Who's Who (Players and Coaches)

New Page 1

WHO’S WHO

IN WINNFIELD TIGER FOOTBALL

PLAYERS

Criteria used in making up this list (any of the following):

· 1^st Team All State

· Notable Achievement(s) (e.g. school records, first-time accomplishments, etc.)

· 1^{st or} 2^nd Team on the 2000 All-Century Poll as voted by either the seven-member “Expert Panel” or Fans.

The advantage of using the above criteria is that it keeps me from having to make subjective choices. The disadvantage is that a whole lot of good football players are left off. That is why I have a much longer “Who’s Who” list of players, coaches and teams that will be included in the book, “History of Winnfield Tiger Football”.

Members of the “Expert Panel” included the following:

For the Old-Timers Squad (1909 to 1959) – Denton Shell, Dudley Shell, Dennis Shell, Conrad Swilley, Pete Varnell, Tracy Lee Harrell and John Glyn Jackson.

For the Modern-Day Squad (1960 to 2000): Joe Dosher, Tommy Bankston, Tommy Straughan, Mike

Tinnerello, Hershel Machen, Gregg Davies, Bill Stewart and Eddie Jenkins.

1909-1929

Skipwith Adams (1909, Coach) The program’s first head football coach.

Coached only the inaugural 1909 season where he posted a 6-3-1 record.

Alwin Stokes (1917-1923, 1933-1934, Coach) Head Coach from 1917 to

1923. His 1919 squad went undefeated (8-0-0) and was unscored on (220-0).

The squad was declared State Champions by the New Orleans Times Picayune.

Stokes was minister at the First Presbyterian Church, thus his name Brother

Stokes. Returned for a second head coaching stint in 1933 and 1934 where he

posted a 10-8-2 record.

Otho Long (1918-1919, QB) Quarterback for the undefeated 1919 squad.

Was named first team all State quarterback that year. He is the only Tiger

quarterback ever selected to a first team All State team. Top vote-getter at the

quarterback position by the Expert Panel and the second ranked quarterback by

the fans voting in the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old-Timers team.

A. P. Smith (1918-1919, E) First team All State end on the 1919 state

champion squad. Second-leading vote-getter at the end position by the fans voting

in the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old-Timers team.

Truett Durham (1919-1920, T) First team All State tackle in 1919 and 1920.

First repeat All State player in the history of the program.

Grady Newton (1923-1924, G) Guard on the 1923 and 1924 squads. Earned

first team All State honors at that position both years.

A. T. Drewett (1925-1927, Back) Honorable mention All State in 1926 and

1927 at running back. Was the second-highest vote getter by the Expert Panel

voting at running back for the Old –Timers team on the 2000 All-Century poll and

was the top vote-getter at the running back position by the fans at large voting in

the same poll.

John Sowers (1926-1927, G) First team All State guard on the 1927 squad.

Kenneth Teegarden (1925-1928, E) Four-year starter at end from 1925 to

1928. Named honorable mention All State in 1926, 2^nd Team in 1927 and 1^st

team in 1928. Top vote-getter at the end position by the Expert Panel voting on the

2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers squad. On the powerful 1928 squad

(9-1-0) he rushed for five touchdowns, caught one touchdown pass, returned a

blocked punt 25 yards for a touchdown and booted four extra points.

Frank Brewer (1927-1928, B) Tiger running back on the 1927 and 1928

squads. Honorable mention All State his junior season and 2^nd team his senior

season. He was the leading scorer on the 1928 team. Brewer ended the season

with 69 points which is the highest single season scoring total from the pre-1960

era. During the 1928 season Brewer rushed for 9 touchdowns, had a 75 yard

kickoff return for a touchdown and had a fumble return for a touchdown. His total

for rushing touchdowns in 1928 is tied for second-most in the pre-1950 era. He

added three more points on extra point conversions.

Byron “Chuck” Skains (1927-1929, T & QB) One of the most talented and

versatile players of the pre-1950 era. Earned honorable mention All State honors

as a sophomore at the guard position and then was moved to the tackle slot his

junior season on the vaunted 1928 squad. He earned 2^ndteam All State honors at

that spot. Due to heavy graduation losses after his junior campaign he was moved

to the quarterback slot his senior season. He scored one touchdown from the

defensive side of the ball his sophomore season when he returned a blocked punt

for a touchdown. During his junior season he booted eight extra point kicks. He is

one of the most well thought of players from the pre-1960 era as evidenced by the

fact that he was the second highest vote getter at any position by the Expert

Panelist voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad. That total

was achieved at the guard slot where six of the seven panelists gave his a first place

vote for the guard slot. He was the third-ranked tackle by the Expert Panel

and also ranked in the top ten of the quarterback position by the Expert Panel.

Was one of six kickers to receive votes.

1930-1939

Hovey Harrell (1930-1933, B) Four-year starter at running back. His most

prolific season was his freshman year when he rushed 9 touchdowns. That single

season rushing touchdown total is tied for second-most in the pre-1960 era.

Following his freshman season in 1930 Harrell posted two rushing touchdowns in

1932 and five in 1933. Four of the five rushing touchdowns in 1932 came against

Oak Grove and that made him only the third player up to that time to rush for four

touchdowns in a single game. He is one of four players from the pre-1960 era to

accomplish that feat. Harrell ended his career with 16 rushing touchdowns which

set a school record that was not surpassed until Jimmy Bolton ended his career in

1962 with 19 rushing touchdowns. Harrell’s 16 career touchdowns is the second-

most total touchdowns scored by a player from the pre-1960 era. Received the

third highest vote total for backs from fans voting in the 2000 All-Century

Fan Poll.

E. H. “Kidd” Farr (1931-1934, E, QB, B & C; 1942-1945, Head Coach) Versatile player who played at the end position as a freshman, quarterback as a sophomore, center as a junior and back as a senior. He continued his playing career as a center while on a football scholarship at nearby Northwestern State College. Farr is the first player to return to the program as a coach. That occurred when he took over the reins of the program in 1942 as the head coach. His coaching tenure lasted three years where he posted a 13-20-0 record. He rose through the ranks of the Winn Parish School system after that, becoming the principal at Eastside Elementary and eventually being named Superintendent of Schools. The fans and Expert Panel voting in the All Century poll remember Farr primarily as a center as the was the leading vote-getter at that position by the fans voting for the pre-1960 era team and was the second leading vote-getter by the Expert Panel for the center position.

