clearing brawl following the basketball game at Pauls Valley the night before. It seems that the Panthers were still hurting from the 43-14 football thrashing in 1970 and the upset victory by the Leopards in 1971, so it is believed that the Pauls Valley Panthers started the melee, as losers often do. It involved players from both teams, coaches and spectators, so it was one of the biggest brawls ever seen on a high school basketball court. Again, I may stand corrected on some facts, but many Leopards and Panthers shed some blood that night. I was told that one Leopard even got his front teeth separated from his mouth during the brawl. It continued for quite sometime until the coaches and some of the participants were able to cool things off.
   Such was the case of the Pauls Valley - Lindsay rivalry back in the day (the 1960's and 1970's), and believe me when I say that things have changed for the better since then... for all high school rivalries.
   Back to football... Following the Lindsay - PV game  in 1972, Lynn Garnand's Prep Parade in The Daily Oklahoman said it all:
   Lindsay, the pre-season favorite in 2A, saw its playoff hopes go down the drain when Pauls Valley subdued the Leopards, 12-7. Lindsay was trying for its sixth district championship in a row and its 10th in the last 11 years. If Pauls Valley can beat Harrah this week, the Panthers will own their first district title in history. (In fact, Pauls Valley had evidently not ever made the playoffs before 1972, unlike Lindsay who had won four state titles and been state runnerup twice.) A Pauls Valley loss would put Comanche in the playoffs providing the Indians can survive a battle with Mustang Friday.
   For those who thought Lindsay was only average in 1972, consider their record was 8-2 (The Leopards did go on to beat Noble, 26-0, in its 10th game of the year), and they beat the eventual Class A Champion, Purcell, 8-6, in the first game. Pauls Valley, who had defeated the Leopards, 12-7, for the district title, went on to make the state finals against Broken Bow - before losing, 12-7, and ending its season with an 11-2 record. The Leopards had only allowed 54 points to be scored on them all season long, but missed the playoffs due to losing to a state finalist (PV) and losing to Marlow on a "hail mary" pass play.
   A post-season note about the 1972 Leopards - In the night following the last game against Noble, I was involved in a pick-up crash down on a county road down on Rush Creek. I had stayed over with one of my best friends following that game, and we were just driving around the area late at night. It had been raining a little bit and the roads were slick as we drove west past where my grandparents lived. My friend drove a little too close to the edge of the roadway and the right side tires caught the six-inch drop. The pick-up left the roadway on the right side, traveling maybe 45 miles per hour, and struck two cottonwood trees at the bottom of a ten-foot embankment. (No, we had not been drinking.) The pick-up came to rest with my arm pinned in between one of the trees and the pick-up door. The only thing I remember was waking up and thinking I was having a bad dream. Both sides of my jaw were broken and two bones in my arm was broken. In addition, my right hand was crushed by the pick-up.
   As a result of the crash, I missed most of the '72 basketball season, but soon recovered with the help of many Lindsay Leopards - and looked forward to the 1973 Lindsay football season.


 

     

Curtis Hayes

   As a Lindsay Leopard, I often write about those Leopards who are good friends from my childhood. Unfortunately, I usually post a column or write an article about them when they pass on. They never see or read my tribute... or do they?
   The following tribute is based on my friendship with Curtis Hayes, as he passed away on May 11, 2020.
   My first memory of Curtis was as my 5th grade (or sixth) basketball coach in Lindsay, Oklahoma. At the time, I did not know that Curtis was a former Leopard basketball all-stater, and that he graduated with my mother, Mary Beckham, also a Leopardette all-stater in 1954. Curtis was not only a great basketball athlete in high school, but he was a great little league coach - as I averaged maybe one point per game while playing for him. As a matter of fact, I remember a game that my team won 17-16... the difference being my one made free throw.
   Curtis Hayes continued attending many Lindsay games in all sports, as I saw him several times at games that I was able to attend. He attended most of those sporting events with his friend, Wayne Yandell, and I can still see them seated together near the top of the bleachers in the Charles K. Heatly gym.
   I, and most former Leopards, will miss seeing Curtis Hayes, but I know we'll all soon be reunited.

Leopard Legends 1971

      The Lindsay Leopards began the 1971 season in usual fashion by beating Purcell, 21-6. As a matter of fact, the Leopards had lost to Purcell only twice during the 1960's, a 22-0 loss in 1960 and a 19-0 loss in 1969. The Purcell Dragons had become somewhat of a "punching bag" for Lindsay, and it would be several more years before the Dragons would end Lindsay's dominance.
   The Leopards then tied Yukon in the season's second game and beat Crooked Oak, 44-0, in the third game. Lindsay beat Marlow, 14-6, for their first District 2A-3 win in 1971, thrashed Dunjee, 59-12, beat Comanche, 14-0, before losing to El Reno, 26-0, in the season's seventh game. Lindsay then beat Western Heights, 39-0, setting the stage in the showdown with the Pauls Valley Panthers, the last District 2A-3 game. This game was for "all the marbles" as to whether the Leopards or the Panthers would go on to the Class 2A playoffs. An article in the Daily Oklahoman leading up to the game recounted on November 2, 1971:

