Dropping the first three games, regardless of the opponents, is not a momentum builder going into district play. This is a good team running the gauntlet of a tough September schedule that the Wildcats hope will pay dividends later.
A win or two along the way is encouraging, though. As one coach told me years ago, “When the season’s over, they don’t ask you who you played. They ask you how many you won.”
History isn’t on the Wildcats’ side when it comes to losing each of their non-district games and winning a district championship. Then again, they haven’t been in that position very often. Of Temple’s 37 teams who reached the postseason in its illustrative body of work, only two have been winless going into league play.
And one of those turned out to be a landmark squad.
The more recent of these came in 1954, Jay Fikes’ first season in Temple. The Wildcats lost their first five games but rebounded to win four of their five district games, including shutouts of Bryan and Corsicana to close the regular season. Port Neches stopped Temple in bi-district, 13-7.
It was the 1940 team, though, that made the most of its slow start. Temple arguably had fielded better teams before then, but none reached the heights this one would.
Remember, these were the cold, harsh, unforgiving days when a team had to win its district to make the playoffs. There was no safety net for second place, much less fourth.
The 1940 team didn’t enter the season with high expectations. It was actually a bit of a mystery. The pall that had been cast on the 1939 team seemed to have a carryover effect. That Wildcats went 8-1, but the University Interscholastic League had suspended Temple for the season for using an ineligible player the year before.
The ’39 Wildcats were forced to fill their schedule with private schools, military schools, college freshman teams and even a team from Mexico City. A.J. Mercer, who died last Sunday and whose name adorns the softball complex in South Temple, was that team’s star player.
Although the Wildcats were reinstated into the UIL for 1940, things weren’t going well even before the first game. Dale Weaver, an all-state candidate at tackle, was ruled ineligible by the UIL because he turned 18 on Sept. 1. If he had been born one day earlier, he’d have been eligible. When Wildcat coach Les Cranfill reported the news to Weaver, the young man fought back tears and said, “Gee, I hope this doesn’t make the boys let their daubers down.”
The Wildcats were also going to be without their fastest back, Marcine Cottle, who was sidelined with an injury.
For many years during this era, Woodson Field was the site of a team preview party a few nights before the season opener to introduce the players and demonstrate some plays. (Incidentally, the Belton team often joined in on these festivities.)
Cranfill, who was entering his fourth season at Temple, told the crowd of 3,000, “We may not win more than a couple of games, but anyone that plays us is going to have a world of trouble scoring.” Not exactly Knute Rockne inspiration, but it lent credence to the uncertainty surrounding this otherwise hard-nosed team.
Temple dropped the opener to Robstown, 14-12. The Wildcats fell 18-6 to San Antonio Brackenridge, which was coached by Cranfill’s predecessor, Red Forehand. Austin High School, coached by former Wildcat great Standard Lambert, blanked Temple 6-0. In the District 10-2A opener, Bryan earned its first victory over Temple, 12-0.
Temple never had opened a season with four losses. For that matter, the Wildcats never had suffered four consecutive defeats at any time to that date.
It was after this, however, that Cranfill’s prophecy of how difficult scoring would be for opponents came to fruition. The Wildcats allowed only one touchdown in the final five games of the nine-game schedule, including a 25-0 victory over Waco to sew up the district crown. Players such as Ed “Squarehead” Dusek, J.M. “Lefty” Byers, Harold Attaway, Ed Heap, F.G. Martin, Jack Allen, Keifer Marshall, Dotty McLerran, Thelbert Hardt and Ken Baker were hitting their stride.
One of Cranfill’s assistants, Bennie Zinn, was called into active military duty and was replaced by W.E. Routh for the playoff run.
Temple tied Stephenville 7-7 and squeaked by on penetrations. The Wildcats manhandled Longview 24-13 and blanked Corpus Christi 28-0, with workhorse Dusek rushing for 133 yards on 26 carries, highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown romp. That win advanced the Wildcats into the state championship game at the Cotton Bowl against Amarillo a few days after Christmas.
A special train carried many of the Temple faithful to Dallas to be part of the 18,000 fans on hand. Temple had made several playoff trips prior to 1940 but never had reached the final. Amarillo, which already had three state crowns and was looking to add a fourth to tie Waco for the most titles, was unbeaten and favored.
But it was the Wildcats, who had been battling a flu strain for a couple of weeks, who took the upper hand in the first half. McLerran hit Hardt with a 40-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 halftime lead, and the Wildcats led 7-6 going into the fourth quarter.
A touchdown and a two-point conversion put the Sandies on top in the fourth. The Wildcats were on the move in the final minutes, driving inside Amarillo’s 20-yard line for the potential game-winning score, but Dub Wooten intercepted McLerran’s pass and took it 87 yards for a touchdown to seal the 20-7 victory.
Although the 1940 Temple Wildcats had a September to forget, they had a season to remember.
twaits@temple-telegram.com