Curtis Varnell (1930-1933, G) Four-year starter at guard. Was ranked

second by the fans and sixth by the Expert Panel voting on the guard position for

the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad.

Joe Beville (1932 – 1934, QB) Starting QB for two years after playing at a running back position as a freshman. Was the leading vote-getter at the QB position by fans voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad and was ranked sixth by the Expert Panel voting in the same poll. Threw one touchdown pass, that going to David Harper, the leading receiver of the era, and rushed for two touchdowns.

J. D. “Farmer” Jones (1933-1935, G) Arguably the best lineman of the 1930s, if not the whole pre-1960 era. The fans voting in the 2000 All-Century poll thought so as he was the top vote-getter at the guard spot for the Old Timers squad. The Expert Panel also thought highly of Jones as he was the second-leading vote-getter by that group when guards were being selected.

David Harper (1935-1936, E & B) Played end as a junior and was the Tigers

main threat at running back on the 1936 squad. He was on the receiving end of

three touchdown passes in the 1936 game against Oakdale, which was both the

first time a player had caught two touchdown passes in a game or even a season,

much less three. Only four other players have caught three TD passes in a single

game in the history of the program. Harper ended the 1936 season with 5 TD

receptions, which was the single-season record until 1959 when Tommy Wyatt

caught nine TD passes. Prior to Harper no player had ever caught more than one

touchdown pass in a season. As a senior, rushed for four touchdowns, including a

45-yarder and a 38-yarder. His longest pass reception for a touchdown went for

65 yards. He is the first player to catch passes totaling 100 or more yards in a

single game. That came in his three touchdown reception game against Oakdale in

1936, with his TD receptions alone totaling over 100 yards. He is the first player

credited with scoring by way of rush and reception in the same game, that

coming in 1936 against Mangham when he rushed for two touchdowns and caught

a scoring pass from Ray Jenkins. Was the eighth-ranked back of the era, as

determined by the Expert Panel voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old

Timers Squad.

Ray Jenkins (1935-1936, B & QB) He threw three touchdown passes in the 1936 game against Oakdale, all going to David Harper. That marked the first time a player had thrown multiple touchdown passes in a game or a season. His three touchdown performance wasn’t matched again until 1966. To date, there have only been six players throw three or more touchdown passes in a single game. Jenkins ended the 1936 season with five touchdown passes, a single-season record that was tied in 1941 and 1957, but not broken until 1959 by Mike Tinnerello.

1940-1949

Eddie Parker (1941-1943, RB and Kick returner) A versatile player who

was a dangerous return man and running back. Was the team’s leading scorer both

his sophomore and junior seasons. During his sophomore season he caught three

touchdown passes, which was the second most touchdown passes ever caught in

one season up to that time. Two of those touchdown receptions came against

Natchitoches, making him only the second player in the history of the program to

have two or more TD catches in a single game. During his junior season he had

four rushing touchdowns, including a 60-yarder. During Parker’s final season he

rushed for three touchdowns, including one that went 75 yards. Parker had an 87-

yard punt return in 1943 that broke the school record for length by 22 yard. That

distance wasn’t surpassed until 1962 (Bob Wyatt, 92 yards vs. Ville Platte) and

has only been topped four times since 1943. Parker was thought highly of by the

Expert Panel voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad as

he was the highest vote getter for kick-returners of that era and the third-leading

vote getter among running backs. Eddie was the “father-end” of the only Father/Son

combination in the history of the program to have rushing touchdowns that covered

70+ yards. In 1961 and 1962 Parker’s son Ronnie had rushing touchdowns that

covered 82 and 73 yards respectively.

John G. Jackson (1942-1943, RB) Two-year starter at running back. Had

three rushing touchdowns his junior season, with the longest going for 60 yards.

Was the team’s leading scorer his senior season with 31points. Those points were

gained by a combination of three rushing touchdowns, one pass reception and a 55

yard return of an interception. He also booted one extra point kick. One of his

touchdowns during the 1943 season was a 97-yarder against Ruston. That set a

school record for longest run from scrimmage; a record that lasted for forty years

(see Garlon Powell, 1983 who had a 99 yard run). Jackson was the leading vote-

getter at the running back position, or any position for that matter, by the Expert

Panel voting on the 2000 All Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad and he garnered

the fourth highest votes at running back by fans in the same poll.

Buster Keaton (1944-1945, T & C) Started at tackle his junior season and moved to starting center for his senior campaign. He was the second-leading vote-getter at the tackle slot by the Expert Panel voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad

C. C. Carter (1943-1946, C & G) Alternated between the center and guard

positions, playing guard as a freshman and junior and center as a sophomore and

senior. He is best known by those who know the history of the program as one of

the program’s best centers. He also booted five extra point kicks his junior season.

Earned honorable mention honors on the All State squad both his junior and senior

seasons at the center spot. The members of the Expert Panel voting on the

2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad gave him the most votes at center.

Carter received the most votes from the fans when they selected a kicker and he

ranked third by the Expert Panel as a kicker.

Jackie Givens (1945-1946, B) One of the most versatile players of the pre-1960 era. In 1945, his junior season, he was the team’s leading scorer with 36 points. That point total was gained by five rushing touchdowns and one kickoff return. A testimony to his speed is evidenced by the fact that one of this rushing touchdowns went for 80 yards and his kickoff return went for a school record 95 yards. That kickoff return distance has been tied but not broken. In 1946 he scored three touchdowns by way of two rushing touchdowns and another

kickoff return, the latter covering 85 yards. He is one of only seven players in the

program that have returned two or more kickoffs for touchdowns in a career, with

all of the others coming from the 1970 to 2000 era. He was the first to accomplish

that feat. Givens received the third highest vote total at the kick return position by

the Expert Panel voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad. He

was ranked fourth at back by the Expert Panel. Earned honorable mention

All State honors at the back position his senior season.

