The 1922 Bearcats featured two of the more notable names in Bearcat history, H.B. Hardt and Cecil “Honk” “Tex” Irvin.  Sadly however, little information has been found about the season.  De Leon did not play Comanche and the scores of the Stawn, Howard Payne J.V. and Baylor J.V. games have not been located.  The Dublin Progress did not report a game that year against De Leon and while the Hamilton Herald & Record of October 22 indicated that the Comanche Enterprise had reported that the Bulldog’s head coach, Sterling Holloway, who hailed from Comanche was trying to arrange a game with De Leon,  no game has been found.

    The head coach of the Bearcats was H.B. Hardt who ultimately served as President of the National Collegete Athletic Association while representing T.C.U.  The cheerleader was Steakley, a member of the Steakley Bros. Chevrolet family with dealerships scattered throughout north Texas.  The most famous player was Cecil “Honk” Irvin who went on to play on the 1934 New York Giants NFL Championship team and was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.

    A single article about the season stated, “At the Travelers Hotel Thursday evening the De Leon High School girls were hostess at an informal entertainment and private dance given in honor of the visiting football team from Baylor.  Tables for numerous games were provided.  The games being participated in by those not caring to dance.  The entertainment was over at 11:00 o’clock.  The Baylor boys expressed their appreciation to our young ladies and to their gridiron opponents as well, for the extreme courtesy shown them while in our city.





DHS                    OPP

22        Cisco           7

19        Dublin          0

Lost    Strawn    Won

6          Gorman       0

            Howard                

            Payne JV

Won    Baylor JV    Lost

1922 De Leon Bearcats

Bottom L-R: Willam E. Morrison, Steakley, H. B. Hardt.

2nd Row: Black, Ronald Meyers, Frank Tate, Pell, King, Inzer, Cecil Irvin, Cozby, Johnny Walker, Nabors, Weaver.

Back Row: Lightfoot, Mathews, Howard, Toland, Trent, Nabors, Cogburn, Jones, Nance.


Photo provided by Mrs. V.V. Bell