HALL OF FAME
Tonight’s Program
FIGHT SONG MEDLEY
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Bob Fawcett, Hall of Fame Committee Member
PRESENTATION OF COLORS
Bob Fawcett, Hall of Fame Committee Member
Sam Rayburn High School NJROTC
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
Joe Horton, South Houston High School Assistant Principal
INVOCATION
Joe Horton, South Houston High School Assistant Principal
INTRODUCTION OF MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Bill Barmore, Hall of Fame Chairman
MASTER OF CEREMONIES WELCOME
Tony Fitzpatrick, Former Houston Gambler
SUPERINTENDENT’S WELCOME
Dr. DeeAnn Powell, Pasadena ISD Superintendent of Schools
SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATIONS
Linda Lukaszewski, Hall of Fame Committee Member
Cathy Supak, Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Outreach Athletic Trainer
Dr. Kenneth Brooks, Orthopedic Surgeon & Pasadena ISD Team Orthopedic
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Bob Fawcett, Hall of Fame Committee Member
ORDER OF INDUCTION
Wayne Adams – South Houston/Class of 1967
Karima Christmas-Kelly – Dobie High School/Class of 2007
Don Key – Pasadena High School/Class of 1978
James McNeil – Sam Rayburn HS First Athletics Director and Head Coach
Bill Newcomb – South Houston HS Head Football Coach/Pasadena ISD Athletics Director
Paul Ratliff – Pasadena High School/Class of 1962
Pasadena High School 1958 Football Team
ATHLETICS INTRODUCTION
Rupert Jaso, Pasadena ISD Athletic Director
INDUCTEE SPEAKER
Carl Choate, PHS 1958 Football Team
Welcome
TO THE 2019 PASADENA ISD ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION BANQUET
It is such an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of six outstanding athletes and a team that would be the first and only Pasadena High School football team to play in a state championship game.
Tonight, we honor Wayne Adams, one of the top track athlete and football lineman in South Houston High School history; Karima Christmas-Kelly, a star athlete at Dobie High School and Duke University, who just signed with the Minnesota Lynx after previously playing basketball for the Dallas Wings; Don Key, a first team All-District and All-First Team All-Greater Houston lineman at Pasadena High School, who signed with the University of Oklahoma under Coach Barry Switzer; Coach James McNeil, who was named Little All-American as a Lamar University Cardinal and returned to Pasadena ISD to become the first head coach and athletics director at Sam Rayburn High School; Bill Newcomb, who lettered in basketball, football and baseball at Pasadena High School, and later became the Athletics Director at Pasadena ISD; and Paul Ratliff an outstanding catcher at Pasadena High School, who later played professional baseball with the Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers. We also have the opportunity to recognize the 1958 Pasadena High School Football team, the first and only Pasadena ISD football team to become state finalists.
We are also honored to welcome our guest emcee, Tony Fitzpatrick, former Houston Gamblers defensive lineman.
Congratulations to our Athletics Hall of Fame Scholarship recipients. We wish these student athletes the best in their college experience and in their professional careers.
None of the above would be possible without the generous support of the Pasadena ISD Athletics Department, the Pasadena ISD Athletics Hall of Fame Committee and the Pasadena ISD Education Foundation. We want to thank our table sponsors, our
Founding Donors and all our inductees – past and present – their families and their guests. We also wish to acknowledge the generous support of the Board of Trustees, the Pasadena ISD Administration, and Pasadena ISD employees. We would like to thank our Pasadena ISD high schools and the students and athletes who have volunteered their time this evening. Thank you to all.
Special thanks to Ernie’s for their catering services and for our delicious meal.
After the induction ceremony, we invite you to tour our Athletics Hall of Fame Museum, where you will have an opportunity to meet with the inductees for photographs and autographs.
This evening, we celebrate their achievements, spanning decades. From sports to academics, you can see that success is at the mission of Pasadena ISD. I am thankful for the opportunity to showcase this tonight.
Thank you again for your attendance at this very special event.
Sincerely,
Chairman, Pasadena ISD Athletics Hall of FameFootball: (Varsity Jr. & Sr.) 2-Year Letter
College: Undecided
Major: Family & Youth Ministry
Pasadena ISD Hall of Fame SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Track Cross Country: 2-Year Letter
College: Texas A&M University
Major: Mechanical Engineer
Basketball: 3-Year Letter
Volleyball: 1 Year Letter
College: Undecided
Major: Criminal Justice
Volleyball: 1-Year Letter
College: Trinity University
Major: Business Analysis & Technology
ATHLETIC TRAINER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Houston Methodist St. John Hospital, the official sports medicine partner of Pasadena ISD, is excited to announce the recipients of four $1,625 scholarships to PISD student athletic trainers from South Houston, Pasadena Memorial & J. Frank Dobie High Schools.
