Sports
Stoops should run Wishbone one last time
In this age of the Internet, the world is really a small place, isn’t it?
Just the other day I received one of those out-of-the-blue e-mails from an old pal from the Illinois days. Lee’s note included a line about his recent visit back home and a trip to Bulldog Field, the venerable gridiron for the mighty St. Teresa High School Bulldogs.
Oh, the memories — his, not really mine. My pal was a hard-nosed lineman who busted heads and went by the nickname “Hammer,” although that mostly had to do with his ability in track in the hammer throw. Lee was a key member of a couple of state championship teams. The highlight of my organized football career came as a sophomore when I scored a couple of touchdowns in a junior varsity game against Warrensburg-Latham.
Truth be told, I had more fun in our semi-organized, schoolyard games that seldom included more than 10 guys on a small field that stretched from this tree to that one.
Bundled in three sweatshirts (for shoulder pads) and a stocking cap (for a helmet) we would tear into each other for a couple hours until it got too cold or we got too tired or somebody got too mad.
Playing a game of five-on-five was just the right number of players needed to run the only offense anybody in those days cared to run — the Wishbone.
This was back in the mid-1970s, and we learned about the Wishbone watching teams like Oklahoma and Texas on Saturday afternoons. The offense seemed like so much fun to run, a lot more fun than our school team’s power I-formation, which featured less-than-exotic plays like a 33 blast or a 28 sweep.
The unplanned and unpredictable nature of the option offense was as appealing as it was effective, especially against only five defenders. There wasn’t much huddling in the schoolyard game because every play basically was the same. The only difference was who ended up with the ball.
I don’t expect to see much Wishbone today when the Sooners take on the Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. But wouldn’t it be cool, just for old-time’s sake, if Stoops opened the game with it?
Lee, who surely will be watching from his new home in Kansas City, Mo., would get a kick out of it. And so would I.
Rountree is News & Eagle sports editor.
- Sports
-
-
EHS boys risk league lead
Enid’s boys will put their Centennial Conference lead on the line tonight when they travel to Stillwater for the second half of a basketball doubleheader at 8. The girls tip off at 6:30.
The Plainsmen, 10-7 overall and 4-1 in conference, will be trying to end a three-game losing streak after a controversial 66-57 loss to Harding Charter Prep Friday. - Sports briefs for 2-9-10
- Local scores for 2-9-10
- DCLA girls peaking at right time
- OBA cagers visit Mooreland
- Radio-TV for 2-9-10
-
2 OU basketball players cited for shoplifting
Oklahoma basketball players Steven Pledger and Andrew Fitzgerald were cited for petty larceny Saturday night at the Dillard’s department store in Sooner Mall.
-
Griffin to reunite with Sooners
After becoming the first Oklahoma player to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, the start of Blake Griffin’s professional career has been delayed by injuries.
-
Drummond, Pioneer test win streaks tonight
-
NOC Enid's game changer changes his game
- More Sports Headlines
-
EHS boys risk league lead