                                        A LOT'S AT STAKE IN NO. 1 PREP GAME
                                                    Pauls Valley to Host Lindsay

   The question of who's got the best team in District 2A-3 and possibly even in Class 2A will be answered Friday night when Lindsay travels to Pauls Valley for the No. 1 high school football game of the week. Pauls Valley is currently the No. 1 ranked team in Class 2A, owning a 7-0-1 record, while Lindsay, the defending 2A-3 champion and the 1970 2A state runner-up, is rated third with a showing of 6-1-1 thus far this season. Both clubs stand 4-0 in the district standings so the winner of the Pauls Valley-Lindsay clash will be making a trip to the state play-offs.
   Post-season play is nothing new to the Leopards, who have made the playoffs the last four years and eight out of the last nine. Lindsay has four state championships to its credit since 1955.
   Pauls Valley, on the other hand, has never been in the playoffs despite having some of the state's outstanding teams. The Panthers have always had the misfortune of being in a district with another great team. For the last four years, that team has been Lindsay. (So, Purcell and Marlow weren't the only teams being dominated by Lindsay at this time.)
   
   In the same Daily Oklahoman article, Lynn Garnand reported in a harbinger of things to come: Watonga will be after its eighth straight trip to the playoffs when it invades Kingfisher. The Eagles can win the 2A-1 crown outright while Kingfisher can still earn a tie...

   So Lindsay played Pauls Valley on December 6, 1971, and on December 8, 1971, Lynn Garnand of The Daily Oklahoman reported:

                                    Lindsay's Through Playing Second Fiddle, It's No. 1
   
   The Lindsay Leopards, after playing second fiddle to Pauls Valley most of the season, take over the No. 1 post in class 2A in The Daily Oklahoman's weekly football ratings following a 17-14 victory over the previously top-ranked Panthers. The move upward by Lindsay in 2A is the only change among its No. 1 teams...
   The No. 1 position is nothing new to coach Joe Tunnel's Leopards. They held down the top spot all season in 1970 and have been in the Top Ten all of this year. The win over Pauls Valley earned Lindsay the District 2A-3 championship and gives the Leopards their fifth straight ticket to the state playoffs, where they made the finals a year ago.
   The loss was a bitter one for Pauls Valley, which was the pre-season pick in 2A. The Panthers had carved out a 7-0-1 record against some tough opponents before running into the Lindsay powerhouse...
   
   The Class 2A rankings after the Lindsay win were: 1-Lindsay, 2-Seminole, 3-Sallisaw, 4-Pauls Valley, 5-Atoka, 6-Watonga, 7-Jenks, 8-Elk City, 9-Stigler, 10-Wagoner
   The Leopards went on to crush Wynnewood, 35-0, in the season's tenth game, which was a non-district opponent - and a warm-up for the state playoffs. Lindsay was to face Seminole in the first playoff game and it would be a showdown of the state's two top-ranked teams. The Lindsay Leopards, ranked No. 1, played the Seminole Chieftains, ranked second, on November 18,1971. On November 20, Lynn Garnand of The Daily Oklahoman reported:

                                                      Lindsay Breezes, 18-0

   LINDSAY -- Lindsay, throwing away its ground attack for a passing game, went to the airways to destroy Seminole, 18-0, and earned the Leopards a berth in the Class-2A semifinals Friday night at Burford Field. The Leopards came to the game ranked No. 1 in Class-2A and Seminole No. 2, but after the first six minutes it was clear that Lindsay would dominate the contest.
   The triumph was a mile-stone not only in Lindsay's historic football background but it was a big one for the Leopards coach Joe Tunnell, who recorded his 100th career win. Lindsay, never know in the past for its passing game, set up both of its touchdowns on aerials and wound up completing six of 12, all in the first half.
   Scott Rose, the Leopards' hard running tailback, did the best he could against against a vastly- heftier Seminole line (anyone remember Chez Evans, Seminole's 300+ pound tackle?) and scored both of Lindsay's touchdowns while picking up 51 yards on 13 carries.
   Lindsay, the 1970 Class 2A state runnerup, will now take a 9-1-1 record into the semifinals while Seminole closes out its finest season in several years at 8-2-1.
   Lindsay, its lighter but quicker line opening just enough holes to allow the Leopard backs through, moved 51 yards to a touchdown the second time it had the ball. The scoring march required nine plays, the big gainer a 20 yard pass from quarterback Tony Cruse to tight end Steve Ford.
   Ford made a fantastic, leaping catch at the sidelines and fell out of bounds at the two. Rose went over on the next play and Bobby Bruner kicked the extra point with 4:33 remaining in the first quarter. Lindsay made it 10-0 almost 12 minutes later when Kyle Lackey booted a 20-yard field goal. The Leopards had driven from their own 45 to the Seminole seven but were thrown back on two successive plays to force Lindsay to try for the three-pointer.
   The victors were not to be denied on their next series, however, moving 52 yards in seven plays with Rose pushing across from the one. Most of the yardage came through the air on passes of 19 and 9 yards to Cliff Krcha, and a 13-yarder to Ronnie Clements. The latter toss carried to the one to set up Rose's second score. On the conversion, Lindsay lined up for the kick but Cruse saw the right side open and ran it in for two points and an 18-0 lead. That was all the scoring as Lindsay settled down to a defensive game in the second half.
   The Leopards held Seminole to 21 yards total offense in the first half, preventing the Chieftains from making a first down until midway in the third quarter. Lackey, a linebacker, proved he was not only a kicker but also an outstanding defensive player as he led Lindsay in tackles. He got lots of help from Ronnie Clements, Brent Clements, Bruce Condit and Mark Newey.
   Seminole, which could only make it to the Leopard 47 in the first half, finally got its offense going in the second half, but still only made one serious scoring threat. That carried to the Lindsay 13 late in the game but the Leopards stiffened to preserve the shutout.

