Summary description of 1909 to 1958 era items.

FIRST 50 YEARS (1909-1958) PLAYERS, GAMES and TEAMS
(Note: the number in parentheses indicates the number of votes received. For players and coaches I have listed all who received 25 or more votes)
QUARTERBACK
     Otho Long (45) is the only Tiger QB ever named to a 1st team All-State squad. He earned that honor as a sophomore in 1919 when the Tigers posted an 8-0-0 record, scored 220 pts., and were declared state champions. Long was also the starting QB for the 1920 and 1921 Tiger squads.
     Gabe Durham (30) was a three-year starter for the Tigers between 1926 and 1928. He ran for 11 touchdowns in 1928 and his 66 pts. were the second-most pts. scored in a single season during the first 50 years of Tiger football. His career game came vs. Mansfield in 1928 when he became the first Tiger football player to record four touchdowns in one game. The 1928 team posted a 9-1-0 record and scored the most points of any team prior to 1961 when they scored 385 pts.
      John William Warner (29) After playing RB as a junior in 1947, Warner was switched to QB for his senior season. The 1948 team is arguably the best Tiger team of either the 1930s or 1940s. He rushed for five touchdowns as a junior and added four more rushing touchdowns as a senior. In 1948 he also caught one touchdown pass and returned two interceptions for touchdowns; one covering 80 yds. and the other going 95 yds. Warner was a 2nd team All District pick in 1948. He continued his football career at Louisiana College.
BACK
     Thomas Straughn (57) was a two-year starter between 1951 and 1952. He was an honorable-mention All State choice as a junior. That year he scored four touchdowns, including an 82-yarder against Jena. During his senior season he rushed for ten touchdowns, the most by any Tiger back since the 1928 season. Straughn also returned an interception for a touchdown in 1952.
     John G. Jackson (55) A three-year starter between 1941 and 1943, Jackson set a school record with a 97-yard touchdown run vs. Ruston in 1943. That remained the longest run from scrimmage for 40 years. In his career Jackson had seven rushing touchdowns, one touchdown by reception and he returned one interception for a touchdown. Jackson played college football at nearby Northwestern State College in Natchitoches.
     Kenneth Watts (38) was a second-team All State running back during the 1919 season.
     From 1930 to 1933 Hovey Harrell (37) was the work horse in the Tiger backfield. He scored nine (9) rushing touchdowns as a freshman, and added seven more the remainder of his career to finish with 16 rushing touchdowns. That was the most career rushing touchdowns by any back prior to 1960. Harrell tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns vs. Oak Grove in 1933.
     A versatile player, Brooks Broussard (37) first came on the scene as a back on the 1954 team. He was switched to QB his junior season and then moved back to running back in 1956. During the 1955 he rushed for two touchdowns and set a school record that will never be broken when he returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown. He was also on the receiving end of the famous play that came on the final snap of the season-opener against Neville when he ran 80 yards for a touchdown to enable Winnfield to tie Neville on that run. The Tigers went to on add the extra point to gain what is arguably one of the biggest upsets in school history. The Tigers also made the extra point to gain a victory over Neville during the first year that Neville won a state title. Broussard's run was voted the 7th favorite play in the First 100 Years Poll. As a senior Broussard had six rushing touchdowns, including an 81-yarder against Natchitoches. Broussard was an honorable mention All State back his junior and senior seasons. He was a first team All District pick at QB his junior year and honorable mention All District pick at back as a senior.
    Jackie Givens (33) was one of the most versatile players of the pre-1960 era. In 1945, his junior season, he was the team’s leading scorer with 36 points. That point total was gained by five rushing touchdowns and one kickoff return. A testimony to his speed is evidenced by the fact that one of this rushing touchdowns went for 80 yards. In 1946 he scored three touchdowns by way of two rushing touchdowns and another kickoff return. Givens earned honorable mention All State honors at the back position his senior season. Givens played college football at Northwestern State College.
     Frank Brewer (29) broke into the starting lineup as a junior in 1927 and was the leading scorer on the 1928 team. That team was the most prolific scoring team of the first 50 years of Tiger football. Brewer scored 69 pts., with that talley coming from nine (9) rushing touchdowns, a fumble recovery in the end zone and a 75 yd. kickoff return. Brewer also recorded 3 pts. that season on PATs.   Brewer was a second team All State selection in 1928. Brewer played football for LSU upon his graduation from Winnfield High School.
     Ralph Sanders (27) was the team's leading scorer in 1946, as he racked up 50 pts. That came on 7 rushing touchdown and one 65-yard fumble return for a touchdown. He had one other long-distance touchdown, that coming on a 65 yard run from scrimmage. Sanders also had a rushing touchdown as a junior, so he ended his career with 8 rushing touchdowns and 9 total touchdowns.
END
       A. P. Smith (39) was one of three first team All State players on the state champion 1919 team.
     Kenneth Teegarden (35) was a four-year starter for the Tigers. He was an honorable mention All State pick as a sophomore, a second team selection as a junior and a first team choice as a senior. During the 1928 season, his senior season, he rushed for five touchdowns, caught one touchdown pass and had a 25-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown.
     Charles Eyer (32) was a two-year starter in 1948 and 1949.
     Elton Long (31) was a three-year starter from 1945 to 1947. He tied a school record in 1946 with five (5) touchdown receptions. Three of those receptions came against Junction City, Arkansas. He is one of only five players in the history of the program to have three touchdown receptions in one game.
     C. J. Gilbert (30) played running back on the 1925 and end on the 1926 team. Upon his graduation from Winnfield he became a four-sport letterman at Louisiana Tech.
CENTER
     Kidd Farr (45) was a four-year starter in the program from 1931 through 1934. He was a versatile football player as, as he spent almost equal time in the Tiger backfield as a running back and quarterback as he did at center. He scored five career touchdowns, including four his senior year. The season he played center the most was his junior season (1933), when he was the full-time center.
