From: Marshall F. Priest MD, FACC
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 7:09 PM
To: Scott Portis; john pitts; Charlie Rhodes
Cc: Tom Portis; Scott M. Portis; Ronnie&Nancy Rice; Randy Clement; John Clement; Joe Smothers; Gloria Fortner; Betty Ann Tanner; Fred Holladay; Gary Hall; Paul Allen; Ray Ivey; Tim Priest; Wallace Pinkley
Subject: RE: Coach Ward
Scotty and All
I have enjoyed reading the stories and remembrances of Coach Ward offered by those of us who grew up in Huntingdon. I have always been grateful that I grew up in Huntingdon and as you and I have discussed many times, I have wonderful memories of those years. I think much of the success I and others have been able to achieve in our chosen professions can be directly traced to the values and discipline instilled by many of our teachers and coaches at Huntingdon High School. In that regard I often think of Mr. Pudor, Mr. Tate, Coach Ward and Mr. Guy Robert Kirk. While I never had Mr. Kirk for a teacher and never played football for Coach Ward I had tremendous respect for their ability ( including Mr. Pudor and Mr. Tate ) as role models for all of us who knew them and saw them everyday at school. It took only a few years beyond graduation to realize how fortunate I was to have known these people whose guidance and principles have helped me deal with important issues in my professional life even today.
A couple of stories to relate in that regard. I am certain that each of you remembers Dale Strickland who was a stellar defensive end at Huntingdon in the 1960s and who achieved a PhD in wild life biology at the University of Tennessee before moving to Cheyenne, Wyoming where he now lives. I was on a plane with Dale a few years ago and he told me that when he reached ninth grade at Huntingdon he signed up for the easiest freshman classes so that he could focus on extracurricular activities which included football. Early in the school year while walking down the hall Mr. Pudor invited Dale into his office where he informed Dale that with Coach Ward's approval, he ( Mr. Pudor ) rearranged Dale's schedule to include Latin, Algebra I, General Science and English. Dale felt that intervention was a sentinel event in his life and provided him with the confidence to pursue even higher and more difficult goals on the football field and in the classroom.
On a lighter note, a story related to me by my brother Tim which I think occurred during his junior year at Huntingdon. Huntingdon was playing Lexington at Lexington in a very close football game. Tim and the late Johnny Compton were thrown out of the game ( I think in the third quarter ) for fighting. Huntingdon was ahead 7 - 0 in the fourth quarter when Lexington began to sustain a drive toward the end zone. Coach Ward walked back to the bench where Tim and Johnny were seated and uttered something like " You boys better say your prayers that Lexington doesn't score ! " Fortunately for Tim and Johnny, Lexington did not score and Huntingdon won the game. Tim, please correct me if I have erred in recounting that game with Lexington.
Several classes from Huntingdon ( including mine ) will be getting together in the early fall of 2008 and I am eagerly anticipating visiting with old friends and embellishing many of the events that occurred while we were growing up and attending school in Huntingdon, a place and time that will remain very special in my thoughts.
Duck:
You relate the Lexington game story correctly. Compton and I had gotten into a fight and were ejected. We were much more scared of Coach Ward’s wrath in the event we lost than we were of the Lexington Tigers. Some years later Coach Ward and I laughed about this incident, but I have no doubt that he was deadly serious when he spoke with Johnnie and me on the bench.
Tim Priest
