From left: Tad Bailey, Dennis Lilly, and Ralph Corry
May 20, 2024 - The Timpson Area Genealogical and Heritage Society took the opportunity to survey the history of Timpson football from the lofty height of a State Championship at their monthly meeting last Wednesday. Timpson High School alumni and former Bear football players Ralph Corry and Dennis Lilly recalled the peaks and valleys of the century-long quest that finally led to a Texas State 2A-1 Football Championship this season for TAGHS members and guests, which included Coach Kerry Therwanger, whose team brought home the trophy.
“Timpson fielded their first high school football team in 1920,” began Corry, a member of the THS Class of 1966, a former Bear football player, and creator of Timpson66.com website. “They were known as the Timpson Tigers at first, but changed their name to the Timpson Bears in 1922, probably because Tenaha was already called the Tigers. The team was organized and coached by Coach Crim and they played three games, two against Henderson and one against Longview. Timpson lost all three games, failing to score in any of the contests. Timpson had no uniforms, wearing overalls and that day's school clothes. There was no football field so the games were played in Dan Bussey's cow pasture beside the school. Timpson did not win a game until 1922 when they beat San Augustine. However, San Augustine disputed the game, claiming Timpson had some over-age players. Timpson's first undisputed victory didn't come until 1926, when the Bears beat Tenaha 19-0,” Corry said.
1932 Timpson Bears
“By the 1930s Timpson's football program had improved. They had a record of 51-34-6 during that decade, including a victory over Lufkin in 1930. The Bears' first district championship came the next year and again in 1934. They were defeated by Mineola in the bi-district game that year and would not play a bi-district game again until 1958. Notable Bear players in the 1930s were Kavanaugh Frincis, “Bo” Griffin, and Sherrill Bailey, all of whom went on to play major college football. The 1940s were the war years and gasoline rationing curtailed long trips to play football games, so what games were played were against other local schools,” Corry continued. “Anyone who knows much about East Texas high school football is familiar with the Timpson-Garrison rivalry and the Battle of the Attoyac. But Garrison didn't have a football team then and Timpson's chief rival was the Center Roughriders. They played twice a year, with one game being played on Memorial Day. 1948 was the last year Timpson played Lufkin or Nacogdoches.”
“Timpson's record in the 1950s was 45-50-3, winning the District Championship in 1958. Timpson was not scored against for the first for games that year but they lost to Leverett's Chapel in Bi-District. Timpson's head coach in the late 50s and early 60s was Preston White, assisted by Kenneth Parmley. The 1960s were good years for Timpson football. James Lowell Bogue became head coach in 1963, followed by Doug Stewart, whose Bear teams won District in 1967 and '68 but could not win Bi-District. That all changed in the 1970s and Dennis Lilly, who was twice named to the All-State Team is going to tell us how they did it!” said Corry by way of introduction.
“I want to thank you for that introduction and for being invited to speak today but I also want to thank you for all the years of work you have put into documenting the history of Timpson football, Ralph. The amount of research and information contained on your Timpson66 website is just amazing,” began Lilly, a Class of 1976 alumnus. “When I was a boy in elementary school, I would go the the high school football games and at half-time my friends and I would make a football out of paper cups and play under the bleachers. When the game started I watched people like Donnie Ray Smith, Wallace Yarbrough, Mack Sanford, Mike Green, Lee McIntire, Barry Horton, and Louie Bushiey play. They were my heroes. I wanted to be like them! I was number 17 when played because Gary Williams had worn number 17 when he played. My older brother David was playing in the early 1970s so we made all the games,”
“While I'm mentioning people, I must not forget our coaches when I played in the 1970s. Tommy Wagner, Ray Mena, Bobby Rhodes, and Billy Ray Magness were father figures, big brother figures, and they loved their kids. Coach Therwanger, I know you can relate to that, because for your teams to do what they did, they were playing for each other. The 70s were good years for the Bears. They won District in 1971 but lost to White Oak in Bi-District. Timpson was a good as anybody at that time but they just didn't have the speed necessary to beat White Oak, That had changed by 1973. Timpson won the State Track Meet that year and we had speed glore. I still believe that Charles Greer was the fastest athlete to ever play for Timpson and he was on those great football teams,” Lilly said. “Another great football player and person I have to mention is Edward Yarbrough. Edward was the Valedictorian of our class but talk about tough! His shoulders would pop out of joint when he hit the other player so they made a special harness for him that held his shoulders and upper arms in place. He could only extend his arms from the elbows so we called him 'The Praying Mantis'. These accomplishment were in spite of the tragic death of All-District player Mike Choate from a heart attack at school.”