2019 HALL OF FAME TABLE SPONSORS
Platinum Sponsors
Ameraflex
Capital Bank
CommunityBank of Texas
Gallagher Barmore
Gulf Coast Educators FCU
Ben & Janice Meador
Texas Citizens Bank
Gold Sponsors
Bruce Temporary Services LP
Bronze Sponsors
Bob Allen
Ken Phelps Insurance
Herman & Judy Willams / Tom & Pam Jones
Pasadena ISD Athletic Department
Dobie High School
Pasadena High School
Pasadena Memorial High School
Silver Sponsors
Coastal Flow Management
Terry Brotherton
Steve Cowart
ABC Dental
Dr. Harold O Marshall
Sam Rayburn High School
South Houston High School
RE-ELECT PISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Kenny Fernandez, Marshall Kendrick, Vicki Morgan
(Political Ad Paid for Kenny Fernandez pos.5, Marshall Kendrick pos. 6, Vickie Morgan pos 7 )
Carlos Aguilar South Houston HS Zachary Chant Pasadena Memorial HS Athletic TrainerWelcome to the seventh annual Pasadena ISD Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. Tonight, we celebrate and honor the achievements of six successful athletes and one extraordinary football team all graduates of our great school district.
These athletes demonstrated grit, discipline and dedication to reach their goals and achieve excellence in high school sports. We can only hope that our past success will continue to motivate
Annual PISD Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Banquet Ceremony
and inspire future student-athletes. Undoubtedly, our high school athletes continue to excel in each of our schools and make us proud on and off the field.
The accomplishments of these outstanding individuals and team could not have occurred without the continuous support of coaches, teachers and staff, alumni, and our Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees. Their contributions continue to be a crucial part of the success of our athletic
programs and the district as a whole.
Thank you for joining us as we recognize the outstanding achievements of this group of inductees into the Pasadena ISD Athletics Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to all the inductees!
Dr. DeeAnn PowellSuperintendent of Schools, Pasadena ISD
The Pasadena Independent School District Athletics Department would like to welcome everyone to the 2019 Pasadena ISD Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet. We are honored to have you as our guests as we recognize former PISD athletes who have made significant contributions on and off of the competition fields.
We would also like to thank our Hall of Fame committee members and sponsors who have contributed their time and efforts to making this special night a continued success.
Once again, congratulations to the 2019 inductees and their well deserved recognition tonight. We applaud the accomplishments of these former student athletes and the positive impact they have made on our PISD teams, community and beyond.
TONY FITZPATRICK MASTER OF CEREMONIES
FORMER
HOUSTON GAMBLER
ABOUT TONY
Tony Fitzpatrick played for the Houston Gamblers, one of six expansion teams that competed in the U.S. Football League (USFL) in 1984 and 1985, with coaching legend Jack Pardee at the helm and Tony as a star defensive lineman.
Tony was a standout on the gridiron at Seminole High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The three-year starter set a school record as a senior with 143 tackles. He was named MVP in the state’s All-Star game after logging 15 tackles and earned First Team All-State selection.
Once called “the rock of [University of] Miami’s defense” by the Hurricanes’ head coach Howard Schnellenberger, Tony was a third pick in the seventh round (128th overall) of the 1984 USFL draft.
Tony became an instant star defensive tackle, starting all 18 games and recording 13.5 sacks, 55 1/2, 20 assists and a single fumble recovery. The six-foot 260 lbs. defensive anchor recorded more tackles than any other Gamblers lineman, earning second team All-USFL by USFL writers and broadcasters in his rookie season.
After the USFL folded in 1986, Tony headed north and signed with the Ottawa Rough Riders, where he joined fellow Gamblers defensive lineman Lloyd Lewis. After only three games, Tony returned to Houston to play for the Oilers in 1987, where he suffered a shoulder injury prior to starting his first game.
After his pro-career ended, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Houston, and was a regular on sports radio for the Greater Houston area.
Tony currently serves the Deer Park area as the director of Business Development at Universal Plant Services, LLC.
Tony is one of several celebrated names in sports to emcee for the Pasadena ISD Athletics Hall of Fame. Past emcees have included ABC Sports Broadcaster Dan Lovett, star quarterback for the Houston Oilers Dan Pastorini, voice of the Houston Astros Larry Dierker, Houston Rockets playby-play voice Bill Worrell, and Fox 26 sports reporter Nate Griffin.
adams
WAYNE ADAMS
SOUTH HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASS
ABOUT WAYNE
A standout lineman during his football days at South Houston, Wayne Adams returned to Pasadena to become one of the district’s most dedicated and energetic educators.
Wayne, one of the top track athlete and football linemen in South Houston history, had an all or nothing attitude when it came to athletics. Weighing an impressive 230 pounds, the 6-6 tackle earned All-District, All-Greater Houston and All-State honors in both football and track in high school.
