There is a mystique about football tradition in the town of Atkins. Although the high school had played football before Hays Gibson came there to coach in 1928, he along with some very dedicated young men built a very strong tradition that has been very strong and thriving until today. The story that I would like to tell is when and how Mr. Gibson, primarily, and Vernon Ford nurtured that great tradition through some very difficult times.
World War II was kicked into high gear on Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Mr. Gibson had coached in the fall of 1941, following Raymond "Rabbit" Burnett's two very successful years of coaching with a record of 11-3-1. Many of the older boys had gone to war. Vernon Ford coached in 1942 and 1943 with still fewer players. I believe Vernon had only 13 players in 1943, but Atkins fielded a team, which could not be said for Conway, Morrilton, Dardanelle, and others.
On 1944, Mr. Gibson was superintendent of the Atkins school and came back in to coaching when he could not hire a football coach. I had taught and coached basketball the two previous years at Pottsville. In athletics, it was my job to help Mr. Gibson with football and track and coach basketball. I had no experience in football because I had seen less than five football games in my life, let alone having any experience in coaching football.
From the fall of 1942 and in 1943, Ford had coached football at Atkins. Gibson was head coach in 1944 and for one game in 1945. These two men, a few good athletes, and with a few more boys that had not played before provided the glue to hold the tradition together and alive at Atkins High School.
When I got to Atkins in 1944, our football equipment was stored in the old agriculture building in two large boxes. I could have carried it all by making two trips. Good equipment could not have been purchased because of World War II. Many of the boys did not get a decent pair of shoes to wear all year because they could not be bought.
The only jersey Mr. Gibson could buy was an off white color. Mrs. Jack Johnson dyed those jerseys a wine red color in her two large wash pots. The high school girls made number stencils to be used in painting white numbers on the back of the jerseys.
There were nine lettermen that could come back to play from 1943, but only eight of the nine came to practice the first day. This was after school had already started.
Remember Red Devils don't quit, and they didn't in 1944. Although, they did so against great odds.
Bill Bob Fry was the only 12th grade boy that participated in athletics at Atkins in 1944-45. There were only two boys in the class.
The 11th grade football players were Robert Gill Jr., Terrel Rackley, John Emmett Cheek, James Whittenburg, who was the only boy in school to have his own car ("A" model Ford), Vernon Abernathy, Alvis Tackett, Billy Harold Murdoch, Carrol Bradford, and Noel Kyle. Carl Willie Hearn was either in the 10th or 11th. Earl Dean Minor was in the 10th grade.
Leland Tackett, Raymond Wiley, Berniece Briggs, J.H. Lafarlett, Charles Manus, Charles Jones, Gay Embry, Loyd Fryer, Floyd Fryer and Billy Roy Davis were all in junior high, but they were not all in the ninth grade. Can you imagine playing Conway, England, Clarksville, and Booneville twice and Paris, Little Rock Catholic High, and Morrilton with nearly one-half of your team being junior high boys who had never played football? The thought just occurred to me that Billy Roy Davis was not eligible in 1947 because he lettered in 1943, when he was in the eighth grade. Let us look at the different times Mr. Gibson personally touched the football program at Atkins. When he came to Atkins to coach in 1928, football changed for the better, 1928-41. He was the coach in 1944 and started 1945 for one game when his habit of eating Tums could not take care of his stomach.
Our first game was at home against Conway. The starting line-up for the game was L.E. Abernathy, L.T. Kyle, L.G. Rackley, C. Whittenburg, R.G. Cheek, R.T. Davis, R.E. Gill, and Jones might start at L.T. In the back field was Murdoch, Q.B.; L. Fryer, L.H.; A. Tackett, F.B.; and L. Tackett, R.H.
The team lined up in a dead "T," but shifted to a short punt formation with Murdoch in the tail back position. The first downs were 8 to 5 in Conway's favor. Conway won the game 6-0.
There was the next game with England winning 14-12. The game was tied at the half.
The next week was Clarksville at home, and we lost 12-0 with all the points being scored in the first half. Booneville beat us at Booneville 13-0 in our fourth game.
Paris and homecoming was Nov. 3, which we lost 13-0. The first downs were in favor of Paris, 12-9, and Murdoch did a great job punting. The homecoming queen was Doris Lou Alewine. Her maids starting with the seniors were Ava Joe Harlson, Lillian Sweeden, Katie Rae Webb, and Chloe Dean Davis.
Catholic High of Little Rock came next at home, which we lost 13-7. For our only touchdown, Alvis had carried it close to the goal line where he fumbled it across, and Loyd Fryer covered it for the touchdown.
There was a story in the same Atkins Chronicle about Doyle Tackett, who was in the Navy and was playing for the Fleet City Bluejackets football team, a service team. He had played a leading part in helping trounce the unbeaten University of California, 19-2. He received the most valuable player award presented by a San Francisco paper. He played fullback. Doyle, had he stayed in Atkins, would have been eligible in 1943-44. Just stop and think, what if?
The next shot at Booneville was at home, where the Red Devils won 35-0. Alvis had three touchdowns, and Murdoch had two. Our junior high boys had done a lot of growing up and played well.
Two games are left. Morrilton came to town and went back home a 49 point loser; the game's score was 49-0. Murdoch had four touchdowns, Alvis had two, and L. Fryer and Abernathy each had one.
The officials for the Morrilton game were Sidney Ruby, referee; Paul Fiser, umpire; Raymond Maus, H.L.; and Tommie Gillespie was the field judge, or time keeper.
At Conway on a beautiful Thanksgiving Day at Hendrix Stadium, the game was played before we ate turkey and dressing. Conway scored first and kicked the extra point. A Murdoch to Abernathy pass made the score 7-6. Alvis kicked the extra point; now, the score was 7-7. Conway got their last touchdown, but failed on the extra point, 13-7.
Billy Harold Murdoch hurt a knee early in the second half, which ended his football career even though he had another year of eligibility. Alvis' pass to Gill for 55 yards net our last touchdown, and the final score was 13-13.
The mystique about Red Devil football tradition had a shot in the arm. 1945 was a fair year, but 1946 did not do as well because of a rash of injuries. In 1947, it reached its peak and has never faltered.
A list of those who helped build this tradition before 1943 would be too long to make now. Here are the names of those who have been placed in the Atkins High School Athletic Hall of Fame from this period: Harry Wren, Raymond Cawhorn, Stanley Graydon, Bill Nahlen, Raymond Burnett, Joe, Glen and Guy Hickman, Hugh Murdoch, Leo Nahlen, Jack Lemley, George Bailey, Frank Newberry, Wilson Matthews, and Carl Sorrels.
Raymond Burnett and Wilson Matthews are both in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Some of the players who were on the 1944 team and not on the Atkins Hall of Fame could start on any of the teams that Atkins has produced. I will name three who could have played: Billy Harold Murdoch, Robert Gill Jr., and Billy Roy Davis. Alma, Booneville, and Barton are three schools that win a lot because of tradition today.
