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

Coach Wardisms

From: Johnny Radford

To: Dr. Scotty Portis

Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 9:55 PM

Subject: Coach Wardisms

Scotty.. I just read Jimmy Jewell Lumpkin's blog on reaching in that back pocket for that second effort.

Here are a few of my Wardisms...

If you work hard then the "cream will rise to the top".

When practice was over and the team would run sprints, Coach would holler out "milking time".

When a player would screw up he would tell the team "don't make me have to get the shoe out".

He often would tell a big lineman on the bottom of the pile in practice, "get up from there you big ole rascal".

One of my favorites was being reminded to "eat plenty of salt tablets, they're good for you". Then going out to practice later and you would be so thirsty your tongue would feel like leather.

Scotty.. Let Dr. Atkins know about these blogs. He was the team doctor for many years and I know he would enjoy reading them and having several stories to share.

When I get my thoughts together I'd like to share with all the Mustangs my remembrances about playing on the 1966 Mustang team. Your stories about playing with Stewart, Moose, Pinkley and Blankenship are great. I've got a couple of pictures of my dad, "Spider Radford" in his playing days at HHS. Spider would tell me when watching a game and someone like Lynn Stallworth had just let a pass slip off his fingertips that he could have caught that pass. Spider got his nickname from playing football and he played with Coach Ward in high school. Dad was even a coach with Mr. Robert Dilday for one year after WW II when Mr. Pudor was still gone from HHS. I've got an old HHS annual with their picture coaching the team. Ha...