Durwood Swilley (1947-1948, T) Swilley is arguably the best lineman of the

first fifty years of Tiger football. He is the only first team All State selection of

either the 1940s or the 1930s, as he earned that honor in 1948. Swilley was the

leading vote-getter at the tackle position by the Expert Panel voting on the 2000

All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad and he garnered the second-most first

place votes at tackle by fans voting in the same poll. Swilley was the third highest

vote getter at any position, trailing only John Jackson (1944) and Chuck Skains

(1928). In addition to his play on both sides of the line, Swilley was the most

prolific kicker the program had ever seen up to that point as he successfully booted

22 extra point kicks in 1948. No previous kicker had ever booted half as many in

a single season. As such, the 22 points he scored by kick was easily the most

points ever scored by a player without factoring in touchdowns. Swilley was way

ahead of his time as a kicker as it wouldn’t be until the 1961 season that another

kicker would successfully convert 20 or more extra point kicks. In the earliest

years of football and extra point was considered a bonus because teams rarely

converted them. It was not unusual for a team to go through a whole season

without reaching double-digit numbers in PAT tries. That is because most teams

relied on the run to score their single PAT point. Therefore, Swilley gave the 1948

team a scoring weapon that most teams simply did not have.

Bobby Bass (1947-1950, B) Four year starter at running back. Scored two rushing touchdowns as a freshman, including a 70 yard run against Neville. His versatility was shown his sophomore season (1948) when he scored one touchdown by rush, turned two receptions into touchdowns and returned a kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown. Both of those TD receptions came against Oil City, making him only the fourth player in the history of the program up to that time to have two or more TD catches in a single game. He is the first player in the history of the program to score a touchdown by rush, reception and return in the same season. In his final two seasons he recorded two additional rushing touchdowns and two additional receiving touchdowns. That gave him nine career touchdowns, which is good enough to place him in a tie for seventh place for total touchdowns scored by players from the 1909 to 1950 era. Was the second-leading vote-getter from among the fans for the kick-returner spot.

1980-1989

Doug Moreau (1979-1984, Head Coach) Moreau is the only coach in the history of the program to lead a Tiger team to a state title win on the playing field. That occurred in 1982 when the Tigers defeated John Curtis 23-14 for the Class AA title. True, Coach Alwin Stokes and his 1919 squad won a title, but that was a declared title, not one decided in a game. When Moreau arrived in 1979 he had immediate success. He took his first team to the semi-finals and his first four teams went a combined 43-7-0 overall and 13-1-0 in district play. Three of those teams won the district crown, with the only exception being the 1980 team who was district runner-up. His three playoff teams in that span reached two semi-final round games and one state title game. Moreau finished his career at Winnfield with an overall record of 58-14-0 and a district record of 20-2-0. He won four district titles in his six-year tenure and sent five of his six teams to the playoffs. Moreau won more district titles than any other Tiger head coach. His playoff record at Winnfield was 11-4-0. Moreau’s overall winning percentage of .804 is the highest of any Tiger coach who had a tenure of two or more years. He ranks second on the overall win list and first on the playoff win list. His regular season winning percentage of .825 (47-10-0) is the highest of any Tiger coach and he and Larry Dauterive (.714 between 1976 & 1978) are the only coaches in the program with a winning percentage in the playoffs. Moreau’s playoff winning percentage was .833. His eleven win total in the playoff is double that of second place Larry Dauterive and Joey Pender (1998-2005) who both had five. All six of Moreau’s teams had winning records. That is the most winning seasons produced by any Tiger head coach.

Chip Little (1979-1980, OT & DL) Two year starter in both the offensive and defensive lines. Was a two-time first team All District selection at offensive tackle and also earned first team All District honors as a defensive lineman in 1980. Little is the only lineman in the history of the program to earn first team honors on both sides of the ball in the same season. The only other player to earn first team honors as both an offensive and defensive lineman in separate seasons is Roger Williams (1983-1984). Was the sixth ranked defensive lineman and fourth-ranked offensive tackle by the Expert Panel voting on the All Century poll of 2000. The fans made Little their fifth choice at offensive tackle.

Greg Powell (1978-1981, QB & KR) Powell was clearly one of the most versatile quarterbacks to ever wear the red and white. He is the only Tiger quarterback to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a career. Specifically, his career totals are 2,094 passing yards, which is sixth best all time. While his complete rushing totals are unknown, he set a single season rushing mark by a Tiger quarterback when he rushed for 760 yards in 1981. Since he had manned the quarterback position the two seasons prior to that he clearly surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark. In 1981 he became only the 7^th Tiger quarterback to throw for more than 1,000 yards when he connected on 69 of 148 pass attempts for 1,075. He is the only Tiger quarterback to throw for over 1,000 yards and rush for over 500 yards in the same seasons. He currently is one of only 12 Tiger quarterbacks to throw for over 1,000 yards in a single season. What he did the best was lead and that resulted in wins. He was the starting quarterback in 25 Tiger wins in his career, which ties him with Steve Adams (1970-1972) for most wins by a starting quarterback. Six of those wins came in playoff games, which is the most playoff wins by a Tiger quarterback. Another testimony to Powell’s leadership skills came in the 1981 Jonesboro-Hodge game. Winnfield fell behind Jonesboro-Hodge in that game 29-0 and then staged the biggest comeback in school history by scoring 34 unanswered points. Powell played a huge role in that comeback as he threw for three touchdowns and scored from 28 yards out in the final minutes of the game for the decisive final touchdown. That night Powell threw for 221 yards, making him one of only 9 Tiger quarterbacks to ever cross the 200 yard passing mark in a single game. His 221 yard total is currently tied for fifth best all-time. Powell was certainly one of the best, if not the best running quarterbacks in school history. Aside from the single season rushing record by a Tiger quarterback, he also holds the single-game rushing record, that coming in a 176 yard rushing effort against E. D. White in 1981 semi-final round game. Powell had a 74 yard touchdown run in that contest, which is the third longest touchdown run ever by a Tiger quarterback, surpassed only by a 75 yard run by Mike Tinnerello vs. Jena in 1961 and a 76 yard run by Thomas King vs. John Curtis in 1982. As a sophomore, he rushed for three touchdowns in a quarterfinal round playoff game against Delhi. That is the only time a Tiger quarterback has rushed for three touchdowns in a game – regular season or playoffs. One measure of a football player’s scoring threat is his ability to break the long one. Powell scored two rushing touchdowns that covered more than 50 yards and he returned two punts for touchdowns, both over 50 yards. During his senior year, Powell rushed for 9 touchdowns, tying Mike Tinnerello (1961) for most rushing touchdowns in a single season by a quarterback. For his career, Powell rushed for 15 touchdowns. Only Mike Tinnerello (1959-1961) and Thomas King (1981-1982) have rushed for more touchdowns from the quarterback position. Both of those had 16 career rushing touchdowns. Powell, Tinnerello and King are the only Tiger quarterback to rush for 15 or more touchdowns and throw for 15 or more touchdowns. The career touchdown passes thrown by that group are Tinnerello with 22, Powell with 18 and King with 16. Powell threw for 12 of those touchdowns in 1981, which is tied for 7^th on the all-time list. His 18 career TD tosses is 7^th most all-time. All total, Powell scored 111 points as a quarterback and punt returner. That made him only the 12th player to go over the career 100-point mark and was the 10th highest points scored at the time. The only other Tiger quarterbacks among the 12 who had scored 100 more points were Lyn Bankston (115), Dan Carr (103) and Mike Tinnerello (102). It is a rare feat for a Tiger quarterback to earn post season honors. Powell was named first team All-District quarterback in 1981 after earning second team honors at that position the season before. He is one of only 13 Tiger quarterbacks to be named first team All-District. No Tiger quarterback has ever earned All-State honors.

