Delta Football in the 1980's

[Lions84]

Worst place to play  is a tie for me.  Wheatley had a Katie cornered field that was out about 4 feet and had a dark corner of one end zone.  Cotton Plant had the worse field since they literally planted and harvested cotton off the field for the school.

Best places to play  1. England 2. Brinkley.  Nice fields and Well light and good concessions.

Worst Road Trip  Elaine we called it going to the end of the Earth.

Place we never won  Barton I played JR and HS 11-12 only and I never was on a Team that beat Barton.
Best win streak our 3 peat over Brinkley matching my Dads Class of 1962 who did the same thing.

Worse line materiel was Lime if you got it your eye it burned like fire.

So Share some of your memories of playing in the Delta in the 1980's.

[MomaLion]

I remember going to Elaine and Cotton Plant lol.  Which one bordered a cemetery? That was kind of creepy as a kid lol. I graduated in 91 and remember beating Barton although not very often...my Sr year we played at Barton and the police had to make sure everyone got out ok(not so much for our safety but theirs lol because the game was so poorly called) I also remember having to be escorted out of Brinkley when we played there because they rocked our buses...always a big rivalry between us.

[LCC]

We played at Altheimer my Junior year and a cop car led the team onto the field. They literally drove the car onto the field with the sirens on. Elaine was a terrible drive, as said. Lake Village was bad. It was the first time I had seen fire ants...and they were in everyone's shoulder pads after we put them on the sideline at halftime.

[jbtiger73]

Aaaaah, Fire ants... a south Arkansas tradition for decades.

[Big Country]

Anyone remember Luxora ?? extra points were kicked into a grave yard at one end of the field.

[Lions84]

Altheimer  they busted out the windows on our bus when I was in the 10th grade and about 8 guys got real sick with colds and such.   The parking lots there were Gravel and those Jr. High and Elementary School kids had some arms.
When we beat them in 82 for the 6AA District Title their Coach was Drunk.  And we had all the city cops and 8 Monroe County Deputies with our beloved Sheriff Dog  Heck.   They packed the Visitor side and almost rioted when we beat them.

Elaine had the Cemetery by the Field

[Lions84]

Anybody remember Stick-um.  It was a green gell you sprayed on your arms and hands to help you catch the ball.

Helmets all we had were Riddell and Bike,  I loved my Riddell it was always the coolest helmets we had.  Bikes were heavy and hot to me.

I remember the ball boys having to wash the footballs with Saddle Soap on Saturday morning and treat them with Mink Oil cause Stickum was sticky! 

[jbtiger73]

they still have saddle soap I believe

[big E]

84 no graveyard at Elaine boardered on south by home field house on the north by ditch and neighborhood and old gym where visitors dressed boarderd the east end and the west end was the practice field and bus pen.

[Lions84]

84 no graveyard at Elaine boardered on south by home field house on the north by ditch and neighborhood and old gym where visitors dressed boarderd the east end and the west end was the practice field and bus pen.

Then who has the grave yard behind the end zone?   

[Lions84]

they still have saddle soap I believe

You can still buy Saddle Soap and Mink Oil boot dressing at either Academy or Wal-Mart.

[cav2012]

84 no graveyard at Elaine boardered on south by home field house on the north by ditch and neighborhood and old gym where visitors dressed boarderd the east end and the west end was the practice field and bus pen.

Then who has the grave yard behind the end zone?

des arc has a grave yard. But that's on visitor sides

[big E]

Cotton plant and des arc both had them.

[big E]

I remember Holy grove being real dark.

[Lions84]

I remember Holy grove being real dark.

They replaced the bulbs in 1982 but they stopped having football in 1985 . Sad to see the Grove like Gillette lose their football teams and their schools.

[big E]

I was in the 8th grade the last time we played the grove in 85.

[Lions84]

LOL I was in my 2nd year at Phillips County Community College. I probably scouted you then. Coach Gray knew I was looking at going into coaching and they asked me to Scout JR High for them Fall 84 and 85.

[MomaLion]

I was in the 8th grade the last time we played the grove in 85.

I was also about that age then and remember well going to the Holly Grove games 

[loyal fan]

Great thread!

[Lions84]

Worse place for Bugs  Hands down was Elaine.
Hardest field  Wheatley their field was like Astro tuff over Cement.

[Lions84]

Naughty Cheerleaders is tie between Altheimer and Cotton Plant.  Both had cheerleaders who did not wear bloomers or underwear.   So if you were watching when they did a split jump you got an eyeful.  Both Squads wore shorter than normal cheer skirts too boot.

[big E]

I knew there was something I liked about those places.

[big E]

84 remember the cracks in Elaines field I swear we lost a ball in that cracked gumbo.

[Lions84]

84 remember the cracks in Elaines field I swear we lost a ball in that cracked gumbo.

I was down there in 1980 before the Season with Dad remodeling a kitchen down there and there were cracks you could throw a baby or a cat in.   They were always closed up for us because we got Elaine the 8-10th game of the year and it was Nov and the rain had swelled the black gumbo back up!

Yep Big E the Red Devils over at Altheimer had some pretty and naughty Cheerleaders.   We meet a few over in SugarTown  over at the Pawn shop parking lot.

