Crisp County GaArchives News.....GIVE WEST POINT  August 23, 2007
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
WYLIE SHEPPARD JR WYLIESHEPPARD@YAHOO.COM October 23, 2009, 3:00 pm

CORDELE DISPATCH August 23, 2007
GIVE UP WEST POINT,YOU ARE DEFEATED   SO THE HEADLINES SAID FRIDAY EVENING 
DECEMBER 7,1951,ISSUE OF THE CORDELE DISPATCH.  THE SEED OF THE HEADLINE WAS 
PLANTED WITH AN ARTICLE WHICH APPEARED IN THE SEPT. 20,1951 ISSUE OF THE 
CORDELE DISPATCH REGARDING THE BEGINNING OF FOOTBALL SEASON FOR THE CORDELE 
HIGH SCHOOL BULLDOGS.  IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE BULLDOGS WERE ABOUT TO OPEN 
THEIR FOOTBALL SEASON AGAINEST CAIRO. IN VIEW OF THE RETURNING PLAYERS AND THE 
PREVIOUS YEARS SUCESS THE LOYALS HELD HIGH HOPES FOR AN OUTSTANDING SEASON. 
THE STARTING LINEUP WAS LISTED AS ROE DAVIS, RALPH PEELE, BILLY SASSER, JOE 
CARNES, STEVE BRASWELL, ROBERT SMITH, DON WOODARD, EMMETT WALKER, AND WALTER 
BARTEE.  AS WITH MOST TEAMS ONE CAN ASSUME THAT OTHER PLAYERS WERE STARTERS AT 
TIMES DURING THE SEASON AND THAT ALL TEAM MEMBERS PLAYED A ROLE IN THE TEAMS  
FORTUNES. IT IS WORTH NOTING THIS WAS THE ERA OF ONE PLATOON FOOTBALL WHERE 
PLAYERS PLAYED ON BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE.  THE OPENING GAME RESULTED IN THE 
FIRST OF AN UNBROKEN STRING OF VICTORIES FOR THE TEAM. THIS WAS TO MY 
KNOWLEDGE THE ONLY UNBEATEN UNTIED PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS 
IN HISTORY OF CORDELE/CRISP COUNTY. THE TEAM ROLLED UNIMPENDED OVER CAIRO AND 
ALL OTHER OPPONENTS INCLUDING JESSUP TO SET UP THEIR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP DATE 
WITH THE WEST POINT RED DEVILS.   ONE RAZOR THIN VICTORY AS THE WIN OVER SOUTH 
GA. CHAMP 7 TO 6 OVER JESSUP,WITH ROE DAVIS HOLDING AND ROBERT SMITH KICKING 
THE GAME WINNING EXTRA POINT. AFTER ALL LOCAL SUPPORTERS REMEMBERED A SIMILAR 
TRIP TO WEST POINT IN 1948 WHICH LED TO DEFEAT FOR THE BULLDOGS.BUT THIS TIME 
DEFEAT WAS NOT ON THE MINDS OF THE CORDELE FAITHFUL .OVER 500 STUDENTS AND 
FANS BOARDED 10 CHARTERED BUSES FOR THE TRIP TO WEST POINT. IN ADDITION 
HUNDREDS MORE TRAVELED IN PRIVATE AUTOMOBILES.UPON ARRIVAL AT THE WEST POINT 
STADIUM 800 COPIES OF THE DAY'S DISPATCH WERE DISTRIBUTED TO THE WEST POINT 
FANS.  BY HALF TIME A SENSE OF UNCALMNESS PERVADED THE CORDELE SUPPORTERS AS 
THE BULLDOGS TRAILED ; MANY FANS WERE FEARFUL THEY MIGHT HAVE TO EAT THE 
HEADLINES.  THE REST OF THE STORY WAS TOLD ON THE FRONT OF THE CORDELE 
DISPATCH IN THE MONDAY DEC. 10 EDITION. THE ARTICLE PROUDLY DECLARING WEST 
POINT 11 POINTS AHEAD AT HALF TIME. CO-CAPTIONS ROBERT SMITH AND BILLY SASSER 
LED A SPECTACULAR COME BACK WHICH RESULTED IN A 21-13 CORDELE VICTORY BEFORE A 
CROWD OF 4,500 AS THE BULLDOGS CAPPED THE GAME BY WINNING THE GA. STATE CLASS 
B FOOTBALL CHAMPS.  A PLAY BY PLAY DETAIL OF THE GAME FOLLOWED. A WEST POINT 
DRUGGIST SENT A LETTER TO THE DISPATCH CONGRATULATING THE BULLDOGS ON A GOOD 
CLEAN GAME WITH 25 CENTS REQUESTING A COPY OF THE DISPATCH CONTAINING A WRITE 
UP OF THE GAME. I GUESS THE DRUGGIST THOUGHT A NEWSPAPER WHICH PREDICTS 
VICTORY IN THE HEAD LINES WOULD REALLY DO A SPECIAL JOB OF REPORTING THE 
SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THE GAME. THE DISPATCH INDICATED THEY HAD SENT ENOUGH 
COPIES OF THE EDITION CONTAINING THE GAME RESULTS FOR EVERYONE IN WEST POINT 
TO READ. 

Additional Comments:
THIS IS A TRIBUTE TO YOUNG MEN WHO DID NOT KNOW QUIT,IT IS INSPIRINF TO READ 
THEIR STORY .CONGRATULATIONS ON A JOB WELL DONE. 

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