26/Aug/2008
The First Years of Football in Central
By Elva Jo Crawford
Interviews with Snookie Jackson (Mrs. Willard Jackson, wife of Central’s first football coach), and others:
More than 60 years ago, Central high School embarked on its first season of Class B organized football. This season was the culmination of the efforts of many interested Central residents, too many to name. At that time, Central already had a strong emphasis on academics and discipline and had a dedicated group of teachers. They also had a chorus, a band, a pep squad and cheer squad, a track team and a championship basketball team. Now they were ready for some football.
June Theriot recalls the tremendous excitement in the community for months after it was confirmed that there would indeed be a football team at Central High School.
Theriot worked at the family business, Eisworth’s Store. The store, which has since been torn down, was located on Greenwell Springs Road just south of the present location of A-1 Archery. Eisworth’s sold everything from feed, seed, and hardware to shoes, fabric and meat. It was typical in the 1940s for men to bring in their wives’ shopping lists for the clerk to fill. While they waited for the order, they would talk and playing checkers on the dry goods counter. Theriot said that once football was in the air, men stayed much longer than usual to discuss the new topic.
Community Effort
According to most, four men were the major organizers in the community’s effort to have a football team: Gene Buhler, C.C. Chapman, A.Q. Latimer and George Sides. They not only spearheaded the efforts to secure funding for the team, but also lead the “hands-on” effort of physically preparing a playing field.
These men stuck around once the football season began. Chapman was the announcer for many years. Buhler, Sides and Latimer worked the line markers. While there wasn’t much funding at the time, the community was almost 100 percent behind the effort and somehow things came together and moved forward. Now, the hunt for a coach was on.
Willard Jackson, of Coushatta, had been a star football player at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches (once called Louisiana Normal School for Teachers). He had also played basketball and run track. It was while at Northwestern that Jackson met his future wife, Snookie. Jackson graduated during WWII and engaged in defense work, primarily in Texas.
After the war, the Jackson’s moved back from San Antonio to Snookie’s home in southwestern Louisiana. Jackson went to work as an assistant football coach for the power house team at Jennings. The following year, he took the job as head coach at Elton, located about 20 miles from Jennings.
While at Elton, someone phoned Coach Jackson to tell him that Central was going to be starting a football program, and would be looking for a head coach. Jackson got an interview with Central’s Principal J.A. Smith and the school superintendent and got the job.
Dirt Roads
Around the second week of August, 1947, Coach Jackson came to Central to start football practice. Just before school started, Jackson brought Snookie and his young daughter Pat to Central.
Snookie remembers that there were two things Central did not have in 1947: paved roads and rent houses. Though Snookie was from the country, she wanted to find a home on a graveled road, not a dirt one. So, as Jackson drove his family up the graveled Sullivan Road and turned left onto the dirt and mud of Gurney Road, Snookie started crying.
“You promised me our house would be on graveled road,” she said. To which he replied, “Just wait, we are not there yet. Our home is going to be on Joor Road and it is graveled.”
Jim Sylvest’s parents had vacated a small home on Joor road so the Jackson’s would have a place to live. The Jackson’s lived in that home for two years. Snookie soon became a substitute teacher at Central and taught everything from first grade to high school.
J.G. “Jay” Bailey was Jackson’s Assistant Coach at Central for the first two years. When Bailey left Central to become the principal at North Highlands, Jackson recruited O.J. Williams.
The Field
Behind the scenes, many in the community worked on the physical set up of the field. Norman Latimer, brother of T.D. Latimer (a star player for the first two years) said Robinson’s car dealership, gas and service station allowed his dad, A.Q. Latimer and Gene Buhler to use their welding machine to make the first metal goal posts for the field.
J.A. Smith used his old Model-T truck to haul supplies. And many men grated and surveyed the field in a “turtle-back” shape, making the Central football field one of the few that would not flood after a bad rain.
One of the star players of the first two years was Harry Breeden. Breeden recalls the team players and the men of the community putting up the light poles and assembling the wooden bleachers for the field.
Breeden was one of about nine senior players on the first team in 1947 who elected to graduate a year later in order to play an extra year of football. The Central class of 1947-48 was the last graduating class that was required to complete only 11 years of school to graduate. The next graduation was supposed to be in 1950 for the first grade that completed 12 years of school. But, fourteen of the class of 1948 were allowed to stay for an extra year of school to either get academic credits or play an extra year of football. Approximately nine of the fourteen who extended their time were the guys staying for football.
One of Breeden’s fondest memories is of the players polishing their shoes. He said each player had only one pair of football shoes for practice during the week and for game nights. Coach Jackson made all the players pass around a bottle of black “Shinola” shoe polish to shine their shoes on game day. Breeden recalls their star running back, T.D. Latimer (nicknamed “Touchdown” Latimer), would only polish the tips and heels of his shoes because he said “the opponent is only going to see me coming or going and nothing in between, so there is no point in me polishing the entire shoe.”
