Winnfield Tiger Football

All Century Poll Results (1909 to 1999)

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Winnfield Tiger Football All-Century Poll Results

 

     In the fall of 2000 the Winnfield Tiger Football All-Century Poll was conducted, with a Modern-Day team and a First-Fifty Year (1909 - 1958) team selected, as well as a slate of all-time coaches, teams, wins and losses.  How do you select an All-Winnfield Tiger team from 91 years of football?  How do you compare the single-wing backs of the >20s and >30s to modern day backs?  How do you compare two-way linemen from the >30, >40s and 50's to the offensive and defensive specialist of the >70s, >80s and >90s?  How do you compare the 1919 team with the 1961 team and the 1971 team with the 1982 team?    

     Such comparisons are difficult and full of imperfections.  Realizing that, the main objective of the poll was to recognize the great players, coaches, teams and games in Tiger football history.  Several measures were used to be as inclusive as possible. One method was to offer two all-time teams - a modern-day team (1959 to 1999) and a First Fifty-Year team (1909-1958).  Nominees listed on the poll ballot included any player who was selected as a first team All-District player or other post season honor.  Space for write-in candidates was also made available.  Nominees for coaches included every coach and a slate of some twenty teams, key wins and losses was offered. Participants were allowed to vote for a range of from two to as many as many as five selections in every offensive and defensive position, and for 3 coaches, 3 allBtime teams and six games - 3 wins and 3 losses.

      Another method selected to insure inclusiveness was to arrange for two groups of voters to complete the ballot, with one being fans at large and the other being a so-called AExpert Panel@.  The Expert Panel for the First Fifty Year team included the following individuals: Dennis Shell, Dudley Shell, Denton Shell, Conrad Swilley, Pete Varnell, Tracy Lee Harrell and John Glyn Jackson.  For the modern-day team, the Expert Panel consisted of Tommy Bankston, Hershel Machen, Joe Dosher, Jerry Bamburgh, Bill Stewart, Mike Tinnerello, Gregg Davies, Eddie Jenkins and Thomas Straughan. 

     In the final poll results, 208 players received votes from the modern-day ballots alone, with an additional 118 players from the pre-1959 period receiving votes.  A total of 14 coaches, 12 teams and 26 games received votes.  This section provides a narrative description of players, coach, team and games who were selected first all-time.  After the narrative section is a summary of the first, second and third place vote getters, as well as an honorable mention section which list every other player, coach, team or game who received votes. In the honorable mention section those vote getters are listed in rank order.

 

MODERN-DAY OFFENSIVE TEAM

      

     The modern day offensive team is composed of 14 players from 10 different Tiger teams (senior season of player).  There are only two teams that have multiple players represented on the all-time offensive team, those being from the 1961 and 1971 teams who have three players a piece.  Almost two-thirds of the offensive players hail from the 1960's (4) or 1970's (5), with just over one-third coming from the 1980's (2) or 1990's (3)

      The quarterback of the offense is Thomas King (1981-1983).  In King=s 25 games as a starting quarterback the Tigers compiled a 22-3 record.  He helped guide those teams to two district titles and the 1982 Class AA state title.  King was a model quarterback for the veer offense in that he was both a threat as a runner and as a passer. He is the leading rusher among quarterbacks at the school, having gained just over 600 yards rushing at that position.  King threw for 1,831 yards and rushed for 16 touchdowns, as well as threw 16 touchdowns.  Among his rushing touchdowns was a 76-yard scoring run against John Curtis in the 1982 state title game, which is the longest scoring run by a quarterback in Tiger football history. King was a two-time All District selection at quarterback, and was selected as an All District defensive back his sophomore season.   

     Winnfield Tiger football has seen many good running backs, but the consensus picks for the top two slots by both fans and the Expert Panel was Anthony Thomas (1993-1996) and Nathan Johnson (1974-1976).  Thomas was the overall vote getter in the entire poll.  He holds virtually every rushing record at the school and has nearly double the career rushing yards (7,594) and rushing touchdowns (92) as his nearest competitor.  Thomas had three 2,000 yard rushing seasons and 20 games where he rushed for 200 or more yards.  His also holds the single rushing and scoring record at the school, that coming in the opening round of the 1995 playoffs when he rushed for 8 touchdowns (5 covering 60 or more  yards) in route to a 486 yard rushing night. Thomas was a three-time All District and All-State selection at running back.  Joining Thomas in the backfield is Nathan Johnson.  He had the highest single season rushing total (1,577) behind Thomas in the 20th century and was the leading scorer on the 1976 state finalist team.  Both were durable runners with the two combining for 5 of the 7 times a Tiger back has carried the ball 199 times or more in a season.

     The first tight end to be selected to an All-State team was picked by both the fans and the Expert Panel to be their representative on the All-Century team.  That player was Greg Wagoner (1969-1971) who holds the school record for single season and single game receptions by a tight end. His 9 receptions for 157 yards against Jonesboro-Hodge in 1971 were the second-highest single game receptions of any receiver.  For the season Wagoner had 38 receptions, with three of those going for touchdowns, including the game-winner in the 1971 semi-final contest against Hahnville.   At the wide receiver position the Expert Panel selected Benny Mitchell (1980-1982) as their top choice with Tommy Wyatt (1957-1959) and Freddie King (1997-2000) tying for second.  Mitchell is second on the career list for touchdowns by reception (15) and he has the second highest single season TD reception total (10).  Wyatt shattered the then school record of 5 TD receptions in a season by snaring 9 TD receptions in 1959.  Freddie King is the career leader in every major receiving category, including total reception yardage (2,165) and TD receptions (17).  Since this was an All-Century poll, those totals only reflect King’s number for his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons (1997 to 1999). The fans went with Wyatt as their first choice, but they picked Terry Joe Ramsey (1976-1978) as their second selection.  Ramsey holds the single season reception yardage record with 1,042 yds. in 1978 and is, in fact, the only Tiger receiver to ever gain over 1,000 yards with receptions.

      The bulk of the modern-day team=s linemen come from the 1961 team.  The first of those is Carroll Long (1958-1961) at center.  He earned All-District honors that year.  The Expert Panel chose Charles Poisso (1965-1967) as their center.  Poisso was the first center to be selected to an All-District team two years in a row. 

     Between the fans and Expert Panel, three players were selected to play guard.  One thing that both groups agree on is that Hal Hickey (1971-1973) should be one of those guards.  In the 20th century, there were more first team All-State players from the Tiger football program selected at the offensive guard position than any other position on the field.  Hickey was one of seven players given that honor.  He also was a two-time All-District selection.  One of the other guards to earn All-State honors was Don Jones (1958-1961), the second member of the 1961 line represented on the team.  He is the only offensive guard to be named to an All-District team for three years, being named to the second team his sophomore season and the first team his junior and senior seasons. Joining Hickey on the Expert Panel list is Al Simmons (1983-1986), who also earned All-State honors, as well as being named to two All-District teams. 

     The fans and Expert Panel were split on the tackle selections as well.  The only tackle to be picked by both the Expert Panel and the fans was David Garr (1993-1995).  He was the second choice of both groups.  Garr earned second team All-District honors as a sophomore and was a first team selection his junior and senior seasons. The top pick of the Expert Panel was Randy Strickland (1969-1971), who earned All-District honors at that position as a senior on the state runner-up 1971 team. The top vote getter at tackle on the fan side was Wayne McFarland (1958-1961), the third member of the great 1961 offensive line selected to the team.  McFarland was the first offensive tackle to ever be named as a first team all-district play three consecutive years.  McFarland was listed as honorable mention All-State his sophomore year and second-team All-State his senor year.

      The only two kick return specialists receiving votes from the Expert Panel and the top two choices of the fans were John Wayne Williams (1970-1971) and Freddie King (1997-2000).  In 1971, Williams had the most productive season a kick-returner has ever had at the school.  That year he returned five punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns. No other player has ever returned more than three kicks for a touchdown in a single season.  He is the school=s career leader in kick returns with six punt returns and two kickoff returns. Williams’s= five punt returns in 1971 set a national single season record.  Freddie King is the school's career leader in kickoff returns with four.  Only three players have ever returned more than one kickoff for a touchdown in a single season.  Freddie got 3 during the 1998 season, when he earned All-State honors as a kick returner.

    

MODERN DAY DEFENSIVE TEAM & KICKERS

 

     Compared to the other choices the fans and Expert Panelist had to make for their all-century selections, the defensive team and kickers were apparently the easiest choices.  That's because the fans and Expert Panelist agreed on the same selections at 11 of 13 positions and only selected 15 total players.  What made those selections all the more interesting is that those players came from only five different Tiger football teams. The 1971 and 1978 teams combined to place 9 players on the mythical squad, having four and five players represented respectively, while the 1966 and 1982 teams had two members of their defensive unit represented, followed by the 1969 and 1988 teams with one selection each.  Since the 1970's produced the strongest defensive units in Tiger football history it should not be surprising that 9 members of the top 13 defensive players and kickers selected played in that decade.  Ten of the thirteen players selected earned All-State honors at their respective positions.

