1923 Bearcats

Sitting L-R: H.B. Hardt, Layne Moreland (Yell Leader) Zollie Steakley (Asst. Yell Leader) William E. Morrison, Assistant Coach.

First row: Herbert Weaver, Johnnie Walker, Elton Boswell, Frank Tate, Clifford Allen, Ronald Myers, Arl Lightfoot, Ralph Jones.

Second Row: Clifton Thomas, Stanley Morris, Thomas Trent, Thurman Cogburn, Moody King, Howell, Talbert

Third Row: Bender, Gayle Toland, Wayne Weaver, Sherrod Stover, Loman Coan, Belton High

Top Row: Walter Johnson, Whaley Smith, Paul “Buck” Tate, John D. Harvey, Wayne Mulloy, Maben Rogers, C.R. Redden Jr.  Not pictured: Jewel Mathis.  Photo from the 1924 De Leonian.

1923


DHS                    OPP

14 H.P.C.                 8

28 Coleman            6

0   Strawn             29

0   Comanche        0

19 Gorman           12

0  @Stephenville    9

25 Tarleton             0

26 Clifton              12

6  @Gorman           0

 

     The De Leonian indicated that not much was expected from this team of Bearcats as they were light and inexperienced but the team defeated Howard Payne, Tarleton, rival Gorman twice and tied their most ancient and hated rival Comanche. 

      The Bearcats had a new coach, H.B. Hardt.  He was one of those teachers that comes along once in a lifetime.  He had played at Southwestern University in Georgetown when it was a member of the Southwest Conference and coached at Bastrop before coming to De Leon.  The next year he was elected Superintendent in De Leon but resigned after one year in that post to do graduate work at Columbia. He ultimately served as President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association while representing Texas Christian University. 

      On the first day of school 215  students enrolled at D.H.S. and many more were expected after the cotton was harvested.  At the opening assembly, Coach Hardt brought back William Steakley, the 1921 cheerleader to lead the student body in yells like in “the old days.”









HOWARD PAYNE

     The season kicked off on September 21 at the north side field as the Bearcats hosted the second team from Howard Payne College.

      Herbert Weaver ran for a touchdown five minutes deep into the game and then kicked the point after.  Howard Payne recovered a Frank Tate Fumble in the end zone and a possible two point conversion gave the Jackets an 8-7 lead according to the Free Press while the Howard Payne student newspaper, The Yellow Jacket indicated De Leon won by a 14-6 score.  Howard Payne probably scored on a 40 yard run by left end Florey as the Yellow Jacket said he was the “sensation of the game.”  In the fourth quarter, the Bearcats blocked a kick with the Free Press reporting the resulting touchdown as having been made by Self, Bender and Toland.  You pick your favorite.   Weaver kicked the extra point.

     The Yellow Jacket noted that “De Leon far outweighed the Jackets with four Bearcat linemen weighing in excess of 1,000 pounds total.  Further, one Bearcat was said to have weighed 305.”  That at least made it easier to explain their loss to a high school team.

      The 305 pound player was Stanley “Tiny” Morris who was described by the De Leonian as “an almost immovable wall of humanity with his elephantine bulk....”   His play earned him the long held title of of the largest man ever to play for the Bearcats.  According to Pete McClellan, his cousin, he probably weighed 350 in his latter playing days and had a 56 inch waist.  While Morris had no speed, he was so large that the opposition ran plays to the other side of the field because they could not move him.


    COLEMAN

    It was three weeks before the Bearcats played again, when on October 12, they hosted the Coleman  Bluecats.  The game kicked off at 3:30 and the Free Press assured fans that the game would be over by 5:00.  Actually, it was decided in the first six seconds when Weaver kicked off and the Coleman return man fumbled.  Johnny “Jay” Walker picked up the fumble and took it in for a touchdown and Weaver kicked the extra point.

    On a subsequent series, Tate carried the ball to the Coleman one and on the next play Walker took it in for the second touchdown. Weaver added a field goal before the half to give  the Bearcats a 16-0 lead.  In the second half, Walker added two more touchdowns with Ronald Myers kicking one extra point.  The final score was 28-6. 


    STRAWN  

    Strawn was the next Bearcat opponent and the De Leonian said of the Bearcats, “...they made the Greyhounds look sick in the first quarter.”  That may have been true but the Greyhounds won 29-0.  This loss hurt more than most for tradition says it was the first time in Bearcat history that De Leon lost a ball game in De Leon.  


