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Saturday, April 18, 2020
Thursday, April 2, 2020
My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century
The virus was born in 1956. It soon spread throughout the world, and by June it had reached the United States. The “Asian flu” pandemic which resulted was at the time the worst outbreak since the famous “Spanish flu” of 1918. Today, the world is dealing with another historic pandemic, not unlike the Asian flu 64 years ago. We’re all isolated in our homes, looking for good news and desperately wanting something distracting to read.
There was another powerful force at work in the year 1956. Only, this one hailed from Abilene. Coach Chuck Moser of the Abilene Eagles assembled a program which the Dallas Morning News in 1999 would term the “Team of the Century.” From 1954 to 1957, Abilene won an incredible 49 games in a row; it’s still a record for the largest classification in Texas. The Southlake Carroll Dragons of Cade McCrary, Owen Clayton, and Meredith Clayton Allen tied that record of 49 in 2007, but no team has yet surpassed the Eagles of Abilene High.
And amazingly, I have a family tie. My Uncle Jimmie! Jimmie Roberts was a defensive tackle on the 1956 Abilene Eagles.
The streak began in 1954, after a loss to Breckenridge. Abilene captured a state title that year. They repeated with an undefeated season and second title in 1955. At the start of the 1956, Abilene had won 23 games in a row. If the Eagles could run the table again, they’d break the state record of 29 consecutive wins and capture an unprecedented third straight state title. The 1956 Abilene Eagles would do just that. It’s the amazing 1956 season of Abilene and Uncle Jimmie that separates the Eagles from all the rest and earns them the distinction of “Team of the Century.”
The Eagles went 14-0 in 1956. We’ll tell the story of that 14-game season over the next 14 days. There will be a lot of football, a lot of family, and a lot of Texas. And yes, the Austin College Kangaroos will make a lot of cameo appearances too. Of course.
Hey, y’all ain’t going anywhere anyway, amirite? If we have to isolate ourselves during a global pandemic much like the 1956 Asian flu, we might as well read a great tale from 1956 about the best team in Texas football history. Anyone with ties to Abilene, Eagles football, or the Parrish and Roberts families are encouraged to write.
Hey Aunt Joan: Thank you in advance for getting Uncle Jimmie to offer his memories about the 1956 season over the next two weeks, and please let me know who else you’d like for me tag.
Monday 3/30
Chapter 1: San Antonio Edison
Tuesday 3/31 Chapter 2: Sweetwater
Wednesday 4/1 Chapter 3: Lubbock Monterey
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Monday 3/30 Chapter 1: San Antonio Edison
After two straight state titles in 1954 & 1955, the 1956 Abilene Eagles returned only three starters on offense. Granted, those three starters included two stars in end Rufus King and running back Glynn Gregory. Gregory, who would eventually be a Dallas Cowboy alongside Austin College Kangaroo Gene Babb, was the second cousin of my University of Texas colleague (and fellow Kangaroo) Kenneth Gregory. Joining the starters were some new faces: Harold “Hayseed” Stephens at quarterback, Charles Bradshaw and fullback, and practically an entirely new offensive line. There were enough holes to wonder whether the winning streak might end.
But there was no need for worry. Most of the starters on defense were back, and the Abilene Eagles would do their impression of a brick wall throughout the entire season. Over the 14-game season, Abilene would yield just 4.6 points per game and secure 5 shoutouts. And when the starters on defense needed a rest, the able varsity reserves would pick up the slack. One of those reserves was a senior defensive tackle named Jimmie Roberts. My uncle.
My grandmother Frances Hudson loved her two son-in-laws. It’s easy to see why. Jimmie Roberts and Paul Parrish had a lot in common. Both were quiet, decent, and extremely capable. The Parrish and Roberts families are filled with vocal and assertive women like Frances Hudson, and the men in these families quickly find their place. Not subservient mind you, more like a solid foundation upon which the family can flourish. For Frances, her daughters Linda & Joan could not have done any better.
Frances Hudson, husband John, and her two daughters were born in raised in McGregor, TX. For me, McGregor is the border between north & south Texas. The Roberts family lived north, in Denton. The Parrish family lived south, in College Station. Trips for the South Texas Parrishes up north were rare, with the exception of Denton. Every Christmas, we’d head up to Denton with Uncle Jimmie and the Roberts family; the town became my point of reference for north Texas. And when nearby Sherman, TX became an option for college, the familiarity with Denton played a role. I was headed to Austin College.
The 1956 Eagles opened up their season at home in Abilene against San Antonio Edison. The Eagles played their games at Fair Park, which is today just a small, nondescript field located just west of Barrow Street & South 9th. But in 1956 in Abilene, TX, Fair Park was the place to be.
From “Team Of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Coach Chuck Moser used some new ingredients, but the results were completely satisfying to some 10,500 fans at Fair Park Stadium Friday night as the defending Class AAAA state champion Eagles crushed Edison of San Antonio, 41-6, in the 1956 debut and notched their 24th win.”
Like many games to come, Moser was able to play his second teams when the game was safely in hand. Defensive tackle Jimmie Roberts saw action that night, and would consistently find himself in the second half of numerous games. His goal was similar to other Abilene reserves: replicate the impenetrable wall that was Abilene’s defense.
If there were any questions about the possibility of the 1956 team winning a third title and breaking the state record of 29 wins in a row, they were being answered quickly. After week #1, the effort of San Antonio Edison appeared weak; by the end of the regular season that effort would look fairly common. Abilene High in the Moser era was a juggernaut, a problem that no team in Texas could solve.
Sweetwater would try in week #2.
Tuesday 3/31 Chapter 2: Sweetwater
Wednesday 4/1 Chapter 3: Lubbock Monterey
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Tuesday 3/31 Chapter 2: Sweetwater
Sweetwater football came to prominence the early 1930s as the home of quarterback Slingin’ Sammy Baugh; that decade saw a number of district championships for the Mustangs. One of those district titles was earned when Baugh was a TCU freshman watching his Horned Frogs take on Austin College.
Still, a state title proved elusive. By 1956, Sweetwater was still searching for title #1. It was not going to come during the era of the “Team of the Century.”
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Abilene made it twenty-five in a row with a surprisingly easy 39-7 win over Sweetwater, a team that had typically played the Eagles close. Bradshaw scored on an eleven-yard run as the Eagles grabbed a 12-0 halftime lead. Abilene then pulled away in the second half, taking advantage of the Mustangs’ miscues.”
Jimmie Roberts saw second half action again, and even made the papers. His photo appeared in the Abilene Reporter News, with the following caption:
“Corralling A Mustang: Abilene tackle Jim Roberts closes in on Sweetwater quarterback Glenn Reed in the second quarter at Sweetwater Friday night to put the end to a seven-yard Mustang burst.”
From my Uncle Jimmie:
“When I reflect on the team, there was very little difference between the 1st and 2nd teams offensively and defensively. Coach Moser expected the same from all of us. The big exceptions were [running back] Glynn Gregory, [fullback] Jimmy Carpenter, and [QB] Hayseed Stephens.”
Sweetwater is west Texas, just like most of Abilene High’s opponents in 1956. The Roberts family has a west Texas orientation too. Although Denton is home, the family has owned ranch properties in Childress and other areas of the Panhandle. Joan and Jimmie also owned a home in Angelfire, NM for many years, after falling in love with the Red River area.
It’s at Red River where Uncle Jimmie, Aunt Joan, and my folks taught me how to ski, and it’s at their Angelfire home where my own kids were fortunate to learn the same. You’re more likely to see the Roberts family traveling towards Wichita Falls than points east. The Wichita Falls Coyotes? We’ll get to their loss to Abilene soon enough.
The Abilene High winning streak would finally end in 1957, after a playoff semifinal tie against Highland Park that was decided upon “penetrations.” After nearly 100 years of trying, Sweetwater finally captured their first state title in 1985. That Mustang state title run also included a playoff semifinal tie against Austin Westlake that was decided upon “penetrations.” On the losing Westlake end was Kangaroo Bill Didlake (h/t Elizabeth Davis Didlake), my Austin College fraternity President.
The Abilene streak was now at 25. Up next: the Lubbock Monterey Plainsmen, a new school which had only just completed their first season. Pity the poor boys from Lubbock.
Wednesday 4/1 Chapter 3: Lubbock Monterey
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Wednesday 4/1 Chapter 3: Lubbock Monterey
Austin College is the father of Texas Tech football. Former AC coach Ewing Freeland designed the “TT” logo after taking the Tech coaching job in the 1920s. Former AC Coach Pete Cawthon created the “Red Raider” mascot after taking the Tech coaching job in the 1930s. And Tech Head Coach Dell Morgan, who secured the first Red Raider victory at Jones AT&T stadium in 1947, is also an Austin College Kangaroo.
Jones AT&T Stadium was the site of Abilene High’s third game of the season in 1956. The Plainsmen of newly established Lubbock Monterey hosted the Eagles. They need not have bothered.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The winless Plainsmen were no match for Abilene. Reporter-News writer Jimmy Browder covered the Eagles’ twenty-sixth consecutive victory. ‘Coach Chuck Moser could have named any score from one to 100 Friday night and his Eagles probably would have achieved it.’ Abilene led 35-0 at halftime and played the second and third teams in the second half, settling for a 41-0 finale.”