     There was a split in the Expert Panel and the fan vote in the interior line.  Both groups of voters agreed on their top two selections though with Woody Grigg (1976-1978) and James "Shoehorn" Johnson (1970-1972) being the consensus picks.  Grigg is one of only four defensive linemen to ever earn All-State honors at that position and one of only three Tiger defensive linemen to ever earn All-District honors two consecutive years.  James Johnson carries the highest credentials of any defensive lineman.  He earned All-District and All-State honors his senior year and is one of three players on the modern-day defensive unit who was named Outstanding Defensive Player in the State in the respective class Winnfield was playing in at the time.  According to the fans, Jess Grigg (1980-1982), brother of Woody, belongs in that group.  Like his brother, he too earned first team All-District honors his junior and senior seasons, making that pair two of only four Tiger defensive linemen who have ever accomplished that feat.  The Expert Panel picked Tommy Campbell (1977-1979) as their third selection in the defensive line, giving the 1978 team two linemen from the Expert Panelist picks. Campbell earned all-District honors his senior year.

     There have only been three Tiger players selected to the All-State team at the defensive end position.  The only other position besides the interior linemen position where the Expert Panelist and fan split their vote on the defensive team was at the end slots.  But, all three selections to the position were players who had also been an All-State selection.  The top choice by both fans and the Expert panelist was James Hutchins (1969-1971), the first defensive end to earn first team All-District honors as a junior and senior.  He is one of four players from the 1971 defensive unit represented on the all-century team. The Expert Panel went with Gary Irvin (1981-1983) as their other defensive end.  He earned All-District and All-State honors his senior year. The fans went with Mike Spangler (1965-1967) as their second choice.  Spangler earned All-State honors as a junior, making him one of only three Tiger defensive players who earned All-State honors as an underclassman.        

     Two of the easiest picks on the defensive unit were Rickey Chatman (1976-1979) and Lionel Johnson (1970-1972), the number two and three overall vote getters in the entire poll.  Both were two-time All-State picks and both were named Outstanding Defensive Player in the State, Johnson his junior year and Chatman his senior year. Chatman was the first linebacker to earn All-District honors as a sophomore, while both earned All-District honors their junior and senior seasons.  Johnson holds the school record for tackles in a single season with over 160 tackles in 1971, an average of just over 11 per game.  The other unanimous pick at linebacker is Charles Poisso (1965-1967), the only player selected to both the offensive (center) and defensive unit. Poisso earned all-District honors at linebacker his senior season.

      Both the fans and Expert Panelist agree on the defensive backfield, which consists of Alan Carter (1969-1971), Jeffery Dale (1977-1980) and Cary Broudy (1986-1988).  All three earned All-State honors, with Dale being the fourth member of the defensive unit who was a two-time All-State selection. Likewise, each was a two-time first team All-District selection.  All three split time between the defensive and offensive sides of the ball throughout their career, with Carter being a quarterback and receiver, Broudy being a receiver and Dale being a quarterback and running back. 

     Winnfield Tiger football has had some excellent place kickers, but one stands head and shoulders above all the rest. That kicker is Tommy Latham (1978-1981) who holds every major kicking record at the school.  He first came on the scene as a freshman when his four field goals in overtime helped the Tigers defeat Haynesville.  That feat alone propelled him to the top of the career list for field goals. But, during his career he kicked 10 field goals, 40% of the total number of field goals kicked during the 20th century (25). Latham booted three field goals over 40 yards and has the four longest field goals in school history, with his 47-yarder against Ruston in 1979 being the school record. He also kicked 120 extra points, which is double the number of his nearest competitor. Latham's kicking percentage for PATs was over .850%.  He was a three-time all-district selection as a kicker.

     Only two Tiger punters have ever been named to an All-State team. The first was Robbie Richards (1967-1969).  He is the selection by both the fans and the Expert Panel.  He averaged over 40 yards per punt his senior year and was just as adept at angling a punt out of bounds as he was booming a long one.

  

FIRST FIFTY YEAR TEAM

 

      The All-Century poll also included those players who played during Winnfield Tiger football's first fifty years (1909 - 1958).  The so-called glory years of that era were the late 1910's and the entire 1920's.  That was also the Alwin Stokes era, which was no coincidence.  Though winning teams were hard to find in the 1930's through 1950's, there was no shortage in All-State players, college material and fascinating plays.  Over 100 players received votes from the fans and Expert Panelist who completed the ballot.  Here are the top choices of the fans and Expert Panel from that era. 

     The top vote getter in the first fifty year era was back A. T. Drewett (1924-1927).  He earned honorable mention All-State honors his last two seasons.  He was the first choice of the fans and the second choice by the Expert Panel and is the only player selected in the top three of both the fans and expert panelist.  The leading vote getter at back from the Expert Panel was John G. Jackson (1940-1943).  He set a school record by scoring on a 97 yard run in 1943.  That record lasted for 40 years.  In Jackson's career he scored 7 rushing TDs, 1 by reception and 1 by interception return. The other back selected by the Expert Panel was Eddie Parker (1940-1943).  He scored 7 career rushing touchdowns to go along with three TD=s by reception and one by return.  He was also selected as the teams kick returner.  In addition to Drewett, the fans selected Thomas Straughan (1949-1952) and Hovey Harrell (1930-1933) as their starting backfield.  Straughan and Harrell scored the most points of anyone from the era, getting 96 points in their careers.  Straughan scored 66 points in 1952 alone, which was the second highest single season total of the era.  Straughan rushed for 15 touchdowns, including an 82-yarder, and he returned one interception for a touchdown.  Harrell scored 16 touchdowns in his four year career for the Tigers, recording 9 touchdowns in 1930. He was the career leader in rushing touchdowns for the era.  The 54 points he scored in 1930 were the fourth highest single season points scored during the entire period.

     The old single wing quarterback was as much of a blocking back as he was a ball carrier and he sure wasn't called on to pass much. The Expert Panel selected Otho Long (1918-1921) as the starting quarterback. He played the quarterback position on the undefeated, state champion 1919 team.  Long earned first team All-State honors at the position that year.  He held down the quarterback position for three straight years. The fans first choice for quarterback was Joe Beville (1931-1933).  He started at quarterback for three straight years as well, running for two touchdowns and throwing for another during his career. 

     The one player that both the fans and Expert Panel agree on at the end position is Stanley Bass (1952-1955).  Bass actually started his career playing center for the Tigers on the 1953 and 1954 Tiger teams, before he was switched to end his senior season.  Bass earned second team All-District honors at the end position after earning third team All-District honors as a center the year before. Bass tied A. T. Drewett for most over-all votes by the fans.  The other fan selection at the end position was A. P. Smith (1916-1919).  He played on each of Bro. Stokes' first three teams (1917-1919).  Those teams only lost one football game.  Smith was a first team All-State selection in 1919, the state championship year.  The other selection at end made by the Expert Panel was Kenneth Teegarden (1925-1928).  Playing in an era when ends were primarily blockers, Teegarden scored 6 touchdowns by rush and 2 by reception.  Teegarden was one of the most decorated players of his time, earning honorable mention All-State his sophomore year, second team All-State his junior year and first team All-State his senior year.  On the powerful 1928 team he scored 5 rushing touchdowns, 1 touchdown by reception and 1 touchdown by a return of a blocked punt.

     The fans and Expert Panel split on their vote for center, but the players selected were two of the best all-around players of the era.  The Expert Panel went with C. C. Carter (1943-1946).  He logged as much playing time in his four year career as any player who played in the first fifty years.  Throughout his career Carter's primary position was center, though he did play some at guard. He was the team=s kicker his last two seasons and he was a terror in the defensive line. He was an honorable mention selection on the All-North Louisiana team and an honorable mention All-State player in both 1945 and 1946. The fans went with Kidd Farr (1931-1934) at center.  Like Carter, Farr also had a four year playing career at Winnfield.  Farr played center, end, quarterback and running back for the Tigers.  But, it was at center where Farr earned honorable mention All-North Louisiana his final season and it was at center where Farr played for Louisiana Normal.  Farr is the only Tiger player to ever also serve as head coach and principal at the high school.  He also served as Superintendent of Schools for the parish. 

