Moline High School - M Yearbook (Moline, IL)

Page 18 text:

In the late afternoon of a summer ' s day, students slowly began to fill the MHS Bowl. The air was soft and clear; It was simply pleasant. The football team, dressed in Jer- seys and Jeans, hid behind a covered pickup truck parked near the center of the bowl. The pep band sat leisurely about, dressed In casual attire. Oppo- site the band stood a pyramid of logs, soon to become the Moline Maroons ' Bonfire. The pep band began the show with upbeat music, then suddenly ceased. Heads began turning to the sky: It ' s a bird, it ' s a plane. Yes, it was a plane. A chute opened, and a parachutist rode the wind, landing in a five-foot square piece of cloth in the center of the bowl. Cheers arose from the masses on the hill. Another parachut- ist landed successfully; more cheers. The next one missed the sheet by a matter of feet, but he leaped onto the sheet, sparking more cheers. Finally, two men descended simultaneously, and the paratroopers, compliments of the Boosters Club, were finished for the evening. Mike Comp, starting quarterback for the following night ' s game against Belleville East, torched the pyramid. The stuffed dummy, dressed in Belle- ville ' s colors, burst into flames, and the mountain of firewood toppled over in flames. The players were then introduced, and pep talks were deliv- ered by Coach Chuck Schrader and the five senior co-captains: Comp, Tony Loete, Hick Acri, Tom Bedwell and Jon Sundberg. 14