School Story:
I'm not gonna tell the story I told at the last reunion. THAT was a classic. Instead, I'll recollect two stories for you: (1) Donald Barnett and I were close friends in those days, and in retrospect, we were a couple of arrogant pigs. We competed against each other, not only on the track, but otherwise. I recall that we perceived ourselves to be a couple of clothes-horses. I had this disco thing going on, a fact of which I am now thoroughly embarrassed. Don and I proposed to a science class that we were going to have the class vote on which one of us was "The Best Dressed Man". I wore my favorite disco shirt. We stood in front of the class and modeled. What a couple of idiots! The teacher had us step outside while the vote was taken. When we came back in, a tie was declared: we were both LOSERS! I accused Barnett of cheating for wearing a jacket. Our mighty egos were bruised! (2) I appreciated my friend, Mike Smith, because he was always trying to fix me up with a date. Mike got a car, a Chevy Malibu, I believe. On Fridays, I would ride with Mike to out of town basketball games. We were at Benton in '79 when our group "called the Hogs" as a sign of disrespect for the Benton girls drill team. We "witnessed" a fight afterward: I think Hilton Sparks kicked some Benton guy's hiney! Those of us on the football team got a lecture from Coach Yotter the following Saturday morning. When Mike and I were returning from a game in Hot Springs, he thought it a good idea to race a couple of juniors back to LR. I told him to be careful, but ol' Mike decided to pass on the shoulder. The next thing we knew, we were airborne, flying across the median. Thank goodness for the barrels guarding the overpass pillars near the Alcoa exit or we would have been dead. Mike looks at me and says, "Are you alright?" I hesitated and then said, "Yeah, I'm alright........YOU CRAZY SON OF A B****!" When the guys we were racing doubled back to see if we were okay, Mike said, "Tell our girlfriends that were okay......" (I didn't even have a girlfriend.) We limped that new car, Mike's pride & joy, back to LR. It was an awful mess. Everytime I run into Mike now, I introduce him as "The Guy That Tried To Kill Me In 1979."
Other recollections:
* Randy Lynch "borrowed" inflatable toys from the Bonanza after a pregame meal; when the Bonanza Mgr. called Coach Yotter, it was "suggested" that Randy return the toys. (I actually think Coach Yotter thought it was funny, and it was.)
* Don Barnett's "Midnight Cruiser" (Toyota Jeep) and his addiction to Steely Dan.
* Homecoming Dance '78 with Theresa Yazza('80) and the debut of the Disco King!
* WIND SPRINTS!, sponsored by Coach Yotter.
* Hilton Sparks rushing onto the field at Sylvan Hills to join a fight. (He's the toughest smart guy I've ever known.)
* Mike McClurkan, Rusty Sullivan, and Hilton Sparks, battling it out for the highest grade pt.
* Jimmy McDaniel, dazed and confused on the sideline. (I don't know if he got hit in the head or if he was just in his USUAL state of confusion!)
* The Mills HS failed attempt to bombard a pep rally with green & gold ping pong balls (some say it was marshmellows) from a crop duster. (Those morons missed the football field and dump 'em in the Safeway parking lot!)
* Waiting patiently in Jana Lowry's disco room while she caked on the eye make up.
* An atrocious lime green tuxedo for prom!
* My dad's attendance at every football game & track meet. (He passed on 11/21/08: I love & miss ya, pal!)
* Mrs. Morrison's English class: a lot of good lookin' babes were in there!
* Track meets at Sylvan Hills: I think every girl that went to school there was a blonde!
* A terrific MHS band, pep squad, and "Arkansas' Drill Team of Distinction!"
* Basketball games "starring" Chris "White Boy" Lowe. (Short shorts & high socks: ugh!)
* Tammy Harvey, flying, literally, across the gym floor to cut a board in half with her foot!
* A double date to see Boston in PB: the next week, my date was riding around Geyer Springs with the OTHER guy! (Sheila, I promise not to mention your name....oops!)
* Lisa Sparks: "My Black Girlfriend"!
* Greg Jefferson: "my brutha from another mother". (You were always good to my dad, pal, and I appreciate it.)
* Thank you Don Barnett, Mike Smith, and Jana Lowry: you always tried to fix me up with any girl willing to listen....you always failed, but you tried!
* A Saturday morning football film secession after the Benton game: we laughed heartily as Coach Yotter kept rewinding and running the film, showing Tommy Richard, running and jumping along the sideline in his neck collar.
* Steve "Lady Killer" Fox: MHS' David Bazzell before anyone ever heard of David Bazzell.
* Cutting up in Mr. Halsell's Drafting class with Mike Gross, Monte Tatum, and a cast of characters.
* Bill Wood's Chemistry class: Remember the foreign guy that transfered in late? The only English words he could speak (when we were mixing chemicals) were, "No reaction!"
* Bill Wood's Physics class: great road trip to the Huntsville, Alabama space center. We played cards with the bus driver and Mr. Wood took us to see, "The Deer Hunter."
* The Crockett sisters!
* Dave Taylor putting his clod-hopper feet into the talcum powder box and tracking powder all over the locker room.
* Winning the Lion Relays 800 meters/running the mile relay/a lot of late night running from my house, through Allendale, and back.
* Hilton Sparks' car, parked next to the bridge, flooded up to the windows.
* "Two-a-days" preseason football practice: Getting to the fieldhouse before the sun came up; going home after the morning practice exhausted; my wonderful mother would wash my uniform everyday between practices while I slept on the couch; when I got back for afternoon practice, I smelled good and looked good.....The rest of you guys stunk up the place!
* Seniors nominating girls for Homecoming Court then having to give an embarrassing "campaign speech" about them.
"Sounds of Now"..."Shake your body down to the ground"!
