MY FOOTBALL CAREER
PREFACE
I played for Mossyrock High School in the seasons from 1961 to 1964, graduating in 1965. I missed being on the 1960 state championship team. I have mixed feelings about that. I could have said I was on the state championship team, but would have never played nor lettered. But, I would have had to practice against all conference and all state guys like John Sears, Andy Mills, Howard Rockwood, Doug Elsner and Arland Rose.
I vaguely remember my brother playing for coach Nowadnick’s 1956 team. He played with Roy Randle, Allen Warfield and George Gohsn to name a few.
I was too young to remember the great Mossyrock teams of the mid 50’s coached by Ralph Morris. I remember people talking about Les Grear, Roscoe Morris, Darrell DeGross and the All American running back Bob Shaner. I was fortunate to meet both Darrell and Bob while serving on the WIAA state board some 40 years later. I asked them about those teams and they were modest to a fault, so I did not get much information.
Our 1965 class’s football era began on the elementary playground playing keep a way. We progressed to two handed touch in junior high and played games behind the bleachers while high school games were being played. From there, to my knowledge, our class became the first to be an all freshmen team in the fall of 1961. After that, we played 27 games of varsity football for the Vikings.
Some of my football classmates were Jeff Davis, Ed Howard, Ken Padrick, Greg Aust, Jerry Boling,
Following is an eight part series – my memories of Mossyrock football 1961-1964. Again, for those people of the same era reading this, these are my memories, along with some creativity to make it interesting and humorous, I hope.