His physical dominance on the gridiron as the first line of defense against opposing teams was a driving force behind many victories for the South Houston Trojans. With his defensive teammates John Miller, Lyndal Kennedy and Alvis Gammage by his side, the Trojans would finish the 1966 season 5-3-2.
In 1967, he started in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Football game in San Antonio. Adams became a two-time district champion in the shot put and discus and won the silver medal in shot put at the 1967 state track meet. For more than 40 years, he held the school and school district record in the shot put.
On May 6, 1967, Wayne signed to play for West Texas State University
(now West Texas A&M), where he lettered three years in football as a starting offensive tackle, blocking for such outstanding running backs such as Eugene “Mercury” Morris (Miami Dolphins) and Duane Thomas (Dallas Cowboys). He additionally earned two letters in track.
After earning a master’s degree along with administrative and superintendent’s certifications from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, Adams returned to Pasadena ISD to serve as a teacher and coach at Dobie and South Houston High Schools. He started his first leadership position as an assistant principal at Pasadena High School, eventually working his way up to principal of the PHS Eagles. In 1998, Adams was named Region 4 Education Service Center’s High School Principal of the Year.
Wayne served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Secondary School principals for six years as the Learning Coordinator for the Texas Principal Excellence Program, a TEA sponsored initiative that provided mentorship for principals from low performing schools.
After 43 years in education, all but one year at Pasadena ISD, Adams was named a founding board member, former president and consultant for
OF 1967
the Pasadena ISD Education Foundation. Wayne’s involvement in both the Texas Invitational and the Education Foundation has been a key to the success of both groups. In 2016, Adams was recognized for his contributions to the Pasadena ISD community when he was named the district’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.
Wayne currently resides within the Pasadena area with his wife, Pat.
Christmas-kelly 2007
Presented by:KARIMA CHRISTMAS-KELLY
J. FRANK DOBIE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2007
ABOUT KARIMA
When it comes to basketball, Karima Christmas-Kelly still has plenty of bounce in her step. The 6 foot forward signed with the Minnesota Lynx in February after eight seasons with the Dallas Wings, Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics. In 235 career games, the Dobie High School alum holds averages of 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 23.3 minutes per game. On May 25, 2017, she scored her 1,500th point against San Antonio.
A 2011 graduate of Duke University, she shot to national fame in college as a scoring dynamo for the Blue Devils. During her junior and senior seasons at Duke, she led her team to back-to-back regular-season and Atlantic Coast Conference tournament titles. She became the 27th player in Duke women’s basketball history to break the 1,000 mark for career points. She was a part of 114 wins in her four seasons at Duke. Christmas-Kelly finished her college career ranked 10th in school history in steals.
Karima was a second-round draft choice by Washington (23rd overall) and played for both the Mystics and Tulsa in 2011. Traded to Indiana midway through the 2012 season, she was part of the Fever’s title team. That same year, the Indiana Fever team would beat the Minnesota Lynx in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, 87-78, earning her a championship ring.
Karima was the only Dallas Wings player to start in all 34 games. She surpassed a career best with 12.4 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game and was ranked eighth in the league in minutes, averaging 31.6 minutes per game. She was nominated as the Most Improved Player in 2016. In 2017, Karima played her 200th game and recorded her 5,000th career-minute in July.
In her best season to date, Karima averaged 12.4 points on 40.0 percent shooting, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists, starting all 34 games for the Dallas Wings during the 2016 season. For her career, she has scored 20-plus points 10 times and has seven double-doubles to her credit (four in 2016).
At Dobie, Karima earned 10 varsity letters, including four in track, where she won a district title in the triple jump. Under Head Basketball Coach Doug Gibson, she became a three-time all-district selection and an all-region pick
her senior year when Parade Magazine named her a fourthteam All-American. She averaged 18.7 points and 9.6 rebounds her senior season, leading the Longhorns to a 32-7 record.
Karima returned to the South Belt area in 2017 to help provide Hurricane Harvey refugees with shoes and sports gear. Her Dobie basketball jersey was retired by the school in 2017.
KEY 1978
DON KEY PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 1978
ABOUT DON
Don Key was an all-star player for the Pasadena High School Eagles. In 1978, he was voted Most Valuable lineman in Pasadena ISD, earned First Team All-District honors and was also selected as First Team All-Greater Houston. In addition, he was a Blue Chipper, Team Captain, Eagles MVP and he played in the Texas North/South All-Star Game as well as the Oil Bowl.
One of his favorite memories in football happened senior year during a PHS vs. Rayburn game. He recalls everyone being certain that Rayburn would handily beat the Eagles, but PHS toppled the Texans. Throughout the game, just as Rayburn would make its move, a PHS Eagle would rise to the occasion. It was a nail biter until the end, but the Mighty Eagles prevailed “due to great teamwork and fight,” Don said.