Jimmie Roberts saw action again in Lubbock. From my Uncle Jimmie:
“In those days a player played both ways in the game. About one-third of the time I played offensive tackle. But most of the time I was on defense. I was also on the first team in special teams (punts & kick-offs).”
Uncle Jimmie was an orthodontist, and the Roberts family eventually enjoyed the comfortable living that comes from that profession. But typical of many West Texas kids born in the 1930s, meager subsistence was a constant reality. Abilene was only two decades removed from the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl; a smaller-but-still-significant drought hit the area in the 1950s. Uncle Jimmie’s childhood was typical of the hard scrabble life found in West Texas 70 years ago.
As a selfish kid comparing our smaller house to the Roberts household in the 1980s, I would be told stories by Linda Parrish of a poor Uncle Jimmie donating blood to buy groceries as a student. While the Roberts and Parrish families were fortunate to come of age after WW2 in an era of dramatic growth and social mobility, there’s no denying that good old-fashioned hard work was a huge part of Uncle Jimmie’s professional success. Football today is often a pursuit for those with social advantages; back in Abilene in the 1950s, football was more likely to be a much-desired escape from the daily grind.
It certainly was a grind for Abilene High’s opponents. The Eagles were now 3-0, and closing in on the state record of 29 wins in a row. But it wouldn’t be easy. Abilene’s winning streak had begun in 1954 after a loss to Breckenridge, and the mighty Buckaroos were up next.
But this was not 1954. The Abilene student body screamed “Wreck Breck” at the Friday afternoon pep rally, Roberts and the Eagles made their way to Fair Park stadium Friday night, and kickoff marked the beginning of yet another Abilene victory. Like all the rest.
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Football was king in West Texas during the oil boom of the 1930s. The competition between schools was so intense that one district which comprised the best teams was nicknamed the “Little Southwest Conference.” Breckenridge football was a part of this competitive tradition.
According to legend, a star football player’s family lived just outside of the city limits. The Breck community pleaded with the family to move and play for the Buckaroos; they declined. So, the town waited for the family to go on vacation, and then paid to have the house itself moved closer to the city. City leaders then informed the family that they were free to move back at their own expense; they declined.
Breckenridge football enjoyed a golden era in the 1930s, when Head Coach Pete Shotwell lead the Buckaroos to one state title and numerous district championships. Before Breckenridge, Shotwell was head coach at both Abilene High and nearby Hardin-Simmons University. His first game leading the HSU Cowboys, however, was a struggle. Shotwell and the Cowboys lost 21-0 to Austin College in the 1924 season opener at Sherman.
After a decade as Athletic Director at Abilene’s McMurry University, Shotwell retired in 1952 as an Abilene athletics icon. Shotwell stadium, an all-purpose facility used by numerous Abilene schools, is named in his honor. Until recently, Shotwell Stadium was used by Abilene Christian University (ACU).
ACU is the place where Uncle Jimmie met Aunt Joan. Joan’s little sister Linda (Mom) followed, and there met Paul (Dad). To borrow a pandemic phrase, the “patient zero” of the Parrish and Roberts families is ACU and the city of Abilene. The two families later moved to Denton & College Station.
The Parrish family trips from College Station to visit the Roberts family in Denton began in the early 1970s. It was a time when Texas A&M in College Station was experiencing tremendous growth. Aggie football was also in ascendancy under Head Coach Emory Bellard. Before A&M, Bellard was a Darrell Royal offensive coordinator at Texas. But before THAT? Bellard was Head Coach of the 1956 Breckenridge Buckaroos.
Coach Bellard didn’t have the horses to run with Jimmie and Abilene High in 1956, however.
From Uncle Jimmie: “Coaches Moser and Bullington were big on being fit. Sometimes we just wore them out.”
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“But on the first Friday night of October 1956, Bellard’s young Buckaroos were no match for Abilene, which was making a habit of jumping on its opponents early. The Eagles blanked Breckenridge 41-0, the same score as the Monterey game a week earlier.”
The Abilene win streak now stood at 27, just two victories behind the all-time record of 29 held by the Westerners of Lubbock High. One more win, and Uncle Jimmie and the Eagles would have an opportunity to tie the record.
Only one problem. The next Abilene game would take place against those same Westerners of Lubbock High.
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Austin College Kangaroo Weldon Chapman had coached nearly 15 years since his Sherman graduation in the mid-1920s. As coach of Lubbock High School in 1939, all the pieces for a state championship were in place. But then, disaster.
Chapman got sick during the summer with a throat infection. It got worse. When the season began, he was weak and could barely talk. His Lubbock High Westerners struggled early on as well. By October, Chapman’s condition had deteriorated so severely that he had to be hospitalized. Meanwhile, the Lubbock High squad was 1-3 and going nowhere. The team headed to Plainview for a game on the road without their coach.
According to newspaper reports, Chapman’s deep sleep was broken by a nurse in his hospital room. Chapman asked if his Westerners had won the game; when the nurse responded “yes,” he smiled, fell into a deep sleep again, and never woke up. The Westerners returned to Lubbock, learned of their coach’s passing, and held a team meeting. They dedicated the rest of the season to their fallen coach. They never lost again, capturing the 1939 state title.
Lubbock High’s teams in the early 1950s did Chapman one better. They won two straight state titles, on the back of a 29-game winning streak. That record was in jeopardy, unless the 1956 Westerners could stop Uncle Jimmie Roberts and the Abilene Eagles.
It wasn’t gonna happen, and Lubbock Coach Wilford Moore admitted as much. “’I really hate to come back down there this week,’ Moore told the Abilene [Reporter News] newspaper. ‘I wouldn’t mind it if we had a good team, one that would play Chuck a good game. But we don’t have. Man, they’ll hit us so hard Friday night our kids won’t be able to focus their eyes on the Texas-OU game on television Saturday afternoon.’ Moore was right. Abilene whipped his Westerners 49-7.
Future SMU running back Glen Gregory had a huge day. Two of his scores were the bookends of a fumble recovery by Uncle Jimmie Roberts:
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Gregory’s 27-yarder that capped a 74-yard drive boosted the Abilene margin to 28-0 midway of the quarter, and after a fumble recovery by Jim Roberts gave the Eagles the ball on the Lubbock 46 moments later, the Stephens-to-Gregory pass again caught the invaders napping for a touchdown.”
Uncle Jimmie had great hands that day on the field in Abilene, something that hasn’t changed his entire life. When the physical decline of Joan & Linda’s father 25 years ago required the building of a wheelchair accessible ramp, son-in-laws Jimmie Roberts and Paul Parrish (Dad) were on the case. I traveled up with Dad to their home in McGregor, just outside the town of Waco. We spent the weekend following Uncle Jimmie’s lead in the construction of that solid structure. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, and you’re in good hands when you let the busy hands of Uncle Jimmie lead the way. Proof once again that Frances Hudson won the son-in-law lottery.
With the win over Lubbock, the consecutive wins streak reached 28. A victory the following week would tie the state record. All the eyes of Texas would be on the Abilene Eagles as they made their way to Waco, TX to take on one of the most storied high school football programs in the state of Texas.
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
No team dominated Texas High School football in the 1920s as much as Paul Tyson’s Waco High Tigers. The Waco school reached the state finals six times, winning four. Two of those victories were at the expense of the Abilene Eagles; the 1956 meeting between the two schools would be the first meeting since the 1927 state championship game. The state of Texas was geared up for Abilene’s attempt to tie the state’s consecutive victories streak, against one of historically strongest programs in Texas.
But Waco High in 1956 was nothing like the 1927 squad. Like all the others that came before, this one would not be in doubt for long. And the Eagles would own a share of state record.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The Eagles ran only seventeen offensive plays in the first half but still grabbed a 29-7 advantage en route to a 45-14 victory over the Tigers. Abilene had tied the state record with twenty-nine wins in a row, but the Eagles were doing more than just winning. They were demolishing the competition. During the winning streak, Abilene had averaged 38.8 points per game while allowing their opponents just 5.9. Abilene had shut out ten of its twenty-nine victims so far. The Eagles weren’t finished, however. Amazingly, the streak was only a little past its halfway point, although no one could have known that in October 1956.”
From Uncle Jimmie:
“We went into this game a little worried because they had 6 players over 200 pounds. We had only 1, and he was a sub. In the first quarter, we had trouble opening the holes up. But the rest of the game we were blowing through the lines as their larger sized line was getting worn down.”
Parrish family trips from College Station to Denton always included Waco. They weren’t just trips during the Christmas holidays either. In 1985, we drove through Waco on our way to Denton for a different purpose. I needed braces.
Uncle Jimmie’s profession was orthodontistry. The bills can be significant. But not necessarily when an orthodontist is family; the Parrishes got a pretty good deal. As I sat in the chair patiently watching Uncle Jimmie fit the braces on my teeth, we most likely chatted about my tennis or the activities of his kids Christi, Courtney, Paige, & Kyle. It would have also been the perfect opportunity to talk about Abilene High football. But those who know humble Jimmie best are not surprised that the topic never came up. I returned to College Station wearing Uncle Jimmie’s new braces, passing through Waco completely unaware that my uncle had tied a state record there as a part of the Texas “Team of the Century.”
As Uncle Jimmie and his teammates walked off the field in Waco, TX, they briefly celebrated their incredible accomplishment before turning their attention to the next week’s opponent. With a win over the Big Spring Steers, Abilene High would own the state record all by itself.
