Wichita Falls High School - Coyote Yearbook (Wichita Falls, TX)

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We, the Department of Sports for the Coyote Annual Staff and the entire 1961 Coyote Football Team, realize that without the efforts, knowledge and understanding of the above men, Coaches Joe Golding, Hunter Kirkpatrick, ,less Stiles and Donnel Crosslin, there would not have been a 1961 Coyote Championship Team. With this in mind, we have placed them first in the football section-our small tribute to four great men. The 1961 Coyote football season was filled with tremendous accomplishments and glorious memories. On August 25, 1961, returning lettermen and upcom- ing Rowdies donned their practice togs and began pre- paring for the first game of the season, which was played September 3 against Oklahomais top team, Ada. The Pack took the opening kickoff all the way for a score and within fifteen seconds was leading 7-0. Thus the Coyotes became the first team in the state to score and went on to win 55-6. The second foe was Breckenridge, which the boys in Red-and-Black romped by a score of 41-6. On the fol- lowing Friday, Amarillols '4Golden Sandstormf' still smarting from their defeat in 1960, blew into town with revenge in their eyes. ln spite of a supreme effort put forth by the Sandies, the scoreboard displayed a 14--0 win for WFSH when the final gun sounded. Next, two traditional rivals, Lawton and Vernon, fell as the Coyotes stomped the Sooners in Lawton 11-8-0 and dropped Vernon 57-0. The Lobos of Longview, next victim of the Coyotes, did not make is easy on the Pack, as the 'alittle men had to fight for a 27-6 win. The Coyotes were rated as the No. 1 team in Texas two weeks before the beginning of the season and still held that position as they prepared to defend the 4-AAAA district championship, which they have never lost. The Tigers of Irving were beaten 34-Og then Arl- lington fell 35-12. The Buffaloes of Haltom City were 2l4 the next to be crushed, 33-6. The next game, deter- minative of the district champion, was against the Grand Prairie Gophers. Although outweighed fifty pounds per man, the Pack ruined the homecoming game for Grand Prairie and captured the district crown as they defeated the Gophers by a score of 22-0. When the mighty mites entered the state playoffs, they still retained their No. 1 rating. However, they ran smack into a Borger Bulldog team which was Htough as a boot, and the Pack was happy with its 14-0 win. The ensuing week looked just as rough as the Coyotes traveled to San Angelo to scrap with the No. 2 rated Texas team. Had it not been for a freak play on the opening kickoff, the Bobcats would have never scored. The Pack made it look like 'gkid football as they mauled the boys from San Angelo 42-8. Next the mites traveled to Farrington Field in Fort Worth to meet Fort Worth Paschal, the only other undefeated, untied team in Class 4-AAAA football. The Paschal boys were big and rough, but they also fell as the Coyotes used long runs and clutch plays to win 41-12. For the fourth straight year WF SH was represented in the State Championship game. Having lost the two previous years, the Pack was determined to capture the crown. South Texas was represented by a formid- able foe in the form of Galena Park. Making their initial trip to the State game, the Yellow Jackets were also determined to win, and looked as if they might.