   The Lindsay Leopards had posted six shutouts of the 11 total games played through the state quarterfinals. Their defense was considered extraordinary with several returning starters from the 1970 team, and a few additonal players who were hungry for a championship. Those defensive stalwarts included not only Kyle Lackey, Doug Baker, Brent Clements and Scott Rose profiled in the 1970 Legends, but Steve Allen, Ronnie Clements, Bruce Condit, Rick Billingsley, Tony Wilson and Mark Newey.
   While I don't stay in regular contact with many of these former Leopards, I know that Ronnie Clements went on to play football at East Central University in Ada; Bruce Condit signed with Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, but due to an injury, played only one year. Bruce transferred to Central State University where he graduated, before teaching "speech" at OSU as a graduate student, where I had his class as a freshman; Mark Newey went on to graduate from Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine and became a Doctor of Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy and family medicine in Healdton, Oklahoma. Mark also has a ranch south of Lindsay on Rush Creek and is my hay supplier.

   After beating Seminole, the Leopards were to meet the Watonga Eagles in the state semi-finals in late November of 1971. The Leopards were ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, and Watonga was eighth ranked going into the game. Lindsay had just beaten the No. 2 ranked team, Seminole, in the state quarterfinals, so were expected to beat Watonga the next week. Watonga's record was 8-2-1 going into the game, while Lindsay's was 10-0-1.
   I was a freshman Leopard at the time, and was thrilled to find out that we would would be allowed to travel with the real Leopards to the game on Friday night. There was eight or nine of us that would travel by bus and be allowed to stand on the sidelines and cheer the Leopards on. I expected the Leopards would "take care of business" on Friday night, and we'd all re-live the game on the bus ride home.
   Not much was written in newspapers following the semi-final game with Watonga, so what follows is my own memory of that 1971 clash:
   In my mind, there were not many teams that could stand up to the Leopards. We had some of the best players in the state and maybe the most intense linebackers in Kyle Lackey, Doug Baker, Rick Billingsley (my neighbor to the south who gave me rides home from practice on some days) and company.
   I, along with my freshman teammates, paced the sidelines in our street clothes as the game kicked off . As predicted, the clash with Watonga began as a defensive battle from the beginning, and stayed that way throughout. I began to get nervous along about halftime as the score was still knotted at 0-0. Our Leopards had not yet broken the scoring ice as they did a week earlier against Seminole, but I thought we soon would.
   Watonga's wishbone offense (modeled after the OU Sooners' powerful wishbone) had scored over 300 points up to that game, but seemed to be stymied by the always powerful Leopard defense. Neither team could muster much offense, however, so the game remained deadlocked during the second half. The Leopards continued to fight throughout the heated battle as the clock continued to wind down.
   An explanation of how a tie is broken when deciding the winner of a playoff game is now in order, as it appeared the game would end exactly as it had started - tied 0-0. As many Leopard fans may recall, the 1955 Class B state semi-finals which pitted Lindsay against Newkirk ended in a 20-20 tie. (The text of the game may be read here.) Until 1975, a playoff game which ended in a tie was decided first on the number of penetrations each team had. A "penetration" was  when a team crossed its opponent's 20-yard line. If penetrations were tied at the end of the game, the number of first downs each team got was used as the tie-breaker. If the number of first downs were tied, total yardage for each team was used as the tie-breaker.
   As Wayne Estes barreled across the 20-yard line during the waning moments of that 1955 semi-final game, it gave the Leopards a 3-2 advantage in penetrations and a trip to the 1955 Class B state title game. Now we return to the 1971 Class 2A semi-final game with Watonga:
   During the waning moments of that Lindsay/Watonga game, the score was still knotted, 0-0, but Watonga led in penetrations, 3-2. I can't really remember if Lindsay was still driving for a score, or if Watonga had the ball as time expired, but I do remember how depressed I felt following the game. It was an awfully long bus ride home afterwards. I know it had to be even more depressing for the players and coaches who left everything "on the field".
   The Lindsay Leopards were continuing to dominate the competition into the 1970's, however, and more good things would soon happen for Lindsay. Next we'll profile the 1972 Leopard Legends of the Fall (my sophomore year)...