1955 Bucks lose to 4A Wichita Falls Coyotes, beat Brownwood Lions

Historically Speaking

The Breckenridge Buckaroos had beaten 4A Wichita Falls in the previous championship year but the inexperienced 1955 Bucks couldn’t pull it off.

The Bucks had a few players questionable due to injury. The main concern was the injured finger of quarterback Bennett Watts and how he would be able to pass. For the first time, Bellard had Bobby Goswick listed as a possible substitute for Watts at quarterback, dependent on the throwing ability with Watts’ injured finger. Sportswriter Bill Creagh for the

Breckenridge American

at that time, supported the Bucks despite the the fact that most other sportswriters were backing the Wichita Falls Coyotes by two touchdowns. Creagh, a passionate support of the Bucks, said it depended on the defensive line and Watts as the field general for the Bucks offense. Watts was forced to use his other hand for handoffs, which proved to be awkward at times. As for Goswick, he had smoothed out his ball handling a great deal while working with the varsity that past two weeks. The only thing that Bellard questioned was how Goswick would perform under pressure, which in the past affected his passing accuracy.

Joe Bob Jackson (RE), was still nursing a troublesome knee but declared he was ready to play. Ronnie Payne, at linebacker on defense, who was the younger brother of Jerry Payne (LE), might get a nod from Bellard to sub in for Jackson on defense.

As it turned out, the Coyotes beat the Bucks 20-6. They scored on the Bucks in the first, second and third quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Witchita Falls Coyotes were caught slugging Tony Andress, a Buck linebacker on defense, and the Coyotes were penalized 15 yards, which stopped a drive in that quarter.

Meanwhile, the Breckenridge Junior High team defeated Cisco 26-0, with some notable future Buckaroos in the scoring column. Jimmy Wright scored the first touchdown for the Bucks, with an 80-yard run. Jerry Gibson scored the second touchdown on a 25-yard run and scored the fourth TD with a 20-yard run. The third TD was made by Dickie Rogers, who ran over the middle to score his TD. Coaches Dan La-Grasta and Russel Mc-Murray commended the defensive players Ronnie Martin, the middle linebacker, Travis Gandy at safety and George Roan at tackle.

All of these players would play prominent rolls in the 1958 championship team, fourth in the decade of the 1950s and a co-championship with Cleburne in 1959. That made four state championships outright and a share of a fifth during the decade of 1950-1959.

Also, J.B. Brannan had devised what he called, the “Buck-O-Gram,” which tracked the key runs and TDs for the Bucks and the opponent in a horizontal diagram that also included the names of who made the gains as well. It appeared in the Breckenridge American on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 1955, an interesting approach to tracking the game in a simplified diagram.

Next on the agenda for the Bucks was an old rivalry of 28 years with the Brownwood Lions, which had been a lopsided string of victories for the Bucks and only two victories for the Lions, during the series.

This year, however, the Lions had high hopes of defeating the Bucks, with the Lions coming off two big victories over Stephenville and Coleman. The Lions ran from a maze of different offensive formations that included the T, Wing-T, Double-T, Single and Double Wing and a spread. They had four good backs, two good ends and a passionate quarterback. Additionally, there had been a 13-year drought for the Lions and they thought this was their year to win and break the series of losses to the Bucks.

The Lions must have missed consulting with the Bucks, since they had no intention of being a team that lost to the Lions. The Bucks’ first series began on their own 47. Watts led the Bucks down to the Lions’ 15 and then handed off to Buddy Hamilton (RHB), who took it in over the left side for the first touchdown for the Bucks.

His extra point attempt was partially blocked however, the Bucks led 6-0. The second Buck TD came from a 53 yard pass to Jerry Payne (LE), who took the ball to the Lions’ 35. Bill Taylor (FB) took a Watts’ hand-off for 33 yards over the left side for the TD. Hamilton had a successful kick and the Bucks led 13-0. The Bucks recovered their own punt when the ball hit the foot of a Lion receiver, and Joe Bob Jackson, a defensive linemen and linebacker, recovered the ball. On the next play, Watts passed to Jackson, who ran for 46 yards and another TD for the Bucks. The Hamilton kick was no good and at the half, the Bucks led 19-0.

The second half continued with a comedy of errors for the Brownwood Lions. They took the kick-off and through a string of penalties and yards lost, the Lions were forced back to their own 3. The Lion punt was blocked by Payne, and Joe Fonville (LG) fell on the ball in the end zone for another Buckaroo TD. Watts kicked the extra point this time, which was good and the Bucks led 26-0, barely into the 3rd quarter.

Brownwood fought back with long drives but repeatedly lost the ball (five times), which the Buck defenders took advantage of and turned three into touchdowns.

The Lions took the kick-off and through driving plunges through the usually resistant line, moved the ball to the Bucks 5, where they fumbled the ball, recovered by the Bucks on the 11. Then the Lions recovered a Bucks’ fumble on the 1. Hamilton got trapped in his own end zone and the Lions got a safety. Now it was 26-2.

On the next Lions’ series, they managed to get to the Buckaroo 25 and then score their lone TD on the night with a pass, when Watts fell down on the slippery field and left a receiver open. The Lion kick was good and the score was now 26-9, which was the final score for the game.

The Bucks had a Payne TD called back and had an unusual 99 yards lost due to penalties, which would have made the score 38-9.