“1974 was the first year Timpson got past Bi-District in football. Even though Charles Greer had graduated, we still had a lot a speed. We were small but we were fast. The third game of the season we played Arp. As we got off the bus, the Arp players were standing there watching us and asked 'Hey, when is the varsity squad going to get here?' But by the fourth quarter of that game, we were telling the Arp players what play we were going to run at the line of scrimmage and they still couldn't stop us.
Later that year in the Shelbyville game, our quarterback, Donald Bogue, broke his leg and was out for the rest of the season. He was a great athlete and I will believe to the die I die that we could have won State if we had not lost him,” Lilly revealed. “In spite of that setback, we won District and beat Waskom in Bi-District. After the game, Coach Billy Ray Magness ran into the dressing romm and shouted 'We made history! We made history!'. We asked what we had done and he replied 'No Timpson football team has ever won a Bi-District game!' That really boosted our confidence and we said 'If we can do that, what else can we do?' Our next game was against Groveton. I soon will be 66 years old and that game was the coldest I have ever been in my life. It had been a pretty day but about two hours before game time a cold front blew in with rain and sleet and the wind was blowing about twenty-five miles an hours the whole game. We were down one point near the end of the game and on their one yard line. The play called for me to hand the ball off to Joe Mack Johnson but I had decided to keep it myself and make an end run. At the last moment I couldn't do it and Groveton stuffed Joe Mack for a loss. I still believe I could have scored if I had kept the ball.”
“The 1975 season was my Senior year and we had lost most of our fastest teammates. In spite of that, we rolled through District and were playing Tatum in the playoffs. We won 25 to 7, and were slated to play Groveton again. We had revenge on our minds but they didn't care. They were just a better team and beat us 26-8. That was the end of my football career. Timpson continued to do well but couldn't advance out of District because in those days only the District Champions made the playoffs. I believe that some of those teams would have done well in the playoff under the current system.” Lilly said. “One player from the late 70s I want to mention is Andrew McClendon. I don't think he go the credit he was due. He wasn't big but he was tough and could get the yards you needed. Timpson continued to do well in the 1980s under Coach Joe Lloyd but by the late 80s the program had begun to decline. In 1989 the Bears failed to win a game, but I want to say something about the players on the teams with losing records. They left it all on the field just like the winning teams did and they did it for the honor of representing Timpson. There were some great athletes on those teams.”
“I'm so glad you're here today, Coach Therwanger, because what you have done over the last four years was something to behold. What you did this year was amazingI You lost three potential Division I players off your team, but younger players like Kimbro, Johnson, and Nickleberry stepped up an played championship level football. I have to admit, I was worried!” “I was worried, too!” replied Coach Therwanger from the back of the room with a smile. “The character and commitment and determination of your players is what carried them through and that comes from coaching. I have never felt more pride in my life than watching the Bears and their fans at AT&T Stadium. We had heard that Tolar was huge and Timpson wouldn't be able to handle them but you played Timpson's game, not Tolar's. You took advantage of their weaknesses and it was amazing! We beat them 49-7! Terry Bussey is a generational athlete but I'm not sure that the 2023 Bears aren't a generational team!” In concluding, Lilly said “Speaking for every name I've mentioned today, I want to thank you for the joy you and your staff and players brought to our town!” which brought a roaring response from the audience.
The Timpson Area Genealogical Society meets at 2PM on the third Wednesday of each month in the meeting room of the Timpson Public Library on the corner of Austin and Bremond Streets in downtown Timpson. The TAGHS library is located within the Timpson Public Library and is open and staffed from 9AM until 5PM weekdays. Telephone 936-254-2966 and ask for the Genealogical Library.