Tommy Latham (1978-1981, PK, OG & DL) Latham is the most prolific kicker in the history of the program. He currently holds the school record for extra point kicks made in a game (8) – tied) and a career (112). When he booted 36 extra points in 1981 that broke Jerry Keen’s (1969-1971) single season record by one. Latham’s single season record was broken the next season by Garlon Powell who booted 39. Latham first came on the scene as a freshman when he shared kicking duties with Tommy Campbell. In that 1978 season Latham booted 24 of 29 PAT kicks. He also became the single game, single season and career field goal leader in one game, that coming in the Haynesville game of 1978 when he kicked four field goals, with three of those being in overtime and the final one giving the Tigers a 16-13 win. He booted six other field goals to end his career with ten field goals. That not only makes him the career leader but is more than double that of any other kicker. Latham holds the school record for longest field goal (47 yds.) and in fact has kicked the school’s three longest field goals (47, 46 and 45 yards). Latham kicked 27 of 34 attempted PATs in 1979, 38 of 49 attempted in 1980 and 23 of 27 attempted in 1981. Latham also played offensive guard and in the defensive line his final two seasons. Latham was a three-time first team All District selection as kicker. That makes him one of only nine players to earn first team All District honors three times at one position. Latham also earned first team All District honors at nose guard his senior season. Latham scored 150 career points, which included 112 extra points, ten field goals, one safety, one two-point conversion run and a 9 yard touchdown run. At the time that was the third highest total ever amassed, trailing only Jerry Keen (1969-1971) and Ricky Chatman (1976-1979). Latham remains one of only a dozen players to score 150 or more career points. He was the consensus place-kicker by both the Expert Panel and fans voting in the All Century poll. He received six first place votes by the eight-member Expert Panel. The only players to get as many or more first place votes from the Expert Panel are Anthony Thomas (1993-1996) and Lionel Johnson (1970-1972) who both received 7 first place votes; Thomas at running back and Johnson at linebacker.

Ken Maloy (1980-1981, C & DL) Two-year starter at center and in the defensive line as a junior. Earned second-team All District honors as a junior and first team All District and All State honors at that position as a senior. Maloy is one of only three Tiger centers to earn first team All State honors (see Harold Wood, 1920 and Ryan Porter, 1998) The Expert Panel ranked him sixth among centers and the fans voted him seventh.

Perry Myles (1980-1982, RB & DB) Three-year starter at running back. Started in the defensive backfield as a sophomore and junior but used primarily on offense his senior season. Myles was the most prolific rusher in the history of the program up to his time and the exact extent of his accomplishments are not known. That is because the complete rushing totals from both his sophomore and junior seasons are not known. The only single game rushing total known from Myles’ sophomore season is the Many game where he rushed for four touchdowns and ended the night with 132 yards. That feat tied a single game rushing touchdown record, as Myles joined five other players that had rushed for four touchdowns in a single game. Myles was the first sophomore to accomplish that feat and in fact at the time he was the only underclassmen to rush for four touchdowns in a single game. He rushed for three other touchdowns during his sophomore season, with those touchdown runs alone totaling 31 yards. Therefore, all that is known about his rushing total from his sophomore season are those 163 yards, though he was running the football throughout the season. During his junior season his rushing total is known for only five of the team’s thirteen games. Myles had over 100 yards rushing in four of those five games and his total for those five games was 579 yards. He recorded twelve rushing touchdowns his junior season and his rushing total for touchdowns scored in games where his rushing total is not known adds 55 more yards to his total. Therefore, what is known about his junior season is 634 rushing yards, though he was the leading rusher on a team that gained 2,846 yards rushing. Myles undoubtedly rushed for over 1,000 yards in 1981, but that is not known for sure. His full statistics from his senior season on the state championship 1982 team are known. During that season Myles became the program’s first 1,500-yard rusher by ending the year with 1,557 rushing yards. When you add the “known” rushing totals from his sophomore and junior seasons to his senior season total that gives Myles 2,354 rushing yards. In short, his complete game rushing totals are only known for 20 of the 37 games he carried the ball in. Even his known total was second all-time at the time, trailing only Nathan Johnson (1974-1976), who had 2,825 career rushing yards, though he too had unaccounted for games that totaled five in number. So, Johnson was likely the school’s first 3,000-yard career rusher, but Myles undoubtedly rushed for over 3,000 yards in his career as well. Myles ranks eight on the career rushing list when comparing his known total to other rushers. He most likely ranks fifth on the all-time list because he would have only needed to have rushed for 800 yards in those 16 games in which his rushing total is not known to move into fifth place. He would have had to have average 50 yards rushing per game to do that. Since his single game rushing average for the 20 games where is rushing total is known is 113 yards per game and since he never rushed below 66 yards in the 20 games where is total is known, it is reasonable to assume he gained at least 800 or more likely well over 1,000 more rushing yards that his total shows. He would have had to have gained an additional 1,500 more rushing yards to move into the fourth spot on the all-time career rushing list. After rushing for 7 touchdowns as a sophomore and 12 as a junior Myles shattered the single-season rushing touchdown total set by Ricky Chatman in 1979 (16) by rushing for 23 touchdowns in 1982. That gave Myles 42 career rushing touchdowns which was 11 more than second place Ricky Chatman at the time. In fact, Myles’ single season total of 1982 was tied with Jerry Keen’s (1969-1971) career total. Myles had two games where he rushed for four touchdowns. He is the first player to do that twice and is the only player other than Anthony Thomas (1993-1996) to accomplish that feat more than once. Myles was the scoring leader of the semi-finalist 1981 team with 74 points. He and teammate Garlon Powell combined to score 310 points the next season, as Powell ended the 1982 season with 166 points and Myles added 144 point. The single season scoring record up to that time was the 130 points scored by John Wayne Williams in 1971. Therefore, both Powell and Myles broke that record. Those two totals by Powell and Myles are still the highest single season scoring total by any player other than Anthony Thomas, who had three seasons in which he scored over 180 points. Myles finished his career with 244 points, which broke Jerry Keen’s (1969-1971) career mark of 207 points. Myles is one of only nine players to score 200 or more points in their career and he currently ranks fifth on that list. Myles had 16 known games in which he rushed for 100 yards or more in his career, with 10 of those games coming in the 1982 season alone. That was a career and single season mark at the time. His post-season honors included back-to-back first team All District honors at running back between 1981 and 1982. The Expert Panel ranked Myles in a tie with Jeffery Dale at ninth on the all-time running back list. He was ranked tenth by the fans, just behind John Wayne Williams (1970-1971).