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Austin College Kangaroo Bill Stevens took the head coaching job at Big Spring, TX in 1927, but struggled to produce a winner. His successors endured the same. The Steers were always on the outside looking in within the “little Southwest Conference.” It was a struggle to compete with the likes of Midland, Odessa, Lubbock, & Amarillo. And it was impossible to stop the steamroller that was Abilene High in 1956. With its victory over Big Spring, the Eagles owned the consecutive victory streak outright.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The Eagles’ thirtieth win in a row looked a lot like many of the others. The Eagles turned three fumbles by the Steers and a sixty-one-yard punt return by Gregory into a 35-0 first quarter lead. The subs played the rest of the way.”
Pretty amazing, huh? Reserve Jimmie Roberts was out on the field, shutting down the Big Spring Steers as his Abilene Eagles ran down the clock and captured the state record. There he was, picking up this offensive tackle, tracking down that running back, cleaning up the loose ends to shut down the Big Spring offense. It all makes so much sense now. Uncle Jimmie has always kept his house in order.
Christmas time was unwrapping time. With six kids between the two Parrish & Roberts families, the wrapping paper inevitably would accumulate in Denton. But only for seconds. Uncle Jimmie just couldn’t stand such a mess, and would spend the morning accumulating all of the wrapping paper like the cleaning robots in the movie Wall-E. No one dared to suggest that Uncle Jimmie just grab a cup of coffee and sit this year out. It would have been futile. Christmas was going to be an orderly and celebratory affair, just like win #30 in Big Spring, TX.
With the record in hand, the Eagles began to turn their attention to a defense of their state title. The playoffs in 1956 were four rounds, and each would be tough competition. Abilene, however, still had their sights on a district title. And the most difficult part of the schedule still remained. The Eagles would have to get past Odessa, Midland, and a final regular season matchup against San Angelo.
Abilene was still undefeated in 1956 after 7 weeks. But so were the Bobcats of San Angelo. Abilene was ranked #1 in the state; San Angelo was #2. The state of Texas had already marked it on the calendar. Abilene vs. San Angelo would on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1956 would be the game of the year.
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Hayden Fry passed away just a few months ago. The legendary coach sits in the College Football Hall of Fame, inducted after nearly four decades of success at SMU, North Texas, & Iowa. Not just athletic success either. During a time when the Southwest Conference was reluctant to integrate, SMU Mustang Hayden Fry had no reservations. Playing a Texas version of Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey, Fry recruited and then started Jerry LeVias, the first African-American to play in the Southwest Conference. LeVias stood courageously against the vitriol directed his way; Fry backed his Mustang every step of the way.
Every coach has a first job, and for Hayden Fry that first job was in 1956 as the head coach of his alma mater Odessa High. As Fry and the Bronchos made their way east to Abilene, they surely knew the daunting task that awaited them.
Uncle Jimmie & Abilene 47, Hayden Fry & Odessa 6.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The Odessa victory was another example of [Abilene Coach] Moser’s tremendous preparation. [Assistant coach] Bullington said the scouts had seen the Bronchos line up in the swinging gate formation a week earlier, but the opposing team had called timeout before Odessa could run the play. After the timeout, the Bronchos switched plays and didn’t run the unusual formation. When the scouts told Moser that, he said, ‘I bet they’re running the Oklahoma Swinging Gate.’ Bullington said Moser called Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson and had him explain what the Sooners do on the play. Sure enough, Odessa tried the trickery against the Eagles that Friday night, but Moser’s team was prepared. ‘We knew what they were going to do better than the Odessa players did,’ Bullington said.”
Hayden Fry, Bud Wilkinson, and Chuck Moser are iconic coaches in the Southwest. So is Sam Harrell.
Harrell grew up in Brownwood, where he played for Coach Gordon Wood; Coach Wood’s hero and mentor was Abilene’s Chuck Moser. Harrell began his collegiate playing career at Austin College in Sherman, before transferring to Abilene Christian. He followed his father into coaching, establishing a program in Ennis, TX that won three state titles and numerous district crowns over the 16 years. An MS diagnosis sidelined Harrell’s coaching at Ennis briefly, but recovery permitted him to return to Ennis in 2018.
Led by senior linebacker Isaiah Nies, Harrell and the Ennis Lions advanced to the state semifinals in 2019. They fell to powerhouse Aledo in an instant OT classic at the Star in Frisco. Unlike the 1956 Abilene Eagles, their efforts to earn a state title had fallen just a little short. However, Isaiah Nies can take pride in furthering a strong family tradition; he’s the son of Christi Roberts Nies, and the grandson of Uncle Jimmie. Joan, Jimmie, and the Roberts family were there in Frisco to cheer on Nies and the Lions until the very end.
The end of the regular season was fast approaching for Abilene. They were 8-0, and so was San Angelo. After a week #9 victory over Midland, they’d reach 9 wins. So would San Angelo. Week #10 would see a clash of the titans in the “little Southwest Conference.”
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Perhaps looking forward to the big game in San Angelo, the Bulldogs of Midland provided stiff competition to Abilene early on.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The Eagles, however, led just 14-0 at halftime, their lowest total of the year. ‘We were up 7-0, and I took a pitchout from Hayseed and barely scored on a four-yard run right before half to go up 14-0.’ [running back] Carpenter recalled. [Coach] ‘Moser was not happy. That was the worst chewing out we ever had.’ Midland’s halftime lecture obviously worked as Abilene went on to drub Midland, 41-6, scoring on six of its eight remaining possessions. The Eagles had only three starters in the lineup when Midland scored its touchdown.”
From Uncle Jimmie:
“Midland was sort of a theme. A slow start at halftime, and then we would win big in the 2nd half.”
No team in 1956 was evenly matched with the Abilene Eagles. You can’t say the same about the kids in the Parrish and Roberts families, however. Marc & Paige, the first and third children of Linda & Joan respectively, were born only a year apart. Gavin & Kyle, the second and fourth children of Linda & Joan respectively, were also born only a year apart. Watching over these four were Joan’s two oldest Christi & Courtney.
The ages of the kids were also scattered over a decade, like a good pitcher allowing hits over nine innings. The dynamics made for some entertaining kids activities throughout the years. Softball, tennis, and various other athletic and academic pursuits were a constant feature of childhood. Uncle Jimmie, Joan, Linda, & Paul were always a part of the insanity that was the lives of their six children.
With the win over Midland, the clash of the titans matchup was all set. Thanksgiving Day, 1956. #1 Abilene vs #2 San Angelo. Both schools undefeated, and both state champion contenders. The state of Texas had not seen such a matchup in years; all eyes would be on Fair Park Stadium in Abilene as the Team of the Century began preparations for the Game of the Century.
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
The headline said it all:
“Bobcat Players Declare Abilene 11 as ‘Greatest.’”
“Accustomed to paralyzing their prey with swift bolts of lightning, then swooping in for the kill, the Abilene Eagles descended from their lofty crags Thursday afternoon to win a grim, tooth-and-nail 20-0 battle from the San Angelo Bobcats.”
The #2 team in the state put up a fight, but in the end it was not enough. A 4-down goal line stand by the Abilene defense was the turning point, transforming a 6-point lead into a 20-point win. Before the contest, San Angelo was averaging 31 points per game. It didn’t matter; the Eagles defense shutout the second-best team in the state all the same.
San Angelo assistant Bill Purser said the difference was Abilene’s speed. “When we’d break into [their] secondary, we’d get caught. When [they’d] break into [our] secondary, we couldn’t catch [them.”
“If Abilene plays Texas University, I’ll take Texas if you’ll give me 20 points,” remarked San Angelo assistant coach Moon Mullins. According to the papers, San Angelo “players were virtually unanimous in appraising the Abilene team as the greatest they had ever seen or played.”
The victory came with a cost. Abilene quarterback Harold “Hayseed” Stephens broke his leg in the 4th quarter. From Uncle Jimmie:
[After Stephens broke his leg], “we all thought that winning state would be much harder.”
Abilene soon got the news that they would host El Paso Ysleta in the Bi-district round of the playoffs. Fair Park stadium in Abilene was a great place to be an Eagles fan in 1956.
Gavin & Marc Parrish were virtually unanimous in the belief that Uncle Jimmie’s and Aunt Joan’s place was a great place to spend the holidays. Their Denton “property” of 11 acres allowed for numerous soccer and football games at a moment’s notice. Sometimes, parents would join in and family battles would occur. At other times, the activities were simple exploration. At the time, I had no idea how big an acre was and wrongly assumed that their property extended for miles into the horizon. Every kid in America today would benefit from what Gavin & I had at Joan & Jimmie’s place: acres of land, hours of time, and our own imaginations.
With the dramatic win, Abilene checked off yet another accomplishment. They had the consecutive wins record, they were still undefeated, and they owned yet another district title. But the state playoffs loomed. There were still four games left to win if the 1956 Abilene Eagles were to claim a third state title and the honor of “Team of the Century.”
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
The 1956 Eagles were an inspiration for the Abilene players who followed. The father of Austin College Kangaroo Wendy Adams, who played from 1957 to 1960 was one. Had overtime been a feature of the 1957 season, Wendy’s father and his teammates might have added a fourth straight Abilene championship.
As the 1956 playoffs loomed, many in Abilene worried that the loss of quarterback Harold “Hayseed” Stephens would jeopardize the title run. From Uncle Jimmie:
[After Stephens broke his leg], “we all thought that winning state would be much harder.”
