1956 - The Tipping Point

[Editors note: Sorry these are not in chronological order: Dad sent me some more stories yesterday that I was not originally copied on. smp]

From: Fred Holladay

Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 8:01 PM

Subject: RE: Coach Ward

It has been very interesting to read the blogs in reference to Coach Ward. I was fortunate to know Coach in several dimensions. I first knew him as sponsor of the class of ’58 (1955-1958). I then knew him as Coach and was privileged to play on his first two regular season undefeated teams, 1956 and 1957. Later, at the encouragement of Billy Portis (Scotty’s father), I ran for and was elected to the board of the Huntingdon Special School District and was privileged to serve with both Mr. Pudor and subsequently Coach Ward. Coach Ward’s sister, Hazel, was a key employee of mine for 20 years while in the retail furniture business in Huntingdon.

Many memories course through my grey matter as I read the blogs. I remember, as though it were last week, when Billy Yeager broke my nose (obviously before face masks were standard issue) at football practice and Coach fell to his knees in hilarious laughter. He told me not to reach to touch it because “it was all over my face”. Coach went with me to Wilson Clinic and stayed until I was released to go to a specialist in Jackson. Then there was the game, against Paris, I think, that was played in the rain on a very muddy field when the field was lined with limestone instead of chalk. All of the team was burned with limestone and again, characteristically, Coach Ward went with us to Wilson Clinic to have the limestone burns treated.

Although most of the recipients of this blog appeared later in Coach Ward’s very successful tenure, the “tipping point” year was 1956. The team of 1955 was 9-0-1[actually 0-9-1 ed.], scoring only 79 points in ten games, losing 9 games in a row before tying Northside at 14 in the final game. Larry Stewart joined the Mustangs for the 1956 season and the team went 10-0 scoring 300 points before losing to Paris in the Exchange Bowl 12-6. I think that the team of 1956 absolutely changed the character of football in Huntingdon for generations to come. Someone inquired about the offensive line for the 1956 season: Bobby Churchwell-right end, Walter Brown-right tackle, Bendell Wilkes-right guard, Warren Blankenship-Center, Bobby Crossett-left guard, Dale Lewis-left tackle and Ronnie Rice-left end. The single wing backfield was Dewey Williams, Barton Williams, Jerry Parish and Larry Stewart. That was the year that Dixie Carter was Football Queen, Paul Ward was Coach of the Year in West Tennessee and Larry Stewart was the state’s leading scorer. The team of 1957 was 9-0 in the regular season scoring 240 points and then beat Parsons in the Exchange Bowl. Offensive line was Ronnie Rice-right end, Walter Brown-right tackle, Bendell Wilkes-right guard, Warren Blankenship-center, Fred Holladay-left guard, Sammy Lankford-left tackle and Lance Kee-left end. The backfield was Jerry Parish, Scotty Portis, Marshal “Moose” Smith and Wallace Pinkley.

I remember the “Jackson Highway Gang” but how many remember the predecessor “Saturday Morning Pudor Field Gang”? Each Saturday morning there would be a game at Pudor Field in which boys lived their dream of Friday Night Football. Two of the regulars were Jimmy McKinney and Johnny Wayne “Pain” Clifton. “Pain” would always show up with a new, shiny, leather football since his father, W. W. Clifton, owned the Western Auto store. Pain thought that we should play by his rules since he always furnished the new football. One Saturday morning, Pain said that if we did not play his way he would take the ball and go home. Jimmy McKinney, who had as much as he could stand, told Johnny Wayne to “take your ‘ole football and go home. We don’t need it anyway.” We then finished playing with an old football, with no white markings, on a field with gold and blue crepe paper strewn along the sidelines and chalk lines marking the playing field.

Coach Ward showed no favoritism to the players. He would always entrust some player with the “football car” who was charged with the responsibility of taking players home to “the country” and then was privileged to drive the car to school the next day. (Can you imagine that happening in 2008?) He would take promising young men like Warren Blankenship and Ray Chandler, focus his attention on them, give them an opportunity to excel, and prepare them for life in a larger world. During my high school years he would retreat to the “boiler room” with J. Leroy Tate for a smoke. He demanded strict adherence to team rules such as no smoking, no soft drinks and a strict 10:00 pm curfew. Later, as Superintendent of Schools, he would make the hard decisions necessary to keep the Huntingdon Special School District operating at peak efficiency and confront teachers whom he felt needed confrontation.