[Lions84]

After game Cruising.  The Lions Den would stay open late for the players and fans to eat after the game then we would cruise up in down main street blowing our horns and shouting.   One year after beating Brinkley about 20 of us when and cruised up and down Brinkley till the City cops stopped us and told us to go home.

[scrapper85]

Anyone remember playing at DeValls Bluff ?

[Lions84]

Anyone remember playing at DeValls Bluff ?

They forfeited our game with them in 83 so I never played on that field but I saw the game there in 84. Sad to drive though there and see the school closed.

[Dayton Kitchens]

Worse place for Bugs  Hands down was Elaine.
Hardest field  Wheatley their field was like Astro tuff over Cement.

No way.   Dermott for bugs.   Season opener between Norphlet and Dermott in 2005 I was spotting from a platform on the visitor side alongside our radio man.   HUGE insects of some kind were attacking everyone!!   I was talking through the headset and hacking away with my clipboard like crazy.   Radio broadcasters finally in the middle of the game exclaimed

"What are these things!!???"

Five years later I came with Strong to Dermott.   Andy Werb warned us at the Junior High game the night before to "bring some OFF".   I picked up two cans.   Though it was over 80 degrees with a light rain falling,  I wore long sleeves and gloves and rubbed OFF on my neck and face to ward off mosquitoes.   Mosquitoes were so thick that I had to hose down every bit of exposed skin on my players and then use the rest on the cheerleaders.    Players would come to the sideline begging for more OFF because any time any was rubbed off mosquitoes were on any exposed skin in a heartbeat.

[BigLion10]

I know Barton has mosquitos the size of black birds over there

[Lions84]

Barton was bad some years! At Clarendon the Bug Truck would drive around the Field on Friday Morning and again a hour before the Game.

[big E]

All the bug truck did was make them mad.

[Lions84]

All the bug truck did was make them mad.

Naw at Clarendon they used some stuff that killed them! maybe that is why so many folks in town got Cancer the past 15 years.

[big E]

Could be that might explain why the guy that carries the chains has a blue tint.

[Lions84]

Could be that might explain why the guy that carries the chains has a blue tint.

Yep he won't need embalming for sure.

[Lions84]

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

[jbtiger73]

our starting center's dad works for the city of Brinkley. and he has the truck going around the track, and spraying. he really riles them up too when he does that.

[Lions84]

our starting center's dad works for the city of Brinkley. and he has the truck going around the track, and spraying. he really riles them up too when he does that.

That is right because the Fed stopped letting them use Malathion

[Lions84]

NO AC in the Field house except for the Coachs Office.   We had an Attic Fan that had a 2x12 frame around it with 3 inch rubber castors so we propped open both doors to the field house and had it blowing out one and drawing in through the other.  Some times we would be allowed to have it blow in and we placed a old tub of ice in front of it.

[loyal fan]

NO AC in the Field house except for the Coachs Office.   We had an Attic Fan that had a 2x12 frame around it with 3 inch rubber castors so we propped open both doors to the field house and had it blowing out one and drawing in through the other.  Some times we would be allowed to have it blow in and we placed a old tub of ice in front of it.

Good times!  Players now are spoiled with new field houses!

[jbtiger73]

and field turf, or nice Bermuda grass. that's kept neatly trimmed and soft. lol. I was just telling the guys at Brinkley that this past season about how lucky they are to have those advantages. also jerseys that go down past their belly and cuff under the sleeve. my sr. year in 2000, was the first season that we had those type of uniforms. even the basketball unis look like someone painted them on, they're so fitted now.

[Lions84]

and field turf, or nice Bermuda grass. that's kept neatly trimmed and soft. lol. I was just telling the guys at Brinkley that this past season about how lucky they are to have those advantages. also jerseys that go down past their belly and cuff under the sleeve. my sr. year in 2000, was the first season that we had those type of uniforms. even the basketball unis look like someone painted them on, they're so fitted now.

Clarendon always had good grass,  We helped water it during the summer to get on Coach Mike Grays good side.  We were using Irrigation pipe with those  big brass sprayer heads mounted on 4 foot long 1 inch pipe.  Our Jerseys were Long unless your a RB then they were cut at the waist.

[LCC]

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

Ahhhh man...it's Gillett. It doesn't have an "e" at the end. We take offense to that.

[Lions84]

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

Ahhhh man...it's Gillett. It doesn't have an "e" at the end. We take offense to that.

Fixed that for ya the Spell check auto corrected it to the Razor company.

[big E]

Ahh gillett the best coon super a man can get.

[HorseFeathers]

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

Ahhhh man...it's Gillett. It doesn't have an "e" at the end. We take offense to that.

When they still had football that was the first thing their posters would jump on you about....

[Lions84]

Ahh gillett the best coon super a man can get.

Drove through there last year and it was so sad to see the school and so many places closed.  The State is screwing up closing these rural town schools!

[LCC]

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.

[Lions84]

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.

Last game I attended at Gillett was in the late 80's or early 90's when the Wolves hosted Barton in the playoffs.

[LCC]

I can tell ya how that turned out...

[big E]

Not good for the wolves.