     The Expert Panel made Byron "Chuck" Skains (1926-1929) their unanimous choice at guard.  He was the only unanimous choice by the Expert Panel on the whole ballot.  Skains was a four year player for the Tigers; earning honorable mention All-State honors at the position his first two years.  Skains was shifted to tackle on the powerful 1928 team where he was a second team All-State player.  The 1929 team needed a player of Skain's skills at the quarterback slot so he was moved to that slot his final season.  He earned second team All-North Louisiana at quarterback. The Expert Panel named J. D. Jones (1932-1935) as their second selection.  Jones was the top choice of the fans and the only guard selected by both the fans and Expert Panel.  He was a three-year starter for the Tigers at guard.  The additional choice at guard made by the fans was Curtis Varnell (1930-1933).  Varnell earned second team All-North Louisiana honors in 1931 and was named to the first team All-North Louisiana squad two years later.

     The Expert Panel and fans completely split on their choices for tackle. The Expert Panel went with Durwood Swilley (1946-1948) and Buster Keaton (1942-1945).  Swilley was the only player to be named as a first team All-State selection in either the 1930's or 1940's, earning that honor in 1948.  He was a two-time All-North Louisiana selection at tackle. Keaton alternated at center and tackle throughout his playing career.  He went on to play college football at Northwestern.  The fans went with Johnny Newman (1952-1955) and Hank Ford (1954-1956).  Newman was a third team All-District performer his junior year and an honorable mention All-District selection his senior year.  Ford was an honorable mention All-District selection his senior season.  

     The Expert Panel picked Durwood Swilley as their kicker.  He was the first player relied on heavily for extra point kicks.  Prior to Swilley, a team was more likely to attempt a PAT with a run as they were to kick the PAT conversion.  Swilley attempted 36 extra point kicks, with 32 of those coming his final year alone.  Before Swilley, no kicker had ever converted more than 6 kicks in a season.  His final season he converted 22.  The fans picked C. C. Carter as their kicker.  Though complete records do not exist for Carter's period, he converted at least 10 extra point kicks.

     Teams didn't capitalize on kick returns during the first fifty years of Tiger football like they have in the second fifty years.  There are only 6 recorded punts and a similar number of kickoffs that were returned for touchdowns in the first fifty years.  The top choice by both the Expert Panel and fans for kick returner was Eddie Parker.  He had one punt return for a touchdown, that being an 87-yarder. That was the second longest punt return of his era and remains the fourth longest of all time.  The longest punt return of the first 50 years was a 90 yard return by Vernon McDonald (1945-1948) the Expert Panel's second choice for kick returner.  The second choice of the fans was Bobby Bass (1947-1950).

     Though there was no separate vote for coaches, teams and games for the era, the following placed in the overall ballot in those individual categories:

 

Coach of First Fifty Year Team - Alwin Stokes (1917-1926 & 1933-1934) was the only coach from the first fifty years selected in the overall ballot, earning the 4th spot in the Expert Panel Poll and 9th overall in the fan poll. He has the second most career wins at the school. 

 

Teams of the First Fifty Years -   The only team to receive consideration by the Expert Panelist was the undefeated, state champion 1919 team who was voted 6th best overall. The fans voted the 1919 team 4th best overall and also voted for two other teams from the era in the overall balloting.  The 1928 team was voted the 10th best team overall and the 1948 team was voted 12th best. The 1928 team won 9 of 10 games and scored more points than any team of the era.  The 1948 team was arguably the best team of either the 1940's or 1930's.  They won 9 of 11 games 

 

Games of the First Fifty Years -  The 1955 teams win over Neville was voted the 9th best win of all time by the Expert Panelist and the 8th best win by the fans.  In that opening season game, the Tigers knocked off a visiting Neville team who went on to win the Class AA state crown.  Winnfield was playing in Class A at the time.  What made the game even more spectacular is that the win came by way of a come-from-behind 80 yard pass from Dale Reeves to Brooks Broussard on the final play of the game.  That only tied the game though.  It took a Mickey Frazier extra point with no time left on the clock to give the Tigers the win.  

 

ALL-TIME COACHES

 

     The unanimous choice for all-time coach by the fans and Expert Panel was Doug Moreau (1979-1984).  He is the all-time winningest coach (58) in school history and the only coach to ever win a state championship on the football field. Five of Coach Moreau=s six teams competed in the playoffs and four of his teams won district titles.  He led his teams to one state title, two semi-final appearances and two other bi-district rounds of the playoffs.  Moreau was named Coach of the Year in Class AA in 1982 when the Tiger defeated John Curtis 23-14 for the state crown.  He left with a won-loss record of 58-14-0.  That translated into the highest overall winning percentage (.806) of any coach who has stayed more than one season.

     Coach Moreau won 21 of 23 district games with that .913 winning percentage in district games being over 10% higher than the second highest district game winning percentage, that being the .808 winning percentage of Larry Dauterive.

      Where Coach Moreau had unprecedented success was in the playoffs where he had an 11-4 record.  His playoff win total alone is higher than the total number of playoff games any other coach at ever even coached in.  Moreau and Larry Dauterive were the only coaches in the 20th century who had a winning record in playoff games. 

      The second choice by both the Expert Panel was Tommy Bankston (1966-1969).  When he took over the helm, the Tiger program had gone through two straight losing seasons and four straight non-playoffs seasons.  That is the longest stretch of time that the Tiger program has gone between 1957 (the first year a Tiger team competed in the playoffs) and 1999 without making the playoffs.  Coach Bankston had immediate success, guiding his very first team to the playoffs.  That team ended the season with a 9-4-0 record, a 7 win improvement over the season before, which represents the biggest turn-around in school history.  Each of Coach Bankston=s first three teams were playoff teams and his 1968 squad was the first Tiger team to win a playoff game.  Coach Bankston was named Coach of the Year in Class AA in 1966.  He left the program with a 29-14-3 (.663) record, which at the time was the second highest winning percentage in school history and the third most wins.  Currently, Coach Bankston has the sixth most wins of any coach. Coach Bankston preached winning and a winning attitude with a gospel-like fervor.  In the 35 seasons that have passed since his arrival, the school has only had four teams who ended the season with losing records.  In the 35 seasons prior to Coach Bankston=s arrival, the school had 21 teams end the year with losing records. 

       The second choice by the fans was Larry Dauterive (1976-1978).  He joined Doug Moreau and Joe Dosher as the only coaches to ever guide a Tiger football team to a state title game. Larry Dauterive finished his short three year career with a 28-9-0 record.  That included two playoff appearances, with one being the AAA state finals in 1976 and the other being the AA quarter finals in 1978.  His .757 winning percentage is the fourth highest of all time and his 5 playoff wins is the second highest.      

  

ALL-TIME INDIVIDUAL TEAMS      

 

     The Expert Panel and fans alike picked the 1982 and 1971 teams as their top two choices for the all-time team.  Each received four first place votes by the eight-member Expert Panel and over half of the fans selected either the 1982 or 1971 as their first or second choice.  

      The 1982 squad is the only Tiger football team that has ever won a state title on the football field.  They did that by defeating the then two-time defending state champion John Curtis Patriots 24-14 in the Louisiana Superdome.  After an opening season loss to Neville, the 1982 team won 13 straight games in route to a 13-1-0 record.  They set numerous team offensive records in the process, including the most points ever scored in a season.  They roared into the state title game with a 50-8 shellacking of E. D. White, still the widest margin of victory in a playoff game.  The team was a mixture of speed, speed and speed, with arguably the most talented backfield in school history.  Running out of the veer, the team could beat you with either Thomas King (QB), Garlon Powell (RB) or Perry Myles (RB) and least an opponent stack the line to stop the team=s running game, that offense could burn you with Benny Mitchell or Sampson Collins at the wide outs.   The 1982 squad, along with the 1971 team, holds the school record for most wins in a season. 

      The 1971 team was the first team from Winnfield to compete for a state title on the playing field.  Like the 1982 squad, the 1971 team won thirteen straight games, except their 13 straight were the first thirteen games of the season. The only blemish on their record was in the AAA state title game where they dropped a 10-0 decision to South Lafourche.

      Eight first team all-century players were selected from the 1971 team, the most of any team in school history.  Four of those came from the defensive side of the ball, three from the offensive side and one was a return specialist. 

      The team relied on a tough, aggressive defense to shut down the opposition and combined that with more than enough weapons on offense to put teams away, usually in the first half.  Lacking a lot of size, the team used speed, quickness and finesse.

         The 1971 offense used a pro set which produced a balanced running and passing game.  They are one of only three teams in school history to end the season with over 4,000 total yards. They still hold the single season mark for most passing touchdowns and have the second highest total passing yards with just over 1,600.  The team also got over 1,600 rushing yards from the halfback position alone, which was shared by Jerry Keen and John Wayne Williams.

       The 1971 team had arguably the strongest defensive unit of any Tiger team, holding their regular season opponents to only five touchdowns and giving up 100 or more rushing yards to only one regular season opponent.  The only opponents who gained more than 150 total yards during the season was their final three opponents.

