My Earliest Memories
| My earliest memories as a child was not going to visit Santa Claus. It
was dressing up in a Manual football uniform with horns painted on my
helmet by my father John 62.' The first game I remember was the 1969
Thanksgiving
Day game against Male at the Fairgrounds. Manual won 20-6. I can still
picture the fans running over on the field to celebrate. From that point
on I was convinced there was no other team in the world I wanted to
play on.
I have sat in the stands in Manual Stadium as a child,on the bench as a
player, in the stands as an enthusiastic fan, and a proud parent of a
Cheerleader daughter
Tami 01 and her little sister Tiffani 07.
My enthusiasm for football corrupted a early childhood friend Tim Roller
who would have had normal childhood if not for my conning the kids in
my neighborhood to play football. I drug him to Manual games as a kid.
After he graduated from PRP in 84 he was curious as to why I was still
supporting the big red in a time when the wins on the field where few
and far in between. After the Buddy Pfaadt era ended in 1981 and the
school became a Magnet school in 1984, it seemed the good days were gone
forever. The 1985 season ended with an 0-10 record. It started many
freshman and although they did not win a single game, they played with
passion and courage.
At this time there were few fans in the
stands besides parents. There were some guys I had recognized over the
years who like me sat through every game home and away, rain or shine.
Don Heavrin, George Secrest, Mike Jutz, John Wright, John Warren, David
R.Wright. Yes there are two David Wrights. It was during this winless
season that we began to congregate and talk of better days of past and
the hope that one day Manual would become a powerhouse again. It was
during this season that the “Old Goats were born. That bunch of
freshmen in 1985 that went 0-10 finished 10-0 in the 1988 regular season
thrashing an undefeated Male team 28-0 at Cardinal Stadium.They
finished the season as State Runner-up 13-1.
The next season Manual fell to 1-9 even losing to Atherton 19-14.
Manual would not have a winning season again until 1992.
When Jerry Mayes was hired in 1995 he took over a program in
that many believed could never compete with Male and St. X
ever again. The Old Goats believed. He rebuilt the program the right
way, bringing in a tremendous cast of assistants. I have met many of the
kids in the program
when my oldest daughter was a student. They are all great kids,
many winning scholarships at such schools as Northwestern, Harvard,
etc.
Since Dr. Keepers has taken over in 1991,we have the resurgence
of the Alumni Association, The Hall of Fame and an academic
reputation
second to none in the State of Kentucky. Since Joe Nichols became
the head coach in 2001we have seen the program continue to improve. His
first team went 9-2 beating Male 20-13. What a night to remember ! Our
first win against our
Old Rival since 1988. How many programs out there can say they
have defeated Male and Trinity and pushed St. X to the wall the last
10 years ? We now have a very talented team that entertains every
week no matter who we play. The anticipation builds every week
during the seasons of what good things may come.
We have a tremendous academic program and all the athletic teams
are very competitive, especially my beloved football team.
All the alumni and friends of the school since 1892 should be
very proud.
Now BEAT MALE ! |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment