Photo -Ellis ChristianA photo of the Bearcat football team at some point in time. This was the old football field on the school grounds. You can see the "Visitors" goalpost in the background near the highway (old US45). During a game, when a point-after or field goal was attempted, someone would run into the highway and stop traffic until the kick was completed, recover the ball, and throw it back over the fence. One night Bernis Tapp stopped a large truck which evidently irritated the driver. Just before the kicker got to the ball, the trucker blew a long blast on the air horns and the poor guy missed the ball completely. I don't recall if the OK was given to repeat the kick or not.
Another story of this location is the drainage ditch tunnel that ran under the football field, baseball field, and part of the yard of Mr. Baker's house. It started at the back of Roy Strickland's house (near the home bleachers) and ended at the back of the Frank Norman home. An initiation for something (The Purple Raiders?) required a trip through the tunnel without a light. That seemed an eternity for first-timers. They were put into the tunnel first and pushed through. I believe that was the first time I ever got heart palpitations and a blood pressure rise. It was pitch black dark in the middle.
How many of the players can you identify? At least nine of them were at the reunion Friday night dinner in 2007.
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What ever happened to Holly Dean Gardner and Stanley Hendrix? I thought I saw Holly Dean's name on a mailbox somewhere a couple of years ago Maybe on highway 30.
One time, a group was waiting in the tunnell and grabbed a guy when he bumped into them. I don't know who it was, but Ill bet he remembers that!
Who is the guy at upper left (back row). He looks familiar but can't place him or come up with a name.
TMG
I believe that's Mickey Yarbrough
MC
Who were the Purple Raiders? I have heard that name and it's in the back of my mind.
Lots of excellent football games were played on that field.
Maybe the Purple Raiders were from New Albany or Saltillo. I know the Booneville team was the Blue Devils.
I yelled bad things at Booneville too many times to forget them.
rebecca
The Purple Raiders was not a ball team, but a close-knit fraternity of friends that went to BHS.
Kenneth,
I know that Stanley Hendrix worked a lot of years for Blue Bell Companies, mostly in Tupelo I believe, and is now living in Tupelo. I heard he was at the visitation for Douglas White a couple years ago. I haven't heard of Hollie Dean for a long time but will ask my brother Jimmy about him.
Joe Cunningham
Joe Cunningham
Joe, I had not heard about Douglas White. Hate to hear that he is gone.
We should get a list and keep it updated and let all the folks know who has gone on over time. That would be a way of honoring them.
Whatta ya'll think?
Someone has a list, it was read at the reunion.
Here is response from Jimmy about Hollie Dean.
Hollie Dean died about 4 years ago. His wife, Martha, still lives in the same house on Latimer Park. She has not remarried. Do you know who had the reunion list?
Joe C.
Thanks for the info, Joe. I knew Holly Dean a little. I recognized him in the photo.
I will try to find out who has the current list and see if the idea of publishing it is feasible.
BALDWYN - Hollie Dean Gardner, 60, died suddenly Friday, March 3, 2000, at his residence. He was a used car dealer in Baldwyn. He was a Mason and a member of First United Methodist Church.
Services will be at 3:30 p.m. today al Waters Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Denise Earls and Bro. W. T. Dexter officiating. Burial will be in Prentiss Memorial Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Martha Gardner of Baldwyn; two sons, Marty Gardner and his wife, Stephanie, and Cary Gardner, all of Baldwyn; one brother, Danny Gardner of Booneville; one grandchild, Lindsey Gardner, his mother-in-law. Hazel Roberts; two nephews, two nieces.
Pallbearers will be Danny Comer, Brooks Barnes, Bobby Buse, Johnny Miller, Charles Weatherford and Larry Maxwell.
Honorary pallbearers will be D. C. Foster, Johnny Devaughn, Jim Maxey and E. C. Crabb.
JERICHO - Douglas Boyd "Doug" White, 63, died Wednesday, June 15, 2005, at his home in the Jericho community. He was a retired employee of the North Mississippi Medical Center's Kidney Dialysis Unit. He was a retired dairy farmer and operator of White Milling Co. He was a member of Jericho Baptist Church, where he was a past deacon, Sunday School teacher and R.A. leader. He enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Waters Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Jimmy Russell, Bro. Andy Russell and Bro. Marvin Robbins officiating. Burial will be in the Jericho Cemetery.
Survivors include two sons, Craig White and wife, Mollie, of Jericho, and Curt White and wife, Heather, of Ellistown; two brothers, James White and wife, Sara Ann, of Tupelo and Gerald White and wife, Janice, of Jericho; two grandchildren, Kaelin White and Hannah White.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Boyd and Mary Ella White.
Pallbearers will be Kevin White, Richard White, Jeff White, John White, Jim White and Marty Wiggington.
Honorary pallbearers will be Dwight Hall and Robert Davis.
Obituaries from The Daily Journal
MC
1953 "Pee Wee" Football Team
1st row: Joe Cunningham, Arch Young, Grover Thomas, Dean Rutherford, Wyatt Weatherford. Doug White, David Gentry 2nd row: Joe Davis, Billy Greene, Ellis Christian, Bobby Corbett, Harold Grissom, Bobby McCarley, Tom Shellnut 3rd row: Mickey Yarbrough, Charles Weatherford, Charles Mathis, Melvin Duke,Hollie Gardner, Stanley Hendrix
Billy "Turtle" Green. Not so fast but it felt like running into a marble statue on the snap...
In the 3rd row, I had decided that the 2nd and 3rd guys were Paul Haynes and Red Nelson.
I don't remember Charles Mathis, but I didn't think that was him.
But, I may be wrong.
G
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