Thank you, Coach Paul Ward, for the extraordinary influence you have had on the lives of hundreds of people and for an influence that is certainly felt among the children and grandchildren of your players.

Fred Holladay

Huntingdon Mustangs (1955-1957)

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Freddie, another great story from yet another great Mustang lineman. What would the backs be without you guys "knocking" those giant holes in the line. I well remember your senior year and my junior year on the same field together. What a great season. Your senior team was one of the best all round teams I think Coach Ward ever had. To show his coaching genius, as you will remember, we started the "belly series" that year (switch from the single wing as we had less speed in the backfield but more power) with a lot of the plays coming over you at left guard (belly 35 with Moose over left guard or Parish left 47 off tackle) always for yardage.

I do remember Yeager breaking your nose-it was rather flat. Yeager laughed about as hard as Coach Ward did.

Just another thought of support for the athletic teams. I can remember the support of the cheerleaders. I can recall one incident on the baseball team (yes Coach Ward was the assistant BB coach- Blake Milam was the head Coach and a good one). We went to play Palmersville in an away game (don't know if I could find Palmersville today or not without a Garmin) but several of the cheerleaders came all the way to the game-Kay Watson, Judy Barger, Mary Louise Barrow, Mary Ann Coleman, and Judy Morris. There were no stands to sit in at their field and the girls sat two back to back for support. Funny how you remember the smallest details. The point is that Huntingdon has always had great support from the student body, cheerleaders, and our fans. My senior year we met Lexington in the important 6th game of the year with both teams being 6-0. There were so many fans at the game that the crowds were 5-6 deep all around Pudor Field (the old High School). Johnny Pitts (left defensive half back) and I (safety) ran a Lexington back into the crowd on their side and we could not get out. Their fans were shoving, kicking, and pounding us with their fists. The chain gang had to come in and rescue us. Our big game then was with Lexington (beat them twice that year 46-7 in the above game and 35-0 in the Vol Cof. play off game in Lexington). The Lexington guys were always good but dirty. One of their defensive linemen stuck his finger in my mouth after I had been tackled and I tried to bite his finger off. He ran to the ref and showed him his bleeding finger and the ref told him he should not have stuck it in my mouth. My wife often asks me "Scotty, how in the world do you remember so much detail"? I just tell her that events that mean so much to you just stand out in your mind, and playing football for Paul Ward and for the Huntingon Mustangs is one of the those things.

Again, Freddie so good to hear from you and your good story and memories of Coach Ward. I know everyone is getting a kick out of these. I just got one from Betty Robinson (former Mustang cheerleader and Coach Robinson's wife and a good friend of mime). Jimmy Lumpkin another Mustang QB also sent a very good story.

Scotty

Losing to Jackson in 1957

Scott Portis Tue, Jan 15, 2008 at 11:11 PM

To: Johnny Radford

Cc: "Scott M. Portis" , "Paul Ward Jr." , "Paul Ward Jr." , Tim Priest , Bobby Ward

JR, you have tremendous "institutional knowledge" of HHS football and Coach Ward. I only hope that we will be able to put all these "blogs" in a book eventually so not only the players and students but future generations will be able to remember our Coach and what he stood for. I am sending each and everyone of these to Scott my son (he was an end for MBA in Nashville). Scott and his son McClain have gotten a big bang watching Daddy and Granddaddy playing in the two Exchange Bowls (Parsons in 1957 and Jackson High in 1958). Jeff Carter converted the 1957 game to DVD and Jimmy Wallace a defensive back for Jackson High converted the 1958 game to DVD. Jimmy called me from Jackson one day and said "Scotty, if you will come down and eat supper with me I will give you a copy of the game." I said, "Jimmy, I'll be glad to come but is there any way you can change the score for me (Golden Bears 28-Mustangs 12)?" As I said earlier in an email, we were in this game to the end and were even ahead at one point 6-0. They scored to go ahead 7-6 and we drove to their 10 on the next series but a 15 yard penalty pushed us back and we were unable to get it in. I scored on a screen pass in the 4th quarter but two late interceptions clinched it for them. The only game I ever played in to lose. Coaches Paul Ward and Luke Welch had tremendous football knowledge for their time and stayed of the cutting edge of new formations and ways to win games. Luke could punt the ball a mile and he stressed the kicking game. Ronnie Rice (end and punter 1957) and Luke taught me to punt. I'll call Paula and get Jerry's email address and send the blogs to him. I witnessed the 1966 season first hand as a spectator. I was standing with the rest of the crowd (6 deep) in the end zone at the Camden game (in Camden) when Tim scored his first touchdown. He came so close to me I swatted him on the butt as he came by me. You have forgotten this (I can barely remember it) but I helped Ewell Boldin coach the junior high each year before I went back to UT (I remember Tim and Tommy Portis on these teams). Keep up the good work on recruiting former Mustangs. Feel free to send the blogs on to them. Just let me know their addresses so I can send future emails to them. Feel free to expand our knowledge of the 1966 season as this was probably the most famous of all the HHS teams. The two most exciting games I ever witnessed was the 1975 game against Trenton won by a field goal 22-13 (Huntingdon scored a late defensive TD for the additional 7 points. Trenton had been ahead 13 to 12 when the field goal put the Mustangs ahead 15-13). Then there was the Bishop-Byrne game in Memphis, won by them on the chin strap violation. SP