Marcel Mills (1980-1981, FB, DE & LB) Mills is the only player from the

1982 state champion team that was named to a first team All State squad. That

came at the linebacker position where he was credited with 164 tackles during the

1982 season. That ranks as the second highest single season total of all time,

trailing only Lionel Johnson’s 1971 total. His 1982 tackle-per-game average was

11.7. Mills actually began his career as a defensive end during this sophomore

season. He played his last two seasons at linebacker and was named by the

Expert Panel of the All Century poll as the program’s fourth-best linebacker behind

Lionel Johnson (1970-1971), Ricky Chatman (1976-1979) and Charles Poisso

(1966-1967). Mills’ career ended slightly earlier than he would have liked as he

broke his arm in the third quarter of the 1982 state title game against John Curtis.

He also played three seasons at the fullback position, where he recorded fifteen

career rushing touchdowns. That total placed him in a tie for 7^th on the all-time list

at the time and still ranks in the top twenty. Mills was a first team All District

defensive end as a sophomore and a two-time first team All District linebacker. He

earned second team All District honors at back his junior season. Mills is the only

sophomore to ever earn All District status at a defensive end position and one of

only nine sophomores to earn All District honors at any defensive position. The

only three-time first team All District performers at a defensive position are Mills,

Ricky Chatman (1977-1979), Oshay Booker (1996-1998), DeCarlus Pittman

(1994-1996) and Freddie King (1997-2000)

Bennie Mitchell (1980-1982, WR, KR & DB) Along with Eric Caldwell (11

in 1986) and Freddie King (10 in 1998), Mitchell is the only player to catch

double-digit TD passes in a single season. He had 10 in 1982. His 15 career TD

receptions are second highest in the history of the program, trailing only Freddie

King’s total. Catching multiple (2 or more) touchdown passes in a single game is a

rarity in the program. That feat has only happened a total of 28 times. Only

seven players have done that in more than one game. Prior to 1982 four players

had two games in the same season in which they had caught two touchdown

passes. In 1982 Mitchell had three games in which he caught multiple touchdown

passes to become the first player to do that three times. Since then that has only

happened twice, first in 1986 when Eric Caldwell had four games in which he

caught multiple touchdown passes and then in 1998 when Freddie King had

four games with multiple TD catches. The leaders for career multiple touchdown

catch\games are King with 6, Caldwell with 4 and Mitchell with 3. All total he had

10 touchdown receptions in 1982, which broke Tommy Wyatt’s single season

record of 9 that had stood since the 1959 season. Mitchell’s total has only been

topped once, that coming in 1986 when Eric Caldwell had 11 touchdown

reception. Mitchell finished his career with 15 touchdown reception with was two

more than Wayne Woods (1965 -1967) career total of 13. Only Freddie King

(1997-2000), with 20, has more career touchdown receptions. In 1982 4 of his 10

touchdowns by reception came in the playoffs against those talent-rich playoff

opponents. Only five players have ever caught more than one touchdown pass in a

playoff series in one season with four of those have two touchdown catches in the

playoffs, compared to Mitchell’s four touchdown catches. He also had

a touchdown catch in 1981 to give him three career touchdown catches in the

playoffs. No other player has more than two. Mitchell and Mickey Zimmerman

(vs. Haughton 1976) are the only players to have multiple touchdown catches in

the same playoff game and Mitchell did that twice; first against Rayville in the

opening round and then against E. D. White in the semi-final round. Mitchell was

an opportunist when it came to his pass receptions because he is no where

near the single-season or career leaders in receptions. For example, in the 1982

season he only had 23 receptions total, but since 10 of those went for touchdowns

he almost scored once out of every two times he touched the ball. His reception

totals from 1980 and 1981 are not known. One measure of a gifted football player

is whether that player excelled at more than one position. Include Bennie Mitchell

among those players who was among the greatest of all-time at two functions.

Besides being a career leader at wide receiver Mitchell was one of the most

successful return men in the history of the program. Mitchell had five career punt

returns for a touchdown. He trails career leader John Wayne Williams (1970-

1971) by one and is two better than third place Jeffery Dale (1977-1980). Only

four other players have as many at two punt returns for scores. Mitchell scored

those punt return this way: one each his sophomore and junior seasons and three

his senior season. He is the only player in the history of the program to have punt

return touchdown in three different seasons. His three touchdown total is the

second most of any single season, trailing only John Wayne Williams five. Only

Mitchell and Dale have three punt returns for touchdowns in the same season and

only four other players have as many as two punt returns for scores in the same

season. The only players with three or more career kick returns (punt or kickoff)

for touchdowns include John Wayne Williams (1970-1971) with eight; Bennie

Mitchell (1980-1982) and Freddie King (1997-2000) with five, Garlon Powell

(1981-1983) and Andrew Riggs (1982-1984) with four and Charles Oliver

(1972-1973), Jeffery Dale (1978 -1980) and Viron Smith (1994-1996) all with

three. Another measure of a football threat is a player who can break the long one.

