Landmark's Sports

The 1943 DeKalb County Football Team (original article)

Wildcats End Season with 57-0 Victory, by Joe Baxter Brown

Joe Baxter Brown.

Wildcats End Season with 57-0 Victory

Playing their last game of the season before a large Thanksgiving crowd, the DeKalb Wildcats won over Tyner High of Chattanooga by an overwhelming score of 57-0. A peculiar thing that happened during the game was that the Cats scored three times without running a play from scrimmage.

DeKalb County Wildcat Team of 1943

Front Row: F.L. Johnson, Gene McCurdy, Joe Benefield, Seldon Grant, David Mac Ingle, Zane Reece, Aaron Massingill, Ralph Campbell, and manager Jack (Smokey) Dobbs. Second Row: George Durham, Warren Martin, Gene Prestwood, Edwin Taylor, Archie Clayton, Dick Greenwood, Bob Chitwood, and James Burt. Back Row: Robert Bradley, Edley Houston, Roland Womack, Bob Thacker, Raymond Howell, Vernon Reece, Bernard Scott, and Wallace Burnett.

The season has been a successful one for DeKalb, having a perfect record except for a tie with Emma Sansom. The Cats have improved tremendously since the start of the season and I think that Coach Johnson should be given a vote of thanks for his splendid work with the team.

When the season started many of our citizens thought that DeKalb wouldn't have much of a team. The team started out with two starters from the team before, Burt and Martin. Martin played guard last year and was shifted to quarterback this year.

In the Thanksgiving game the Cats led in first down 15 to 4 and outplayed Tyner the entire game. Chitwood led the team in scoring, accounting for four of the nine touchdowns. Prestwood scored two and the others were made by Clayton, Burt and Martin.

DeKalb kicked to Hicks on the 10, where he was hit. After failing to gain Broyles kicked to Chitwood on the 35 where he received it and went for a touchdown. Womack kicked the point, making the score 7-0.

Womack kicked to Davis on the 15 when he carried it to the 25. The Hilltoppers attempted a kick and Womack blocked it by sending the ball rolling back down the field. Burt led the parade of players down the field and scooped the ball up on the 5 and went over for the touchdown. Womack again kicked the point, making the score 14-0.

Greenwood kicked to the 20, carried to the 30 by Varnell. Martin intercepted a Tyner pass on the 40 and went 40 yards for the third touchdown. Thacker missed the point. DeKalb 20; Tyner 0.

Greenwood kicked to the 10 when Davis carried it to the 27. Womack and Burnett stopped Davis after a 5 yard gain. Davis gained 5 more and made a first down. Broyle's kick was again blocked by DeKalb and they took the ball over the 12. Prestwood went for 5 and Chitwood carried it the remaining 7 on the next play for the fourth touchdown. Prestwood's attempt for the point was no good, making the score 26-0.

Hamby received the kick on the 40 and carried it to the 50. On the last play of the first quarter Davis passed to Hamby down to the DeKalb 15. The DeKalb line held and they took the ball over. Clayton made a first down but the Cats couldn't gain further and Chitwood kicked to Davis on the 50 when he took it to the 34. Tyner failed to gain and DeKalb took the ball over. Prestwood ran and passed for 3 first downs, taking the ball to the 13 yard-line. On the next play, Chitwood went over for the score. Prestwood missed the kick. DeKalb 32; Tyner 0.

Womack's kick was brought back 15 yards to the 33 by Davis. Hicks ran and passed Tyner for a first down before the half ended.

As the second half started Prestwood carried Broyles' kickoff 22 yards to the DeKalb 42. Clayton and Prestwood made two quick first downs carrying the ball to the 36. On the next play Chitwood took the ball and went 36 yards to score. Thacker's attempt for the point was good. DeKalb 39; Tyner 0.

Varnell took the kickoff 14 yards to the 34. DeKalb took the ball over and carried it to the 11 yard-line. Prestwood took the ball on the next play and scored. Womack missed the point. DeKalb 45; Tyner 0.

Varnell took Prestwood's kick to the 38. The Hilltoppers couldn't gain and Broyles kicked to Chitwood at the 35 where he carried it to the 45. Prestwood made 12 for a first down. Clayton and Martin made two more first downs, carrying the ball to the 2 yard-line. Clayton plunged over for the score, making it 51-0. Martin's kick was no good.

Martin's kick was brought back 15 yards to the 35. Clayton intercepted Hick's pass on the 25 and ran to the 44. Clayton and Martin made a quick first down. After Chitwood ran 18 yards in two attempts and Tyner was penalized 15 yards for holding, the ball was on the 3 yard-line. Prestwood took the ball on the next play and went over for the last touchdown of the game. Thacker's kick was no good. DeKalb 57; Tyner 0.

After taking the kickoff Tyner passed and Chitwood intercepted on the Tyner 43. DeKalb was carrying the ball toward pay dirt when the game ended.

I've had a request from Pvt. Warren G. Thurman of Camp Lee, Va. to publish the Wildcats' record for the season. Here it is:

Lineup: LE, V. Reece; LT, Burt; LG, D. Greenwood, C.R. Womack;RG, E. Taylor; RT, B. Scott; RE, B. Thacker; QB, W. martin; LH, B. Chitwood; RH, A.B. Clayton; and FB, G. Prestwood.

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