This isn't a game article but using this to preserve Longview football history, I thought this article merited being posted. - via Dallas Morning News
The Sports Scene
Here's a story of the brighter side of football: It began during the football season last year. In the middle of that campaign, the fans of Longview ere shocked one day when it was announced that twenty-two boys had been dismissed summarily front he Longview Lobos, one of the top teams every season in East Texas.
Coach Marco Stewart said the players had broken training rules.
Such a wholesale dismissal, of course, wrecked the team. Many fans were irate and several efforts were made to induce Stewart to forgive the boys and take them back.
But Stewart, who played on SMU's Rose Bowl team of the '35 season, was adamant. He felt he could not take the kids back without sacrificing his own principles and, possibly, the respect of other members of the squad who had trained faithfully.
He refused to give into pressure. His team, which had been a heavy favorite to win the district, failed to gain a single conference victory.
However, Stewart's contract was renewed at the end of the season in a wise and salutary move by his superiors.
But Stewart resigned before the close of the school term to accept a job with a Corsicana automobile firm. His assistant, Wilson (Swede) Dees, was named to replace him.
This season, five of the twenty-two dismissed players were eligible again to play with the Lobos.
The team was not expected to achieve much. It started off with a narrow, 19-to-13 win over Port Neches. The Lobos then sneaked by tough Lufkin, 7 to 6, and bet Denison, Cleburne, and Tyler on successive week ends. But their hot streak stopped when Palestine beat them 20 to 6.
However, they already had done more than their supporters expected. In their first conference game of District 4-AAA, they edged out previously undefeated Gladewater, 13 to 7. And now, they lead the district; Friday night, they beat Kilgore, 33 to 6.
The five boys who had been bounced off the squad last year have been outstanding in this surprisingly good season for Longview. Those boys, along with the rest of the squad, have kept in top condition; they have observed training rules, and Coach Dees says their excellent physical shape has "meant the difference in a couple of crucial games this year."
The return of those boys - who might be called the "Comeback Kids" - is in itself a good story. But the story isn't told. Here is the ending:
The boys' former coach, Stewart, was in the stands ten nights ago when Longview met Gladewater. After the game, he dropped by the dressing room to congratulate the boys he had coached the season before.
The five boys who had been shunned from the team in disgrace by Stewart, were, of course, in the room. The sight of Stewart gave one of them an idea.
He called the other four together and held a hurried conference. Finally one of them - who had procured the game ball fro another player - walked over to Stewart.
"Coach," he said. "We want you to have this ball we used in this game." Then he added: "About last year - we had it coming to us."