A total of nine (almost half) of Mitchell’s career twenty touchdowns covered 50

yards or more. At the time that trailed John Wayne Williams by one and tied

Ricky Chatman’s total of 50-yard touchdowns. Currently, Mitchell’s total is tied

for fifth highest in the history of the program. Mitchell scored 15 total touchdowns

in 1982, including his 10 by reception, three by return and two by rush. At the

time that was the third highest single-season total ever amassed. Currently that

ranks as the fourteenth-best single-season total. He ended his career with 23 total

touchdowns, which is the same career total as John Wayne Williams (1970-1971)

and Nathan Johnson (1974-1976), all of which are currently in fourteenth place.

Mitchell finished his career with 126 points scored, making him one of only 31

players to score 100 or more career points. He scored 90 of those points in 1982,

which was third behind teammates Perry Myles and Garlon Powell for the team

lead. At the time, Mitchell’s total was higher than all but five players that had ever

played for Winnfield. His single-season total of 1982 still ranks in the top twenty.

The only post-season honors that came Mitchell’s way came during his senior

season when he earned first team All District honors at wide receiver. However,

the Expert Panel of the All-Century poll certainly recognized Mitchell’s value to the

program as that group gave Mitchell the most votes at the end position. In fact,

only Anthony Thomas (1993-1996), Nathan Johnson (1974-1976) and Greg

Wagoner (1969-1971) earned more total points on the offensive side of the poll as

voted on by the Expert Panel. The fans ranked Mitchell number five as a return

man and number seven as their wide receiver.

Jess Grigg (1981-1982, DL & OT) Alternated at offensive tackle his junior

season but was a two year starter in the defensive line where he was a two-time

first team All District pick. Grigg is a fan favorite as he ranked third by the fans in

balloting for the all-time defensive lineman pick. That put him behind his brother

Woody (1977-1978) and James Johnson (1971-1972). The Expert Panel thought

highly of Jess Grigg as well, placing him fifth among defensive linemen.

Thomas King (1981-1983, DB & QB) First broke into the lineup in the

defensive backfield as a sophomore where he earned first team All District honors.

He was the first sophomore to be named All District at defensive back and is one

of only six sophomores to earn that honor to date. However, he took over as the

starting quarterback in 1982 and helped the program secure 22 wins between

1982 and 1983 as a prototypical Veer quarterback. King was a first team All

District quarterback in 1982 and 1983. His rushing statistics and passing statistics

are equally impressive, though not in ways that most people look at statistics. In

1982 King had two 1,000 yard rushers with him in the backfield and two backs

who broke the single season scoring record (see Garlon Powell and Perry Myles).

So, if all you knew was that King rushed for 368 yards and rushed for ten

touchdowns in 1982 you might conclude that he had a decent, though not

impressive season. The fact is that three of King’s touchdowns covered 70 or

more yards, including a 76 run for a touchdown against John Curtis in the state title

game, a 71 yard scoring run in the semi-final round game against E. D. White and a

71 jaunt against rival Jonesboro-Hodge. Tiger quarterbacks have scored on runs

of 70 or more yards only six times. King, therefore, has half of the 70+ scoring

runs by Tiger quarterback and holds the record for the longest touchdown run by

a Tiger quarterback with his 76-yarder against John Curtis. He rushed for one

touchdown as a sophomore, but that one went 67 yards and he rushed for five

touchdowns as a senior, with one of those covering 60 yards. So, all total King

had five rushing touchdowns that covered 60 or more yards. There have only been

ten scoring runs by a Tiger quarterback that covered 60 more yards. King has half

of those. To take that one step further, only twenty Tiger players have two

or more touchdown runs from scrimmage that covered 60 or more yards. King

and Mike Tinnerello (2) are the only quarterbacks from among that group. There

are only four players in the history of the program with five or more touchdown

runs from scrimmage that covered 60 or more yards, including Anthony Thomas

(17 between 1993 and 1996), Cornelius Patterson (8 between 1997 and 1999),

Antonio Robinson (7 between 2003 and 2004) and King with his five. As a

passer King threw for 1,169 yards in 1982 to become the sixth Tiger quarterback

to throw for 1,000 yards in a single season. He remains one of only nine Tiger

quarterbacks to accomplish that feat. King added 770 passing yards in 1983 to

end his career with 1,969 yards, which was third highest at the time. His career

102 completions ranks him eighth on the all-time list. King threw 10 touchdown

passes in 1982 to become the seventh Tiger quarterback to reach the double-digit

mark for TD passes in a season. He currently ranks in the top ten on that

list. He added 6 more touchdown passes in 1983 to finish his career with 16

touchdown tosses, which is tied with Ricky Jordan (1965-1966) for eighth place

on the all-time list. King was the clear choice by the Expert Panel as the program’s

all-time quarterback as he not only received the most votes from that group but five

of the eight members made him their first choice. Two others made him their

second choice and the third made him their third pick. The fans voting in the All

Century poll had the same opinion of King as they too made him their top pick at

quarterback.

Garlon Powell (1981-1983, RB, PK & DB) Powell was a scoring machine.