But not Stephens. From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“’One guy being out won’t stop out ball club,’ Stephens told [the papers]. ‘There isn’t one guy on the squad they couldn’t get along without, unless maybe it’d be Greg or Cap. Shoot, if they’ll make up their minds a get determined, they can go all the way. That’s what football is, the team that is the most determined is going to win. And a man like Chuck Moser can pull anything out of the fire.”
My brother Gavin and I learned about Uncle Jimmie & Abilene High back in the 1990s during yet another Christmas holiday. While we were unaware just how legendary Abilene High was in the 1950s, we loved the story of the state championship run. We also learned a myth about Abilene High in the 1950s: that the Eagles earned that title without ever attempting a pass. It led to some good-natured family ribbing.
The myth, however, was false. From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“One of the myths that has evolved over the years is that the Eagles, missing their quarterback, won the state championship in 1956 without throwing a pass in the playoffs. That’s not true, but Moser probably did become a little more conservative as he tried to find the right replacement for Stephens.”
The replacement worked, as Abilene won their Bi-district matchup against El Paso Ysleta, 42-6. It was the last game Uncle Jimmie ever played in Abilene.
From Uncle Jimmie:
“Against El Paso, we [once again] got off to a slow start. But came back well after the initial disappointment.”
With the win, the Eagles would be headed east to take on the Cougars of Fort Worth Paschal in a quarterfinal matchup. At historic Farrington Field.
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
The father of Austin College Kangaroo Jim Buie played on the Fort Worth Poly team that fell in the 1954 state semifinals to Abilene High. The game took place at Farrington Field. As Jim relates, according to his Dad “they shouldn’t have even gotten off the bus!!!” Abilene won, and later secured their first of three state titles.
Uncle Jimmie and Abilene High were back at Farrington Field in 1956, to take on Fort Worth Paschal. From Uncle Jimmie:
“Wow, was it was cold. We just wore our uniforms. No gloves, and sleet kept hitting our helmets. It was miserable, but it was miserable for both teams. A lot of the fans stayed home.”
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“With a blanket-covered crowd of 10,000 braving 36-degree weather, misting rain, and drifting snowflakes that tumbled down during the fourth period, Glenn Gregory and a stubborn Warbird defense combined to draw the curtain on Paschal’s ‘Cinderella team’ that had hopes of going all the way after upsetting Amarillo last week. Paschal never crossed the fifty-yard line the entire game, finally reaching its own forty-seven in the fourth quarter before Carpenter intercepted a pass to end the threat.”
Abilene won, 14-0.
While I didn’t learn of Uncle Jimmie’s time with the Team of the Century until much later, I did know he played high school football. That information came by way of a story I overheard when I was younger.
The Roberts family took a trip out west, and stopped by a convenience store for gas. Uncle Jimmie handed his credit card to the cashier, who looked at it and then looked up.
Cashier: “You wouldn’t happen to be the Jim Roberts who played for Abilene High would you?”
Uncle Jimmie: “I am! How did you know that?”
Cashier: “The week before we played you guys, our coach made each of us say one of your names 100 times a day before our game.”
Uncle Jimmie: (laughing) “And you had my name?”
Cashier: “I did. I probably said your name all week.”
Uncle Jimmie: “Well, how’d y’all make out?”
Cashier: (smiling) “Not too good.”
After hearing the story, I knew something was up with Uncle Jimmie’s football past. The details would come later.
With the win at Farrington, Abilene advanced to the playoff semifinals. They were 12-0, but so was their next opponent. The Wichita Falls Coyotes of Coach Joe Golding Sr. had captured state titles in 1949 & 1950, and had their sights set on dethroning Abilene in 1956 when they hosted the Eagles at Coyote Stadium. Golding’s son is today the head basketball coach of Abilene Christian University, the alma mater of Uncle Jimmie. Because of Jimmie & his Abilene teammates, 1956 Coyote season would end in Wichita Falls.
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sam Caudle, a teammate of Jim Roberts in 1954-55, helped to start the Abilene streak which my uncle and the rest of the Eagles were working to extend. Caudle later starred at SMU, and got to enjoy watching his son play alongside future Austin College Kangaroo Clayton Oliphint. Today, Caudle is a member of Rev. Oliphint’s First United Methodist Church in Richardson.
Caudle’s two Abilene state championship teams, however, did not have to go through the Coyotes of Wichita Falls on the road. The 1956 Eagles seemed unfazed though, delivering a 20-6 win on the road against the undefeated Coyotes.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Carpenter rushed for 84 yards on 17 carries, scoring on runs of 19 and 5 yards, while Gregory had twenty-six carries for 131 yards and a fourteen-yard TD run. The Eagles made it thirty-six in a row, heading into a showdown with Corpus Christi Ray for the state champioinship.”
From Uncle Jimmie:
“The Wichita Falls game was the only time Coach Moser chewed me out. On a punt return, Stuart and I were blocked out and their halfback returned it for a touchdown. I DEFINITELY remember that.”
Moser’s frustration shows up in the book “Team of the Century” as well. From Uncle Jimmie’s teammate Jim Rose:
“That was the only time I can remember that we had a punt returned for a touchdown against us. I never saw Moser madder than that. It happened right before half. Erwin Bishop missed a tackle. I think he’s a Church of Christ preacher now. [Coach Moser] may be the reason.”
In spite of the punt return miscue, Abilene played near flawless ball once again and advanced to the state title game for the third year in a row. The 1954 Eagles had won their title in Houston; the 1955 Eagles had done the same in Fort Worth. Uncle Jimmie and his 1956 teammates got the news that they’d be traveling to the state capital of Austin to face an undefeated Corpus Christi Ray squad for the championship. The final game would take place at Texas Memorial Stadium, home of the Texas Longhorns.
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
I had only recently moved back to Austin in 2000, when my buddy David Vance called me up. David was a Westlake grad, and his Chaps were taking on Midland Lee in the state championship game at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium. We saw Cedric Benson run wild, and Midland Lee capture their third straight state championship. The last time such a feat had occurred in the highest classification in Texas was 1956. In the exact same stadium. By my own Uncle. I had no idea at the time.
In 1956, Corpus Christi Ray got off to a hot start early. They drove down the field and were threatening to score. On a pivotal 4th-and-goal near the goal line, CC Ray fumbled. A few plays later, Jimmy Carpenter rumbled for a 94-yard touchdown. He added a 62-yarder later in the game. The brick wall that was the Abilene High defense then proceeded to pitch yet another shutout. 17,000 fans at Texas Memorial Stadium saw the 1956 Abilene Eagles win a third straight championship.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Actually, the defense may have had more to do with the victory than it seems, for they rose up to stop the Texans on the Eagle one-foot stripe on their first offensive series and that might have taken the steam out of the Corpus Christians.”
From Uncle Jimmie:
“I kept a newspaper clipping which reads: ‘chiefly because of Carpenter’s glorious performance, but also because of the rock-ribbed Abilene defense, the Eagles earned three consecutive titles.”
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Abilene’s defense was so dominating in the second half that the Eagles held Corpus Christi Ray to only one first down (on a penalty) and just twenty-nine yards rushing and none passing in the final two periods. ‘I think the 1955 team was the best offensive team, but 1956 was the best defensive team,’ [teammate Jim] Rose said. [Coach] Moser agreed, calling the 1956 team his best defensive squad: ‘There was never a run made against us for over twenty yards, and there was never a pass completed over our heads.’ The 1956 team held its opposition to only 62 points while scoring 491. The Eagles scored forty or more points in each of nine games, and held leads of at least thirty points at halftime nine times during the season.”
The 1956 Eagles returned to Abilene as conquering heroes, earning the moniker of Texas “Team of the Century.”
For Uncle Jimmie, it was the end of the road:
”I was sitting on the bench in the locker room and Coach Mosier came up, put his arm around me and said, ‘Jimmie, you can play college football if you want to.’ Having already decided that this was my last game, I said, ‘thank you but this is probably it.’ It was a good decision for me. I would never regret the time, effort, and camaraderie of the guys I played with and the privilege of being coached by a legend.”
In 1999, the Dallas Morning News reviewed a century of Texas High School football. The paper crowned the 1954-57 Abilene program as the “Team of the Century.” In a column entitled “Getting the Old Gang Back Together,” Kevin Sherrington wrote about the many reunions held by those Abilene teams and what made those years so spectacular. Eagles star Glenn Gregory had his own ideas:
“Gregory, who would go on to play at SMU and with the Cowboys, cited coaches ahead of their time, all-round athletes, and unfailing community backing. And, of course, guys who never gave up.”
It’s easy to see how my Uncle Jimmie was one.
It was a lot of fun being one of the six growing kids of Uncle Jimmie & Aunt Joan, and Mom & Dad. Christi, Courtney, Paige, Kyle, Gavin, & I are all grown up now, with many kids of our own. One of them, Isaiah Nies, is the grandson of Uncle Jimmie. He’ll be attending the University of Texas next fall, and will likely take in more than a few Longhorn games over his time in Austin.
Hey Isaiah: Remember. DKR is more than just the home of the Horns. It’s the site of your grandfather’s last game, as part of the Texas “Team of the Century.”
Thanks Uncle Jimmie for letting me tell your story. Go Eagles!