FIRST POST - 41 Wind Sprints

Hello all - this is the first communication in a chain of emails that began about Coach Ward, and his passing in November of 2007. I am attempting to put all the contents of the emails in here to archive what has been written, and provide you all a starting point from here forward.

smp (Scott M Portis)

From: Gary Hall

To: John Pitts ; Wallace Pinkley ; Scotty Portis ; Ronnie&Nancy Rice ; Fred Holladay

Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 9:34 AM

Subject: Coach Ward

Sorry to hear of the passing of Coach Ward. When I saw he was 81 it made me think how fast time has gone by. In 1953 at the age of 24 he started coaching at Huntingdon and the rest is history. He was one of the class sponsors for our graduating class of 1958. I will never forget the tears in his eyes on graduation night when we went by to say goodbye and thanks for his guidance through the years. Guess I wasn't expecting to see tears from him after observing his stern, but caring demeanor through our school years. The memory bucket just keeps on filling as time goes by.

On Nov 28, 2007, at 1:25 AM, ScottyPortis wrote:

Gary, very well put. This was the first time that I had tears in my eyes at a funeral in a long time.

Let me tell the others what you and I witnessed at the class reunion (Johnny had just left the Civic Center and missed this). Several weeks ago during the Saturday session of the "Combined Class Reunion-1940 to 1959" someone was up speaking and Coach Ward slipped in and sat in the row right behind Gary and me. I leaned back in my seat and shook hands with him and this created a small commotion and several people looked that way-when they realized it was Coach Ward, as a whole, the entire body of former students (500) rose up and gave him a standing ovation. He was visibly shaken and embarrased, but I am sure pleased (or as pleased as Coach Ward could be). A week later his medical problem started.

What a tremendous individual. Someone once said that he probably kept many of us out of prison. Gary, Johnny, Wallace, Ronnie, and Freddie, I only wish you five could have been at that funeral full of grown men crying. Larry Stewart had to be helped off the podium after he spoke. Coach John B. Tucker the famous former Milan Bulldog coach had tears in his eyes. I told Coach Welch that he was now the head coach. His reply, "Scotty, I don't think I can handle it".

Coach Ward had a blood clot to the blood supply to his intestines and had to have his entire small and large bowel removed during three different surgeries. He even had a cardiac arrest after one of the surgeries.He lived the last month on venous feedings (hyperalimentation) only. Tim Priest drove all the way from K'ville to be here (even after the very emotional Vol-Wildcat game in Lexington Sat).

I called Coach Ward two weeks ago and told him "Boy, get out of that bed". He told me no one wanted out any worse than he did. A very tough individual to the very end.

I am certainly glad that I passed his way and that he was able to help shape my life as he did. I think that he taught us all to "take a lick" get up, brush ourselves off and go again.

He was a Giant among men. God rest his soul.

Scott Portis

Number 15

Mustang Quarterback-1955-58

To: ScottyPortis

Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 5:20 AM

Subject: Re: Coach Ward

SP, do you remember the only 'paddling' I got in my thirteen school years in Huntingdon? You got one too. We were seniors at HHS, on the football team and pretty special, according to us. Coach W's habits were very familiar, so we were sure there was enough time before he finished lunch and had a cigarette to shoot a few baskets wearing our street shoes. This was strictly forbidden and the punishment was known to all. The paddle hung in the equipment room of the gym, it had holes bored into a pattern and was an ominous reminder of the serious even handed justice that has shaped us.