Football Scholarships
Breeden and Latimer both received full scholarships to LSU for football in 1949, at the end of their two years of play at Central. Norman Latimer, said J.A. Smith and T.D. were the first players from a small school like Central to receive scholarships to LSU. But tragically, T.D. did not have a chance to play for the LSU team before he died in an automobile accident in July 1949 on Florida Street.
Central’s team only played five games in its first season. For the first game, Central played Greensburg at Kentwood. Mary Rawlins Chauff, a member of the “Hep Cats,” the girls pep squad, said she remembers riding to Kentwood on a wooden bench in the middle of the bus that took a tumble with the girls at every sharp turn. She also remembers that the football field at the first game resembled a cow pasture more than a playing field. Central won this first game 6-0.
Central’s second game was played at Academy of Immaculate Conception of Opelousas on November 1 and was called the “Mud Bowl” by some. Breeden said the rain and mud were so bad that the line markers could not be seen and the players had so much mud on them that it was difficult to tell the teams apart. It was a scoreless game. The State Times and Morning Advocate said the weather was so inclement that the Opelousas homecoming half-time festivities were postponed until after the game, the Central Pep Squad and band could not go on the field and the Opelousas homecoming queen watched the game from inside a car.
Central Homecoming
The last game of the first season was Central’s homecoming game on November 21, 1947. The Wildcats played Hahnville at Central and won 26-7. The homecoming queen crown was awarded that first year to the girl who had raised the most money for the football team, not by popular vote.
Coach Jackson was the Central High School head coach for nine years, from 1947-1956. Snookie Jackson reports that he never had a losing season and she never missed a game. After coaching, Jackson continued to teach at Central High until his retirement in 1976.In November of 1987, he was in the first group of people inducted into the Central High Hall of fame. Jackson passed away in 1988 at the age of 72.
After her move to Central, Snookie Jackson completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. Having taught for many years, most recently at Tanglewood, she is now retired. She stays busy at church, volunteers at Woman’s Hospital, does her own yard work and is a blessing to many people.
A lot has changed in the Central Community in 61 years, but the spirit of volunteerism and interest in Central schools seems just as strong now as it was then.
If you have a story about Central that you would like preserved, contact Vickie Carney at the Central/Greenwell Springs Historical Society at (225) 261-8824. Carney maintains a collection of historical materials at the Central Branch Library on Joor Road.
By Elva Jo Crawford
Interviews with Snookie Jackson (Mrs. Willard Jackson, wife of Central’s first football coach), and others:
More than 60 years ago, Central high School embarked on its first season of Class B organized football. This season was the culmination of the efforts of many interested Central residents, too many to name. At that time, Central already had a strong emphasis on academics and discipline and had a dedicated group of teachers. They also had a chorus, a band, a pep squad and cheer squad, a track team and a championship basketball team. Now they were ready for some football.June Theriot recalls the tremendous excitement in the community for months after it was confirmed that there would indeed be a football team at Central High School.
Theriot worked at the family business, Eisworth’s Store. The store, which has since been torn down, was located on Greenwell Springs Road just south of the present location of A-1 Archery. Eisworth’s sold everything from feed, seed, and hardware to shoes, fabric and meat. It was typical in the 1940s for men to bring in their wives’ shopping lists for the clerk to fill. While they waited for the order, they would talk and playing checkers on the dry goods counter. Theriot said that once football was in the air, men stayed much longer than usual to discuss the new topic.
Community Effort
According to most, four men were the major organizers in the community’s effort to have a football team: Gene Buhler, C.C. Chapman, A.Q. Latimer and George Sides. They not only spearheaded the efforts to secure funding for the team, but also lead the “hands-on” effort of physically preparing a playing field.
These men stuck around once the football season began. Chapman was the announcer for many years. Buhler, Sides and Latimer worked the line markers. While there wasn’t much funding at the time, the community was almost 100 percent behind the effort and somehow things came together and moved forward. Now, the hunt for a coach was on.
Willard Jackson, of Coushatta, had been a star football player at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches (once called Louisiana Normal School for Teachers). He had also played basketball and run track. It was while at Northwestern that Jackson met his future wife, Snookie. Jackson graduated during WWII and engaged in defense work, primarily in Texas.
After the war, the Jackson’s moved back from San Antonio to Snookie’s home in southwestern Louisiana. Jackson went to work as an assistant football coach for the power house team at Jennings. The following year, he took the job as head coach at Elton, located about 20 miles from Jennings.
While at Elton, someone phoned Coach Jackson to tell him that Central was going to be starting a football program, and would be looking for a head coach. Jackson got an interview with Central’s Principal J.A. Smith and the school superintendent and got the job.