Considered by many as one of the state’s top high school linemen, Don had the opportunity to attend numerous colleges. The coaches from Oklahoma University, for instance, made a home visit to convince his mother to let Don play. “She said it was too far away,” he remembers. Don explained to his recruiting coach, Rex Norris, that his mother was opposed to OU but Oklahoma did not take “no” for an answer as Don was too promising of a prospect. A week later, Coach Barry Switzer (a legend in college football) came to town to visit with his mother in hopes of convincing her to let him play for the Sooners. “I heard Coach Switzer say to my mom, ‘Carolyn, if Don comes to Oklahoma, he is no longer just your son but he will be our son too. If he works hard and does the right things, we will help him get an education whether or not he ever starts for the Sooners.’” That sealed the deal in Carolyn’s heart and Key signed with the University of Oklahoma and quickly became a standout during Coach Barry Switzer’s era. While Don was at OU, the Sooners were conference champions in 1978, 1979 and 1980 and Orange Bowl champions in 1979, 1980 and 1981.
A potential All-American, Don was a three-year starter, earning All-Big Eight honors until an injury and a cancer diagnosis cut his football career short. Key still remembers that painful moment. “I went from game ball ‘best of best’ on Sunday to ‘you will never play again’ on Wednesday, and that was quite a challenge to my heart and mind.” There was a silver lining in the injury to the kidney as it led doctors to the exact point in Don’s body where cancer was growing undetected. Following the injury, in 1982 Coach Switzer established the Don Key Award, which is considered the highest honor an OU football player can receive. It is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the many superior qualities of its namesake, both on the field and in the classroom. In addition, Sooner benefactors established the Don Key Scholarship which is awarded to a student athlete pursuing a higher education.
“I greatly cherish these things in my heart, but I also cherish that Coach Switzer honored his commitment to my mother, Carolyn, in that I was not able to complete my tenure as an athlete, yet Switzer and the University of Oklahoma assured
me I was able to continue my education and earn a college degree,” Don said. “That’s something that lives on in my life and continues to reward me — long after football. This is a message he likes to share with student athletes every chance he gets — your sport will end sooner than you want and most likely without ever leading you to a revenue stream. Your education on the other hand will carry far past your playing days and if you truly apply yourself, will likely lead to a better and sustained revenue source than you might have otherwise experienced had you focused on sports first and education second. It is important to remember you are referred to as a ‘student athlete’ and in that order you find your best potential for long term success.”
Don earned a degree in business at OU in 1983. He has worked as a landman in the oil and gas industry throughout the entirety of his career. He was named Landman of the Year in 1999 and served as President of the American Association of Professional Landmen in 2013–2014, with a membership of 20,000-plus at the time. In 2007, Hanna Oil and Gas established the Don Key Leadership Scholarship in the Energy Management Program at OU. Don has been a keynote speaker for various athletic and church groups, in addition to various university and professional events. His talks extoll the virtues of life’s challenges. Often the emphasis is “press on!”
McNeil
ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR & COACH
JAMES MCNEIL
SAM RAYBURN HIGH SCHOOL
FIRST ATHLETICS DIRECTOR & HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
ABOUT JAMES
James “Jimmy” McNeil was such an outstanding running back at Pasadena High School from 1944 through 1947 that droves of patrons regularly showed up to cheer on the Mighty Eagles, which helped fund the first football stadium in Pasadena, located at Pasadena Blvd (formerly Tartar) and Southmore!
After graduating from Pasadena High School, James received an academic scholarship to attend Lamar University. He was perhaps one of the best recruits in LU history, garnering some of the most successful back-to-back seasons. With McNeil starring on offense and on defense, Lamar won 18 games, played in three bowl games and shared a conference championship in what was possibly the nation’s best junior college conference during that era.
James was sensational in 1949 when he scored 108 points, rushed for 1,266 yards and passed for 629 yards as the Cardinals posted a 10-2 record and came within one game of gaining a berth in the Junior College Rose Bowl. An all-conference performer in 1949, James was at his best in the big games. He scored both touchdowns in a historic 14-7 win over Kilgore College, and his winning plays on both offense and defense led to a 28-7 victory over top ranked Tyler Junior College in 1948.
James was named “Little All-American” as a Cardinal football player and was forever enshrined into the Lamar University Cardinal Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
James returned to Pasadena ISD to start his teaching and coaching career at Jackson Junior High School (now Jackson Intermediate). Coach McNeil was named the first athletic director and head football coach at Sam Rayburn High School in 1963 and led his team to a district championship in 1968. McNeil served 15 years as assistant principal at J. Frank Dobie High School and was awarded the school’s highest honor, the Trail Blazer award, for his contributions. James passed away in February 2015, but his memory lives on in the hearts and minds of many for his dedication as a coach, and for being a stellar role model and teacher to many young men throughout his career. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Mona Patricia McNeil.