Why doesn't someone start a blog of Coach Ward stories?

I have gotten several from the notices I sent to family and HHS folks.

jp

On 11/29/07 Scotty Portis wrote:

Johnny, I think you have started it. I don't know if you know this or not but we have a famous "Blogger" among us. None other than Charles Rhodes "Class of 1960". Charles, can you help us out here? Charles has written several very funny stories about life at HHS and could probably pull a few out about our famous Coach.

Also, such people as Ray Ivy and Duck Priest are good "yarn spinners". So any of you guys or gals who feel so inclined to tell a Coach Ward story jump in. It will be appreciated.

Here goes mine. Guys on my team (1958) will remember the famous "after practice" #41, 100yd wind sprints we ran for staying out after the 10PM Halloween curfew. As Johnny alluded to below, Coach Ward was the master of discipline with the "my way or the highway" mentality. Justice was usually swift and to the point, but sometimes could be painfully slow and agonizing. Your status on the team made no difference. After a very hard practice (for what reason we did not know at the time), Coach Ward lined us all up across the field from side line to side line. He said "anyone who was out after 10PM last nite step forward". No one did (he had our names). Then after repeating the command more forcefully the second time, Johnny Pitts, Walter Brown, Paul Allen, Marshall Darrnell, Ronnie Pritchard, Moose Smith, Wallace Pinkley, and I stepped forward-then one by one the whole team stepped forward-guilty or not. This made him very angry, so we started running 100yd wind sprints. We ran and we ran and at about the 25th sprint someone, I think it was Paul Allen or Ronnie Pritchard let out a "warwhoop" and the whole team started cheering." Oops", wrong move. I remember his face was as red as a hot poker. Anyway, we counted #41 sprints (hard sprints) that day. I think my dad had to carry me up the steps that nite to bed. Lesson learned-If Coach Ward says to be home by 10PM you had better by damn be home by 10PM.

I had spent time with Coach Ward during my years back with him in Huntingdon. Wallace Pinkley would come to town and we would call Moose over from Camden and we would take him out to lunch or cook a steak on the grill. We would watch film (usually of the 1957 Exchange Bowl Mustangs 25 vs. Parsons 7) with Wallace grilling Coach Ward on, "Coach, why didn't we pass more"? You all know the answer to that one. Johnny, will even remember the trip to K'ville to see the VOLS play in which we invited Coach Ward but his legs were bothering him so much that he could not make the trip. Wish he had. As Gary Hall says "the memory bucket just keeps on filling".

I think that Coach Ward has taught all of us more than we realize and that we will carry forward these lessons that he gave us. May be, just may be, we can impart these lessons to those we love and hold dear.

Thanks.

A Mustang to the End(1955-1958)

Scott Portis

On 11/29/07 Wallace Pinkley wrote:

Great memories. I absolutely agree with the sentiments of the budding correspondents; Scott, John, Fred, Gary and Tim. Coach Ward pulled me out of study hall one morning our freshman year after summer practice was already over, and told me he had convinced my mother that I should be on the field that afternoon all 115 lbs. It was a tough year (0-9-1), but it prepared me for the next 7 years.

I'll always be grateful for his encouragement as John Williams, Euell Bouldin and Coach Ward again rather late my senior year drove me to Sewanee to meet Coach Majors about late entry to Sewanee. Coach Ward gave a film to Coach Majors, and I squeezed in. Late registration had already closed, and I had to rush to Memphis to take an SAT test. It was so late I had to live at Coach Major's house the first semester. Quite a family. Coach Majors had many of the traits that Coach Ward had; discipline, down to earth wisdom, consistent, excellence, encouragers, leaders.

Fred's story reminded me; Coach Ward leaned down on his knees belly laughing when he looked at my front tooth that was just broken in half one afternoon at practice. After that I had a 2 bar face mask. It was the same laugh when I spun the wrong way one day as a freshman and Kenny Walker flattened me over the zero hole. It was like a freight train; I remember Kenny as being taller and faster than Warren Blankenship.

I do remember well the Halloween sprints. When I finally literally got my second wind I thought we could just keep going, but I don't believe I was the one of those who did an Indian war cry. Hope to hear more.

Go Mustangs and keep the legend alive.

Wallace [Pinkley]