Gameday Newspaper Headlines: More Memories of Central High’s 1966 Football State Championship

By Elva Jo Crawford
    Photo:  Darryl O'Neal today holding the game day December 16, 1966 headlines from the Morning Advocate, published 50 years ago, "High Flying 'Cats Seek Crown".  The photo features himself, a sophomore at the time(in the middle), and two other players: Senior, Larry Prather (to left) who was starting defensive middle line-backer; and junior, Paul Potts (to the right), who was starting offensive Center.
    The article breaks down the records of the Central HIgh and Jesuit of Shreveport teams up to that game night and projects a very close game to come that evening.
    The senior in the photo, Larry Prather, says he was playing varsity football in the fall of 1966 for the first time; and, was one of 10 other seniors of the 19 on the team who were also playing varsity football for the first time.  Even though he had played football in the 9th grade, he had to sit out the 10th and 11th grades due to a hunting accident in which he was shot in the leg.  The hunting accident happened when he and two friends were bird hunting for woodcock in the woods behind his parents' home.  Larry was walking in front of the two friends to flush the birds.  When the birds flushed, one of the guns misfired and he was shot in the calf of the left leg.  Larry started running back to the house; but, only made it about half way.  His friends ran the rest of the way to get his dad, Mr. R.K. Prather.  Mr. R.K. jumped in his truck and drove back into the pasture to get Larry, actually plowing through the pasture gate with his truck to get there.  They transferred Larry to the family car and drove him to the hospital.  Even though Larry says he made a complete recovery, he spent 29 days in the hospital for surgeries and skin grafts; then, spent 6 weeks in a wheelchair before progressing to crutches.  The fact that he was ever able to play football again falls into the "miraculous" category.  When he did get back to playing football, he had to wear a protective leg piece to cover the scar.  The leg piece was crafted by one of his dad's co-workers at Copolymer Corportion from stainless steel with a padding over it to fit perfectly over that scar.  Since it was not a piece of standard football equipment, it had to be inspected by one of the referees prior to the start of every game.
    Larry was actually recruited for the varsity football team from the band, as were several of the other players.  He says Coach Smith and the band director at the time, Mr. Edmund Winston, worked together to accomodate students so that they could participate in both the band as well as football during the school year.  These two faculty members were very serious educators as well as friends. The players who were recruited from the band would continue to practice as usual in the fall and spring with the band; but, they could not perform, of course, at the football games. However, these students marched in the Baton Rouge Christmas Parade, performed Christmas concerts and were able to perform with the band at the spring concerts and etc.  They would get their Physical Education credit requirements by being at football practice after school.  Larry played alto saxophone 5th grade through the 10 grade and played the baritone saxophone and bassoon in the 11th and 12th grades. His mother, Dora, was a school bus driver and she also served as a driver for the band during football season—-she never missed a trip.  She drove for the championship game to Shreveport and his father R.K. was there as well.
    There were three team captains for the State Championship game that went to mid-field for the coin toss that night.  Larry was the Defensive Team Captain for that game.  As far as the actual championship game, Larry says his biggest memory of the game was that he got a concussion.  He says he was hit and got a terrible headache and was confused and disoriented to the point that he could not walk off the field—-someone had to lead him off the field.  But, unlike what would happen today, as soon as he came around and got his bearings again, he was sent back out to play.  He also remembers throwing up all of the way home on the plane.  The fact that they were flying in a thunderstorm at least half the way home and the plane was shaking didn't help any.  He was taken to the doctor the next day after getting home and says after two days the headache went away and he has had no problems since.  But, he says that was his last football game.  After graduation from high school he attended college at Louisiana Tech; but, did not play football there.  He met his wife, Ellen, at Tech.  She was from Ouachita Parish , so they have live up there in that part of the state since getting married. They have two grown daughters and reside in Calhoun, Louisiana.  (Larry says he has not seen the movie "Concussion".) 