     HICO

     The next scheduled game was to be Hico, but the Hico school board decided that the athletes were devoting too much time to football.  They instituted a rule that the team would only be allowed to play two games per month.  Because this prevented any meaningful schedule, their coach cancelled the remainder of the season.  Hico had previously banned football for most of the 1916 season after their players sustained a lot of injuries playing De Leon and Gatesville.


COMANCHE

    A muddy field greeted the Indians, their fans and for the first time, their brass band, all of which occupied the north side of the field.  The De Leon fans stood along the south side since there were no bleachers.

    The Indians--sorry, Native Americans--were expected to win but both teams struggled to move the ball.  Weaver tried a field goal but it was wide.  Clifford Allen blocked a Comanche field goal as the ball reached the cross bar earning himself the title of “Tip”, a name he carried for many years.  Comanche, at one point was penalized 20 yards for offsides and had six penalties totaling 65 yards.  The Bearcats had only one for five yards.  The game ended in a scoreless tie.

     De Leon’s Walton Bakery prepared a 23 pound cake on which to post the score for an after game celebration.  They had it ready with De Leon X Comanche 0-0 lettered and on display in Weaver’s window within ten minutes after the game ended.  The cake would have retailed for $18 had it not been used to treat the Bearcats for their “fighting qualities.”   


GORMAN

     The Panthers were beginning to become the Bearcats second most important rival.   The Bearcats rolled over them 19-12 with the second string playing for the entire quarter.


STEPHENVILLE

     For the first time in the season, the Bearcats played a game away from home when they met the Stephenville Yellowjackets on November 16. 

     Stephenville was heavily favored but fumbled the ball to De Leon on two consecutive possessions and then had a punt blocked at their own 30 yard line.  De Leon moved the Stephenville 25 but had to go for a Weaver field goal attempt.  The kick was wide leaving the game scoreless at the half.

     In the third quarter the Yellowjackets kicked a field goal from the 30 to take the lead and in the final minutes of the game, they picked off a Weaver pass returning it for a touchdown and a 9-0 win.


    TARLETON

    The Tarleton J.V., referred to by Tarleton fans as “Jim” Tarleton, came to De Leon for what as described as a perfect day for football but only a hand full of fans showed up.  De Lon won 25-0.


















    CLIFTON

     The Clifton Cubs took a De Leon fumble of a punt in for a touchdown and scored a second time on a 35 yard run to take an early 12-0 lead.  The Bearcats got rolling when Ronald Myers returned a kickoff about 60 yards and Weaver took it in for the score.  Later, Walker carried to the Clifton 10 on a 40 yard run and the Bearcats scored on the next play.  A long pass from Weaver to Walker resulted in the third De Leon score and Weaver added a touchdown of his own on a 45 yard run.  The final score was De Leon 26-12.


GORMAN

     On Thanksgiving, the Bearcats journeyed to Gorman for a rematch.  De Leon scored toward the end of the game for a 6-0 win.   It was only the second game played away from home that season.


     POST SEASON

     To fill out the season, the Freshmen and Seniors (the Lucky Tigers) took on the Sophomores and Juniors (the Skunks) in a game on December 7.  The Skunks rolled over the Tigers 26-0.

     The Isses (1923 team) took on the Hasbeens (alumni) in what was for many years a Christmas day tradition.   The Hasbeens won the game when (possibly Lonnie) Cozby blocked a Weaver punt for the first score.  The Isses then drove to the 10 of the Hasbeens only to have Finis Bell pick off a pass and run it 90 yard for a touchdown and a 13-0 win.


J.V.

     Assistant Coach Morrison handled the Junior Varsity which went by the name Bearkittens.  Two games are known to have been played.  The Kittens defeated Rising Star’s varsity in the Wildcats first ever season of football.  They also defeated Desdemona’s varsity 26-0. 

The 1923 Bearcats posing their newly arrived letter sweaters.  Photo provided by Alma Nell Tate Swank.

Coach Hardt with team captain Herbert Weaver (L) and captain elect Johnny Walker (R).  Photo provided by Alma Nell Tate Swank.

De Leon is about to score in the Clifton game.  This is probably Weaver’s first touchdown.  You can see a De Leon sign on the fence on the right.  It appears a Buell Lumber advertisement is even with the head of the player on the right.  Photo from the De Leonian.

The Bearcats lined up at the old north side field.

A Bearcat as it appeared on the 1924 De Leonian.