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.
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