Delta Football in the 1980's

[WonderWartHawg]

Schools no longer with us.
Cotton Plant
Holly Grove
Gillett
Altheimer
Wheatley
I miss them all even got the scars to prove it.

Add to list (schools Rison used to play):

Grady - had some tough teams at one time
Gould - had some talent at times too, seems like Waddell Kelly played 6 years there
Delta Special (Rowher) - Never had much as far as football, but home of the Jones boys, NBA basketball players.

Doesn't really fit in with the list, but does in a way:

Jefferson Prep
Chapel Academy

[Lions84]

Schools no longer with us.
Cotton Plant
Holly Grove
Gillett
Altheimer
Wheatley
I miss them all even got the scars to prove it.

Add to list (schools Rison used to play):

Grady - had some tough teams at one time
Gould - had some talent at times too, seems like Waddell Kelly played 6 years there
Delta Special (Rowher) - Never had much as far as football, but home of the Jones boys, NBA basketball players.

Doesn't really fit in with the list, but does in a way:

Jefferson Prep
Chapel Academy

I dated a Cheerleader from Jefferson Prep ! I meet her at a FBLA Regional meeting at UAPB in 82.

[Lions84]

Getting Feed!  Home games we went home or to the Lions Den, the White River Cafe or the J&M.
Road Football moms would meet at the Cafeteria and under the guidance of Mrs. Smith make sandwiches , and we would get a Brown bag with a Sandwich, Chips, a Banana and a soft drink. 

[Lions84]

Wildest Playoff Trip was going to Gosnell cause as the time the Air Base was still open and it was a SAC Base.  We had to go through Base Security and a AF Sarg got on the Charter and did a roll call.

[cuckoobird]

Gillett was a great school with good tradition. Much like the other rural towns, football was just what you did!
I haven't been there in a couple years but sure miss hearing the bell on Friday nights.

LCC I'm a former Wolf myself, graduated in 91 and was a senior on the last semifinal team. Gillett was one of the greatest small town football atmospheres.

[Idoknow]

Gillett was a great school with good tradition. Much like the other rural towns, football was just what you did!
I haven't been there in a couple years but sure miss hearing the bell on Friday nights.

LCC I'm a former Wolf myself, graduated in 91 and was a senior on the last semifinal team. Gillett was one of the greatest small town football atmospheres.

Coo, ya'll had a very good season that yr., had some nice wins in the play offs. Having to play Barton in the semifinal was a tough draw 56-6, Rison beat Carlisle 22-6 in the other semi game. Rison beat Barton 27-20 in championship game to end Barton's 63 game winning streak!

[cuckoobird]

Yep. Went 10-3 that year with losses to barton twice and rison once

[minerjack]

Gillett was a great school with good tradition. Much like the other rural towns, football was just what you did!
I haven't been there in a couple years but sure miss hearing the bell on Friday nights.

LCC I'm a former Wolf myself, graduated in 91 and was a senior on the last semifinal team. Gillett was one of the greatest small town football atmospheres.

I'll never forget reading that article in the Democrat in 05, 06, or 07 when Gillet had trouble fielding a team.  That picture of the practice field while the team was practicing on the front page of the sports.  I thought to myself, man that's a neat little town!  Epitome of small town football as the center of their lifestyle. 

[Lions84]

I cried when I read here and in the paper that Gillett was being forced to close down.  The Town looked a little haggard last time I drove though there 2 years ago.

[cuckoobird]

Its getting smaller everyday. It amazes me that smaller schools are still open but the crooked dewitt school board closed gillett down. I guess they were getting tired of those beatdowns from a smaller school

[Lions84]

Yea the State should have put the screws to Dewitt and forced them to keep the Elementary School at Gillett open.
Who has that Bell they used to ring when they scored.

[cuckoobird]

Elementary still open but not for long. The bell is hidden off campus so the idiots at dewitt cant get their hands on it. It belonged to gun smoke hunting club anyway

[Lions84]

Elementary still open but not for long. The bell is hidden off campus so the idiots at dewitt cant get their hands on it. It belonged to gun smoke hunting club anyway

Yes before the Dewitt paper online went subscription only I was able to keep up better since the Stuttgart Daily Leader a little hit and miss on this situation.

[Jacketman65]

Yep, Barton beat em so bad they had to close the school.

[cuckoobird]

Everyone, this is my stalker Rose. She has followed me all the way down here from the 4a board.

[Lions84]

LOL I was down for several of those Barton vs Gillett games over the years since they were played during the Thanksgiving Break.

[cuckoobird]

Yeah, rose's team has NEVER played football over thanksgiving....

[Jacketman65]

Yeah, rose's team has NEVER played football over thanksgiving....

Really enjoyed watching your team last year as well.  Oh, that's right MARIANNA got their FIRST win in 3 years against you guys - too bad they are moving to 3A.  Heck they my not even play fb anymore now that the state has taken them over, but what a way to go out!

[cuckoobird]

Yeah, rose's team has NEVER played football over thanksgiving....

Really enjoyed watching your team last year as well.  Oh, that's right MARIANNA got their FIRST win in 3 years against you guys - too bad they are moving to 3A.  Heck they my not even play fb anymore now that the state has taken them over, but what a way to go out!

We still beat Clinton

[BrianfromCarlisle]

Feeling the love.  I missed you at the regional game B.  I made it for last inning.  Talked to Butch.

[Jacketman65]

Yeah, rose's team has NEVER played football over thanksgiving....