Give him credit for touchdowns by way of: rush, reception, punt return and kickoff

return; as well as by interception and fumble return. He also was a kicker who

booted extra points and has a field goal to his credit. That is eight means of

scoring, which was the most ways up to his time, as John Wayne Williams (1970-

1971), the previous leader, had scored in six different ways. The only other

players to match Powell’s total are Anthony Thomas (1993-1996) and Freddie

King (1997-2000). All total Powell scored 337 career points. He was the first

player to score as many as 250 career points and he remains the second highest

scorer in school history behind Anthony Thomas (1993-1996). Powell scored 54

points his sophomore season, which established a new sophomore scoring record

at the time and has only been topped by Anthony Thomas. The next season he

shattered the single season scoring mark of 130 pts. set by John Wayne Williams

(1971) when he scored 166 points. That is currently the fourth highest single

season total but only Anthony Thomas, who had three seasons where he scored

more has ever scored more points in a single season than Powell. During Powell’s

senior season he scored 135 points. Powell, Anthony Thomas and Jeffery Dale

(1977-1980) are the only players in the history of the program to score 50 or more

points in three different seasons. Against Coushatta in 1983 Powell scored

32 points. That broke Jerry Keen’s 12 year old record for single-game points

scored. The only players in the history of the program to score 30 or more points

in a game are Powell, Keen, Anthony Nash (1993) and Anthony Thomas (1993-

1996). All total Powell had 42 rushing touchdowns, which tied Perry Myles

(1980-1982) at the time for the career lead and is currently the third most. Myles

and Powell’s record was 11 more than the school record prior to their

participation in the program. In 1982 Powell rushed for 19 touchdowns, which

trailed teammate Perry Myles’ total that year by four. At the time those were the

two highest totals. In fact, only four players had ever rushed for more touchdowns

in a career, including Nathan Johnson (20), Jerry Keen (23), Jeffery Dale (31) and

Ricky Chatman (31). Powell rushed for four touchdowns in a single game twice

which tied a school record for rushing touchdowns in a game. One of those games

was the Jena game of 1982; a game in which Powell also returned an interception

for a touchdown. That made Powell the first player to score 5 total touchdowns in

a single game. That has been matched or topped by only two other players,

including Anthony Nash in 1993 and Anthony Thomas six times between 1995 and

1996. Powell ended his career with 49 total touchdowns which included 42

rushing touchdowns, 3 by kickoff return and 1 each by reception, interception

return, fumble return and punt return. That career total broke Jeffery Dale’s school

record of 36 and is currently the third most in the program. His three career kickoff

returns for scores set a new record that has only been topped by one when

Freddie King (1997-2000) ran four kickoff returns back. Powell’s 95 yard kickoff

return against Rayville is tied for the longest kickoff return in school history. Almost

overshadowed in Powell’s career was his proficiency as a place kicker. He set a

single season record that still stands today when he booted 39 extra point in 1982.

While he had many opportunities to attempt extra points on the school’s all-time

scoring team (595 pts.) he did convert on 39 of 45 attempts for an .867

percentage. That is the fourth best of all time. His career 64 PAT leads all other

kickers except career leader Tommy Latham. There have only been four games in

which a Tiger kicker has successfully booted 8 extra points. Powell was the kicker

in two of those games (vs. Ringgold & Coushatta, 1983). He only booted one

field goal in his career but that field goal may have been the most crucial field

goal in school history. In the 1982 title game the Tigers were holding a slim 20-14

second half lead and momentum appeared to be shifting to John Curtis. Powell

came in and booted a 25 yard field goal in the third quarter to account for the

Tigers final 23-14 margin in that win. That boot took pressure off of the Tiger

defense the rest of that game. It was Powell’s only field goal of his career.

Powell’s rushing totals are quite impressive. His best rushing season was his junior

year when he rushed for 1,314 yards. He joined teammate Perry Myles (1,554)

as the first Tiger tandem to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. That has only been

matched two other times. Powell had 1,190 rushing yards as a senior. He is one

of only seven Tiger backs to have more than one 1,000-yard rushing seasons. His

complete rushing totals from his sophomore season are not known. What is

known is that he rushed for 208 yards on his 8 touchdowns alone. Therefore, it

is known that Powell had at least 2,712 career rushing yards, though he obviously

had several hundred more rushing yards his sophomore season. His career total is

thus likely over 3,000 yards which would put him in the same company as only six

other career 3,000-yard backs. Compared to the other 3,000 yard backs Powell

easily had the fewest carries. In almost half of his games he had under double-digit

carries and it was almost unheard of for him to carry the ball more than 15 times.

The highest known single game carry total of Powell’s career came in 1983

when he toted the ball 20 times against North Natchez. He gained 171 yards that

night. What was common was for him to gain that kind of yardage with half as

many carries. Powell holds the school record for highest single game per carry

average (4 carries minimum), with that coming against Jena in 1982 when he gained

156 yards on 4 carries for a 39.00 yard per carry average. There are several

other examples like that, including: vs. Coushatta (1983), 182 yards on 6 carries

for a 30.33 average; vs. Many (1983), 188 yards on 8 carries for a 23.50 average

and vs. Many (1982) 117 yards on 5 carries for a 23. 40 average. One of the

most remarkable individual performances came in a two-game stretch during the

1982 season. Against Jena and Ringgold in 1982 Powell carried the ball a

combined 10 times. In those 10 carries Powell gained 278 yards and scored

touchdowns on 6 of those runs. The shortest of those runs was an 18-yarder

and all the rest were 30 yards or longer. It is not known how many times Powell

carried the ball in 1982. What is known is that in seven games (half of the season)

he carried the ball 70 times for 791 yards, an 11.3 yard per carry average.

Included in those 7 games were three playoff games which were theoretically the

Tigers toughest opponents of the year. In the remaining 7 games he gained 523

yards and it is unlikely he carried the ball more than 50 times. Assuming, then, that

Powell carried the ball an even 120 times that would have made his per carry

average right at 11 yards per carry. Other individual game impressive rushing totals

include the state championship game of 1982 when he was the teams leading

rusher with 137 yards on 12 carries. In 1983 he teamed with backfield mate

Andrew Riggs (1982-1984) to gain 413 rushing yards against Ringgold. That

marked the first time two Tiger backs had gained 150 yards each in the

same game. The team as a whole gained 555 rushing yards, which is still the

single-game team record. If all of that weren’t impressive enough, Powell also tied

a school record with a 95 yard kickoff return against Rayville in the first round of

the 1982 playoffs and his 99 yard run from scrimmage against Many in 1983 is the

longest run from scrimmage in the history of the program. All total Powell had

fourteen touchdown runs that covered 50 or more yards including 9 by rush, 3 by

kickoff return, 1 by punt return and 1 by interception return. The only player

with more 50+ yard touchdown runs is Anthony Thomas. Powell is one of only

nine Tiger players (and one of only six offensive players) to earn first team All

District honors at the same position three years running. That came when was

named a first team All District running back in 1981, 1982 and 1983. The only

other running backs to accomplish that feat are Anthony Thomas and Cornelius

Patterson (1977-1979). Powell placed third at running back in balloting

by the Expert Panel in the All Century poll and eighth by the fans. The fans also

voted Powell the sixth best place kicker in the history of the program.

