Muldrow and Glen Condren

Anonymous suggested that I tell the story of how one play beat Muldrow. With apologies to Anonymous it was more than one play, it was actually three plays. Three plays and the indomitable spirit of a young football team that was not going to be beat on this Friday night. Let me say now that the events that are about to take place on this blog actually took place almost 50 years ago, and my memory has never been all that good, so if things I relate do not line up with your memory lay the difference at my feet.

We were going to play Muldrow, on the Muldrow team was a big, fast, mean player named Glen Condren. When I say mean I do not infer that he played dirty, but he was tough and hit hard. He made All State that year and was recruited by OU, while at OU he was an All American. During his senior year at OU they were going to play Pittsburg and the great Tony Dorsett of later fame as the Dallas Cowboys running back. On the opening kickoff Glen sprinted down the field and tackled Tony Dorsett that was the only play that Tony took part in during that game. Glen signed to play professional football after his senior year at OU.

We had a play that we intended to use the first time Muldrow kicked off to us. We won the toss and elected to receive the kickoff. Our special play would be the first play of the game. Our line huddled on the line of scrimmage toward the left sideline with Bob Babcock on the end of the line nearest the ball. When we broke the huddle, the linemen turned and faced the end zone; Bob got over the ball and pitched the ball underhand to John Owens. The rule book does not specify that the ball must be snapped between the center’s legs, it just must be snapped in a continuous motion. The Muldrow coach was screaming for his team to get over in front of us, they just looked at him as if he had suddenly lost his mind. When John sprinted for the sideline the Muldrow team began to try to cut him off, but we were blocking them as they got near. John scored a touchdown. I cannot remember if we scored the extra point, but suffice it to say Heavener 6, Muldrow 0.

We kicked off to Muldrow and they began giving us a large dose of Glen Condren running the ball. When ever he got to the line of scrimmage we began tackling him, not one man, but two, three, and even four men were hitting him and holding on, whatever it took to get him down. Finally they did not make a first and ten and we had the ball. Muldrow played a defense with two safeties and two cornerbacks, usually designated as the Oklahoma 5-2. We had a pass play that sent our two ends, Jerry West and Jim Scrivner, straight down the field, at ten yards depth they each broke outside toward the flag taking Muldrow’s safeties with them. Our right halfback, Tony Gregory, run exactly between the safeties and Jerry Johnston hit Tony with a pass. Heavener 12, Muldrow 0, we had run two offensive plays and scored two touchdowns.

We again kicked off to Muldrow and again finally got them stopped and had the ball for the third time. Anticipating that Muldrow would change their defense to stop the easy touchdown we had just scored, we called a companion pass to the last one Jerry threw. Sure enough when we broke the huddle Muldrow had a safety and two halfbacks. The pass we had called had our right end, Jim Scrivner, sprinting through the safety, Tony Gregory, our right halfback, sprinted through the defensive halfback. The safety followed Jimmy and the halfback followed Tony, Jerry West our left end crossed the field shallow and broke into the void created by the defenders following their men. Jerry Johnston hit Jerry West for a touch down. Heavener 18, Muldrow 0, we had run three offensive plays and scored three touchdowns.

The second half we kicked off to Muldrow and they attacked us with a vengeance, inexorably moving ever nearer to our goal line. When the horn blew signaling the end of the third quarter they were right on our goal line, their first play of the fourth quarter was a touchdown.

I think with that touch down a certain truth began sinking in; Heavener three plays and three touch down, Muldrow one quarter and one touch down. Muldrow knew they were not going to win, Heavener knew we were not going to lose.

That was the way it ended; Heavener 18 and Muldrow 6. This was one of my proudest moments in a long coaching career.