       Two aspects of the 1971 team that separates them from all other teams is the fact that 5 players from the team were selected to the first team All-State squad, the most ever named from any Tiger team.  Those included Alan Carter (DB), Lionel Johnson (LB), John Wayne Williams (RB), Greg Wagoner (TE) and James Hutchins (DE).  Also, the team had an unequaled kick return squad, setting a school record that still stands today with 7 punt returns for touchdowns.  The team also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

 

ALL-TIME WINS  

 

    Since the Winnfield Tiger football program has won nearly 2 out of every 3 games they have played since 1909, there have been a number of key wins in the schools history.  But, the one win that both the Expert Panel and the fans choose as the best win of all-time was the 1982 state championship game victory over John Curtis that brought the school its second state championship and first under the LHSAA sanctioned playoff system.  In that contest, the Tigers traveled to the Louisiana Superdome to compete in the second set of championship games for all classes held in the Superdome.  The contest pitted the Winnfield program against the most successful lower classification program the state has ever produced in the John Curtis Patriots.  By 1982, John Curtis had competed in six of the most recent seven Class AA title games, winning five of those.  And, the Patriots had won two consecutive AA title game coming into the 1982 contest.  Also, they would win three straight championships in the years following the 1982 contest.  But, this was no David meets Goliath.  The 1982 Tigers "belonged" in this match-up and they showed that early on when they jumped out to a 20-0 first quarter lead.  Winnfield scored on each of its opening three drives with the first coming after Garlon Powell scooped up a fumble inside the Curtis 25 yard line and ran it into the end zone.  The other two scores of the opening quarter were a testament to the overpowering speed that the Tigers had.  On the first play of the Tigers' second series, Thomas King kept the ball and ran 76 yards for a touchdown.  Then, on the third play of the Tiger's third series of the quarter, Powell took a pitch and raced 56 yards for a score.  After that the game became more of a defensive battle as John Curtis put together a long drive in the second quarter to narrow the halftime margin to 20-7.  The Patriots managed to figure out the Tiger offense after the first quarter, shutting them down in each second and third quarter possession.  The Pats then got a third quarter touchdown to narrow the margin to 20-14.  Early in the fourth quarter, John Curtis got the ball with their first opportunity of the game to take the lead but a key turnover halted that drive.  Winnfield capitalized on that turnover by driving from the Curtis 45 to the 10 yard line where they were successful in making a fourth down 25 yard field goal, their first field goal attempt of the season.  That made the score 23-14 with 4:22 left in the contest.  After that, the Tiger defense shut Curtis down, though they had to play that series like all the rest of the second half series - without the services of All-State linebacker Marcel Mills, who broke his arm earlier in the contest.  The win brought pride to the players, the team and to the community.   

       The second best win of all time as voted by the Expert Panel and fans was the 1971 win over Haughton.  The win marked the first time a Tiger team had ever advanced past the quarter finals and was the twelfth win of the season, a school record for wins at the time.  While that made the victory unique, it was the manner in which the 1971 team won that game that made it so spectacular. 

       All season long, the 1971 squad had used speed and quickness to overcome larger teams.  In Haughton, the Tigers met their match with speed and the Bucs averaged close to 30 pounds more per man across the line.  Haughton had three players who had been clocked under 10 seconds in the 100 yard dash, including Arry Moody, the reigning Class AAA 220 yard dash champion and Lonnie Lars, the reigning Class AAA 100 yard dash champion. 

        The first time the Tigers got the football they made it to the Haughton 48 yard line, where quarterback Steve Adams hooked up with wide receiver John C. Jones on a slant pattern at the Buc 30 yard line.  After making the catch, Jones took the ball the rest of the way for the touchdown.  The point after was blocked, leaving the score 6-0.

     Tiger defensive coordinator Jerry Bamburgh set up his defense to stop the Haughton outside game.  And, that unit did that throughout the first half, but the Bucs did find some running room up the middle and they took advantage of that near the end of the half when they scored and tacked on a PAT, making the score 7-6 at the half, the first time the 1971 team had trailed in a football game all season long.

      Winnfield quickly got the lead back in the second half when John Wayne Williams recovered a fumble at the Haughton 39 yard line and the Tigers scored 8 plays later on a two yard run by fullback Randy Parker.  The two point try was no good, leaving the score 12-7

       But in this game no lead was safe.  Late in the third quarter, the Tigers committed their only turnover of the night but it proved to be a costly one.  Haughton recovered a Tiger fumble at the Winnfield 32 yard line and then put together a 9 play drive culminated by an 8 yard run by Arry Moody.  Winnfield blocked the PAT but Haughton still had a slim 13-12 lead.

      Neither team got anything going in the first half of the fourth quarter, but in the final minutes of the game, the Tigers put together a drive that got them down to a first and goal when Jerry Keen ran from the 16 to the 4 yard line.  Three stabs at the line produced little yards and after a timeout, the fourth down play also came up short of the goal line.  With only minutes to go in the contest, Haughton appeared to have pulled out the win with a goal line stand.  But, a goal line stand gives a team the worst field position they could possibly have.  Taking over at their own 2 yard line, the Haughton offense found the going just as tough and didn't make near enough yards to gain a first down in three attempts.  Punting from their end zone, Haughton got off a punt to the dangerous Tiger return team and Winnfield got off a modest return to the Haughton 40, but the Tigs were flagged for offside.  Haughton captain Arry Moody didn't hear his coaches directions to decline the penalty, resulting in a re-kick.  This time, John Wayne Williams got the ball down to the Haughton 18 on the return with 1:24 showing on the clock.

      On first down, John Wayne Williams and John C. Jones split wide left.  At the snap, Williams ran a flag route, carrying the halfback with him.  Jones ran a down and out and was wide open in the area Williams had cleared.  Adams hit Jones with a pass that took the ball to  the Haughton 8 yard line.  The Tigers lost six yards on second down setting up a second and goal from the 14.  After calling a time out, quarterback Steve Adams came back into the huddle with the play.  On the play, wide out Alan Carter ran a down and in pattern and cleared out the right side for fullback Randy Parker running a pass pattern out of the backfield.  Adams hit Parker with a pass at the 3 yard line, which Parker caught and took into the end zone, along with a pair of Haughton defenders.  The touchdown allowed Winnfield to claim a 20-13 win and advance to a semi-final match against Hahnville in Stokes-Walker Stadium.


 

      ALL-TIME LOSSES

 

The two losses that were the 1-2 picks by both the Expert Panel and the fans

were the two state championship game losses of the

 1970's; with the 1971 loss to South Lafourche being voted No. 1 by both groups and the 1976 loss to Jesuit being voted No. 2.  The 1971 loss basically ended a dream season that saw the team win the first 13 games of the season and venture further into the playoffs than any Winnfield team had ever gone.  In the 14th game of the season the 1971 team had to take the longest in-state road trip ever taken by a Tiger team when they traveled to Galliano, Louisiana to take on the South Lafourche Tarpons in the Class AAA state title game.  But, the biggest obstacle the Tigers had to overcome was the huge Tarpon team who averaged close to 40 pounds per man more than the Tiger front.  Winnfield didn't have a player that weighed over 200 lbs., while the Tarpons had two All-State defensive tackles, one weighing 200 lbs. and the other weighting 245 lbs.  The Tarpons other two down linemen weighed in at  260 and 245, which was more than 80 pounds heavier the Tiger linemen they lined up against.  Even Tarpon All-State linebacker Dwayne Galjour was as heavy as the heaviest Tiger linemen, as he was listed at close to 190 lbs. 

           The Tigers game plan was simple - pass the ball as much as possible and run outside just enough to keep them honest. That was sound strategy against the much larger Tarpons but and almost impossible task considering the conditions of the field.  Early morning rains had left the field standing in water and the surface of the field became a mud bath as the game wore on.  The Tiger offense never got untracked in the first half and South Lafourche put together a short drive after a good punt return just before the half to get on the board with a field goal.  They then put together the only sustained drive of the night in the third quarter to take a 10-0 lead into the fourth quarter.  Winnfield got inside scoring position twice in the second half but both drives ended when passes into the end zone fell just off the finger tips of the Tiger receivers.  In the end, the Tarpons got the school's first state title in front of a capacity crowd of 10,000, which included approximately 3,000 Tiger fans.

           Five years later the Tigers were back in the AAA title game when the 1976 squad entertained the No. 1 ranked, undefeated Jesuit Flyers of Shreveport.  The Flyers had maintained that lofty ranking all season long, while Winnfield had been in the top ten all year as well.  After opening the season with a slim four point loss to West Monroe, the Tigers lost a heart breaking 14-7 game to Bolton in the seventh game of the season for the district crown.  But, Winnfield entered the playoffs as the No. 3 ranked team in the state and they faced Jennings, the No. 4 ranked team on their home turf.  They escaped with a 13-6 win there and then got hot, peaking at just the right time in the season by rolling over Haughton 29-3 and steam-rolling a strong Catholic, BR defense by posting 37 points on the board in a 37-13 win.  That set up a match-up with Jesuit, arguably the strongest defensive team in the state.  Jesuit had shutout 7 opponents during the regular season and had only given up 58 points in 13 games.  They won with defense because they had gone through an undefeated season by scoring over 21 points only twice.