Really enjoyed watching your team last year as well.  Oh, that's right MARIANNA got their FIRST win in 3 years against you guys - too bad they are moving to 3A.  Heck they my not even play fb anymore now that the state has taken them over, but what a way to go out!

We still beat Clinton

Go find a coach that will stay more than 2 days and then run your yap!

[cuckoobird]

I was there brian and even stayed for the girls game.

@jacketman. When clinton beats stuttgart you can run yours, until then, zip it little girl

[Jacketman65]

Such a sad person.

[Lions84]

Wow boys get that mess back up on the 3A board.  This discussion is all about the greatest Decade of Football for the Delta 

[cuckoobird]

Wow boys get that mess back up on the 3A board.  This discussion is all about the greatest Decade of Football for the Delta

Sorry about Rose, she can't help herself

[Jimbo Morphis]

Wow boys get that mess back up on the 3A board.  This discussion is all about the greatest Decade of Football for the Delta

4A

[Lions84]

Wow boys get that mess back up on the 3A board.  This discussion is all about the greatest Decade of Football for the Delta

4A

Thanks Old man from McGee!

[cuckoobird]

Wow boys get that mess back up on the 3A board.  This discussion is all about the greatest Decade of Football for the Delta

4A

Thanks Old man from McGee!

yeah, he's in the lowly 3a....

[Jacketman65]

Hey, you guys over here in 3A got any extra coaches? Cuck and his girls are having a hard time finding one!

[Jacketman65]

Does anyone remember the Green Machine from back in the day?  Don't remember all of the players, but they had some good ones. Sadly one passed just recently.

[Lions84]

Does anyone remember the Green Machine from back in the day?  Don't remember all of the players, but they had some good ones. Sadly one passed just recently.

Not that well where were they from???

[Jacketman65]

Actually this was in the 70's, not the 80's and their colors were green and white.

[Lions84]

DA!

[cuckoobird]

DA!

Oh he's assuredly one of those.........

[BrianfromCarlisle]

LOL!!!!!!  that was good sir!

[Jacketman65]

DA!

Yes Lions, it was Des Arc, they had perhaps one of the best Qb's around at the time.  Sad to say but he recently passed away.  A great person, if not mistaken, I think that he moved to Lonoke and had a son that was a pretty good football player as well!

[Lions84]

DA had some tough teams in the 1960-mid 1970's.   

[Lions84]

No organized Summer workouts.   Good Lard now days they have mandatory Summer workouts and 7 on 7 , When we were playing the HG QB would call up his WR and they would get together on their own and work on passing. 

[Jacketman65]

Back then the coaches didn't want to see you until 2 a days. They had their own lives so to speak, sometimes I think that these coaches today have no life.  Back then kids could be kids and now football is part of their education.  We had the summers off until it was time to get into shape for football, usually after the 4th of July.

[Lions84]

Back then the coaches didn't want to see you until 2 a days. They had their own lives so to speak, sometimes I think that these coaches today have no life.  Back then kids could be kids and now football is part of their education.  We had the summers off until it was time to get into shape for football, usually after the 4th of July.

We got what we called our Famous Summer Letter. 
1. Curfew no FB players out after midnight weeknights and 2am on weekends,
2. Don't Drink Dip or Smoke.
3. Eat Right and Get plenty of Sleep.
4. Field House is open from 7 am to 10pm if you don't have weights at home come up and work out.
5. Exercise a little through out the summer ! Don't wait to Aug 1st to try and get in shape.

To be ready for 2 days you need to do the following every day
25 push ups 4 count
25 sit ups 4 count
25 jumping jacks 4 count
10 40 yard dashes
5 100 yard dashes
2 mile run.

[Lions84]

Back to Food I remember eating at DQ and Taste Frezzes over the years on road games.

[bearbacker52]

where was delta high school at, i barely remember it?

[cuckoobird]

Between watson and mcgehee

[Lions84]

Cool little town.

[Lions84]

When I drive through the Delta it saddens me how much of it has declined. So many towns that were Rocking in the 1980's look so dead today. The fun we had the friends we made and the sweet memories of the Wins and the Bitter memories of our defeats.
God Bless Our Memories of the 1980's and Delta Football.

[WonderWartHawg]

When I drive through the Delta it saddens me how much of it has declined. So many towns that were Rocking in the 1980's look so dead today. The fun we had the friends we made and the sweet memories of the Wins and the Bitter memories of our defeats.
God Bless Our Memories of the 1980's and Delta Football.

The 'progress' in farming probably had a lot to do with it, more and more mechanization, needing less and less workers.  Not many other jobs that weren't or aren't farm related.  Bigger farms, less farmers.  Corporate farms.  It all boils down to people will live where they can work and make a semi-decent living.  Once thriving little 'farm communities' like Altheimer, Grady, Dermott etc. are a shell of what they once were.

Fortunately, my little hometown (Rison) wasn't and isn't dependent on farming.  Even there though, the small farmer is about gone.

[cuckoobird]

I hate Rison being an old Gillett man!

[WonderWartHawg]

I hate Rison being an old Gillett man!

I understand. 
But I was always very impressed with the Gillett program.
Yes, it was a smaller school, and usually less players than Rison.
Usually less speed as well.
But they played hard, and played well.  Always put up a good fight, best I recall.
The town turned out, the field was very well kept I thought.
It was the epitome of small town south Arkansas football.

[loyal fan]

BTW this is a great topic

[cuckoobird]

Well i dont hate rison anymore but back in school I couldnt say the same. I didnt like playing there and it had nothing to do with the field, it was always in perfect condition. It was those darn hedge dwellers that could be intimidating. Lol