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THE 1953 SEASON

MERRYVILLE VS OBERLIN 13-0

MERRYVILLE VS LOGANSPORT 0-12

MERRYVILLE VS LEESVILLE 24-6

MERRYVILLE VS NEWTON 0-27

MERRYVILLE VS SCOTT 19-12

MERRYVILLE VS MANY 32-7

MERRYVILLE VS VINTON 12-26

MERRYVILLE VS COTTONPORT 25-6

MERRYVILLE VS SACRED HEART 19-20

MERRYVILLE VS FRANKLIN 26-7




































MERRYVILLE IN
UPSET VICTORY
OVER OBERLIN

MERRYVILLE, La., Sept. 12.(Spl)
--A rugged defense and outstanding
line play enabled Merryville to de-
feat Oberlin 13-0 in the opening
football game of the Class B Dis-
trict here Saturday night.
Merryville scored in the first and
third quarters.
The first TD came when Andy
Stark scored from four yards out.
The final marker came in the
third quarter when Bill Crow con-
nected with Ed Dewey on a 45-yard
pass play. Following the game,
Coch A. C. Schiro paid tribute to
the outstanding line play of this
youngsters, who upset favored Oberlin.

MERRYVILLE CLIPS
OBERLIN ELEVEN
MERRYVILLE, La. (Spl.)--
Merryville pushed over touchdowns
in the first and third quarters here
Saturday night to defeat Oberlin
in a Southwest Class B district
football game, 13-0.
Oberlin led in first downs, 10-7,
but Coach Mike Lyle's Tigers were
never able to launch a sustained
scoring drive. Top-flight defensive
play by the Merryville line kept
the Oberlin backfield bottled up
when the Panther's goal was
threatened.
The Merryville line of Ed
Dewey, Tito Rachel, Norn Warren,
Bennie Mertens, Jim Eaves, Wayne
Stroud and Jim Karr functioned
well on both offense and defense.
Halfback Andy Starks counted
the first Merryville score with a
four-yard buck in the first period.,
and Wayne Craft ran for the extra point.
In the third period veteran Billy
Crow, Merryville fullback, shot a
pass to Dewey from the Oberlin
40, and the 160-pound senior end
went all the way to score.

PANTHERS UPSET
LEESVILLE, 24-6

MERRYVILLE, La. (Spl.)--The
Class B Merryville Panthers
sparked by 165 pounds of trouble
in the person of Billy Crow, scored
one of the top upsets of the 1953
prep football season here Saturday
night when they surprised the Class
A Leesville Wampus Cats, 24-6.
The victory was Merryville's sec-
ond in three starts amd marked
Leesville's second defeat in a row
after two straight victories.
Merryville jumped into an early
lead on quarterback J. L. Perry's
20-yard aerial to Ed Dewey and
Leesville was never in front. After
Dewey broke the ice, Crow took
over the scoring duties. He cracked
eight yards off tackle for eight
yards and one touchdown, added
another on a 20-yard pitchout play
and tallied the final TD on a fancy
double-reverse.
Sonny Byrd, the leading scorer
in district 6-A, tallied the lone
Wampus Cat marker, buccking over
from the one-yard line after taking
a 45-yard pass from Dick Berry
which carried to that point.

BILLY CROW WITH FOOTBALL AGAINST LEESVILLE

Wampus Cats Lose
To Merryville 24-6;
Play San Augustine
There Friday Night

The Leesville Wampus Cats
dropped their second loss of the
season to the Merryville Panthers
Saturday night, 24-6. It was the
Panthers Homecoming game. The
Wampus Cats, crippled with
three regulars out of the back-
field, didn't look like the cham-
pion material they did in the pre-
vious games but the team will be
intact to go against San Augus-
tine this Friday night there. Son-
ny Byrd played but a few min-
utes of the game, Coburn and Ber-
ry were in only for short periods.
Billy Crow made three of Mer-
ryville's four touchdowns and
was top scorer of the evening.
The first touchdown came
when Leesville funbled on the
25-yard line and in five plays, the
Panthers took the ball to Lees-
ville"s 2 yard line and Crow
went over from there. The kick was
wide. Score 6-0
Leesville's lone tally came
when Dickie Berry completed a
pas to Dawin Smart who went
57 yeards to the one yard linebe-
fore he was stopped. Coburn
went over for six points. The ball
was fumbled and Coburn was un-
able to make the try for the ex-
tra point. Score 6-6
The Panthers scored again in
the second quarter when after
asustained drive of 80 yards
down the field, and they were on
the 15-yard line on the 4th down,
J.L. Perry tossed a pass to Ed-
ward Dewey for the touchdown.
A plunge through the line for the
extra point failed. Score 12-6.
First of the two touchdowns the
Panthers scored in the last quar-
ter resulted from a 41 yard run
by Billy Crow. The try for the
extra point through the line fail-
ed. Score 18-6.
Merryville made their final
score when Leesville failed to
capitalize on a short kick and
fumbled giving Merryville the
ball on Leesville's 45 yard line.
The Panthers carried the ball to
the 19 yard line in straight plays
and Crow again went over the
goal line. A line plunge failed for
the extra point. Score24-6.

