1984: 20 years later … Canceled game to go on after all

By Ruben Villegas
“November 22, 1963, the day of Austin’s Homecoming, dawned bright and promising … The assembly broadcast over KTSM Radio to the inhabitants of Tigerland, came to a triumphant close, as exuberant, Austinites left the gym with but one thought in mind – the Panther’s victory over the Tigers. Then … Minutes later, in Dallas, Texas, three shots rang out. The President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy … was dead. The football game and the Football Prom were never to be held.”

-Roundup Excerpt Austin Yearbook, 1964

By Ruben Villegas

Times staff writer

Never say never.

Not since the “Over-the-hill” gang (i.e. Washington redskins) has so much excitement been generated over a bunch of grownups laying football.

Well, almost football.

Saturday, the El Paso and Austin graduating classes of 1964 will converge on El Paso High’s Jones Stadium to play the much-talked-about “game that was never played.”

But there will be changes.

The players, sporting sparkling new jerseys and shorts, will be 20 years older. The game will be flag football.

And the payoff will be eternal bragging rights.

Really.

Exes from the schools still remember the events leading up to the cancellation of the ’63 game.

“As I was getting ready for the game we were told that everything had been canceled,” said James Luckett, coordinator of Austin’s reunion and football game. “We thought the shooting was a terrible thing to happen, but it was an important game.”

El Paso ex Billy Haddad said he was confused when he first heart the announcement.

“They told us right after the assembly that they had shot the President,” Haddad said. “I thought they meant Austin’s student body president. Austin had burned an ‘A’ on our field and both of us were always doing something so I thought someone had taken it too far.”

Pat Wheelan, coordinator of El Paso’s reunion, remembers the team meeting.

“We were told everything was canceled.” Wheelan said. “And we all cried like babies because we had been exited about the game. We had to wait 20 years.”

Now they have six days.

“We kidded about playing the game,” Luckett said. “Now it’s a dead serious game. Everybody’s getting into shape.

Coach Jerry Wilson has come out of retirement to coach the Panthers and “has lit a fire under us” Luckett said.

El Paso High graduates also have their own coach revisited.

Back to coach the tigers’ Class of 1964 will be the original coaching lineup – head Coach Bob Taylor, linebacker coach Hilton Lambeth, and backfield coach Jackie Meeks.

“It was the biggest rivalry in town and we were 7-1-1,” Wheelan said. “With the win we would have a three-way championship. Instead Bel Air won the district outright by half a game.”

All 14 Tiger seniors – with the exception of Joe Chagra – returned to battle for the claw. It hasn’t been decided which claw, but it isn’t the bronze statue.

1984: 20-year issue settled

Comments

[Gina]

The game is this saturday?? I would totally go to support the class of '64 :) tigers :)

[d bills]

I remember that day I was on Romper Room

[Trish Long]

Gina, the game was played in 1984. D Bills, I loved Romper Room.