NewComb
ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR & COACH
Presented by:BILL NEWCOMB
SOUTH HOUSTON HS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
PASADENA ISD ATHLETICS DIRECTOR
ABOUT BILL
Bill Newcomb was part of the legendary Jackson Junior High School team that went 29-1 in three seasons under Pasadena ISD Hall of Famer Coach Harry Morgan.
Bill was an all-round football, baseball and track star at Pasadena High School, lettering in all three sports. In 1955, he served as co-captain of both the football and basketball teams. As a football standout, Newcomb was well known for eluding defensive players on his way to the end zone and scoring nearly every game. In a hard-fought game against Jefferson Davis High School, Bill and Bert Coan gave the Panthers trouble on offense. William Ford blocked a kick and the ball rolled into the end zone. With 40 seconds left on the clock, Newcomb burst outside right tackle from the two for a touchdown. Pasadena defeated Jeff Davis that day, 9-7. This was the norm for Bill. It carried the Eagles squad to second place in District 8AAAA for the second consecutive year.
Bill was offered four-year scholarships in football and baseball, but decided to continue as a football player in order to play for legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Texas A&M. He was a fullback and linebacker during the Gator Bowl Game against Tennessee in 1957, Bryant’s last game at A&M. He then
transferred to McMurry College, where he started as a fullback and linebacker for Grant Teaff, legendary coach at Baylor University.
At the request of former Pasadena ISD athletics director “Stoney” Phillips, Newcomb was moved to South Houston High by Gerald Myers, PISD athletics director in 1966 to coach football, basketball, baseball, track, golf and swimming. In 1981, Newcomb was named the South Houston High Trojans’ campus athletic director and head football coach, earning district 23-5A football Coach of the Year by his peers.
Newcomb’s dreams of leading the district’s athletics, physical education and health programs became reality in 1989 when he was named the Pasadena ISD assistant athletics director, working his way up to athletic director in 1995.
Newcomb was recognized numerously throughout the course of his career. He was inducted into Pasadena High School’s Alumni Wall of Honor in 1998, the Greater Houston Football Coaches Hall of Honor in 2013 and the Teacher Wall of Honor at South Houston High School in 2013. One of his proudest accomplishments happened in 2004, when the school board named Memorial Stadium “Newcomb Field.”
A star athlete, revered coach and leader, Newcomb retired from Pasadena ISD in 2004.Ratliff
PAUL RATLIFF
PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1962
ABOUT PAUL
For three years at Pasadena High School, Paul whole-heartedly dedicated himself to the school’s baseball team. With his facemask and chest guard, Paul was a familiar figure on the diamond and a favorite for many baseball spectators. Ratliff served as a co-captain, alongside George Dearing on the Eagles team.
After four consecutive years of placing second in the district 12AAAA race, the PHS baseball team, under Coach Lee Harrington and cocaptains Ratliff and George Dearing, fought off their favored opponents and captured the District 12AAAA Baseball Championship crown!
After capturing the district title during the 1961–1962 seasons, the Eagles did not stop at this level, but went on to represent their school in the state play-off. After defeating Texas City’s Stingarees, 6-1, South Houston became the next to fall before the Mighty Eagles, 8-0. Two doubles by Dearing and a triple by Paul paced the Eagles to their second district win. Several victories later, Paul produced triples as the Eagles won over the Galena Park Nine, 4-1. With that win, the Eagles finished the first half of District undefeated.
After winning the district crown, the Eagles went on to two straight
victories and clinch the bi-district series with Paul, Dearing, Curtis Doolan and Rusty Rains supplying the power in both wins. PHS advanced to the quarter finals in the state playoff, but in the final fame of the series, they were unable to overcome strong pitching by the Bellaire Cardinals.
After Paul’s senior year of high school, he signed as a free agent to join the Minnesota Twins in 1962. By the next season, Ratliff, at age 19, was on the Twins opening day roster, appearing in 10 games. From 1962 to 1970, he was sent to the minor leagues to refine his game. He found his way back to Major League glory as a catcher for the Minnesota Twins during the 1963, 1970 and 1971 seasons and for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1971 to 1972. Ratliff split catching duties with George “the Baron” Mitterwald for the Twins and played in the 1970 American League Championship Series.
Ratliff shared the baseball field with many celebrated baseball figures like MLB Hall of Famers and Twins legends Rodney Carew and Harmon “Hammerin’ Harmon” Killebrew.
Ratliff put down his glove and picked up several Hollywood gigs, appearing in various soap operas including The Young and the Restless, Days
of our Lives and General Hospital, along with the critically acclaimed American sitcom, Cheers.EAGLES
1958 FOOTBALL
TEAM
Presented by:PHS 1958 FOOTBALL TEAM
STATE FINALISTS
DISTRICT CHAMPIONS/BI-DISTRICT CHAMPIONS/ STATE QUARTER-FINAL CHAMPIONS/STATE SEMI-FINAL CHAMPIONS
...CONTINUED
THE QUARTER-FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
The Eagles hosted Houston Reagan in the quarter-final championship game, held at the Eagle home field, before a sell-out crowd of 14,000 fans.