NEWTON BOPS
MERRYVILLE

NEWTON, Oct. 2, (Spl)--The
Newton Eagles soundly trounced the
Merryville, La. Panthers here Fri-
day night by a 27-0 count. Scoring
got under way in the second period
when a pass from Charles Miller
to Chester Harrin was good for a
42-yard gain and a TD. Tom Drake
kicked the first of three conver-
sions in four attempts.
In the third period, Talmadge
Walthall drove over from the three
following a sustained march, and in
the final canto Miller tallied on a
26-yard sleeper play. Charles Skin-
ner made the fouth and final
touchdown on a four-yard dive
through the line.
Crow, the big Merryville threat
was pretty well bolttled up all even-
ing. Defensive standouts for New-
ton were Skinner, Arthur Simmons,
Lester Wilson, Harley Davis and
Melvin Medley.

BILLY CROW WITH FOOTBALL AGAINST LEESVILLE

SCOTT, La. (Spl)--The Merry-
ville Panthers came from behind
with a two-touchdown surge in the
last quarter here Friday night to
defeat the Class A Scott Eagles,
19-12.
Billy Crow, rugged Merryville
fullback, was the big gun in
the Merryville offense, scoring twice
in the decisive last quarter on
runs of 30 and 45 yards.
Both teams scored in the first
quarter. Merryville counted when
Don Dickerson grabbed a 30-yard
pass from J. L. Perry. Scott's
opening tally came on a three-yard
buck by Gene Bacque after a 50-
pass from Wayne Bollich to
Clell Dupuis put the ball in scor-
ing position.
Scott took the lead in the third
quarter when Bill Guidry slanted
off tackle for 45 yards and the sec-
ond tally.

Merryville Raps
Many by 32-7


MERRYVILLE, La. Oct 15. (Spl)
--Merryville's Class B football squad
rose up and smacked down Class A
Many, 32-7, here Thursday night
in an interconference affair.
John Cooley, Billy Crow, Wayne
Craft, J. L. Perry and Jimmy Dick-
erson accounted for the Merryville
touchdowns. Norman Warren
kicked two of his conversion attempts.

Cottonport's
Homecoming
Spoiled 25-6


COTTONPORT, La., Nov. 7. (Spl)
Merryville spoiled Cottonport's
homecoming by scoring a 25-6 vic-
tory in a battle of mud before about
1100 loyal, chilled-to-the bone
homecoming fans here Saturday
night
Cottonport took an early lead in
the first quarter when Paul Rozas
went over from 15 yards out.
Merryville came right back
and scored the touchdown and
extra pointthat put them ahead
for the night. Billy Crow scored
the TD and Crow ran over for
the extra point.

The half ended with Merryville
on top 7-6.
A Cottonport fumble set up the
next Merryville score. Cottonport
was on the Merryville 35 in the third
quarter when they fumbled and
lost the mud-coated oval. Merryville
plouged through the mud to the
eight where Warren went over for
the score.
A few moments later, Stroud in-
tercepted Carl Juneau's pass and
splashed his way 65 yards to score.
Merryville's final score came in
the fourth after recovering another
Cottonport fumble on the Merryville
25. Crow went over from the three-
yard line.

Trojans Defeat
Panthers, 20-19

MERRYVILLE, La. (Spl.) -- The
Sacred Heart Trojans qualified
for the Southwest district Class B
title here tonight by edging Merry-
ville, 20-19.
The victory was the Trojans"
fifth district triumph of the year
and made them playoff probables
along with Hanson of Franklin.
Merryville counted first on Billy
Crow's 15-yard end run climax-
ing a 65-yard drive. Sacred Heart
tied the score in the second quar-
teron a 35-yard pass from Bob
Soileau to Hillary Hill.
Crow put Merryville back in
the lead before the half with a 40-
yard scoring run with an inter-
cepted pass, but the Trojans scored
twice in the second half on runs
by Stephenson and Carrol Duos.
Merryville scored its third tally
on a 25-yard pass play from J. L.
Perry to Ed Dewey, but in the
end, it was Stephenson's two runs
for extra points that provided the
victory margin.

Panthers Dump
Franklin, 26-7


MERRYVILLE, La.. (Spl.)-- The
Merryville Panthers closed out
their 1953 campaign with a loud
explosion in the rain here Saturday
night, blowing the Franklin Hor-
nets out of contention for the
Southwest district Class B title with
a 26-7 triumph. The game was
played in driving rain but the play-
surface remained firm.
It was the first conferce loss
for Franklin, which had won four
district games. Hanson Memorial
of Franklin, Sacred Heart of Ville
Platte and Mt. Carmel of Abbeville
are still in the running for the
crown with unbeaten conference
records.
Norman Warren accounted for
two of the Panther tallies on
sprints of 33 and 34 yards. Billy
Crow added another on a six-yard
buck and John Allen Cooley ran
11 yards for for the other one. Crow
ran for both conversions.
Lionel Uze got the only Franklin
talley on a six-yard pass from
Amar Lancon in the final quarter.
Lancon ran for the converson.