Gary Irvin (1982-1983, DE) Irvin manned a defensive end position for two

years, earning first team All District and All State in 1983. First started at defensive

end on the state champion 1982 team. Irvin received the second most votes from

the Expert Panel and third most votes from the fans voting on the defensive end

spot in the All Century poll.

Andrew Riggs (1982-1984, DB, KR & RB) One of the more underrated

players in the history of the program. All he did was set school records and put

himself in several top ten career categories for rushing and kick returns. In 1984

he tied the school record for the longest touchdown with a 100 yard interception

return against Caldwell. He is the first player to rush for 250 yards in a game, that

coming in 1983 when he rushed for 257 yards against Ringgold. That was just

under half of the team 555 yards rushing which is still a school record. He also

scored four touchdowns in the 1983 Ringgold game which tied the school record

for rushing touchdowns in a game. Riggs didn’t carry the ball much so his single

season totals aren’t that impressive. His best rushing season was his junior year

when he rushed for just over 900 yards. However, he took advantage of the

opportunities given him. He has the second-highest single game rushing average,

that coming in a 1984 game against Coushatta when he only carried the ball 4 times

but he gained 147 yards for a 36.75 yard per carry average. In 1983 he scored

14 rushing touchdowns, which at the time was the 5^th best on record and is

currently still in the top twenty. He had a 90 yard touchdown run from scrimmage

in 1983 and a 97 yard touchdown run from scrimmage in 1984. There have only

been ten 90+ yard touchdown runs from scrimmage and Riggs is the only player to

do that more than once. His two 90-yarders currently rank 3^rd and 5^th on the all-

time list. Riggs had 9 rushing touchdowns in 1984, as well as two touchdowns by

reception, two by punt return and one each by kickoff return, fumble recovery and

interception return. Riggs is one of only six players to have multiple punt returns for

touchdowns in the same season. He ended his career with 23 rushing touchdowns,

with tied Jerry Keen in 5^th place at the time and is still in the top ten. His 32 total

touchdowns was also in the top five then and in the top ten now. Riggs was the

leading scorer of the 1984 team, posting 98 points that season. That total ranks in

the top twenty of all time. His 188 career points was the fifth best up through

the 1984 season and is currently the 11^th best. Riggs earned second team All

District honors at running back in 1983 and was a first team pick in 1984.

Al Simmons (1984-1985, OG & DL) Two year starter in the offensive line and

a regular in the defensive line his senior season. Earned first team All District and

All State at offensive guard position in 1984 and was a second team All District

pick in 1985. The Expert Panel of the All Century poll ranked Simmons their

second choice at offensive guard, while the fans ranked Simmons fourth.

Eric Caldwell (1984-1986, RB, KR & E; 2000-2005, Assistant Coach )

One of only six players to earn first team All State honors at offensive end.

Caldwell is the school record-holder for single-season TD receptions with 11 in

1986. That season he caught 46 passes for 858 yards; an 18.65 per yard average

per catch. That set a record for pass receptions in a season at the time and is

currently second. His yardage total in 1986 is the third most all-time. Caldwell also

holds the school record for multiple-touchdown reception games in one season

with four in 1986. That is also his career total, which is third best all-time. As a

sophomore Caldwell rushed for two touchdowns and his 11 touchdowns by

reception gives his 13 career touchdowns. He ranks fourth by the Expert Panel in

the All Century poll and ranks in the top ten by the fans.

Chip Clark (1987, P & PK) Sophomore kicker who transferred to Winnfield as

a sophomore when his father took a job coaching the freshman team. He finished

the year with the highest single-season punting average in school history at 46.1

yards per kick. He earned second team All District honors, but first team All State

honors as a punter. Clark also booted 14 of 17 PAT tries, connected on a 36

yard field goal and even ran a reverse from his wide out position 62 yards for a

touchdown. Clark moved away from Winnfield after his sophomore season.

Jeff Howard (1985-1986, DB & QB) School recorder holder for single-game passing yards. That came in a 237 yard performance against Oakdale in 1986. Also had another 200-yard passing game in 1986, that coming against Breaux Bridge. Howard joined Steve Adams (1971-192) and Lyn Bankston (1974-1976) as the only quarterbacks with multiple 200-yard passing games. He is the leader in single-game completions with 18 vs. Breaux Bridge in 1986 and he hold the record for most pass attempts in a game with 45 in that same game against Breaux Bridge.. Had 13 touchdown passes in 1986 which is tied for fourth most in a season. Had one other TD toss the season before to give him 14 career touchdowns which is still in the Top Ten. Howard has 113 pass completions in his career which is ranked in the top ten and his 106 completions in 1986 is ranked third most of all time.

Carey Broudy (1986-1988, E & DB) School record three interceptions

against Winnsboro in 1987. Broudy received the third most votes at defensive

backs by both the Expert Panel and the fans at large voting on the All Century Poll

of 2000.He was a two-time All District pick in 1987 and 1988 and the MVP

defensive player in the district as a junior. Broudy was a first team All State

selection in 1988.

Matt Machen (1987-1989, EB) Along with Steve Adams (1971), Machen is the only other QB to throw for 20 or more TD passes in single season when he had an even 20 in 1989. Machen had 30 career touchdown tosses, which is third most all-time. He is the single-season leader for passing yards with 1,852 yds. (in 1989) and the career leader for pass completions with 199. Machen passed for 2,925 career yards, which is second most all-time. He also holds the single-season record for highest passing completion percentage by completing 54.27% of his passes (108 of 199) in 1989. That 1989 completion total is second highest of all time. His career completion total of 199 leads the program and he is one of only three quarterbacks to attempt more then 400 passes, as Machen attempted 404. There have only been five games in the history of Tiger football when a quarterback completed 15 or more passes. Machen has three of those. Machen was a first team All District selection in 1989 and was named co-MVP offensive player in the district that year.

John Michael Spangler (1989, WR & PK) Single season leader for pass receptions, with 49 in 1989. One of only three players in the history of the program with three touchdown receptions that covered 60 ore more yards. He was a first team All District pick in 1989.