Pasadena went head to head in the last game of the quarter-finals against Reagan. There was solid effort from each team, but with Webb, an all-state standout, and Broussard doing some heavy damage on the gridiron, backed by a solid offensive and defensive team, Reagan didn’t stand a chance. The Eagles would claim a 24-14 quarter-final championship victory and a place in the semi-finals.
THE SEMI-FINAL
By the time the Eagles reached the semifinal, they knew it was go hard or go home, because losing after a season-long winning streak would mean letting down the coaches, the team, and the entire Pasadena area. “There wasn’t a whole lot to do in Pasadena. We were mostly blue-collar kids. Our dads worked at the refineries. We had no cellphones or smart phones. Television was still black and white. You could go to the drive-in, but sports was the thing,” Bryan said.
In the semi-final game, the Eagles faced perennial power Corpus Christi Miller at Rice Stadium, Dec. 13. It was the largest and best stadium in the area at the time.
The first half was scoreless, with each team gaining only one penetration. In the second half, Miller scored a touchdown that would put the first six points on the scoreboard. The Battlin’ Bucs fumbled the ball and Choate secured it
for Pasadena. After two running plays, Kerbow passed to Choate for a 42-yard touchdown, putting the first six points on the scoreboard for PHS, along with an extra point. But it was PHS’s strong defense that would prevent Miller from passing up their opponent’s score. The Eagles won the semi-finals and were headed to the state championship.
THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Pasadena was matched up against the mighty Wichita Falls for the State 4A Championship in Austin, Dec. 20. Predictions favored Wichita Falls, but the Eagles weren’t convinced yet.
“We were ranked 5th in the state. That was actually before the playoffs started. After the playoffs started, they had us ranked a little higher,” said Goehring. “In fact, Wichita Falls was right ahead of us.”
Kerbow scored Pasadena’s first and only touchdown in the first quarter. With their heads held high, never conceding defeat or quitting on the defense, the PHS Eagles fell to Wichita Falls, 48-6. Yet the crowd still cheered.
“We went up there thinking we were going to be the state champions. We had no idea that they were going to be that good or we were not going to play as well as we could have,” Goehring said.
“I’ll never forget that day,” Bryan said. “They ran the single wing in those days and they were really very well coached. They just out-manned us. We were proud to get there, but we weren’t happy with the way it turned, but they were the better team.”
PHS teammates said getting to the state championship would have been impossible without the support of their coaches.
“It was the change in the offensive strategy that Coach Barfield brought with him. Just the ability to run a little bit and throw the ball for sure helped [our team],” said Kerbow.
Coach Barfield (deceased), hailed as one of the best in the state, came to Pasadena from Baylor University. Prior to that, he coached at Cedar Bayou, Corrigan and Robstown.
“He brought in a new type offense that we called a pro-type offense that they had gone through and done well with at Baylor,” Kerbow said.
He was not only their leader, but also family.
“They were role models and that’s what I think inspired me to be a coach,” Bryan said.
The team’s success on the field mirrored their successes after high school. Nearly half the team played college football after graduating from Pasadena High School, with a few teammates becoming proballers, like Kerbow, who played for Rice University and then had a two-year stint with the Oilers.
Twelve wins, one district, bi-district, state quarter- final and state semi-final championship - the wins, the history and the camaraderie outweighed the losses. “I feel proud. I just wanted to thank the Hall of Fame for recognizing us this year,” Goehring said.
On April 13, 2019, the 1958 Pasadena High School Football team would make history once again as they were forever enshrined in the PISD Athletics Hall of Fame.
PHS 1958 FOOTBALL TEAM
STATE FINALISTS
DISTRICT CHAMPIONS/BI-DISTRICT CHAMPIONS/ STATE QUARTER-FINAL CHAMPIONS/STATE SEMI-FINAL CHAMPIONS
PHS ’58 EAGLE FOOTBALL TEAM
The story of Pasadena High School’s 1958 football team remains one of the most celebrated in PISD Athletics Hall of Fame history.
With some of the finest coaches at the helm - head coach Bob Barfield, and assistants Sam Sailer, Jack Fink and John Maguire — the team would be remembered as the first — the ONLY Pasadena ISD football squad to compete for state championship glory. “It was a great season,” said John Bryan, No. 82. “No Pasadena team before or since has ever gone that far.”