    Paul Potts, the junior in the photo, was the brother of another player on the team, a senior, Billy Potts.  There were four sons in the immediate family of Mr. and Mrs. Monroe Potts.  Besides Paul and Billy who were on the 1966 team, there was the oldest son, Kenneth, who had played for Central in prior years; but, who had already graduated.  And, there was a much younger brother, Tommy.  Mr. Monroe Potts was president of the Booster Club and was instrumental in arranging the airplane rides for the team to Shreveport.  Billy says his dad had been in real estate at the time and  had had dealings with the aviation company "Hair Flying Services", which eventually worked out the trip for the team to fly and was considered a "God send".  People in the community are still amazed and still look back in awe at that airplane trip by the Central team to Shreveport.  It still seems like the things dreams are made of, particularly, happening so many years ago.  It was considered an almost incredible feat in and of itself.  It was the absolute icing on the cake for the whole state championship experience that year. 
    In addition to the two Potts brothers on the team, there was also a Potts first cousin on the team,  Warren Potts.  (Their dads were brothers.)  Reflecting on the airplane ride to the Shreveport, Warren says he, like most of the team members, was making an airplane trip for the first time.  But, he says on this ride there were no frills.  No flight attendants.  He says the boarding of the plane was very organized and all the seating pre-arranged—-everyone knew where they would be sitting.  The pilots were the ones to come into the cabin and give directions about putting on seat belts and etc. and give directions to the "Head".  He remembers one of the players asking, "What is the 'Head'?".  Everyone laughed when the pilot told them that the "Head" was the bathroom.  Warren says one of the things that he had been looking forward to doing during that airplane ride was to look out of the windows and see all the sites below from the air.  But, that Friday was a very cloudy day and once the plane got above the clouds, all one could see was more clouds. The return trip was at night in the dark.
That evening the football game turned out to be a very hard-earned 7-0 victory for the Wildcats.  Billy Potts kicked the extra point that night after a touchdown by Marshall Bernard in the first quarter of the game.  Both Billy and Marshall are quick to remind everyone that getting those points on the board was a true team effort. Billy says that there was a lot of cohesion on the team.  He says that they knew each other's abilities very well and had just "jelled" as a group.  Many have also said that they had practiced so much together and knew each other's weaknesses as well as each other's strengths and knew how to adjust their plays accordingly.
    Billy Potts was awarded All-State honors that year and received "Best Offensive Lineman" of the year for the Central team.  He and two other senior team members, Clem Kaiser and Gordon Craig, went on to play college football at McNeese.  Billy says he was injured in his first year of college, and was unable to continue.  
    Today, Billy says that his brother Paul is in Tennessee, where he has lived and worked for about 25 years.  Billy is now retired and lives next door to his older brother Kenneth in Lake Charles; and says he has fallen in love with Lake Charles.
    For Darryl O'Neal, the sophomore in the photo, and one of the younger players, he says his memories of the state championship season that stand out most to him, now, revolve around of the support that the community and the Central Booster Club members gave to the team.  He says that at every turn, whatever the team members needed it would get taken care of ….whether meals or a place to stay or transportation.  It did not go unnoticed by any of the players that getting air travel for the entire team to the Shreveport game was over the top.  The entire team well-knew that getting to travel by plane was nothing short of extraordinary.  “Not a one of the players took that plane ride for granted.  The efforts of the coaches, Mr. Potts, and the community did not go unnoticed by them.”  He also says that as one of the younger players on the team, he considered the upper classmen on the team to not only be great athletes, but, great individuals that he could look up to.  And, as all of the team members have echoed, he considered the victories on the field were always a "team" effort.
    Today, Darryl is retired from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office after 32 years of service.  He and his wife, Jannel, also retired, live at their camp at Belle River in Pierre Part.  They have one grown son and two grandchildren.  This December they will have been married for 45 years. (Darryl and Jannel met on a blind date set up by a co-worker of hers who was dating another guy from Central who had also been on Central's state championship team.)
    If you would like to share a memory in this historical series that will be running in issues through October 28, please let us know at Central Speaks.
    East Baton Rouge Parish Library's "Digital Library" has all the Baton Rouge Newspapers online, dating back as far as 1909.  These records can be accessed from your home computer with a valid library card or at any local branch of the EBRP Public Library by choosing "Digital Library", then "Most Popular", then "Advocate Historical Archive/Louisiana Newspapers".