       The game turned into a fierce defensive battle as Jesuit only made one first down in the first half and had only completed one pass in the whole game.  But that pass would be all they would need.  Midway through the second quarter, Winnfield quick-kicked the ball to the Jesuit 44 and had Jesuit in a second and seventeen situation from the Jesuit 37 after the Tiger defense dropped a Flyer ball carrier behind the line and the Flyers picked up a penalty.  Jesuit then called a play they had had success with the week before.  Winnfield had blitzed Jesuit to death all night long so the play seemed to have a chance.  On the call, tailback Greg Page rolled out into the flat and caught a screen pass just past the blitzing Tiger defensive end George Moss.  That left Page all alone except for the offensive linemen who had drifted out to set up the screen.  Page then followed his blocking and simply outran everyone 63 for a touchdown, the only score of the night. 

           Winnfield had two opportunities to score in the second half when they made it inside the Flyer 10 yard line twice.  But, on both occasions Tiger wingback Jimmy Husser was called for an illegal crack back block which proved to be more than the Tigers could over come. 

           In  the 1971 and 1976 championship games, the Tigers were shutout and gave up only two touchdowns in the two games combined.  In both games the Tigers were beaten by sound football teams, but those two losses are the kinds of defeats that stick with you and the type of life losses that you never really "get over".

All-Century Team - FIRST TEAM

(Year of senior football season listed.  For players who spanned the 20th and 21st century the last year listed was 1999)

 

EXPERT PANEL

FANS

Offense

 

Quarterback – Thomas King (1983)

Running Back – Anthony Thomas (1996)

Running Back - Nathan Johnson (1976)

Receiver – Benny Mitchell (1982)

Receiver – Freddie King, Tommy Wyatt (tie)

Tight End – Greg Wagoner (1971)

Center – Charles Poisso (1967)

Guard – Hal Hickey (1973)

Guard -  Al Simmons (1985)

Tackle – Randy Strickland (1971)

Tackle -   David Gaar (1995)

Offense

 

Quarterback – Thomas King (1982)

Running Back – Anthony Thomas (1996)

Running Back - Nathan Johnson (1976)

Receiver – Tommy Wyatt (1959)

Receiver –  Alan Carter (1971)

Tight End – Greg Wagoner (1971)

Center – Carroll Long (1961)

Guard – Hal Hickey (1973)

Guard -  Don Jones (1961)

Tackle – Wayne McFarland (1961)

Tackle -   David Gaar (1995)

Defense

 

Lineman – James Johnson (1972)

Lineman -  Woody Grigg (1978)

Lineman – Tommy Campbell

End – James Hutchins (1971)

End – Gary Irvin (1983)

Linebacker – Lionel Johnson (1972)

Linebacker – Ricky Chatman

Linebacker – Charles Poisso

Back – Jeffery Dale (1980)

Back – Alan Carter (1971)

Back – Carey Broudy (1988)

Defense

 

Lineman – James Johnson (1972)

Lineman -  Woody Grigg (1978)

Lineman –  Jess Grigg (1982)

End – James Hutchins (1971)

End – Mike Spangler (1967)

Linebacker – Lionel Johnson (1972)

Linebacker – Ricky Chatman (1979)

Linebacker – Charles Poisso (1967)

Back – Jeffery Dale (1980)

Back – Alan Carter (1971)

Back – Carey Broudy (1988)

Special Teams

 

Punter – Robbie Richards (1969)

Kicker – Tommy Latham (1981)

Return Specialists – Freddie King (1999)

Return Specialists – John Wayne Williams

(1971)

Special Teams

 

Punter – Robbie Richards (1969)

Kicker – Tommy Latham (1981)

Return Specialists – Freddie King (1999)

Return Specialists – John Wayne Williams

(1971)

Other

 

Head Coach – Doug Moreau (1979-1984)

Team – 1982

Win – John Curtis, 1982

Loss – South Lafourche, 1971

Other

 

Head Coach – Doug Moreau (1979-1984)

Team – 1982

Win – John Curtis, 1982

Loss – South Lafourche, 1971

 

           

 

 

All-Century Team – SECOND TEAM

“None” means no other votes received other than those for players, coaches, teams or games listed above that particular level

 

EXPERT PANEL

FANS

Offense

 

Quarterback – Steve Adams (1972)

Running Back – Garlon Powell (1983)

Running Back – Jerry Keen (1971)

Receiver – Eric Caldwell (1986)

Receiver – Terry Joe Ramsey (1978)

Tight End – Justin Durbin ()

Center – Carroll Long (1961)

Guard – Don Jones (1961)

Guard -  Brian Garrett (1994)

Tackle – Wayne McFarland (1961)

Tackle -   Chip Little (1980)

Offense

 

Quarterback – Mike Tinnerello (1961)

Running Back – Jeffery Dale (1980)

Running Back – Jerry Keen (1971)

Receiver – Terry Joe Ramsey (1978)

Receiver –  Freddie King (1999)

Tight End – Justin Durbin (1997)

Center – Charles Poisso (1967)

Guard – Brian Garrett (1994)

Guard -  Al Simmons (1985)

Tackle – Randy Strickland (1971)

Tackle -   Ryan Poisso (1993)

Defense

 

Lineman – Roosevelt Robinson (1973)

Lineman -  Jess Grigg (1982)

Lineman – Donnie Purser (1978), Chip Little (1980) (tie)

End – Mike Spangler (1967)

End – Ronald Howard (1967)

Linebacker – Marcel Mills (1982)

Linebacker – Ricky Hanna (1969), Buford Jordan (1975), Buster Davis (1974)  (tie)

Back – Freddie King (1999)

Back – Charles Oliver (1973)

Back – Dennis Brown (1976)

Defense

 

Lineman – Roosevelt Robinson (1973)

Lineman -  Charles Eagles (1968)

Lineman –  Craig Cummings (1979)

End – Gary Irvin (1983)

End – Wilson Curry (1972)

Linebacker – Bryan Kelly 91990)

Linebacker – Ricky Hanna (1969)

Linebacker – Brock Grantadams (1994)

Back – Thomas King (1983)

Back – Jerry Hightower (1966)

Back – Freddie King  (1999)

Special Teams

 

Punter – Mike Tinnerello (1961), Chip Clark (1987)  (tie)

Kicker – Carroll Long (1961)

Return Specialists – None

Special Teams

 

Punter – Terry Joe Ramsey (1978)

Kicker – Carroll Long (1961)

Return Specialists – Jeffery Dale (1980)

Return Specialists – Anthony Nash (1993)

Other

 

Head Coach – Tommy Bankston (1966-1969)

Team – 1971

Win – vs. Haughton, 1971

Loss – vs. Tallulah, 1961; Jesuit, Sp., 1976; vs. McCall, 1995 (tie)

Other

 

Head Coach – Larry Dauterive (1976-1978)

Team – 1971

Win – vs. Jonesboro-Hodge, 1981

Loss – vs. Jesuit, Sp., 1976

 

                       

           

 

All-Century Team – THIRD TEAM

“None” means no other votes received other than those for players, coaches, teams or games listed above that particular level

 

EXPERT PANEL

FANS

Offense

 

Quarterback – Mike Tinnerello (1961)

Running Back – John Wayne Williams (1971)

Running Back – Randy Poisso (1968)

Receiver – Mike Spangler (1967)

Receiver – Alan Carter (1971)

Tight End – Chester Brinson (1982)

Center – Eddie Jenkins (1971)

Guard – Chad Harkins (1991)

Guard -  Mark Hennigan (1980)

Tackle – Ryan Poisso (1993)

Tackle -   Mike Kennedy (1966)

Offense

 

Quarterback – Steve Adams (1972)

Running Back – Jimmy Bolton (1962)

Running Back – Randy Poisso (1968)

Receiver – Wayne Wood (1967)

Receiver –  Jared Beville (1999)

Tight End – Earl Funches (1981)

Center – Bobby Brazzell (1960)

Guard – Hershel Long (1968)

Guard -  Tim Jordan (1979)

Tackle – Chip Little (1980)

Tackle -   Mark Swilley (1978)

Defense

 

Lineman – Charles Eagles (1968)

Lineman -  Daniel Scott (1969)

Lineman – Trey Machen (1987)

End – Al Long (1973)

End – Perry Rainwater (1979)

Linebacker –  None

Back – Dennis Brown (1976)

Back – Thomas King (1983)

Back – Randy Poisso (1968)

Defense

 

Lineman – Roy Cotton (1971)

Lineman -  Tommy Campbell (1979)

Lineman –  Tommy Latham (1981)

End – Steve Shelton (1986)

End – Ronald Skains (1962)

Linebacker – Marcel Mills (1982)

Linebacker – Ryan Pickett (1999)

Linebacker – Oshay Booker (1998)

Back – Randy Poisso (1968)

Back – Tommy Tinnerello (1968)

Back – John C. Jones (1971), Dennis Brown (1976)  (tie)

Special Teams

 

Punter – None

Kicker – Lyn Bankston (1976)

Return Specialists – None

Special Teams

 

Punter – Chip Clark (1987)

Kicker – Jerry Keen (1971)

Return Specialists – Benny Mitchell (1982)

Return Specialists – Viron Smith (1996)

Other

 

Head Coach – Joe Dosher (1970–1974)

Team – 1976

Win – vs. Natchitoches, 1971; vs. Jonesboro-Hodge, 1981 (tie)

Loss – vs. Westlake, 1968

Other

 

Head Coach – Tommy Bankston (1966-1969)

Team – 1919

Win – vs. Natchitoches, 1971

Loss – vs. McCall, 1995

 

                       

 

 

All-Century Team – HONORABLE MENTION

“None” means no other votes received other than those for players, coaches, teams or games listed above that particular level

Names are listed in order of votes received.