There was another powerful force at work in the year 1956. Only, this one hailed from Abilene. Coach Chuck Moser of the Abilene Eagles assembled a program which the Dallas Morning News in 1999 would term the “Team of the Century.” From 1954 to 1957, Abilene won an incredible 49 games in a row; it’s still a record for the largest classification in Texas. The Southlake Carroll Dragons of Cade McCrary, Owen Clayton, and Meredith Clayton Allen tied that record of 49 in 2007, but no team has yet surpassed the Eagles of Abilene High.
And amazingly, I have a family tie. My Uncle Jimmie! Jimmie Roberts was a defensive tackle on the 1956 Abilene Eagles.
The streak began in 1954, after a loss to Breckenridge. Abilene captured a state title that year. They repeated with an undefeated season and second title in 1955. At the start of the 1956, Abilene had won 23 games in a row. If the Eagles could run the table again, they’d break the state record of 29 consecutive wins and capture an unprecedented third straight state title. The 1956 Abilene Eagles would do just that. It’s the amazing 1956 season of Abilene and Uncle Jimmie that separates the Eagles from all the rest and earns them the distinction of “Team of the Century.”
The Eagles went 14-0 in 1956. We’ll tell the story of that 14-game season over the next 14 days. There will be a lot of football, a lot of family, and a lot of Texas. And yes, the Austin College Kangaroos will make a lot of cameo appearances too. Of course.
Hey, y’all ain’t going anywhere anyway, amirite? If we have to isolate ourselves during a global pandemic much like the 1956 Asian flu, we might as well read a great tale from 1956 about the best team in Texas football history. Anyone with ties to Abilene, Eagles football, or the Parrish and Roberts families are encouraged to write.
Hey Aunt Joan: Thank you in advance for getting Uncle Jimmie to offer his memories about the 1956 season over the next two weeks, and please let me know who else you’d like for me tag.
Tuesday 3/31 Chapter 2: Sweetwater
Wednesday 4/1 Chapter 3: Lubbock Monterey
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
Monday 3/30 Chapter 1: San Antonio Edison
After two straight state titles in 1954 & 1955, the 1956 Abilene Eagles returned only three starters on offense. Granted, those three starters included two stars in end Rufus King and running back Glynn Gregory. Gregory, who would eventually be a Dallas Cowboy alongside Austin College Kangaroo Gene Babb, was the second cousin of my University of Texas colleague (and fellow Kangaroo) Kenneth Gregory. Joining the starters were some new faces: Harold “Hayseed” Stephens at quarterback, Charles Bradshaw and fullback, and practically an entirely new offensive line. There were enough holes to wonder whether the winning streak might end.
But there was no need for worry. Most of the starters on defense were back, and the Abilene Eagles would do their impression of a brick wall throughout the entire season. Over the 14-game season, Abilene would yield just 4.6 points per game and secure 5 shoutouts. And when the starters on defense needed a rest, the able varsity reserves would pick up the slack. One of those reserves was a senior defensive tackle named Jimmie Roberts. My uncle.
My grandmother Frances Hudson loved her two son-in-laws. It’s easy to see why. Jimmie Roberts and Paul Parrish had a lot in common. Both were quiet, decent, and extremely capable. The Parrish and Roberts families are filled with vocal and assertive women like Frances Hudson, and the men in these families quickly find their place. Not subservient mind you, more like a solid foundation upon which the family can flourish. For Frances, her daughters Linda & Joan could not have done any better.
Frances Hudson, husband John, and her two daughters were born in raised in McGregor, TX. For me, McGregor is the border between north & south Texas. The Roberts family lived north, in Denton. The Parrish family lived south, in College Station. Trips for the South Texas Parrishes up north were rare, with the exception of Denton. Every Christmas, we’d head up to Denton with Uncle Jimmie and the Roberts family; the town became my point of reference for north Texas. And when nearby Sherman, TX became an option for college, the familiarity with Denton played a role. I was headed to Austin College.
The 1956 Eagles opened up their season at home in Abilene against San Antonio Edison. The Eagles played their games at Fair Park, which is today just a small, nondescript field located just west of Barrow Street & South 9th. But in 1956 in Abilene, TX, Fair Park was the place to be.
From “Team Of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Coach Chuck Moser used some new ingredients, but the results were completely satisfying to some 10,500 fans at Fair Park Stadium Friday night as the defending Class AAAA state champion Eagles crushed Edison of San Antonio, 41-6, in the 1956 debut and notched their 24th win.”
Like many games to come, Moser was able to play his second teams when the game was safely in hand. Defensive tackle Jimmie Roberts saw action that night, and would consistently find himself in the second half of numerous games. His goal was similar to other Abilene reserves: replicate the impenetrable wall that was Abilene’s defense.
If there were any questions about the possibility of the 1956 team winning a third title and breaking the state record of 29 wins in a row, they were being answered quickly. After week #1, the effort of San Antonio Edison appeared weak; by the end of the regular season that effort would look fairly common. Abilene High in the Moser era was a juggernaut, a problem that no team in Texas could solve.
Sweetwater would try in week #2.
Tuesday 3/31 Chapter 2: Sweetwater
Wednesday 4/1 Chapter 3: Lubbock Monterey
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Tuesday 3/31 Chapter 2: Sweetwater
Sweetwater football came to prominence the early 1930s as the home of quarterback Slingin’ Sammy Baugh; that decade saw a number of district championships for the Mustangs. One of those district titles was earned when Baugh was a TCU freshman watching his Horned Frogs take on Austin College.
Still, a state title proved elusive. By 1956, Sweetwater was still searching for title #1. It was not going to come during the era of the “Team of the Century.”
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Abilene made it twenty-five in a row with a surprisingly easy 39-7 win over Sweetwater, a team that had typically played the Eagles close. Bradshaw scored on an eleven-yard run as the Eagles grabbed a 12-0 halftime lead. Abilene then pulled away in the second half, taking advantage of the Mustangs’ miscues.”
Jimmie Roberts saw second half action again, and even made the papers. His photo appeared in the Abilene Reporter News, with the following caption:
“Corralling A Mustang: Abilene tackle Jim Roberts closes in on Sweetwater quarterback Glenn Reed in the second quarter at Sweetwater Friday night to put the end to a seven-yard Mustang burst.”
From my Uncle Jimmie:
“When I reflect on the team, there was very little difference between the 1st and 2nd teams offensively and defensively. Coach Moser expected the same from all of us. The big exceptions were [running back] Glynn Gregory, [fullback] Jimmy Carpenter, and [QB] Hayseed Stephens.”
Sweetwater is west Texas, just like most of Abilene High’s opponents in 1956. The Roberts family has a west Texas orientation too. Although Denton is home, the family has owned ranch properties in Childress and other areas of the Panhandle. Joan and Jimmie also owned a home in Angelfire, NM for many years, after falling in love with the Red River area.
It’s at Red River where Uncle Jimmie, Aunt Joan, and my folks taught me how to ski, and it’s at their Angelfire home where my own kids were fortunate to learn the same. You’re more likely to see the Roberts family traveling towards Wichita Falls than points east. The Wichita Falls Coyotes? We’ll get to their loss to Abilene soon enough.
The Abilene High winning streak would finally end in 1957, after a playoff semifinal tie against Highland Park that was decided upon “penetrations.” After nearly 100 years of trying, Sweetwater finally captured their first state title in 1985. That Mustang state title run also included a playoff semifinal tie against Austin Westlake that was decided upon “penetrations.” On the losing Westlake end was Kangaroo Bill Didlake (h/t Elizabeth Davis Didlake), my Austin College fraternity President.
The Abilene streak was now at 25. Up next: the Lubbock Monterey Plainsmen, a new school which had only just completed their first season. Pity the poor boys from Lubbock.
Wednesday 4/1 Chapter 3: Lubbock Monterey
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Wednesday 4/1 Chapter 3: Lubbock Monterey
Austin College is the father of Texas Tech football. Former AC coach Ewing Freeland designed the “TT” logo after taking the Tech coaching job in the 1920s. Former AC Coach Pete Cawthon created the “Red Raider” mascot after taking the Tech coaching job in the 1930s. And Tech Head Coach Dell Morgan, who secured the first Red Raider victory at Jones AT&T stadium in 1947, is also an Austin College Kangaroo.
Jones AT&T Stadium was the site of Abilene High’s third game of the season in 1956. The Plainsmen of newly established Lubbock Monterey hosted the Eagles. They need not have bothered.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The winless Plainsmen were no match for Abilene. Reporter-News writer Jimmy Browder covered the Eagles’ twenty-sixth consecutive victory. ‘Coach Chuck Moser could have named any score from one to 100 Friday night and his Eagles probably would have achieved it.’ Abilene led 35-0 at halftime and played the second and third teams in the second half, settling for a 41-0 finale.”
Jimmie Roberts saw action again in Lubbock. From my Uncle Jimmie:
“In those days a player played both ways in the game. About one-third of the time I played offensive tackle. But most of the time I was on defense. I was also on the first team in special teams (punts & kick-offs).”
Uncle Jimmie was an orthodontist, and the Roberts family eventually enjoyed the comfortable living that comes from that profession. But typical of many West Texas kids born in the 1930s, meager subsistence was a constant reality. Abilene was only two decades removed from the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl; a smaller-but-still-significant drought hit the area in the 1950s. Uncle Jimmie’s childhood was typical of the hard scrabble life found in West Texas 70 years ago.
