The Best at the Best
Never having been one to run from controversy, I thought I'd try to name the All Time Best ball players I remember watching play football at HHS. The Big 12 recently stirred up some controversy by naming 10 girls to the All Big 12 Girls Basketball Team. Likewise, I have not limited my choices to just eleven guys. Many greats played before my time and some afterward too, but I have only listed ones I have watched and surely should have recalled some others but here's my list and I challenge you readers to add to the list.
Quarterbacks
Hal Dowden
Frankie Sykes
John Council
Running Backs
Jim Davis
Jerry Johnston
Don Cron
Don Lewis
Micky Wynn
Mike and Garlena Vickers son whose name I can't think of right now.
Linemen
Homer Jones
John Tatum (I know he was a back also)
John Titsworth
Larry Wisdom
Bob Babcock
Don Wheat
Glen Lazalier
Receivers
Don Frost
Jim Scrivner
Ray Gaskin
Jerry West
posted by colin @ 1:40 PM
7 Comments
7 Comments:
Nice representation, Colin. I saw all of them play, with the exception of Don Wheat and Glen Lazalier. Do you have them listed in any kind of order? I don't know about Hal Dowden being the best quarterback. He was good, but John Council was a little better. Frankie Sykes was a good one, too, but so was Jerry Don Johnston. You have him listed as a RB. I agree with most of your picks, tho. Good job.
Upon further thought, the only players I might add are Roy Faulkenberry as a receiver and Harold Patterson in the backfield. Both played in either 1968 or '69. Roy started as QB but moved to receiver and was pretty good and Patterson was a tough-as-nails back and LB. You probably didn't see either one of them play.
I haven't seen much Heavener football in years. The late '50s and early '60s were the glory years.
I wasn't there to see most of the guys mentioned, but one lineman that was tough when I was there is Tim Livesay, who played in the early '60s. - Jim Patterson
I agree with Jim Patterson about Livesay. He should be on the list of HHS Best. Inman is right too, Johnston was an outstanding QB and Jerry played that position in college but at HHS in Jerry's senior year Council was the QB and Jerry starred at HB. I think Jerry was about the best if not the best all-around athlete who ever played for HHS. Jerry was a 4 sport letterman and baseball may have been his best sport. Piano is not a sport is it? colin
Colin,
Thanks for the compliment--I feel honored to be included with the folks on that list. I would add Charles Yandell to the list. He was one of the toughest players I ever knew. I think Don Cron had the most athletic talent of any player I ever had the pleasure of playing with. He was a genuine natural.
Thanks Glen, I remember Charles Yandel. He was from out around Hontubby wasn't he? What are some of the things you remember about Cron. I remember one time he was sitting around my Dad's barber shop and he was catching flys as the buzzed by. I tried but couldn't catch a single one. As I recall, Don was a JC All-American down at Texarkanna JC and went on to the U of Ark after that. What happened to him that the didn't make it at Ark. Did you ever have to tackle him? colin
What about Clarence "Milo" Raines? Wasn't he pretty good, too? And didn't Don Cron wind up at Southern Arkansas in Magnolia, AR where he made Little All-America?
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