 

EXPERT PANEL

FANS

Offense

 

Quarterback – Lyn Bankston (1976), Ricky Jordan (1966), Matt Machen (1989)

Running Back – Cornelius Patterson (1999), Jimmy Bolton (1962), Perry Myles (1982), Jeffery Dale (1980)

Receiver – John Michael Spangler (1989), Glen Anderson (1973), Doug Allen (1968)

Tight End – Earl Funches (1981)

Center – Ryan Porter (1998), Matt Milam (1973), Ken Maloy (1981), Todd Wold (1982)

Guard Tim Jordan (1979), David Scott (1969), Jed Martin (1984), Wayne Griffen (1996)

Tackle Roger Williams (1984), Glen Nelson (1982), Steve Straughan (1987)

Offense

 

Quarterback – Lyn Bankston (1976), Brent Hubbard (1978), Gary Green (1967), Ricky Jordan (1966), Terry Joe Ramsey (1978), Greg Powell (1981), Alan Carter (1971), Matt Machen (1989), Ryan Shirley (1995)

Running Back  Ricky Chatman (1979), Garlon Powell (1983), John Wayne Williams (1971), Perry Myles (1982), Anthony Nash (1993), Jerry Hightower (1966), Kevin Poisso (1979), R. C. Williams (1994), Viron Smith (1996), James Lloyd Collins (1961), Cornelius Patterson (1999)

Receiver – Benny Mitchell (1982), John Michael Spangler (1989), Eric Caldwell (1986), Doug Allen (1968), Mike Spangler (1967), Kevin Wagoner (1979), David Adams (1961), Glen Anderson (1973), Mike Kimble (1975), Shawn Wagoner (1987)

Tight End – Raymond Durbin (1984), Randy Johnson (1984), John Joseph (1994)

Center – Eddie Jenkins (1971), Matt Milam (1973), Ryan Porter (1998), Ken Maloy (1981), Rankin Curry (1976), Ricky Hanna (1969), Todd Wold (1982), Mark Brewton (1990), Kyle Horne (1996), Tommy Campbell (1979)

Guard – Terry Mixon (1977), Kevin Pharr (1989), Chad Harkins (1991), Paul Larson (1971), Jed Martin (1984), David Scott (1969), Wayne Griffen (1996), Adam Griffen (1999), Shane Jones (1988), Mark Hennigan (1980), Jimmy Gibson (1964)

Tackle – Gilbert Higgenbotham (1997), Andy White (1981), William Jones (1967), Roland Barton (1970), Chad Griffen (1996), Steve Williams (1973), Roger Williams (1984), Steve Straughan (1987)

 

 

 

 

 

 

All-Century Team – HONORABLE MENTION

“None” means no other votes received other than those for players, coaches, teams or games listed above that particular level

Names are listed in the order of votes received.

 

EXPERT PANEL

FANS

Defense

 

Lineman – Jay Huckaby (1982)

 

 

EndChad Harkins (1991), David Adams (1961), Ronald Skains (1962), Wilson Curry (1972), Steve Shelton (1986)

 

Linebacker – None

 

Back – None

Defense

 

Lineman – Kevin Poisso (1979, Donnie Purser (1978), Daniel Scott (1969), Michael Pickett (1995), Trey Machen (1987), William Jones (1967), Chip Little (1980, Larry “Hoot” Gibson (1967, Roger Williams (1984), Kendall Wooten (1994), Craig Chandler (1997), Frederick Cotton (1968)

 

End – Chad Harkins (1991), Chuck Ball (1999), Marcel Mills (1982), Al Long (1973), Buck Carter (1976), Perry Rainwater (1979), Johnny Williams (1982),  Ronald Howard (1967), Chad Smith (1999), Richard Williams (1981), Scott Bruce (1988), Jared Reeves (1997), Clint Turner (1984), Larry Demery (1995),  Shannon Womack (1993)

 

Linebacker – Randy Johnson (1984), Jeffery Brewton (1995), Oberal Barnes (1976), Todd Jones (1997), Randy Whitley (1984), Earl Funches (1981)

 

Back Charles Oliver (1973), Perry Myles (1982), Mickey Brewton (1972), Viron Smith (1996), Stafford Moses (1978), Nathan Johnson (1976), Marcus Jones (1975), Tolbert Triplett (1989), Randy Johnson (1984), Alain Jones (1984), DeCarlus Pittman (1996), Sampson Collins (1982), Chase Harper (1993) 

Special Teams

 

Punter – None

 

Kicker – Steve Stroud (1967)

 

Return Specialists – None

Special Teams

 

Punter – Dustin Procell (1999), Reagan Stewart (1976)

 

Kicker – Lyn Bankston (1976), Steve Stroud (1967), Garlon Powell (1983), Roger Long (1969), Raymond Durbin (1984), Michael Pickett (1995)

 

Return Specialists – None

 

All-Century Team – HONORABLE MENTION

“None” means no other votes received other than those for players, coaches, teams or games listed above that particular level.

Names are listed in order of votes received.

 

EXPERT PANEL

FANS

Other

 

Head Coach – Larry Dauterive (1976-1978), Alwin Stokes (1917-1923 & 1933-1934), Hoss Newman (1956-1965), Jim McKeivier (1993-1995)

 

Team – 1979, 1978, 1919, 1968, 1994

 

Win – vs. Catholic, BR (1976); vs. Minden (1980); vs. E. D. White (1982); vs. Winnsboro, (1968); vs. Neville, (1955); vs. Ruston, (1961); vs. Tallulah, (1966)

 

Loss – vs. Westlake, (1968); vs. Jena (1966); vs. St. Louis, 91978)

Other

 

Head Coach – Joe Dosher (1970-1974), Joey Pender (1998-  ), Hoss Newman (1956-1965), Tony Acosta (1985), Jerry Bamburgh (1975), Alwin Stokes (1917-1923 & 1933-1934), Bill Davis (1953-1955), Terry Joe Ramsey (1988-1992), Jim McKeivier (1993-1995), Red Smith (1951-1952), Kidd Farr (1942-1945)

 

Team – 1994, 1978, 1976, 1968, 1961, 1979, 1981, 1928, 1948

 

Win – vs. Haughton, (1971), vs. Catholic, BR (1976), vs. Winnsboro, (1968), vs. Tallulah, (1966), vs. Neville, (1955), vs. Jonesboro (1988), vs. Jonesboro (1989), vs. Minden, (1980), vs. E. D. White (1982), vs. Farmerville (1957)

 

Loss – vs. Tallulah, (1961), vs. E. D. White (1981), vs. Springhill, (1994), vs. Jena (1966), vs. St. Louis (1978), vs. Tallulah (1957), vs. Warren Easton (1923), vs. Ruston (1948)

 

 

ALL-TIME TEAM COMPLETE RESULTS                 

          

 

 All-Time Teams – Expert Panel                         All-Time Teams – Fans

 

Name ( first place votes)       Total Pts       Name ( first place votes)     Total Pts

1982 (4)                                    19                   1982 (31)                                  117

1971 (4)                                    17                   1971 (  8)                                    68

1976                                           4                    1919 (  7)                                    31

1979                                           3                    1994 (  3)                                    26

1978                                           2                    1978 (  4)                                    24

1919                                           1                    1976 (  3)                                    20

1968                                           1                    1968 (  2)                                    10

1994                                           1                    1961 (  1)                                      8

                                                                        1981 (  1)                                       7

                                                                        1979                                              7

                                                                        1928 (  1)                                      6

                                                                        1948                                              1

 