As a selfish kid comparing our smaller house to the Roberts household in the 1980s, I would be told stories by Linda Parrish of a poor Uncle Jimmie donating blood to buy groceries as a student. While the Roberts and Parrish families were fortunate to come of age after WW2 in an era of dramatic growth and social mobility, there’s no denying that good old-fashioned hard work was a huge part of Uncle Jimmie’s professional success. Football today is often a pursuit for those with social advantages; back in Abilene in the 1950s, football was more likely to be a much-desired escape from the daily grind.
It certainly was a grind for Abilene High’s opponents. The Eagles were now 3-0, and closing in on the state record of 29 wins in a row. But it wouldn’t be easy. Abilene’s winning streak had begun in 1954 after a loss to Breckenridge, and the mighty Buckaroos were up next.
But this was not 1954. The Abilene student body screamed “Wreck Breck” at the Friday afternoon pep rally, Roberts and the Eagles made their way to Fair Park stadium Friday night, and kickoff marked the beginning of yet another Abilene victory. Like all the rest.
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
Thursday 4/2 Chapter 4: Breckenridge
Football was king in West Texas during the oil boom of the 1930s. The competition between schools was so intense that one district which comprised the best teams was nicknamed the “Little Southwest Conference.” Breckenridge football was a part of this competitive tradition.
According to legend, a star football player’s family lived just outside of the city limits. The Breck community pleaded with the family to move and play for the Buckaroos; they declined. So, the town waited for the family to go on vacation, and then paid to have the house itself moved closer to the city. City leaders then informed the family that they were free to move back at their own expense; they declined.
Breckenridge football enjoyed a golden era in the 1930s, when Head Coach Pete Shotwell lead the Buckaroos to one state title and numerous district championships. Before Breckenridge, Shotwell was head coach at both Abilene High and nearby Hardin-Simmons University. His first game leading the HSU Cowboys, however, was a struggle. Shotwell and the Cowboys lost 21-0 to Austin College in the 1924 season opener at Sherman.
After a decade as Athletic Director at Abilene’s McMurry University, Shotwell retired in 1952 as an Abilene athletics icon. Shotwell stadium, an all-purpose facility used by numerous Abilene schools, is named in his honor. Until recently, Shotwell Stadium was used by Abilene Christian University (ACU).
ACU is the place where Uncle Jimmie met Aunt Joan. Joan’s little sister Linda (Mom) followed, and there met Paul (Dad). To borrow a pandemic phrase, the “patient zero” of the Parrish and Roberts families is ACU and the city of Abilene. The two families later moved to Denton & College Station.
The Parrish family trips from College Station to visit the Roberts family in Denton began in the early 1970s. It was a time when Texas A&M in College Station was experiencing tremendous growth. Aggie football was also in ascendancy under Head Coach Emory Bellard. Before A&M, Bellard was a Darrell Royal offensive coordinator at Texas. But before THAT? Bellard was Head Coach of the 1956 Breckenridge Buckaroos.
Coach Bellard didn’t have the horses to run with Jimmie and Abilene High in 1956, however.
From Uncle Jimmie: “Coaches Moser and Bullington were big on being fit. Sometimes we just wore them out.”
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“But on the first Friday night of October 1956, Bellard’s young Buckaroos were no match for Abilene, which was making a habit of jumping on its opponents early. The Eagles blanked Breckenridge 41-0, the same score as the Monterey game a week earlier.”
The Abilene win streak now stood at 27, just two victories behind the all-time record of 29 held by the Westerners of Lubbock High. One more win, and Uncle Jimmie and the Eagles would have an opportunity to tie the record.
Only one problem. The next Abilene game would take place against those same Westerners of Lubbock High.
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Friday 4/3 Chapter 5: Lubbock
Austin College Kangaroo Weldon Chapman had coached nearly 15 years since his Sherman graduation in the mid-1920s. As coach of Lubbock High School in 1939, all the pieces for a state championship were in place. But then, disaster.
Chapman got sick during the summer with a throat infection. It got worse. When the season began, he was weak and could barely talk. His Lubbock High Westerners struggled early on as well. By October, Chapman’s condition had deteriorated so severely that he had to be hospitalized. Meanwhile, the Lubbock High squad was 1-3 and going nowhere. The team headed to Plainview for a game on the road without their coach.
According to newspaper reports, Chapman’s deep sleep was broken by a nurse in his hospital room. Chapman asked if his Westerners had won the game; when the nurse responded “yes,” he smiled, fell into a deep sleep again, and never woke up. The Westerners returned to Lubbock, learned of their coach’s passing, and held a team meeting. They dedicated the rest of the season to their fallen coach. They never lost again, capturing the 1939 state title.
Lubbock High’s teams in the early 1950s did Chapman one better. They won two straight state titles, on the back of a 29-game winning streak. That record was in jeopardy, unless the 1956 Westerners could stop Uncle Jimmie Roberts and the Abilene Eagles.
It wasn’t gonna happen, and Lubbock Coach Wilford Moore admitted as much. “’I really hate to come back down there this week,’ Moore told the Abilene [Reporter News] newspaper. ‘I wouldn’t mind it if we had a good team, one that would play Chuck a good game. But we don’t have. Man, they’ll hit us so hard Friday night our kids won’t be able to focus their eyes on the Texas-OU game on television Saturday afternoon.’ Moore was right. Abilene whipped his Westerners 49-7.
Future SMU running back Glen Gregory had a huge day. Two of his scores were the bookends of a fumble recovery by Uncle Jimmie Roberts:
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Gregory’s 27-yarder that capped a 74-yard drive boosted the Abilene margin to 28-0 midway of the quarter, and after a fumble recovery by Jim Roberts gave the Eagles the ball on the Lubbock 46 moments later, the Stephens-to-Gregory pass again caught the invaders napping for a touchdown.”
Uncle Jimmie had great hands that day on the field in Abilene, something that hasn’t changed his entire life. When the physical decline of Joan & Linda’s father 25 years ago required the building of a wheelchair accessible ramp, son-in-laws Jimmie Roberts and Paul Parrish (Dad) were on the case. I traveled up with Dad to their home in McGregor, just outside the town of Waco. We spent the weekend following Uncle Jimmie’s lead in the construction of that solid structure. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, and you’re in good hands when you let the busy hands of Uncle Jimmie lead the way. Proof once again that Frances Hudson won the son-in-law lottery.
With the win over Lubbock, the consecutive wins streak reached 28. A victory the following week would tie the state record. All the eyes of Texas would be on the Abilene Eagles as they made their way to Waco, TX to take on one of the most storied high school football programs in the state of Texas.
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Saturday 4/4 Chapter 6: Waco
No team dominated Texas High School football in the 1920s as much as Paul Tyson’s Waco High Tigers. The Waco school reached the state finals six times, winning four. Two of those victories were at the expense of the Abilene Eagles; the 1956 meeting between the two schools would be the first meeting since the 1927 state championship game. The state of Texas was geared up for Abilene’s attempt to tie the state’s consecutive victories streak, against one of historically strongest programs in Texas.
But Waco High in 1956 was nothing like the 1927 squad. Like all the others that came before, this one would not be in doubt for long. And the Eagles would own a share of state record.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The Eagles ran only seventeen offensive plays in the first half but still grabbed a 29-7 advantage en route to a 45-14 victory over the Tigers. Abilene had tied the state record with twenty-nine wins in a row, but the Eagles were doing more than just winning. They were demolishing the competition. During the winning streak, Abilene had averaged 38.8 points per game while allowing their opponents just 5.9. Abilene had shut out ten of its twenty-nine victims so far. The Eagles weren’t finished, however. Amazingly, the streak was only a little past its halfway point, although no one could have known that in October 1956.”
From Uncle Jimmie:
“We went into this game a little worried because they had 6 players over 200 pounds. We had only 1, and he was a sub. In the first quarter, we had trouble opening the holes up. But the rest of the game we were blowing through the lines as their larger sized line was getting worn down.”
Parrish family trips from College Station to Denton always included Waco. They weren’t just trips during the Christmas holidays either. In 1985, we drove through Waco on our way to Denton for a different purpose. I needed braces.
Uncle Jimmie’s profession was orthodontistry. The bills can be significant. But not necessarily when an orthodontist is family; the Parrishes got a pretty good deal. As I sat in the chair patiently watching Uncle Jimmie fit the braces on my teeth, we most likely chatted about my tennis or the activities of his kids Christi, Courtney, Paige, & Kyle. It would have also been the perfect opportunity to talk about Abilene High football. But those who know humble Jimmie best are not surprised that the topic never came up. I returned to College Station wearing Uncle Jimmie’s new braces, passing through Waco completely unaware that my uncle had tied a state record there as a part of the Texas “Team of the Century.”
As Uncle Jimmie and his teammates walked off the field in Waco, TX, they briefly celebrated their incredible accomplishment before turning their attention to the next week’s opponent. With a win over the Big Spring Steers, Abilene High would own the state record all by itself.
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Sunday 4/5 Chapter 7: Big Spring
Austin College Kangaroo Bill Stevens took the head coaching job at Big Spring, TX in 1927, but struggled to produce a winner. His successors endured the same. The Steers were always on the outside looking in within the “little Southwest Conference.” It was a struggle to compete with the likes of Midland, Odessa, Lubbock, & Amarillo. And it was impossible to stop the steamroller that was Abilene High in 1956. With its victory over Big Spring, the Eagles owned the consecutive victory streak outright.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The Eagles’ thirtieth win in a row looked a lot like many of the others. The Eagles turned three fumbles by the Steers and a sixty-one-yard punt return by Gregory into a 35-0 first quarter lead. The subs played the rest of the way.”
