Highlands Celebrates 100 yrs Of Football Excellence

[jbwill2]

I love when the school honors their history. Today was a fun day with the school honoring the '57 team, which they termed the team that launched the modern era of Highlands football success. Also every former Highlands coach since 54 was in attendance, except one (you can probably guess which one). Great day celebrating.

which coach did not attend?

[NamecipS]

which coach did not attend?

 

My guess....Duffy

[35Bird]

I'm guessing you should wait until mid- to late afternoon for anecdotes.

 

I guess it was even more raucous than I thought...

[Sweeperboy]

One word describes last nite ceremony...

 

Special:thumb:

[Oldbird]

A few thoughts from the 100 years of football celebration:

 

- Can not emphasize how both special and unique (and fun) the night was.

 

- Have no idea how many tickets were sold versus either expectations or projections, but it seemed very crowded to me.

 

- 8 of the 9 living Highlands Head coaches were there and Judge Waddell's son, who was the coach prior to Homer Rice's son was present and talked about his dad.

 

- Of all the great things that have happened in the long history of Highlands football, being blessed with Homer Rice leading and setting the trajectory for the program is among the best. Coach Rice is a great man and true leader in every since of the word. He is in his late 80's an still sharp and in very good physical shape. Since his retirement from Georgia Tech I can not remember a single event where his former teams or players have been honored by the school in which he did not come back. Always an honor to have him.

 

- One story from the evening. It was loud so hopefully I get the details of this correct. 1954 was Coach Rice and Coach Haucks first game as coaches at Highlands. Highlands used to traditionally open the season with Dayton. After the game one of the players was in accident and 2 teammates brought to the hospital the team signed game ball to the hospital. The player who was injured (I don't recall his name) spoke Saturday and explained that he has had the ball for the past 60 years, but he would like to donate the ball to the school to be displayed prominently in the revamped trophy case, since it was Coach Rice and Coach Hauck's first game and ushered in the modern era of Highlands football success.

 

- Second story from evening, not about the program, but got to spend quite a bit of time talking to Coach Eicher and his wife Carol, who are really outstanding people. They told me that both of their boys work for Joe Gibbs racing. One of their boys is on Matt Kennseth (sp.) pit team and the other specializes in brakes (they explained to me what he did, but given my lack of NACAR knowledge it was totally lost in translation). Anyway loved hearing about the success of their boys with Joe Gibbs racing.

 

- I could never name all the former Bird greats there, but quite a few made it including Pat Towles and Marty Moore (from my era).

 

- Former head coaches Tom Sprtizky and Bernie Barre were both there, Tom as a former player on some really great teams and Coach Barre's son was also a really good player for Highlands.

 

- Dale was Dale and gave a shout out to our friends in Colonel land. Speaking of which Rich Maile was there.

 

Others can chime in with other stories, but I really am glad I went and thanks to the FTEF and the others including BGP's Henry for putting this on.

 

Finally you don't want to overdue these type of things because it will loose some of the specialness of the event, but on the other hand it sure is nice to have events to pull the '54 team, the '57 team, and really those early 60's teams back to the football community, while we still have the coaches around and the players are still in good health and can enjoy the reunions.

[Ram]

Sounds like a very special evening. Congratulations to all the people in the Highlands program.

[littleluck55]

I can't wait until they make the dvd available of the game films. The footage from the 40's were very cool. Nice seeing all the different generations of families there (Rollers, Abners, etc). It really is amazing.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I can't wait until they make the dvd available of the game films. The footage from the 40's were very cool. Nice seeing all the different generations of families there (Rollers, Abners, etc). It really is amazing.

 

All of them?

[Remmac2]

The injured player who presented the game ball from Coach Rice's first game was Gil Gelke who went on to a long, distiquished career as an NCAA football official (and was easily recognized from the pronounced limp that resulted from that accident). Nice gesture from Gil who is a quality individual.

[Oldbird]

The injured player who presented the game ball from Coach Rice's first game was Gil Gelke who went on to a long, distiquished career as an NCAA football official (and was easily recognized from the pronounced limp that resulted from that accident). Nice gesture from Gil who is a quality individual.

 

Thank you. My bad for not getting the full story.

[THUNDERBIRDS]

 

All the living past Highlands coaches.....

 

Sitting Left to Right

 

Coach Mike Murphy

Coach Owen Hauck

 

Standing Left to Right

 

Coach Roger Walz

Coach Jack Eicher

Coach Homer Rice

Coach Bill Hermann

Current Coach Brian Weinrich

Coach Dale Mueller

 

Very special night indeed!

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]47028[/ATTACH]

 

All the living past Highlands coaches.....

 

Sitting Left to Right

 

Coach Mike Murphy

Coach Owen Hauck

 

Standing Left to Right

 

Coach Roger Walz

Coach Jack Eicher

Coach Homer Rice

Coach Bill Hermann

Current Coach Brian Weinrich

Coach Dale Mueller

 

Very special night indeed!

 

That's a pretty darn cool picture.

[lawildcat]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]47028[/ATTACH]

 

All the living past Highlands coaches.....

 

Sitting Left to Right

 

Coach Mike Murphy

Coach Owen Hauck

 

Standing Left to Right

 

Coach Roger Walz

Coach Jack Eicher

Coach Homer Rice

Coach Bill Hermann

Current Coach Brian Weinrich

Coach Dale Mueller

 

Very special night indeed!

 

 

Still have my Hermann's Harem sweatshirt from 1986. Love that man!

 

Great group of men right there!

[THUNDERBIRDS]

That's a pretty darn cool picture.

 

Some people will disagree with me but I kind of wish Tom Duffy was in this picture as well. Would of been really cool! Coach Duffy had a family funeral to attend....

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Some people will disagree with me but I kind of wish Tom Duffy was in this picture as well. Would of been really cool! Coach Duffy had a family funeral to attend....

 

Being an outsider, I obviously don't have all of the emotions involved or as well developed an opinion on what Duffy did/didn't do with the Highlands football program...but a coach is a coach, and like it or not, the guy did get Highlands two state championship trophies.