Two Sophomores Pave the Way

Steve,
I remember this game very well as I was there as the team physician. Todd's kick hit the cross bar and went over to put the Mustangs ahead (the late defensive TD on a Trenton fumble made it 22-13). I still have the game program that I will show you someday.
I remember your days at the helm of the Mustangs as you were a pretty good field general.
Thanks for your input.
Scotty Portis

The post by Terry Brewer (my favorite receiver, by the way) compelled me to go ahead and add one of my memories of Coach Ward. As you all know my parents and their relationship with Coach Ward, I had looked up to him with awe and reverence while growing up in Huntingdon. Yet, with their being close friends with him and with me being friends with Bobby as we grew up, I knew Coach Ward much better than most of the aspiring young Mustangs in Huntingdon. But make no mistake, I still viewed him as a larger than life figure. And, after watching my heroes such as Tim Priest, I could not wait to be a Huntingdon Mustang and play for Coach Ward.

I finally got my chance as a sophomore with the outstanding 1975 team, Coach Ward's last year, as mentioned previously. On to my story. I started fall practice as the third-team quarterback, behind Brian Caton and Jeff Kelly. Unfortunately, after about 3-4 weeks of preseason practice, I had to undergo exploratory surgery because it was feared I had testicular cancer. Thank the Lord it was a false alarm, but I had to miss considerable practice time and the first two games while I recovered. I came back to practice the week of the third game against Henderson. I actually got to play some as we totally destroyed Henderson. As a matter of fact, at the urging of my teammates, we threw the football the first several plays (I was in there with the rest of reserves). That play calling came to an abrupt halt since (A) Coach Ward liked the forward pass about as much as he would have liked a case of the shingles and (B) It is considered very poor sportsmanship to be throwing the ball when you're up half a hundred.

The following week our opponent was McKenzie and we were practicing extra points and field goals at the end of practice. As Terry mentioned, we had not settled on a placekicker. (As an aside, Terry had a very short lived career as a soccer style kicker the next year for Coach Bobby Hayes' first team.) Anyway, the kicking practice was not going well. I was just standing there watching, waiting for the wind sprints to begin. However, my life was about to change. As we got ready for another PAT attempt, the holder (who shall remain nameless) slightly moved the black square tee that was used to place the football after the kicker had counted off his steps. Coach Ward became extremely agitated, to say the least. He ran over to the holder--who was still kneeling--and brought him to his feet by his facemask. We all know Coach Ward had a special affinity for facemasks. He pulled the holder out of the way, turned around and looked at me. "Get down there and hold the ball Stout and don't move the damn tee!!" I had never done this in my life. But, I got down there and thankfully did not throw up on myself or drop the ball. So, I became the holder and was holding for the field goal Todd Hall kicked against Trenton. Looking back, I often wonder if Coach Ward did that so I could contribute to the team in some small way after what I had gone through in the pre-season. I've convinced myself that was the case and he never knew how much I appreciated it.

Steve Stout

Welcome Lynn Brandon

Scotty Portis

Wed, Dec 26, 2007 at 3:27 PM

To: Lynn Brandon

Cc:

All, we have a new "blogger" with us. None other than that famous field general, play caller, and belly series master of fakery "whose got the ball" Lynn Brandon. Lynn was with the infamous "head hunting, Jackson Highway Gang during his early years before becoming the famous Mustang QB. Lynn and I had a good time out in his mother-in-laws back yard this afternoon recounting old Mustang victories and retelling old Coach Ward stories. Lynn said," Portis, what was your longest run. I said Lynn you go first (realizing the trap I was entering). Lynn said "I ran a 69 yd TD on Savannah on a right 44 flat pass. We had run the play previously and I had thrown a TD pass to Weldon Bennett. He said this time Savannah was ready for the pass, so I just tucked the ball and ran the 69 yds for the touchdown. I said "Brandon, as slow as you were they probably had time to get the National Guard out to escort you". Anyone who has knowledge of this run please verify it. I told Brandon that I had run the opening kickoff back 85 yds against McKenzie my junior year and "by George" Brandon changed his story about his run first to 79 yrds and then before we left it was 89 yds. What a guy. Anyway, Lynn welcome aboard and please feel free to add a story about Coach Ward. Also, I know there are others of you out there just waiting to "let loose" now that the holidays are drawing to a close. Scott Portis walterlbrown < > Thu, Dec 27, 2007 at 6:11 PM To: joe fortner ; Scott Portis …. All Fortner’s runs are greatly enhanced by a conveintently good/bad memory from the day he moved to McKenzie. Or as my maternal grandfather always told me "You know Walter the older I get the higher I could jump when I was a Boy. Scott Portis < > Sat, Dec 29, 2007 at 4:46 PM Walter is right. The older we get the better athletes we all become. The TD runs longer and tougher, the tackles (always for loses) more viscous, the blocks that opened the holes cleaner with the opponent always on the ground. Time heals all short comings.