1949 Bearcats

   Tom Bishop, the Co-captain of the T.C.U. Horned Frogs, in 1947 took over the reins of the Bearcats.  His assistant was Jack Huffman.

  The losing streak stood at eleven games dating back to the Comanche game of 1947 when Tom Bishop became head coach of the Bearcats.  With the thirty-one boys who reported for fall workouts, there was only one Senior and six Freshmen.  His first year saw no improvement in De Leon’s record as the Bearcats went 0-9 with no wins for the second year in a row. 

     De Leon was in District 8-A and had an enrollment of 284 students.  Other district members included Comanche (285), Eastland (230), Hamilton (230), Cisco (351),
Ranger (353) and Dublin (197).   Ranger won the district with a perfect 5-0 record. followed by Hamilton at 4-1, Dublin 2-3, Eastland 2-3, Comanche 2-3 and De Leon 0-5.  Ranger played Ballinger at Bi-District.

    

RISING STAR

     No details have been found on the game which De Leon lost 27-0.


CROSS PLAINS

     In the worst defeat ever of De Leon by Cross Plains the Buffaloes won 33-0.


EASTLAND

     In the opening conference game, the Bearcats held Eastland throughout the first quarter but the weight and experience of the Mavericks began to take a toll in the second.  The only Bearcat score came when a Maverick punt was blocked and Tommy Weaver recovered the ball in the end zone for touchdown.  Weaver kicked the point after.  Eastland won 20-7.


DUBLIN

    The Bearcats journeyed to Dublin for the next district contest.  In the first half, Dublin scored three times.  Two touchdowns came on end runs and one on a pass interception.  The Lions led 20-0 at the half.

    The Bearcats opened the third quarter with a drive from their own 40.  Don Stacy connected with Elza Perry for a touchdown and Weaver kicked the point after.  De Leon scored again as Rodney Irby took it in from the 10 to tighten the lead to 20-13.

     The Lions came back with another score but De Leon did not give up.  Starting from their own 25, the Bearcats marched down the field.  Irby picked up twenty yards and then twenty more to reach the Dublin 35.  On the next play he made it to the Lion 15.  Form here the Bearcats scored.

     Dublin quickly dashed all Bearcat hopes with another score and a 39-20 win.


HAMILTON

     With right half back Royce Eads and Curtis Cozby out for at least two weeks with injuries and Don Stacy out with the flue, the Bearcats found themselves on the short end of 20-0 game.  No details have been located.


ALBANY

     The Lions came to De Leon for a non-conference contest.  With Cozby and Stacy still out and Eads now down with the flu, Albany rolled to a 47-17 win.

    Two of De Leon’s scores came on pass interceptions.  LeRoy Solley intercepted a Lion pass at their five and carried it in for a touchdown.  In the third quarter, Irby capped a drive with a score from the 10.  E.W. Lowe intercepted a pass at the Albany 40 and with some key blocks ran it in for the final Bearcat score.


RANGER

    Returning to district play did not improve the Bearcats’ fortunes.  Ranger drubbed De Leon 40-0.  De Leon never got past its own 35 yard line with the lone exception of a punt returned by Irby from the De Leon 10 to the Bulldog 47.  Ranger scored twice on runs by Billy Simpson and twice on Irby pass interceptions.


GORMAN

   The game was rated a toss up.  Gorman won 52-0 but no game details have been found.


COMANCHE

    When Comanche and De Leon met they had one district win between them.   Comanche added a second with a 20-0 win over De Leon.  The game remained scoreless through almost three quarters.  In the middle of the quarter De Leon marched 70 yards to the Comanche five only to be stopped.  A 15 yard field goal was unsuccessful but the drive spurred Comanche to life.

    On the first play from scrimmage following the field goal attempt, King gained 20 yards, then Tupin went up the middle for a 53 yard touchdown.  The kick was wide.

    Early in the fourth, King and Robertson combined on runs to drive down the field for the second touchdown.  Robertson took the ball in from the 15 and then kicked the point after.  A King to Odele pass for 60 yards set up the final score as Robertson went in  from the one.


   De Leon placed no players on either the first or second All District teams.   Backs Rodney  Irby and John Simpson, End Elza Perry and Center Jerry Bush received Honorable Mentions.