SPORTS
NFL Re-watch series; Super Bowl X
While it would be easy to recommend watching the Dallas Cowboy’s next Super Bowl win in which they demolished the Denver Broncos in 1978, that would skip one of the most memorable Super Bowls and the beginning of the rivalry of the decade.
Despite losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-17 in 1976 in Super Bowl X, the game was the start of a rivalry between the two franchises that defined the 1970s in the NFL. While the blue-collar Steelers would win four Super Bowls during the decade, with two coming against Dallas, it was the Cowboy’s who were christened America’s team as their fans would fill opposing team’s stadiums.
It was a showdown of contrasting styles and perceived team cultures. The Steelers represented the gritty style of football, with its talented defense nicknamed the Steel Curtain and its offense mostly still predicated on running the football despite Hall of Fame talent at quarterback and receivers. They had just won the franchises first championship in its 42-year team history the previous year in Super Bowl IX. The franchise had 10 future Hall of Fame players on its rosters that were all either or young or in their prime in 1975.
Dallas was coming off its only season of the decade it missed the playoffs in 1974. Gone were most of the 1960s franchise stalwarts to retirement. The team had a great draft before the season to replace some of the talent, drafting five future Pro Bowl players and one Hall of Fame player in Randy White with the second pick.
Another change came with infusing the shotgun formation on offense to give quarterback Roger Staubach room to operate behind a young offensive line. While the Cowboys were not the first football team to use the formation that dated back to the 1930s, they were the first NFL team to regularly use and popularize the formation.
The Cowboy’s famous Hail Mary play to beat the Minnesota Vikings in the division round of the playoffs that year was thanks in large part to the shotgun formation. It gave Staubach the time to launch the pass to Drew Pearson for the winning touchdown.
That along with the revolutionary way the team used computers to help scout players in the draft combined with Staubach’s clean cut image as the face of the franchise, Dallas was perceived by opposing fans as this high tech team that relied on finesse and gimmicks to beat teams.
The game was played in Miami’s Orange Bowl. All-time announcer Pat Summerall was again on the CBS broadcast, only this time it would be his first Super Bowl in the play-by-play announcer role, the position he would go on to be most known. He was paired with Tom Brookshier.
In just four years since the previous game I watched last week, Super Bowl VI, the broadcast has become much more watchable. Graphics are still used minimally, but with every commercial break showing the score, it was easy to keep track of the score. If you want to re-watch the game, you can on the NFL’s official Youtube page. Just type in both team’s names in the search bar. What is your favorite Super Bowl memory?
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
With the baseball and softball seasons over for the area 1A schools, district awards have been released.
Listed below are those earned honors on the field and in the classroom for Saint Jo and Bellevue.
Softball
Saint Jo
Honorable mention
Utility player: Taylor Patrick; Catcher: Jordyn O’Neal
Baseball
Superlatives
Offensive MVP: Devin Stewart, Saint Jo
Newcomer of the Year: Bryce Ramsey, Bellevue
Pitcher: Trent Gaston, Saint Jo
Outfielder: Jayden Curry, Saint Jo
Second team
Pitcher: Charlie Barclay, Saint Jo
Infielder: Brycen Bancroft, Bellevue; Sam Martin, Saint Jo
Outfielder: Rylan Forrester, Saint Jo
Catcher: Charlie Evans, Saint Jo
Utility: Logan Hoover, Saint Jo
DH: Amzy Barclay, Saint Jo
Honorable mention
Cody Gaston, Saint Jo; Xander Joyner, Saint Jo
To see academic awards from Saint Jo players, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
Eldon Van Hooser is leaving Forestburg better than he found it.
The head boy’s basketball coach is retiring after more than 30 years, spending the last five at Forestburg.
Van Hooser did not come to this decision because of a lack of fire or feeling tired after decades in the profession. He had to for family reasons.
“My wife has MS (multiple sclerosis) and it’s a disease where you have trouble standing and walking and she needs help,” Van Hooser said. “I am able to so I am going to step away from teaching and coaching to be there for her.”
Van Hooser was hired in 2019. Along with being the boy’s basketball coach, he also was the football team’s defensive coordinator.
There were some lean years for Forestburg on the boy’s athletic side, with numbers being low and the available athletes being mostly underclassmen.
For two years, the Longhorns’ boy’s basketball team won few games and one of those seasons saw the team field five players on the high school team.
“One of those years we had COVID-19 and the other we had five kids,” Van Hooser said. “It was very rough. After that we worked with the kids and we had a good freshman group coming up. Next year they are going to be seniors.”
That group has helped to turn the program around. Last year the young Longhorns team contested for a playoff spot and just barely missed it finishing fifth in the district.
This season, that same group took a leap and finished second in district with a record of 7-5.
Despite losing its last two regular season games in dramatic fashion heading into the playoffs, the team stepped up in the bi-district game.
Playing against an athletic Newcastle team, Forestburg led for most of the game.
Unfortunately, the previous game against Bellevue saw the Longhorn team blow the lead late in the fourth quarter against a hard pressing style team and they were suffering the same fate against the Bobcats down the stretch.
Fortunately, Forestburg held on just enough to win 53-46. It was the first boy’s basketball playoff win in nine years for Forestburg.
“It was huge for our program,” Van Hooser said. “This new year we will have new goals. The new coach will have some goals of his own, but I set some for the team and think that we have come a long way.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
The Bowie sports banquets was on Monday night. Olivia Gill and Tucker Jones were named Jackrabbit and Lady Rabbit of the year. Pick up the mid-week paper for all of the sports team awards and pictures.
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