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.