Tuesday's Internet Edition, July 08, 2008.
Fond Memories of Rogers, Much Irony, and “A Little Unfinished Business”
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PHOTO BY SHAWN ELY. |
Lexington won the game 13 to 7 in one of the toughest games the team has faced in the playoffs, and perhaps, this year. This was the fourth game of the playoffs, with only two more remaining.
The score was tied 7 to 7 at halftime in the Battle of the Eagles. It was mid-way through the third quarter that Jordan Peterson scored on a 59-yard run that started off to the right, but when he saw no opening, Peterson reversed directions, the way cleared by a critical block from Abel Lara, and went the rest of the way, virtually untouched. The PAT was no good, leaving the score 13 to 7.
Lexington will meet Troup this Friday at Waco ISD Stadium, at 7:30 p.m. for the State Semi Final match. Turn to page 2 of today’s issue for more information about advance ticket purchases.
Rick Spencer of Lexington put together a montage of information about Lexington’s history with Rogers and other opportunities the Green Eagles have had for a meeting in the State finals. Here’s Rick’s “Fond Memories of Rogers...”.
“Lexington has never won a State Championship, but a seed was sown 40 years ago. The Lexington boy’s program has mustered up four individual State Champions in track and tennis beginning in 1998. But no team state champions in any sport; boys or girls. It appears that our weekly football predictors have a little historical background in such manners. As a matter of fact, all of the these Lexington Leader predictors have tilled the soil in what we might call….. ‘a little unfinished business’”.
In 1964, TD Tommy put a dent in some Rogers Eagles helmets with a 27-0 shellacking. A Rogers’ player in that game told me Saturday, “After trying to tackle him about three times, you started finding ways to avoid ’em.” That was 40 years ago (more about that later). In the early 60’s, a man by the name of Bill Spencer (my Dad) came to town and planted a seed in some pretty parched ground, to put it mildly, with regards to Lexington Athletics. His success in every sport included 65 straight district wins in basketball. For years Lexington teams had gone 0-10 or 1-9 before his arrival. Old-timers do say, there was a district championship team in 1933, but other than that, there had been quite a drought.
Not only did Lexington smack Rogers in ’64 but, in 1967, Rogers who missed winning the state championship by only 3 points that year had its hands full with Lexington. That night, Rev. Rick was fortunate enough to complete 26 out of 42 passes, but L.C. Cox caught an unbelievable 19 of them. L.C. held the high school state record for 14 years and now is still in 3rd place out of the hundreds of thousands of games that have been played through Texas football history. Incredible! That game’s final score was Rogers 14, Lexington 14. L.C. was presented a plaque at last year’s Rogers game.
Well, then "Big O” came on the scene and began watering and fertilizing the Eagle athletic garden. The result was a 1978 State Finalist and a 14-1 record. That is the greatest team ever “to date” in Lexington. He also coached the “Greatest Game Ever” in the State-Semifinals (where we find ourselves this week) defeating Franklin 22-21. A guy walking around town today by the name of James Clifford (QB) harvested 16 points in the last 3:30 minutes of play when trailing 21-6. The next week, the Eagles were ahead 3-0 at halftime in the State Championship Game against China Spring. Rev. Rick was fortunate enough to be on “Big O’s” coaching staff and our dressing room at halftime had 4 of our 5 All-State players injured (something that seems to happen to a lot of our opponents this year). Final Score was Lexington 3 China Spring 42-Ouch!. “Abel Lara, Tell your teammates, we got some unfinished business!”
Next on the list is the “Kansas City Kid”. The “KC Kid” was an All-Central Texas tackle for Coach Mark Pustejovsky in the late 90’s. Mark did his part in taking care of the farm producing two 10-0 teams in 1997 and 1999. The ‘97 Team’ led by star running back Ronnie Jackson had another #1 team in the State, Elysian Fields, on the ropes heading for an apparent TD when down on the 10-yard line the Eagles were assessed with a HOLDING PENALTY. Sound familiar? The 97 Eagles lost to #1 ranked Elysian Fields 20-14. Ironically, “KC Kid’s” dad, Martin Schubert was an All-Central Texas tackle on the 64 team with ‘TD Tommy’. More irony, Coach Pustejovsky was an All-District linebacker on “Big O’s” State Finalist Team in 1978. As a head coach, Pustejovsky had his way with Rogers beating them two out of three…….Lexington 32 Rogers 0 in 1998 and Lexington 24 Rogers 10 in 1999.
Then in 1999, star running back Curtis McFarlin and teammates battled the eventual state champions Mart in the bi-district championship game. Final score-Mart 42 Lexington 7. Some of those Mart stars were on the field Friday night congratulating our head coach, Jason Holcombe. Why? Coach Holcombe was their offensive coordinator when the Mart Panthers won State in 1999. A little consolation, Coach Holcombe stated Lexington was one of the tougher teams Mart faced that year. Coach Holcombe’s 2004 version of Lexington Eagles took care of ‘unfinished business’ Friday night when it comes to the Rogers Eagles. The previous two Rogers games we led going into the 4th quarter and this time we finished the job. Mark it down. With all the fond memories concerning Rogers Friday night is #1. There’s only ONE EAGLE NATION!
Did you know the movie, “Friday Night Lights” came out the day we played Rogers back in October? And unlike most sport’s movies, this movie did not have a good ending. At the end of the movie a post-script came across the screen that said, “The next year, Odessa Permian won the State Championship.” After we lost to Rogers, I got a chance to share with the team and we talked about perseverance and adversity. I told them it was no coincidence that “Friday Night Lights” came out the night they played Rogers and it had a bad ending just like that game had a bad ending for them. I then said if you could only beat Rogers once you would want to make sure it was the 2nd time when it really counted.
40 years ago, I heard my Dad and an outstanding offensive line coach by the name of Carl Peterson (who just so happens to be Jordan Peterson’s granddaddy) talk to Eagle football players about winning the State Championship. A seed was sown. Spiritually speaking, 40’s considered in scripture the length of time for testing and maturation. Well “TD Tommy” and teammates planted that seed in 1964 and 40 years later after much blood, sweat, and tears, it’s time for that ‘state championship crop’ to come in. Oh, by the way Rogers has no state championships in boy’s athletics. Rogers did have a girl from Germany win State in tennis. Ironically, the girl she defeated at State was Wendy Jordan from Lexington. And even more ironic, Wendy’s dad, Gary Jordan was the Eagle quarterback 40 years ago, who helped plant that seed. Hey Lexington, “We got a little unfinished business”.
We have a coach that’s been there and knows what it takes. EAGLE FANS IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO DO YOUR PART. Friday afternoon, put a sign on the store like they did in the movie, Friday Night Lights, “Closed….Gone to Game.”
And oh by the way, the last person to leave town, be sure to turn off the lights.
SEE YOU IN WACO-FRIDAY NIGHT 7:30 pm.