It’s been 60 years since that pivotal time in PHS history. And now, the team has reunited to be inducted into the district’s 2019 Athletics Hall of Fame. “I feel like all of the players on our ‘58 team are being recognized individually for being a part of a great team,” said Charlie Goehring, an Eagle starter and current Hall of Fame committee member. “I’m very proud and my family is very proud too.”
The road to state was paved with some bumps along the way, but those bumps would give way to an impressive football season.
NON-DISTRICT GAMES
During the first season non-district opener in Odessa, Sept. 12, 1958, several mistakes by PHS that weekend led to a 21-8 upset. On the upsidethe Eagle squad had the opportunity to fly on an airplane - a first for the majority of the team. During the long
trip home, Pasadena decided that losing was no fun and no longer an option.
That feeling drove them to two victories against Houston Lamar and Texarkana High Schools and a 12game winning streak.
DISTRICT GAMES
In the pre-season district predictions, the Eagles were ranked by experts as third or fourth behind Galena Park, Baytown and Spring Branch, but over time, they proved their critics wrong. A decisive victory against Galveston Ball preceded the big showdown against their rival, their white whale, the Baytown Ganders.
The team clearly brought their a-game that day, beating Baytown 28-0. One of the team captains, Lawrence Broussard put the first few points on the board, scoring on a 46-yard sprint. Minutes later, Randall Kerbow passed to Goehring for a 24-yard touchdown, and then passed to Robbie Robinett for the extra two points before halftime. Bobby Crenshaw scored one touchdown when he blocked and recovered the ball in the Baytown end zone. During the second half, Randall Kerbow passed to Carl Choate for the final touchdown of the evening.
Not only did they gain more confidence after the Baytown victory, but they earned the respect of sports experts across the state - eventually turning the eyes of Texas upon PHS. “Baytown beat us the two years
before. Then, we beat them 28 to nothing,” said Goehring, a former starter for PHS. “That was one of the highlights for me and I think for the rest of the team because for some reason Pasadena always had a hard time beating Baytown.” Their victory over Baytown set the stage for the football game against the defending 1957 district champs, Galena Park - another rival closer to home.
With their confidence high and determination set to full-throttle, the Mighty Eagle wave continued to surprise experts and topple the competition, this time in the district showdown, beating Galena Park in a hard-fought game, 10-6. The Galena Park victory was followed by good wins
BI-DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
The Eagles came out of the regular season play with a 9-1 record and an undisputed district championship. While Pasadena was defeating Brazosport, Port Arthur’s Memorial High, won the right to compete against Pasadena in the bidistrict game, Nov. 28.
Port Arthur didn’t back down at the bi-district championship game. It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Eagles would score, with Broussard, Gerald Batchelor, Choate, another team captain, getting some crucial yardage, along with Kerbow scoring in the fourth quarter. With that, Pasadena’s defense took over and held on for a 6-0 victory.
2019 Hall of fame members
1958 PHS FOOTBALL TEAM STATE FINALISTS
District Champions / Bi-District Champions / State Quarter-Final Champions / State Semi-Final Champions
COACHES: Head Coach Bob Barfield, Line Coach Sam Sailer, Backfield Coach Jack Fink & Trainer John Maguire
Gerald Batchelor, Don Boozer, Captain Lawrence Broussard, Danny Brown, John Bryan, Scott Bryant, James Buchanek, Spencer Chandler, Captain Carl Choate, Tom Coleman, Richard Couey, Captain Bobby Crenshaw, David Crocker, Ralph Davis, Jerry Funderburg, Charlie Goehring, Fred Hadley, Billy Hale, Jerry Hanna, Pat Hargis, Mackle Herring, Jerry Jarman, Ronnie Jones, Charles Kendrick. Randall Kerbow, David Lemons, Willard Matthews, Donnie McAvoy, Bobby Mills, Doug Mills, David Odem, Norman Payne, Harold Perry, Archie Peterson, Jan Phillips, Jerry Rawlinson, Mike Reekie, Robbie Robinett, Carl Roehm, Herman Shelby, Doug Steffenauer, Charles Stricklen, Buddy Wall, Earl Walling, David Webb, Tommy Wilhoite, Joe Woodland, David Wright, Ernest Vaughn
STUDENT MGRS. & TRAINERS: Jimmy Brackeen, Reggie Ethridge, Chris Galbreath, James McDaniel, Charles Sims