REFLECTIONS IN TIME


I may as well tell you about my memories of Merryville High School football. A few years before I moved to Merryville, their football team was playing another team, I don't remember who, and apparently some of Merryville's players didn't agree with some of the calls made by the referees so after the final whistle one of the Merryville players walked up to one of the referees and hit him in the face with his helmet. Needless to say Merryville was put on probation and not allowed to play football the following year.

Coach A. C. Schiro, fresh out of college, took over the reins when Merryville was finally allowed to compete again.

I started playing football my freshman year. My family had just moved from Baytown, Texas to Merryville. We had kinfolk there, an aunt, uncle and some cousins.

My first two years while I was on the junior varsity team I played quarterback on offense and corner back on defense.

The best football player I can remember who played for Merryville was Buddy Wildblood. He was a running back. One time Merryville was beating the sox off of some team and since it was late in the game and everything was under control I was allowed to enter the game as a defensive back. A running back for the other team ran a sweep around the end opposite of the side I was on and was running down the sideline. All of the sudden Buddy Wildblood was running down the same sideline the opposite direction, with the football, for a touchdown. He had just run by the opposing player and instead of tackling him, grabbed the ball out of his arm and continued toward our goal.

We played Jasper, Texas in a junior varsity game when I was a freshman. We were to receive the first kickoff and I was deep to return it. I was born in Jasper so while I was standing near the end-zone I was thinking "I'm probably playing against kids who were born around here about the same time as me." I received the kickoff on the fifteen-yard line and returned it eighty-five yards for a touchdown.



Oakdale Whips
Merryville 14-6


OAKDALE, La., Sept. 5. (Spl)-
Oakdale's 1952 football debut was
successful here today as the local
high schoolers downed Merryville
14-6.
Harles Thompson on a three yard
plunge and Thurman Dubonon with
a ten-yard scamper counted the
Oakdale touchdowns. Morris Whittle
converted after both TD's.
Merryville's Billy Crow turned in
the night's top run, a 76-yard point-
gathering sprint that brought the
capacity crowd to its feet.

I was a starting halfback on the varsity team my junior year. Our first game was with Oakdale. On our first possession I broke off tackle on the right side and ran seventy six-yards for a touchdown without a hand being laid on me. The last play of the game I made a run from about our twenty to Oakdale's twenty before they tackled me. Time ran out before we could get off another play. Oakdale ended up winning the game by a touchdown.

The second game of the season was with Oberlin. Early in the game I was returning a punt or a kickoff, I don't remember which, and was injured during the play. I ended up with a blood clot on my right elbow which I had broken during a practice game with Leesville the previous year. I had surgery on my elbow and missed the remainder of the football season.

Oberlin was our first game my senior year. We beat them so that was some semblance of revenge

Our next game was with Logansport. They beat us 12 - 0. As it turned out, that was the closest game Logansport had all year. They went undefeated and unscored on until the playoffs and ended up winning the State Class B championship.

The summer before our senior year, a friend of mine, Donny Dickerson (Mouton), and me met a boy working at Skinner's Grocery in Merryville. He was related to the owner and working there for the summer. We learned he was from Leesville so we informed him as to how we were going to kick Leesville's rear-end during the oncoming football season. He promptly informed us that he played as a lineman for the Wampas Cats. He weighed well over two hundred pounds, bigger than anyone on Merryville's team except Tito Rachal. Needless to say, we didn't say anything else to him.

We played Leesville at our homecoming. As I took the kickoff, I saw Skinner lumbering down the field toward me. I made sure he wasn't the one that tackled me. We ended up winning the game and I guess it was my best game of the season.

Even though Scott was a Class A high school, when we played them they were new to eleven man football. It was either their first or second year in competition and thus far they had not won a game. We were determined to keep them winless. They were ahead in the last quarter until we finally scored a couple of touchdowns to pull ahead and win the game. They really gave us a big scare.

The best run I ever made was during the game with Many. We were on Many's forty-yard line and I took the handoff and ran off tackle on the left side. I broke several tackles, twisted and spun, broke more tackles, being hit by nearly everyone on Many's team until I finally staggered over the goal for the touchdown. Then they brought the ball back. We were penalized five yards. I was in motion.

The following series we held Many, forcing them to punt. I returned the punt sixty yards for six points.

Sacred Heart of Ville Platte kept us from winning district. They beat us 20 -19. One of their touchdowns came on a disputed play. Disputed by us but apparently not the referee. The way Edward remembers it was that he went into punt formation and Benny snapped the ball over his head. While scrambling to recover the pigskin, one of Sacred Heart's players, while on the ground scooped the ball up and handed it to one of his team mates who took it to the end zone for a touchdown.

The only difference between Edwards version and mine is that I thought that during the week prior to this game we had practiced a spread formation for the game whereby our line spread across the field from sideline to sideline and Benny was to snap the ball to me in a short punt formation. With all the splits in the line, there would have been plenty of holes for me to run through. What I remember was that the ball was snapped over my head. The scrambling for the football and their touchdown was the same in my memory as Edward's.

We argued that their player was on the ground when he handed the ball to his team mate so the ball should have been theirs at about the twenty yard line. They might have scored later but they might not have also.








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