Abilene High School Eagle Football: On To State

December 5, 2009 — As I was checking the scores online of the Texas High School football playoff games played Friday night, I briefly read an article about the local high school powerhouse, the Lake Travis High School Rebels, and how they had just won their 44th game in a row. They are indeed a very good football team and as the consecutive win record shows they have been one for some time now. That number "44" immediately brought back in my mind another consecutive win streak for a Texas high school football team...a streak of "49" consecutive wins by the Abilene High Eagles of 1954-57.

The Eagle football teams of this era were coached by Chuck Moser. Beginning in 1953 through 1959, Coach Moser was "The Coach" and became a legend in those few years in Texas high school football along with the likes of Coach Gordon Wood at Brownwood, Texas high school. He had succeeded another legend at Abilene High Coach P.E. Shotwell. What made these men legends and reach the success they did in their profession? It was nothing less than taking a group of young men and instilling in them the true value of hard work...believing in your school...having fun...and having faith in God. Coach Moser instilled this also in the community. In his seven years as the coach his win/loss record was 78-7. He moved on to become the Abilene School District Athletic Director.

Abilene High's win streak started in 1954 with a regular season win over Borger High School 34-7. The streak included all regular season and state playoff games from that point in 1954 to the 1957 state 4A semi-final game against the Highland Park High School Scotties of Dallas, Texas. That game ended in a tie on the scoreboard 20-20. The first tie breaker used at that time was what was known as penetrations...that being when your offense moved the ball inside the opponents 20-yard line. Highland Park advanced to the state final game (which they won) by winning on penetrations 5-3. It was a great football game played in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. It was heartbreaking for those of us in the stands that were Eagle fans. I remember that my brother and I were just so sick and disappointed. It was the end of what at that time was recognized as the longest high school football win streak ever in the nation.

I wish I could remember all of the players from those great Abilene High Eagle teams. There were so many good players. Some I will never forget...the backfield of QB-Harold "Hayseed" Stephens, HB-Jimmy Carpenter, HB-Glenn Gregory, and FB-James Welch. Then there was an End by the name of Twyman Ash...geesh what a great name. The QB Stephens had his leg broken in the final regular season game of 1956, so the QB duties fell on a young man named Gervis Galbrieth...and he filled the bill well and on into the next season. The offensive line was made up of great players and unfortunately their names escape me now. If you wanted to know who played defense you only had to wait until the other team got the ball and the Eagle offense became the defense. There were few, if any, one-way players in those days. In 1999 the Dallas Morning News designated the Abilene High Eagle football teams of 1954-57 as The Team of the Century.

Abilene High played in District 1-4A in these years...4A being the highest classification in the state at the time. For a look at what schools were included visit this website http://www.fridaynighthistory.com/abilene.html. This district became known as "The Little Southwest Conference." The now defunct NCAA Southwest Conference was made up of the major universities in the state plus the University of Arkansas and the conference was noted for its rough and tumble football. It was the same in District 1-4A and therefore the moniker. District alignment in the state of Texas is controlled by the University Interscholastic League (UIL) which governs academic, athletic, and music competition for high schools in the state. For background on the UIL I invite you here http://www.uil.utexas.edu/.

The district winner in football at the time was awarded the district victory bell. This was a good size bell mounted on a two-wheel cart complete with a handle for rotating the bell or a bell team member could grab the clapper and clang away. Ever present on the sideline at the following years football games, one could hear the bell from miles away. When I think of Eagle football, the sound of that victory bell comes through loud and clear. Oh the number of times I stood on the front porch of my Mom's house and heard the bell at the game being played in Fair Park Stadium a couple of miles away. It was traditional that the final regular season game was played against the arch rival San Angelo Central High School Bobcats. The game was played on Saturday afternoon and they would start ringing the bell around 8 a.m. and continue until the victory celebration ended. I can hear it now.

One historical record shows that from 1920 through 2000 Abilene High School has won six state football championships and played in eight state title games (http://www.alicecoyote.com/football2/texas_football_state_championshi.htm). There last championship and appearance in the title game was in 1956. So what about the Eagle football team of today? There record is 13-0 having just defeated last night Arlington, Texas Bowie High School 35-7 in one of the 5A Divison II quarterfinal games. Next weekend they will play in one of the 5A Division II semi-final games...for the 14th time in school history. Win that one, and they should, then it is the state title game. Coach Moser and the Eagles of 1954-57 have to be smiling and proud of these Eagles.

I am not a graduate of Abilene High. I graduated from "the other high school" Abilene Cooper which opened in 1961. I am the only member of my family that resided or currently resides in Abilene that did not go to AHS. I've taken a lot of good natured ribbing over the years on this fact. What I do have is a healthy respect for Abilene High School Eagle football and its history. So, to the Warbirds of today I say ON TO STATE...its what really matters!

* Some material for this blog was obtained from the linked web sites and the online editions of the Austin American-Statesman and the Abilene Reporter News.