Wednesday, June 18, 1997

Goldthwaite players entering second childhood

By Bill Hart / Abilene Reporter-News

Some of them are in their 20s, but already some former Goldthwaite football players are entering their second childhood.

One is in his 50s and should know better. Another is a coach. Some of the ex-athletes are anxious to find out if he's as good a defensive player as he is defensive coach.

At least 50 former Eagles have signed up to play in a football game - a full pads, tackle football game - in Goldthwaite on Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m., pitting the graduates of even years against those of odd years. Proceeds will go toward work on the Goldthwaite football field (rebuilding the crown, adding a sprinkler system and re-doing the grass).

Dennis Auldridge, who now lives in Texarkana, and Cody Graves, who works in Brownwood, are the guys behind the game. They may be the ones who will have to furnish the linament the next morning to get rid of the soreness.

Although most of the players will be from the 1980s and the 1990s, Gene Auldridge, who formerly coached and graduated in the "dark ages" compared to some, has signed up as punter and field goal kicker. He claims he can boot one from 40 yards, although no one has seen the age 50-plus businessman practice. Graves wonders if he can get his leg high enough to kick.

Goldthwaite coach Tim Spradley is going to play, and Graves already has designed a running play at him. Tim's from the 1970s as is Jett Johnson, who is not what his first name implies.

Jeff Head, who quarterbacked the Eagles to the Class A state championhip in 1985, is going to play along with teammates lineman Kip Thompson and possibly running back Scotty Miller, if he can take off time from his busy rodeo schedule.

Heath Nuckolls, Jory Sutherland, Bryan Jernigan, Adam Young, Chris Conradt and Adam Young - all members of the 1993 and '94 state championship teams - have been talked into playing. Craig Auldridge, who quarterbacked Goldthwaite to the 1992 state championship game, claims he still has it.

Four ex-Eagles have been banned from the game because they're playing college football, but they're still going to be involved. Quarterback Keith Cockrum (now at Texas Tech), Andy Beard (Rice), Ryan Seward (Tarleton State) and Kent Shillings (Midwestern State) will be on the "coaching" staff along with current assistant Kevin Burns.

"There's been a lot of talk in town about the game and we're getting excited about it," Graves said. "Some say that they want to see if old so-and-so can still play, but they also hope no one gets hurt.

"We started talking it about two months ago, and we're hoping to get more players."

The plan is to have at least 25 players on each team - and hopefully more. The game will be played in four eight-minute quarters, but Graves' idea of a four-hour halftime break got shot down.

Goldthwaite head coach Gary Proffitt is taking care of the officials, and he's helping complete the roster, but he's not playing.

"I can't, I'm not a Goldthwaite graduate," he said.

This may be one time he's glad he went to school in Ballinger.