Hartshorne 1958

It is said that confession is good for the soul. Well, if that is true my soul is going to get a little improvement here. Jim Davis—this is what really happened in the Hartshorne game our senior year.

Although we went on to win that game 52-2 there was a point in the game when we were backed up against our own goal line. I’m not sure how we got there. Maybe it was because of penalties (Remember the Spiro game where Twid got three consecutive 15 yarders for unsportsmanlike behavior? And how we had to finally physically carry him off the field?) or perhaps someone had fumbled. Any way we were backed up. The first play was pretty standard—a quickie to gain a little room to operate. After that play Jim came back to the huddle and complained that the line wasn’t blocking for him. As we went back to the line of scrimmage, Don Huie nudged me and said, “Let’s show him what not blocking really is like.” The play that had been called was a sweep with Jim carrying the ball. By the way, that shows the confidence we had in that we dared to call a wide play out of our own end zone. I seem to recall Don telling the opposing linebacker, “All right. He’s yours this time.”

The play called for Don and me to pull and lead the blocking around the end. Well, we pulled all right, but when we turned the corner around the end we both passed up perfect blocking opportunities and let our men go by us. Naturally, they smashed Jim in the end zone for a safety.

Coach Twidwell immediately yanked Don and me out of the game. I’m sure he meant to chew us out royally. However, as we approached him he saw the big grins on our faces and realized what we had done. All he asked was. “What’s the matter? Are you getting tired?” And then he turned away so we wouldn’t see the big grin on his face. And that’s how a Hartshorne team that was getting tromped, was able to score a safety.