79 Football State Championship

From 6-25-14

I want to thank all the friends that encouraged me to continue telling the stories that so many of you helped to create. I realize I'm in the middle of winter in my life, so if I'm going to tell some of the deep secrets, I had better hurry. I coached football for 19 years, but we never had another team like the '79 season produced. We had a great coaching staff. Coach Jay Milligan loved our George Walton Academy youngsters like they were his own, and they loved him back. I'll have to tell about him on another day, I couldn't do him justice here. Our defensive co-ordinator was Coach Dick Lingner, whose day job was as a captain with a major air line. Coach B.C.Crowell was our chief scout and with his lifetime experience, was invaluable. Longtime friend Judson Caldwell had been a trainer on every level, and he helped keep our guys taped together. We knew we had a lot of talent returning with linebacker Don Holder who averaged 15.7 tackles and nose tackle, Bob Bradley who averaged 13 tackles, heading up the defense, and Art Williams running the offense.when I think back to some of those names on that team it makes me want to get my whistle out again. We had outstanding running backs in Kent Duncan, Michael Toms, and UGA's great back, gliding Glen Harrison's brother, Stan. Williams' favorite target was leading receiver, Bill Bradley. Some of the other prominent players were Larry Sheridan, Buddy Hearn, Ben Doster, Rob Dally, Brad Snipes, Skipper Seabolt, and of course Kyle Chandler the future movie star, and several others.About the 6th game of the season we gained a measure of revenge by beating a strong Gatewood team 16 to 6. This was a win that got us ready to go to Thomson to play the Bucaneers, who had kicked us like a rag doll the year before. QB Art Williams' dad provided us with shirts that had 0-31 WE WANT YOU." On Thursday Jan and I returned home late to a sickening sight, both of our twin sons had a bald head. We were told that Coach Milligan had stayed late and sheared most of the team. One of the Briarwood players said,"when they took those helmets off, and we saw those bald heads we knew we were in trouble." And they were as GWA won 28-6, and Art Williams never sang the " rooster song" better than he did that night. In the state semi-finals we were down 21 to 14, late in the game when future NCState signee, Don Holder, blocked a punt around the 18 yard line. After scoring from the one yard line we had to hold our breath on a Williams' to Bill Bradley 2 point pass that sent us to the state finals. The temperature played a major role as the Wesrbrook team rolled in and it was a chilly 18 degrees. The Cougars coach had called and asked if they needed to bring coats as he was in shorts. I told him I was in shorts, as usual, and not to worry about the weather. Prior to the game when these big studs strutted around the gym shirtless, we tried to keep our players from seeing them. Just before the team headed out for warm-up the tempo was set when Coach Milligan took off high heavy coat, and written on it was, I GAVE MY HAIR BECAUSE I CARE, he then ripped off his toboggan and showed his bald head. I think the stage was set early when the Cougars isolated their outstanding running back on this Holder boy they had heard about. After the collision, the future FSU running back suffered a broken jaw. Good competitors don't quit, so they wrapped up his jaw and early in the second half with the GWA clinging to a 7-6 lead, the star running-back headed to LB Don Holder again. This time a broken hand ended the game for the star running-back and his teammates. Our other coaches had to let the players shear them after a 12-7 win and a state championship. Bob later coached with the Westbrook mentor and heard several versions about the big victory meal their fans had planned at a nice restaurant. They did go ahead and give their coach the new red Corvette which they had parked outside the restaurant.