KARIMA CHRISTMAS-KELLY Dobie HS Class of 2007 DON KEY Pasadena HS Class of 1978 JAMES MCNEIL Sam Rayburn HS Athletics Director & Football Coach WAYNE ADAMS South Houston HS Class of 1967 BILL NEWCOMB South Houston HS Athletic Director & Football Coach PAUL RATLIFF Pasadena HS Class of 1962Pasadena ISD Athletics
Hall of Fame Members
BRUCE DOWDY Pasadena HS Class of 1967 CALVIN POWITZKY Pasadena HS Class of 1964 LATOYA DAVIS South Houston HS Class of 2002 JOHNNY PARKER Sam Rayburn HS Class of 1968 HARRY MORGAN South Houston HS Football Coach PASADENA HIGH 1957 TRACK TEAM GENE MCCARLEY Pasadena HS Class of 1955 MIKE KIRKLAND Pasadena HS Class of 1972 RANDY MCEACHERN J. Frank Dobie HS Class of 1974 MICKEY MCCARTY Pasadena HS Class of 1964 GEORGE CHESHIRE Pasadena HS Class of 1964 DONNA BRANCH Sam Rayburn HS Class of 1975 Volleyball Coach WELDON PHILLIPS Pasadena HS Class of 1933 Director of Athletics STEVE OXLEY Sam Rayburn HS Class of 1969 HORACE DUKE Pasadena HS Class of 1960 LILLY DENOON Pasadena HS Class of 1990 DAVID FREISLEBEN Sam Rayburn HS Class of 1971 FRITZ CONNALLY Pasadena HS Class of 1976 KYLA HALL HOLAS South Houston HS Class of 1990 JOHN HOLMES South Houston HS Class of 1986 WES HUBERT South Houston HS Class of 1976 BILL HENRY Pasadena HS Class of 1946 JIMMY JOHNSON Sam Rayburn HS Class of 1976 LANNY WHITE Pasadena HS Class of 1968WAYNE ADAMS & BILL
NOT THIS THIS
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Alumni, you’re welcome here.
CONTACT THE ALUMNI COORDINATOR FOR MORE INFORMATION Email: RBrown1@pasadenaisd.org
PASADENA ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mariselle Quijano
Board President
Nelda Sullivan
Board Vice President
Marshall Kendrick Board Secretary
Jack Bailey Assistant Secretary
Vickie Morgan Board Member
Fred Roberts Board Member
Kenny Fernandez Board Member
PASADENA ISD STAFF
Cindy Parmer Education Foundation
Executive Director
Isabel Trevino Education Foundation Administrative Assistant
Rupert Jaso Director of Athletics
Donna Branch Assistant Director of Athletics
Dr. Troy McCarley Associate Superintendent of Projects, Planning & Communication
Art Del Barrio Director of Communication
Reesha Brown Communication & Alumni Development Coordinator
Jade Wise Communication Specialist
Bill Barmore Chairman
Rupert Jaso
Donna Branch
Cindy Parmer
Robert Avery
PASADENA ISD ADMINISTRATION
Dr. DeeAnn Powell Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Karen Hickman Deputy Superintendent
Arthur Allen Associate Superintendent
Kevin Fornof Associate Superintendent
Dr. Steve Fullen Associate Superintendent
Gloria Gallegos Associate Superintendent
Alyta Harrell Associate Superintendent
Toni Lopez
Associate Superintendent
Dr. Darla Massey-Jones Associate Superintendent
Dr. Troy McCarley
Associate Superintendent
Carla Merka
Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Rhonda Parmer Associate Superintendent
Dr. Angela Stallings Associate Superintendent
Jodie Kennemer General Counsel
ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE
Travis Jaggers Vice- Chairman
Jack Bailey
Terry Brotherton
Reesha Brown
John Bryan
Arturo Del Barrio
Greg Clary
Tish Eubanks
Bob Fawcett
Herman Williams Treasurer
Kenny Fernandez
Marie Flickinger
Rev. Emory Gadd
Bob Gebhard
Donna Branch Secretary
Charlie Goehring
Lori Grande
Linda Lukaszewski
Ben Meador
Dr. Troy McCarley
Mike Porterfield
Jade Wise
A tailored approach to risk management
JUNE 4, 2019 • TEE TIME: 8 a . m . FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: JACK BAILEY: 713-906-2585
BOB ELLIS: 832-367-4246
CINDY PARMER: cparmer@pasadenaisd.org
The Texas Invitational Golf Classic benefits Pasadena ISD Education Foundation.
Thank you to All Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Ameraflex
Capital Bank
CommunityBank of Texas
Gallagher Barmore
Gulf Coast Educators FCU
Ben & Janice Meador
Texas Citizens Bank
Gold Sponsors
Bruce Temporary Services LP
Silver Sponsors
Coastal Flow Management
Terry Brotherton
Steve Cowart
ABC Dental
Dr. Harold O Marshall
Bronze Sponsors
Bob Allen
Ken Phelps Insurance
Herman & Judy Willams / Tom & Pam Jones
Pasadena ISD Athletic Department
Dobie High School
Pasadena High School
Pasadena Memorial High School
Sam Rayburn High School
South Houston High School
RE-ELECT PISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Kenny Fernandez, Marshall Kendrick, Vickie Morgan
(Political Ad Paid for Kenny Fernandez pos.5, Marshall Kendrick pos. 6, Vickie Morgan pos 7 )