Pretty amazing, huh? Reserve Jimmie Roberts was out on the field, shutting down the Big Spring Steers as his Abilene Eagles ran down the clock and captured the state record. There he was, picking up this offensive tackle, tracking down that running back, cleaning up the loose ends to shut down the Big Spring offense. It all makes so much sense now. Uncle Jimmie has always kept his house in order.
Christmas time was unwrapping time. With six kids between the two Parrish & Roberts families, the wrapping paper inevitably would accumulate in Denton. But only for seconds. Uncle Jimmie just couldn’t stand such a mess, and would spend the morning accumulating all of the wrapping paper like the cleaning robots in the movie Wall-E. No one dared to suggest that Uncle Jimmie just grab a cup of coffee and sit this year out. It would have been futile. Christmas was going to be an orderly and celebratory affair, just like win #30 in Big Spring, TX.
With the record in hand, the Eagles began to turn their attention to a defense of their state title. The playoffs in 1956 were four rounds, and each would be tough competition. Abilene, however, still had their sights on a district title. And the most difficult part of the schedule still remained. The Eagles would have to get past Odessa, Midland, and a final regular season matchup against San Angelo.
Abilene was still undefeated in 1956 after 7 weeks. But so were the Bobcats of San Angelo. Abilene was ranked #1 in the state; San Angelo was #2. The state of Texas had already marked it on the calendar. Abilene vs. San Angelo would on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1956 would be the game of the year.
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Monday 4/6 Chapter 8: Odessa
Hayden Fry passed away just a few months ago. The legendary coach sits in the College Football Hall of Fame, inducted after nearly four decades of success at SMU, North Texas, & Iowa. Not just athletic success either. During a time when the Southwest Conference was reluctant to integrate, SMU Mustang Hayden Fry had no reservations. Playing a Texas version of Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey, Fry recruited and then started Jerry LeVias, the first African-American to play in the Southwest Conference. LeVias stood courageously against the vitriol directed his way; Fry backed his Mustang every step of the way.
Every coach has a first job, and for Hayden Fry that first job was in 1956 as the head coach of his alma mater Odessa High. As Fry and the Bronchos made their way east to Abilene, they surely knew the daunting task that awaited them.
Uncle Jimmie & Abilene 47, Hayden Fry & Odessa 6.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The Odessa victory was another example of [Abilene Coach] Moser’s tremendous preparation. [Assistant coach] Bullington said the scouts had seen the Bronchos line up in the swinging gate formation a week earlier, but the opposing team had called timeout before Odessa could run the play. After the timeout, the Bronchos switched plays and didn’t run the unusual formation. When the scouts told Moser that, he said, ‘I bet they’re running the Oklahoma Swinging Gate.’ Bullington said Moser called Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson and had him explain what the Sooners do on the play. Sure enough, Odessa tried the trickery against the Eagles that Friday night, but Moser’s team was prepared. ‘We knew what they were going to do better than the Odessa players did,’ Bullington said.”
Hayden Fry, Bud Wilkinson, and Chuck Moser are iconic coaches in the Southwest. So is Sam Harrell.
Harrell grew up in Brownwood, where he played for Coach Gordon Wood; Coach Wood’s hero and mentor was Abilene’s Chuck Moser. Harrell began his collegiate playing career at Austin College in Sherman, before transferring to Abilene Christian. He followed his father into coaching, establishing a program in Ennis, TX that won three state titles and numerous district crowns over the 16 years. An MS diagnosis sidelined Harrell’s coaching at Ennis briefly, but recovery permitted him to return to Ennis in 2018.
Led by senior linebacker Isaiah Nies, Harrell and the Ennis Lions advanced to the state semifinals in 2019. They fell to powerhouse Aledo in an instant OT classic at the Star in Frisco. Unlike the 1956 Abilene Eagles, their efforts to earn a state title had fallen just a little short. However, Isaiah Nies can take pride in furthering a strong family tradition; he’s the son of Christi Roberts Nies, and the grandson of Uncle Jimmie. Joan, Jimmie, and the Roberts family were there in Frisco to cheer on Nies and the Lions until the very end.
The end of the regular season was fast approaching for Abilene. They were 8-0, and so was San Angelo. After a week #9 victory over Midland, they’d reach 9 wins. So would San Angelo. Week #10 would see a clash of the titans in the “little Southwest Conference.”
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Tuesday 4/7 Chapter 9: Midland
Perhaps looking forward to the big game in San Angelo, the Bulldogs of Midland provided stiff competition to Abilene early on.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“The Eagles, however, led just 14-0 at halftime, their lowest total of the year. ‘We were up 7-0, and I took a pitchout from Hayseed and barely scored on a four-yard run right before half to go up 14-0.’ [running back] Carpenter recalled. [Coach] ‘Moser was not happy. That was the worst chewing out we ever had.’ Midland’s halftime lecture obviously worked as Abilene went on to drub Midland, 41-6, scoring on six of its eight remaining possessions. The Eagles had only three starters in the lineup when Midland scored its touchdown.”
From Uncle Jimmie:
“Midland was sort of a theme. A slow start at halftime, and then we would win big in the 2nd half.”
No team in 1956 was evenly matched with the Abilene Eagles. You can’t say the same about the kids in the Parrish and Roberts families, however. Marc & Paige, the first and third children of Linda & Joan respectively, were born only a year apart. Gavin & Kyle, the second and fourth children of Linda & Joan respectively, were also born only a year apart. Watching over these four were Joan’s two oldest Christi & Courtney.
The ages of the kids were also scattered over a decade, like a good pitcher allowing hits over nine innings. The dynamics made for some entertaining kids activities throughout the years. Softball, tennis, and various other athletic and academic pursuits were a constant feature of childhood. Uncle Jimmie, Joan, Linda, & Paul were always a part of the insanity that was the lives of their six children.
With the win over Midland, the clash of the titans matchup was all set. Thanksgiving Day, 1956. #1 Abilene vs #2 San Angelo. Both schools undefeated, and both state champion contenders. The state of Texas had not seen such a matchup in years; all eyes would be on Fair Park Stadium in Abilene as the Team of the Century began preparations for the Game of the Century.
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Wednesday 4/8 Chapter 10: San Angelo
The headline said it all:
“Bobcat Players Declare Abilene 11 as ‘Greatest.’”
“Accustomed to paralyzing their prey with swift bolts of lightning, then swooping in for the kill, the Abilene Eagles descended from their lofty crags Thursday afternoon to win a grim, tooth-and-nail 20-0 battle from the San Angelo Bobcats.”
The #2 team in the state put up a fight, but in the end it was not enough. A 4-down goal line stand by the Abilene defense was the turning point, transforming a 6-point lead into a 20-point win. Before the contest, San Angelo was averaging 31 points per game. It didn’t matter; the Eagles defense shutout the second-best team in the state all the same.
San Angelo assistant Bill Purser said the difference was Abilene’s speed. “When we’d break into [their] secondary, we’d get caught. When [they’d] break into [our] secondary, we couldn’t catch [them.”
“If Abilene plays Texas University, I’ll take Texas if you’ll give me 20 points,” remarked San Angelo assistant coach Moon Mullins. According to the papers, San Angelo “players were virtually unanimous in appraising the Abilene team as the greatest they had ever seen or played.”
The victory came with a cost. Abilene quarterback Harold “Hayseed” Stephens broke his leg in the 4th quarter. From Uncle Jimmie:
[After Stephens broke his leg], “we all thought that winning state would be much harder.”
Abilene soon got the news that they would host El Paso Ysleta in the Bi-district round of the playoffs. Fair Park stadium in Abilene was a great place to be an Eagles fan in 1956.
Gavin & Marc Parrish were virtually unanimous in the belief that Uncle Jimmie’s and Aunt Joan’s place was a great place to spend the holidays. Their Denton “property” of 11 acres allowed for numerous soccer and football games at a moment’s notice. Sometimes, parents would join in and family battles would occur. At other times, the activities were simple exploration. At the time, I had no idea how big an acre was and wrongly assumed that their property extended for miles into the horizon. Every kid in America today would benefit from what Gavin & I had at Joan & Jimmie’s place: acres of land, hours of time, and our own imaginations.
With the dramatic win, Abilene checked off yet another accomplishment. They had the consecutive wins record, they were still undefeated, and they owned yet another district title. But the state playoffs loomed. There were still four games left to win if the 1956 Abilene Eagles were to claim a third state title and the honor of “Team of the Century.”
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Thursday 4/9 Chapter 11: El Paso Ysleta (Bi-district)
The 1956 Eagles were an inspiration for the Abilene players who followed. The father of Austin College Kangaroo Wendy Adams, who played from 1957 to 1960 was one. Had overtime been a feature of the 1957 season, Wendy’s father and his teammates might have added a fourth straight Abilene championship.
As the 1956 playoffs loomed, many in Abilene worried that the loss of quarterback Harold “Hayseed” Stephens would jeopardize the title run. From Uncle Jimmie:
[After Stephens broke his leg], “we all thought that winning state would be much harder.”
But not Stephens. From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“’One guy being out won’t stop out ball club,’ Stephens told [the papers]. ‘There isn’t one guy on the squad they couldn’t get along without, unless maybe it’d be Greg or Cap. Shoot, if they’ll make up their minds a get determined, they can go all the way. That’s what football is, the team that is the most determined is going to win. And a man like Chuck Moser can pull anything out of the fire.”
