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1954 Bucks fall to Sweetwater 18-14

Wed, 10/24/2018 - 12:00 am

Historically Speaking

The Breckenridge Buckaroos were all set to face the Sweetwater Mustangs on the road in November of 1954. There was a bus that hauled Buckaroo fans to the game and a group that flew over.

It was reported there were five Mustangs out with injuries and were questionable to play in the Bucks game. Of course, that could just have been a coaches strategy to spread a rumor before the game to try and catch the Bucks off guard.

The only Buckaroo that was questionable was Jerry Cramer, the left tackle, who was suffering from severe lime burns from the Synder game.

I received an email from Jesse Chaney, who was a 6’ 2” left guard, at 155 pounds for the 1954 Bucks team.

He said they stopped to eat after the game at a local restaurant there in Sweetwater and the quarterback from the Plainview team strolled up to them and wanted to talk to Jake Sandefer (LHB), Clyde Harris (RHB) and Bennett Watts (QB) particularly to tell them how impressed he was with their play when they faced Plainview earlier in the season, which Breckenridge won 35-7. Chaney didn’t want anyone to forget the contributions made by the rest of the line, with Jerry Payne (C), James Jones (RG) and Chaney (LG), “who had to plow openings for the fast Buckaroo backs to go through and score,” Chaney said.

Chaney said he went in the Army after high school and then to Wichita Falls after that for 26 years. Chaney said he ran into Coach Joe Golding, who coached at Wichita Falls in 1954, during the winning Buckaroo era, and was asked, “what was his worst time as a coach? and Coach Golding said, “only the Buckaroos, as they were always a thorn

in my side.”

I know several of you Buckaroos follow this column from this era of 1954 and appreciate your input anytime you can add some flavor to the game.

The game between the Bucks and the Sweetwater Mustangs was played before an estimated crowd of 5,000 fans, with more than 2,000 from Breckenridge.

The Mustangs scored first, in the first quarter but did not make the conversion, making the score 6-0. The Bucks answered back when they took the kick-off and drove 72 yards in nine plays. The Bucks were on the Mustang 39-yard-line and needed four yards for a first down. Watts pitched out to Harris and the speedy back circled his left end (Tommy Beasley), picked up a nice block from Jerry Cramer (LT) and cut down the sidelines untouched for pay dirt and six points. John Cotten booted the extra point and the Bucks led 7-6.

With only 1:30 left in the second quarter, Watts heaved a 54-yard pass to Beasley, who was on the Sweetwater 25-yard-line. He caught it and sped toward the goal line for another Bucks touchdown. This time Harris kicked the extra point and at the half, the Bucks led 14-6. That was all the Bucks scored as the second half was a standoff until the Mustangs busted out.

The Mustangs received the kick-off for the second half to begin and got back to their own 36. The Mustangs drove the rest of the way in 11 plays and scored their second TD, but again no extra point. The score was now 14-12, still in favor of the Bucks.

The Bucks came back with their own drive led by Watts, Sandefer and Harris and moved the ball to the Mustang’s 3-yard line, where the ball was knocked out of Watts’ grip and recovered by the Mustang defender. Instead of the Bucks going ahead 21-12, the Mustangs mounted their own 97-yard drive and the got the go-ahead touchdown.

The Mustangs led 14-18 and the Buckaroos took the loss. The Bucks only had 169 yards rushing, which included 59 yards in seven carries by Harris, 49 yards in eight carries by Dick Carpenter (FB), 34 yards in nine carries by Watts and 28 yards in eight carries by Sandefer. The Mustangs had completely shut-out the Bucks in the second half. The Bucks had acquired all 14 of their points in the first half and Sweetwater scored in the first, third and fourth quarters.

Now there was a tie for first place in District 3A-1, between Big Spring and Breckenridge. The last game of the regular season was on Thanksgiving Day in Buckaroo Stadium against Vernon, before an estimated crowd of 7,000.

Despite their shortfall in the Sweetwater game, the Bucks had several players leading in several categories for All-District honors.

Dick Carpenter was in second place with 600 yards rushing for the season in district games, right behind Frosty Robison of Big Spring, who had 634 yards. Sandefer was third with 509 total yards rushing and Harris was tenth with 331 yards. Harris was ranked first for extra point conversions with 34 of 36.

First on the agenda however, was the last district game with Vernon prior to any top honors handed out.

Jean Hayworth can be contacted at: news@breckenridgeamerican.com or at the B.A. offices at 114 East Elm St.