FIRST FIFTY-YEAR TEAM COMPLETE RESULTS

  
Quarterback - Expert Panel Quarterback - Fans
Name (first place votes)  Total Pts. Name (first place votes)  Total Pts.
Otho Long (4)  12 Joe Beville (7) 54
Dan Carr (1)     9 Otho Long (12) 41
Hershel Machen (2)   8 Tracy Lee Harrell (6) 36
John William Warner (1)  7 Hershal Machen (9) 34
Tracy Lee Harrell    4 Brooks Broussard (5) 30
Gabe Durham    3 John Williams Warner (3) 14
Joe Beville   3 Chuck Skains (1) 8
Roger Smith    3 John Harrington (1) 8
Chuck Skains  2 Roger Smith (2) 7
John Harrington    2 Dan Carr (1) 7
Robert Fletcher      2
Gabe Durham     1
Back – Expert Panel  Back – Fans
Name (first place votes)  Total Pts. Name (first place votes)  Total Pts.
John G. Jackson (5)  30 A. T. Drewett (3)  69
A. T. Drewett (2)   22 Thomas Straughan (6)  60
Eddie Parker  21 Hovey Harrell (8)  51
Jackie Givens (1)   15 John G. Jackson (2)  40
Frank Brewer (1)   10 Bobby Bass    33
Dudley Shell    9 Jimmy Ross  32
Hovey Harrell   6 Dudley Shell (3)  30
Dan Carr   5 Conrad Swilley (3)  29
David Harper   5 Brooks Broussard (3)   26
Percy Dortch  3 Kenneth Watts (3)  20
Billy Boyett    3 Jackie Givens (3)  19
Kenneth Watts   2 Dan Carr (2)   17
Bobby Bass    2 Dick DeBusk (1)  16
Thomas Straughan    1 Eddie Parker   16
Tommy Seabaugh    1 Clifford Hughes (2)  14
J. D. Woods (2)   10
Dale Reeves (2)   10
Frank Brewer   10
Percy Dortch (1)    8
Tommy Seabaugh (1 )    8
David Harper     7
Billy Boyett    6
Eugene Temple (1)    6
Teal Calhoun    6
Bennie Parker (1)    5
Joe Vines (1)     5
Thomas Latham      4
Harding Broussard    4
Tot Hyde    4
Arie Hughes    1
Ducker Varnell     1
End – Expert Panel  End - Fans
Name (first place votes)  Total Pts. Name (first place votes)  Total Pts.
Kenneth Teegarden (2)  20 Stanley Bass (13)  69
Stanley Bass (2)  13 A. P. Smith (10)  56
C. J. Gilbert (2)  12 Ben Singletary (3)  49
Ben Singletary (1)     9 Charles Eyer  32
Charles Eyer (1)    7 Kenneth Teegarden (4)  27
Waymon Swilley    5 Gene Porter (3)  27
Elton Long      5 Elton Long (4)   21
Lyle Wayne Thompson 4 Waymon Swilley (2)  19
Rufus Wilkerson  4 C. J. Gilbert (2)  17
Robert Edgington    3 Lyle Wayne Thompson (1)  15
Henry Brewer      3 Henry Brewer (2)  10
Gene Porter     2 Don Brooks  10
A. P. Smith      1 Frank King     8
Frank King     1 Herbert Garrard   8
Robert Edgington    7
James Price (1)          6
Center – Expert Panel  Center - Fans
Name (first place votes)  Total Pts. Name (first place votes)  Total Pts.
C. C. Carter (4)   17 Kidd Farr (5)  49
Kidd Farr  13 Stanley Bass (13)  44
Sam Emerson (1)    6 C. C. Carter (9)   37
Garfield Gimber (1)   5 Denton Shell (9)  34
Denton Shell (1)   4 Dan Ross (1)  18
Lionel Boone (1)    3 Lionel Boone (4)  14
Orville Dickerson (1)   3 Sam Emerson  13
Stanley Bass   3 Harold Wood   9
Garfield Gimber     5
Orville Dickerson    4
Truett Holcomb     4
L. M. Ferrell    2
Raymond Nix    2
Guard – Expert Panel  Guard - Fans
Name (first place votes)  Total Pts. Name (first place votes)  Total Pts.
Chuck Skains (6)  24 J. D. Jones (11)   65
J. D. Jones   17 Curtis Varnell (9)  51
Darrell Mayes (1)   9 Darrell Mayes (4)  43
Kersh Parker    8 Harold Tarver (1) 39
John Creel    6 Chuck Skains (6)  34
Curtis Varnell (1)     4 John Creel (3)  27
James Chandler (1)   4 Jack Parker  17 17
Clebe Maxey     4 Bill Long (4)  16
Glen Evans    3 Joe Grigsby (1)   15
Grady Newton   3 James Chandler (1)  13
Jack Myrick   3 Dan Page (1)  12
Winfrey Blair    3 John Sowers    9
Jack Myrick (2)    8
Glen Evans (1)       8
Russell Sullivan      8
Curtis Rozelle      8
Grady Newton (1)  5
Jack Parker (1)          5
Clebe Maxey        2
Tackle – Expert Panel  Tackle - Fans
Name (first place votes)  Total Pts. Name (first place votes)  Total Pts.
Durwood Swilley (4)  22 Hank Ford (10)    62
Buster Keaton (1)  16 Johnny Newman (6)  57
Chuck Skains (2)   11 Durwood Swilley (7)  52
Johnny Newman    8 Jake Williams (1)  36
Charles Townsend   7 Troy Mixon (4)   35
Jake Williams     7 Buster Keaton (3)   30
Red Dickerson (1)     5 Larry Price (5)   30
Reece Carroway (1)   4 Chuck Skains (2)  18
Hank Ford  2 Truett Durham (3)  12
Ellard Brantley     2 Veek Skains (1)   12
David McIllwain   2 Red Dickerson  11
Miles Hambleton 2 Charles Townsend    9
Troy Mixon     1 Ellard Brantley     9
Oliver Smart    1 Oliver Smart    5
Jim Clark (1)    5
Russell Taylor (1)    5
David McIllwain (1)    4
John Melton (1)     4
Jimmy Anyon    3
S. A. Ward    1
Kicker – Expert Panel  Kicker - Fans
Name (first place votes)  Total Pts. Name (first place votes)  Total Pts.
Durwood Swilley (4)  10 C. C. Carter (16)   35
Conrad Swilley   5 Conrad Swilley (6)  25
C. C. Carter (2)       4 John Harrington (4)   18
John Harrington (1)   4 Durwood Swilley (7)   16
Chuck Skains (1)   2 David McIllwain (7)  15
David McIllwain  2 Chuck Skains (3)    9
Kick Returner – Expert Panel  Kick Returner - Fans
Name (first place votes)  Total Pts. Name (first place votes)  Total Pts.
Eddie Parker (5)  14 Eddie Parker (15)  33
Vernon McDonald (3)   8 Bobby Bass (12)  30
Jackie Givens (1)   4 Gabe Durham (9)  19
Gabe Durham  1 Vernon McDonald  18
Dan Carr (1)  16
Jackie Givens (1)    6
Teal Calhoun (1)    3

 

Leading Voter-getters

By percentage

 

Percent of fans who voted a particular player, coach, team or game in any place

 

(Example: In the defensive line category fans could vote for four players. Woody Grigg received votes from 75% of the fans who voted as one of their four choices. 

Percent of Expert Panelist who voted a particular player, coach, team or game in either 1st or 2nd place. 

(Example: 100%, or all 8, of the expert panelist voted Anthony Thomas as either their first or second choice as all-time running back on their ballot; whereas 75% or 6 of the 8 panelist voted the 1971 loss to South Lafourche as the worst loss in the program’s history.)