My brother Gavin and I learned about Uncle Jimmie & Abilene High back in the 1990s during yet another Christmas holiday. While we were unaware just how legendary Abilene High was in the 1950s, we loved the story of the state championship run. We also learned a myth about Abilene High in the 1950s: that the Eagles earned that title without ever attempting a pass. It led to some good-natured family ribbing.
The myth, however, was false. From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“One of the myths that has evolved over the years is that the Eagles, missing their quarterback, won the state championship in 1956 without throwing a pass in the playoffs. That’s not true, but Moser probably did become a little more conservative as he tried to find the right replacement for Stephens.”
The replacement worked, as Abilene won their Bi-district matchup against El Paso Ysleta, 42-6. It was the last game Uncle Jimmie ever played in Abilene.
From Uncle Jimmie:
“Against El Paso, we [once again] got off to a slow start. But came back well after the initial disappointment.”
With the win, the Eagles would be headed east to take on the Cougars of Fort Worth Paschal in a quarterfinal matchup. At historic Farrington Field.
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Friday 4/10 Chapter 12: Fort Worth Paschal (Quarterfinals)
The father of Austin College Kangaroo Jim Buie played on the Fort Worth Poly team that fell in the 1954 state semifinals to Abilene High. The game took place at Farrington Field. As Jim relates, according to his Dad “they shouldn’t have even gotten off the bus!!!” Abilene won, and later secured their first of three state titles.
Uncle Jimmie and Abilene High were back at Farrington Field in 1956, to take on Fort Worth Paschal. From Uncle Jimmie:
“Wow, was it was cold. We just wore our uniforms. No gloves, and sleet kept hitting our helmets. It was miserable, but it was miserable for both teams. A lot of the fans stayed home.”
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“With a blanket-covered crowd of 10,000 braving 36-degree weather, misting rain, and drifting snowflakes that tumbled down during the fourth period, Glenn Gregory and a stubborn Warbird defense combined to draw the curtain on Paschal’s ‘Cinderella team’ that had hopes of going all the way after upsetting Amarillo last week. Paschal never crossed the fifty-yard line the entire game, finally reaching its own forty-seven in the fourth quarter before Carpenter intercepted a pass to end the threat.”
Abilene won, 14-0.
While I didn’t learn of Uncle Jimmie’s time with the Team of the Century until much later, I did know he played high school football. That information came by way of a story I overheard when I was younger.
The Roberts family took a trip out west, and stopped by a convenience store for gas. Uncle Jimmie handed his credit card to the cashier, who looked at it and then looked up.
Cashier: “You wouldn’t happen to be the Jim Roberts who played for Abilene High would you?”
Uncle Jimmie: “I am! How did you know that?”
Cashier: “The week before we played you guys, our coach made each of us say one of your names 100 times a day before our game.”
Uncle Jimmie: (laughing) “And you had my name?”
Cashier: “I did. I probably said your name all week.”
Uncle Jimmie: “Well, how’d y’all make out?”
Cashier: (smiling) “Not too good.”
After hearing the story, I knew something was up with Uncle Jimmie’s football past. The details would come later.
With the win at Farrington, Abilene advanced to the playoff semifinals. They were 12-0, but so was their next opponent. The Wichita Falls Coyotes of Coach Joe Golding Sr. had captured state titles in 1949 & 1950, and had their sights set on dethroning Abilene in 1956 when they hosted the Eagles at Coyote Stadium. Golding’s son is today the head basketball coach of Abilene Christian University, the alma mater of Uncle Jimmie. Because of Jimmie & his Abilene teammates, 1956 Coyote season would end in Wichita Falls.
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Saturday 4/11 Chapter 13: Wichita Falls (Semifinals)
Sam Caudle, a teammate of Jim Roberts in 1954-55, helped to start the Abilene streak which my uncle and the rest of the Eagles were working to extend. Caudle later starred at SMU, and got to enjoy watching his son play alongside future Austin College Kangaroo Clayton Oliphint. Today, Caudle is a member of Rev. Oliphint’s First United Methodist Church in Richardson.
Caudle’s two Abilene state championship teams, however, did not have to go through the Coyotes of Wichita Falls on the road. The 1956 Eagles seemed unfazed though, delivering a 20-6 win on the road against the undefeated Coyotes.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Carpenter rushed for 84 yards on 17 carries, scoring on runs of 19 and 5 yards, while Gregory had twenty-six carries for 131 yards and a fourteen-yard TD run. The Eagles made it thirty-six in a row, heading into a showdown with Corpus Christi Ray for the state champioinship.”
From Uncle Jimmie:
“The Wichita Falls game was the only time Coach Moser chewed me out. On a punt return, Stuart and I were blocked out and their halfback returned it for a touchdown. I DEFINITELY remember that.”
Moser’s frustration shows up in the book “Team of the Century” as well. From Uncle Jimmie’s teammate Jim Rose:
“That was the only time I can remember that we had a punt returned for a touchdown against us. I never saw Moser madder than that. It happened right before half. Erwin Bishop missed a tackle. I think he’s a Church of Christ preacher now. [Coach Moser] may be the reason.”
In spite of the punt return miscue, Abilene played near flawless ball once again and advanced to the state title game for the third year in a row. The 1954 Eagles had won their title in Houston; the 1955 Eagles had done the same in Fort Worth. Uncle Jimmie and his 1956 teammates got the news that they’d be traveling to the state capital of Austin to face an undefeated Corpus Christi Ray squad for the championship. The final game would take place at Texas Memorial Stadium, home of the Texas Longhorns.
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
“My Uncle Jimmie & the Team of the Century”
Sunday 4/12 Chapter 14: Corpus Christi Ray (State Championship Game)
I had only recently moved back to Austin in 2000, when my buddy David Vance called me up. David was a Westlake grad, and his Chaps were taking on Midland Lee in the state championship game at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium. We saw Cedric Benson run wild, and Midland Lee capture their third straight state championship. The last time such a feat had occurred in the highest classification in Texas was 1956. In the exact same stadium. By my own Uncle. I had no idea at the time.
In 1956, Corpus Christi Ray got off to a hot start early. They drove down the field and were threatening to score. On a pivotal 4th-and-goal near the goal line, CC Ray fumbled. A few plays later, Jimmy Carpenter rumbled for a 94-yard touchdown. He added a 62-yarder later in the game. The brick wall that was the Abilene High defense then proceeded to pitch yet another shutout. 17,000 fans at Texas Memorial Stadium saw the 1956 Abilene Eagles win a third straight championship.
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Actually, the defense may have had more to do with the victory than it seems, for they rose up to stop the Texans on the Eagle one-foot stripe on their first offensive series and that might have taken the steam out of the Corpus Christians.”
From Uncle Jimmie:
“I kept a newspaper clipping which reads: ‘chiefly because of Carpenter’s glorious performance, but also because of the rock-ribbed Abilene defense, the Eagles earned three consecutive titles.”
From “Team of the Century,” by Al Pickett:
“Abilene’s defense was so dominating in the second half that the Eagles held Corpus Christi Ray to only one first down (on a penalty) and just twenty-nine yards rushing and none passing in the final two periods. ‘I think the 1955 team was the best offensive team, but 1956 was the best defensive team,’ [teammate Jim] Rose said. [Coach] Moser agreed, calling the 1956 team his best defensive squad: ‘There was never a run made against us for over twenty yards, and there was never a pass completed over our heads.’ The 1956 team held its opposition to only 62 points while scoring 491. The Eagles scored forty or more points in each of nine games, and held leads of at least thirty points at halftime nine times during the season.”
The 1956 Eagles returned to Abilene as conquering heroes, earning the moniker of Texas “Team of the Century.”
For Uncle Jimmie, it was the end of the road:
”I was sitting on the bench in the locker room and Coach Mosier came up, put his arm around me and said, ‘Jimmie, you can play college football if you want to.’ Having already decided that this was my last game, I said, ‘thank you but this is probably it.’ It was a good decision for me. I would never regret the time, effort, and camaraderie of the guys I played with and the privilege of being coached by a legend.”
In 1999, the Dallas Morning News reviewed a century of Texas High School football. The paper crowned the 1954-57 Abilene program as the “Team of the Century.” In a column entitled “Getting the Old Gang Back Together,” Kevin Sherrington wrote about the many reunions held by those Abilene teams and what made those years so spectacular. Eagles star Glenn Gregory had his own ideas:
“Gregory, who would go on to play at SMU and with the Cowboys, cited coaches ahead of their time, all-round athletes, and unfailing community backing. And, of course, guys who never gave up.”
It’s easy to see how my Uncle Jimmie was one.
It was a lot of fun being one of the six growing kids of Uncle Jimmie & Aunt Joan, and Mom & Dad. Christi, Courtney, Paige, Kyle, Gavin, & I are all grown up now, with many kids of our own. One of them, Isaiah Nies, is the grandson of Uncle Jimmie. He’ll be attending the University of Texas next fall, and will likely take in more than a few Longhorn games over his time in Austin.
Hey Isaiah: Remember. DKR is more than just the home of the Horns. It’s the site of your grandfather’s last game, as part of the Texas “Team of the Century.”
Thanks Uncle Jimmie for letting me tell your story. Go Eagles!
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