Dirt Roads
Around the second week of August, 1947, Coach Jackson came to Central to start football practice. Just before school started, Jackson brought Snookie and his young daughter Pat to Central.
Snookie remembers that there were two things Central did not have in 1947: paved roads and rent houses. Though Snookie was from the country, she wanted to find a home on a graveled road, not a dirt one. So, as Jackson drove his family up the graveled Sullivan Road and turned left onto the dirt and mud of Gurney Road, Snookie started crying.
“You promised me our house would be on graveled road,” she said. To which he replied, “Just wait, we are not there yet. Our home is going to be on Joor Road and it is graveled.”
Jim Sylvest’s parents had vacated a small home on Joor road so the Jackson’s would have a place to live. The Jackson’s lived in that home for two years. Snookie soon became a substitute teacher at Central and taught everything from first grade to high school.
J.G. “Jay” Bailey was Jackson’s Assistant Coach at Central for the first two years. When Bailey left Central to become the principal at North Highlands, Jackson recruited O.J. Williams.
The Field
Behind the scenes, many in the community worked on the physical set up of the field. Norman Latimer, brother of T.D. Latimer (a star player for the first two years) said Robinson’s car dealership, gas and service station allowed his dad, A.Q. Latimer and Gene Buhler to use their welding machine to make the first metal goal posts for the field.
J.A. Smith used his old Model-T truck to haul supplies. And many men grated and surveyed the field in a “turtle-back” shape, making the Central football field one of the few that would not flood after a bad rain.
One of the star players of the first two years was Harry Breeden. Breeden recalls the team players and the men of the community putting up the light poles and assembling the wooden bleachers for the field.
Breeden was one of about nine senior players on the first team in 1947 who elected to graduate a year later in order to play an extra year of football. The Central class of 1947-48 was the last graduating class that was required to complete only 11 years of school to graduate. The next graduation was supposed to be in 1950 for the first grade that completed 12 years of school. But, fourteen of the class of 1948 were allowed to stay for an extra year of school to either get academic credits or play an extra year of football. Approximately nine of the fourteen who extended their time were the guys staying for football.
One of Breeden’s fondest memories is of the players polishing their shoes. He said each player had only one pair of football shoes for practice during the week and for game nights. Coach Jackson made all the players pass around a bottle of black “Shinola” shoe polish to shine their shoes on game day. Breeden recalls their star running back, T.D. Latimer (nicknamed “Touchdown” Latimer), would only polish the tips and heels of his shoes because he said “the opponent is only going to see me coming or going and nothing in between, so there is no point in me polishing the entire shoe.”
Football Scholarships
Breeden and Latimer both received full scholarships to LSU for football in 1949, at the end of their two years of play at Central. Norman Latimer, said J.A. Smith and T.D. were the first players from a small school like Central to receive scholarships to LSU. But tragically, T.D. did not have a chance to play for the LSU team before he died in an automobile accident in July 1949 on Florida Street.
Central’s team only played five games in its first season. For the first game, Central played Greensburg at Kentwood. Mary Rawlins Chauff, a member of the “Hep Cats,” the girls pep squad, said she remembers riding to Kentwood on a wooden bench in the middle of the bus that took a tumble with the girls at every sharp turn. She also remembers that the football field at the first game resembled a cow pasture more than a playing field. Central won this first game 6-0.
Central’s second game was played at Academy of Immaculate Conception of Opelousas on November 1 and was called the “Mud Bowl” by some. Breeden said the rain and mud were so bad that the line markers could not be seen and the players had so much mud on them that it was difficult to tell the teams apart. It was a scoreless game. The State Times and Morning Advocate said the weather was so inclement that the Opelousas homecoming half-time festivities were postponed until after the game, the Central Pep Squad and band could not go on the field and the Opelousas homecoming queen watched the game from inside a car.
Central Homecoming
The last game of the first season was Central’s homecoming game on November 21, 1947. The Wildcats played Hahnville at Central and won 26-7. The homecoming queen crown was awarded that first year to the girl who had raised the most money for the football team, not by popular vote.
Coach Jackson was the Central High School head coach for nine years, from 1947-1956. Snookie Jackson reports that he never had a losing season and she never missed a game. After coaching, Jackson continued to teach at Central High until his retirement in 1976.In November of 1987, he was in the first group of people inducted into the Central High Hall of fame. Jackson passed away in 1988 at the age of 72.
After her move to Central, Snookie Jackson completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. Having taught for many years, most recently at Tanglewood, she is now retired. She stays busy at church, volunteers at Woman’s Hospital, does her own yard work and is a blessing to many people.
A lot has changed in the Central Community in 61 years, but the spirit of volunteerism and interest in Central schools seems just as strong now as it was then.
If you have a story about Central that you would like preserved, contact Vickie Carney at the Central/Greenwell Springs Historical Society at (225) 261-8824. Carney maintains a collection of historical materials at the Central Branch Library on Joor Road.