 

 

 

 

79.69%

  Greg Wagoner – TE

100.00%

 Anthony Thomas – RB

75.00%

  Woody Grigg – DL

 

 Nathan Johnson – RB

71.90%

  Ricky Chatman – LB

 

 Lionel Johnson – LB

70.31%

  Anthony Thomas – RB

 

 John Wayne Williams – KR

68.75%

  1982 – team

 

 Freddie King – KR

66.06%

  Freddie King – KR

 

 Doug Moreau – coach

64.06%

  Doug Moreau – coach

88.00%

 Thomas King – QB

63.63%

  Jeffery Dale – DB

 

 Tommy Latham – kicker

62.50%

  Alan Carter – DB

 

 Alan Carter – DB

60.94%

  David Gaar - Off. Tackle

 

 1982 – team

59.38%

  Tommy Wyatt – End

 

 vs. John Curtis, 1982 – win

57.81%

   vs. Curtis, 1982 – win

75.00%

 vs. S. Lafourche, 1971 – loss

57.81%

  Hal Hickey – Off. Guard

 

 Jeffery Dale – DB

56.25%

  Tommy Latham - kicker

 

 James Hutchins – DE

56.25%

  Lionel Johnson - LB

 

 Ricky Chatman – LB

54.69%

  1971 – team

 

 Charles Poisso – Center

53.13%

  Don Jones – Off. Guard

 

 Benny Mitchell – Receiver

53.13%

  S. Lafourche-1971-loss

 

 Greg Wagoner – TE

53.13%

  Wayne McFarland - OT

 

 Justin Durbin – TE

51.56%

  Nathan Johnson - RB

61.50%

 Randy Strickland - OT

51.56%

  Brian Garrett - OG

 

 Hal Hickey - Off. Guard

 

 

 

 James Johnson - Def. Line

 

 

 

 Woody Grigg - Def. Line

 

 

 

 1971 – team

 

 

50.00%

 Carroll Long – Center

 

 

 

 David Gaar - Off. Tackle

 

 

 

 Wayne McFarland - OT

 

 

 

 Gary Irvin – DE

 

 

 

 Carroll Long – kicker

 

 

 

 Lyn Bankston – kicker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following chart is all about players, coaches and games coming together in the same year.  This is an attempt to take all of the players, coaches, teams and games listed in one of the top three teams listed earlier on this page and breaking that down by year. The years are listed in rank order, with the year with the most choices listed first.  All years that have any combination of three or more players, coaches or games cited are shown. I have listed any year that included a player or coach in one of the top three teams, regardless of the classification of the player.

 

1971 (21)

Quarterback – Steve Adams

Running Back – Jerry Keen

Running Back – John Wayne Williams

Tight End – Greg Wagoner

Receiver –  Alan Carter

Off. Tackle – Randy Strickland

Off. Guard – Hal Hickey

Center – Eddie Jenkins

Def. End – James Hutchins

Linebacker – Lionel Johnson

Lineman – Roy Cotton

Lineman – James Johnson

Def. Back – Alan Carter

Def. Back - John C. Jones

Kicker – Jerry Keen

Ret. Spec. – John Wayne Williams

Head Coach – Joe Dosher

Team – 1971

Win – vs. Haughton

Win – vs. Natchitoches

Loss – South Lafourche

1979 (13)

Linebacker – Ricky Chatman

Def. Lineman – Tommy Campbell

Def. Lineman -   Chip Little

Def. Back – Jeffery Dale

Kicker – Tommy Latham

Def. End – Perry Rainwater

Def. Lineman –  Craig Cummings

Running Back – Jeffery Dale

Off. Guard -  Tim Jordan

Off. Guard -  Mark Hennigan

Off. Tackle -   Chip Little

Return Specialists – Jeffery Dale

Head Coach – Doug Moreau

1982 (11)

Quarterback – Thomas King

Running Back – Garlon Powell

Receiver – Benny Mitchell

Tight End – Chester Brinson

Def. Lineman –  Jess Grigg

Def. End – Gary Irvin

Linebacker – Marcel Mills

Return Specialists – Benny Mitchell

Win – John Curtis

Head Coach – Doug Moreau

Team – 1982

1981 (11)

Running Back – Garlon Powell

Receiver – Benny Mitchell

Tight End – Earl Funches

Def. Lineman –  Jess Grigg

Def. Lineman –  Tommy Latham

Linebacker – Marcel Mills

Def. Back – Thomas King

Return Specialists – Benny Mitchell

Kicker – Tommy Latham

Head Coach – Doug Moreau

vs. Jonesboro-Hodge – win

1961 (9)

Center – Carroll Long

Guard -  Don Jones

Tackle – Wayne McFarland

Running Back – Jimmy Bolton

Quarterback – Mike Tinnerello

Def. End – Ronald Skains

Kicker – Carroll Long

Punter – Mike Tinnerello

Loss – vs. Tallulah

1966 (9)

Center – Charles Poisso

Off. Tackle - Mike Kennedy

Receiver – Mike Spangler

Receiver – Wayne Wood

Linebacker – Charles Poisso

Def. End – Ronald Howard

Def. End – Mike Spangler

Def. Back – Jerry Hightower

Head Coach – Tommy Bankston

1978 (9)

 

Receiver – Terry Joe Ramsey

Off. Tackle -   Mark Swilley

Def. Lineman -  Woody Grigg

Def. Lineman – Donnie Purser

Linebacker – Ricky Chatman

Def. Back – Jeffery Dale

Kicker – Tommy Latham

Punter – Terry Joe Ramsey

Head Coach – Larry Dauterive

1968 (8)

 

Running Back – Randy Poisso  

Off. Guard – Hershel Long

Def. Lineman -  Charles Eagles

Def. Back – Randy Poisso

Def. Back – Tommy Tinnerello

Punter – Robbie Richards

Head Coach – Tommy Bankston

Loss – vs. Westlake

1972 (6)

 

Quarterback – Steve Adams

Off. Guard – Hal Hickey

Linebacker – Lionel Johnson

Def. End – Wilson Curry

Lineman – James Johnson

Head Coach – Joe Dosher

1976 (6)

 

Running Back - Nathan Johnson

Def. Back – Dennis Brown

Kicker – Lyn Bankston

Head Coach – Larry Dauterive

Team – 1976

Loss – vs. Jesuit, Sp.

1948 (5)

 

Kicker – Durwood Swilley

Kick Returner – Vernon McDonald

Tackle – Durwood Swilley

Center – Sam Emerson

Team

1959 (5)

 

Receiver – Tommy Wyatt

Center – Bobby Brazzell

Quarterback – Mike Tinnerello

Guard -  Don Jones

Tackle – Wayne McFarland

1973 (5)

 

Linebacker – Buster Davis

Def. Lineman – Roosevelt Robinson

Def. Back – Charles Oliver

Def. End – Al Long

Head Coach – Joe Dosher

1980 (5)

 

Off. Tackle -   Chip Little

Def. Lineman -   Chip Little

Off. Guard -  Mark Hennigan

Kicker – Tommy Latham

Head Coach – Doug Moreau

1993 (5)

 

Off. Tackle – Ryan Poisso

Off. Tackle -   David Gaar

Off. Guard -  Brian Garrett

Linebacker – Brock Grantadams

Return Specialists – Anthony Nash

1999 (5)

 

Receiver –  Jared Beville

Receiver – Freddie King

Return Specialists – Freddie King

Linebacker – Ryan Pickett

Def. Back – Freddie King

1928 (4)

 

End – Kenneth Teegarden

Tackle – Byron “Chuck” Skains

Kick Returner – Gabe Durham

Team

1933 (4)

 

Quarterback - Joe Beville

Center – Kidd Farr

Guard – J. D. Jones

Guard – Curtis Varnell

 

 

 

 

1950 (4)

 

Kicker – Conrad Swilley

Kick Returner -  Bobby Bass

End – Ben Singletary

Quarterback – Dan Carr

1969 (4)

 

Def. Lineman -  Daniel Scott

Linebacker – Ricky Hanna

Punter – Robbie Richards

Head Coach – Tommy Bankston

1975 (4)

 

Running Back - Nathan Johnson

Def. Back – Dennis Brown

Linebacker – Buford Jordan

Kicker – Lyn Bankston

1986 (4)

 

Def. End – Steve Shelton

Def. Back – Carey Broudy

Receiver – Eric Caldwell

Lineman – Trey Machen

1994 (4)

 

Running Back – Anthony Thomas

Off. Tackle -   David Gaar

Off. Guard -  Brian Garrett

Linebacker – Brock Grantadams

1996 (4)

 

Running Back – Anthony Thomas

Tight End – Justin Durbin

Linebacker – Oshay Booker

Return Specialists – Viron Smith

1919 (3)

 

Team

Quarterback – Otho Long

End – A. P. Smith

1926 (3)

 

End – C. J. Gilbert

End – Kenneth Teegarden

Back – A. T. Drewett

1927 (3)

 

End – Kenneth Teegarden

Back – A. T. Drewett

Kick Returner – Gabe Durham

1944 (3)

 

Quarterback – Tracy Lee Harrell

Center – C. C. Carter

Tackle – Buster Keaton

1946 (3)

 

Quarterback – Tracy Lee Harrell

Center – C. C. Carter

Kick Returner – Jackie Givens

1947 (3)

 

Kicker – Durwood Swilley

Tackle – Durwood Swilley

Kick Returner – Vernon McDonald

1949 (3)

 

End – Ben Singletary

Center – Sam Emerson

Kick Returner – Bobby Bass

1954 (3)

 

Quarterback – Hershel Machen

Center – Stanley Bass

Tackle – Johnny Newman

1955 (3)

 

End – Stanley Bass

Tackle – Johnny Newman

Kicker – John Harrington

1956 (3)

 

Tackle – Hank Ford

Guard – Darrell Mayes

Kicker – John Harrington

1995 (3)

 

Running Back – Anthony Thomas

Return Specialists – Viron Smith

Loss – vs. McCall