     C. C. Carter (44) started three years for the Tigers. He was the starting center in 1944 and 1946 and played most of his snaps at offensive guard in 1945. He was an honorable mention All State selection in 1945 and 1946.
     As a junior, Harold Wood (36) was the starting center on the state champion 1919 team. He earned 2nd team All State honors that year. He returned his senior year (1920) where he anchored the offensive line and was a first team All State pick. He played football for Louisiana Tech upon his graduation from high school.
     Like many of the seniors on the famous 1928 team, Garfield "Hap" Gimber (34) was a seasoned veteran by the time the 1928 season rolled around. He started at center as a freshman in 1925, was moved to offensive guard in 1926 and then was the Tiger's starting center the next two seasons. He was an honorable mention All-State pick in both 1927 and 1928.
     Stanley Bass (31) first cracked the starting lineup at center for the 1953 team. He was only a sophomore. He was also the starting center the following season (1954) and was moved to end his senior season (1955). Bass was an honorable mention All District pick as a sophomore, a 3rd team selection as a junior and a 2nd team choice as a senior. He was also an honorable mention All State selection in 1955.
     Lionel Boone (30) was an honorable mention All State pick in 1922.
GUARD
      Byron “Chuck” Skains (42) was one of the most gifted football players in the history of the program. He became a starter at guard as a freshman in 1926 and was an honorable mention All State pick. He repeated as an honorable mention All State pick at guard in 1927, but was moved to tackle in 1928. He earned 2nd team All State honors at that spot. Though a valuable lineman, Skains was moved to QB his senior season (1929) because of heavy graduation losses after his junior campaign. He received the second-most votes of any player from the Expert Panelist voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad. That total was achieved at the guard slot where six of the seven panelists gave him a first place vote for the guard slot. He was the third-ranked tackle by the Expert Panel and also ranked in the top ten of the quarterback position by the Expert Panel.
     J. D. “Farmer” Jones (41) was a three-year starter at guard. He is arguably the best lineman of the 1930s and one of the best of the pre-1960 era. The fans voting in the 2000 All-Century poll thought so as he was the top vote-getter at the guard spot for the Old Timers squad. The Expert Panel also thought highly of Jones as he was the second-leading vote-getter by that group when guards were being selected.
      Grady Newton (38) is the school's only two-time first team All State player at guard. He earned that honor in 1923 and 1924. He earned a football scholarship to Henderson-Brown College.
    Joe Grigsby (36) earned honorable mention All State honors at guard on the 1928 team.
     Darrell Mayes (34) in 1957 and end Tommy Wyatt in 1959 are the only two players to earn first team All State honors during the decade of the 1950s. Mayes broke into a starting position at guard as a sophomore (1956) and played that position for two years. He was moved to tackle his senior season (1958). He was named first team All District as a junior and a senior.
     Curtis Varnell (34) was a three-year starter at guard from 1930 to 1932.
     John Sowers (34) was a first team All State honoree on the 1927 Crimson Tiger team.
    Kersh Parker (34) was a starter on the 1939 and 1940 teams, and was one of the few players from the late 1930s to mid 1940s to be named to an All State team. He was an honorable mention pick in 1940s.
     Clebe Maxey (33) was yet another member of the core group of seniors that made up the vaunted 1928 team, as well as the two teams just prior to the 1928 season. Maxey was a four-year starter and was an honorable mention All State pick in 1928.
    Jack Myrick (32) was a three-year starter from 1946 to 1948.
TACKLE
     Durwood Swilley (45) is arguably the best lineman of the first fifty years of Tiger football. He is the only first team All State selection of either the 1940s or the 1930s. He earned that honor in 1948. Swilley was the leading vote-getter at the tackle position by the Expert Panel voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad and he garnered the second-most first place votes at tackle by fans voting in the same poll. Swilley was the third highest vote getter at any position. He signed a football scholarship with LSU after graduating from Winnfield High School.
     Buster Keaton (42) started at tackle his junior season and moved to starting center for his senior campaign. He was the second-leading vote-getter at the tackle slot by the Expert Panel voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad. Keaton played college football for nearby Northwestern State College.
     Johnny Newman (41) was a two-year starter at tackle from 1954 to 1955. He earned honorable mention All State honors as a junior and was a third team All District pick his junior year and a second team All District selection his senior year. Newman the fourth-highest vote getter at tackle by the Expert Panel voting on the All Century Poll of 2000.
2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad and was the second-leading vote getter at tackle by the fans voting on the same poll.
Gordon "Red" Dickerson (40) started at tackle on the 1919 and 1920 teams. He was a 2nd team All State selection in 1919.
     Truett Durham (37) and Durwood Swilley (1948) are the only tackles to earn All State honors. Durham did that twice; the first time coming his junior season on the state champion 1919 team and then he repeated the next season (1920).
     Herbert Watson (29) started on the 1923 and 1924 teams and was an honorable mention All State selection in 1924.
      Veek Skains (28) was an honorable mention All State pick in 1926
PLACE KICKER
     Conrad Swilley (40) was the Tiger's placekicker for three seasons between 1950 and 1952. He was a very accurate kicker as he converted 20 of 28 attempts for a .714 kicking percentage.
     C. C. Carter (39) handled kicking duties in 1945 and 1946. He converted all five of his PAT attempts in 1945.
     Durwood Swilley (33) is the older brother of Conrad; another Tiger kicker who received the most votes at placekicker among the First 50-Year players. He is not only the first placekicker to make 10 extra point kicks in a season; he is the first to make 20. That came in 1948 when he converted 22 of 32 attempts. He earned the nickname "Big Automatic" for his kicking skills.
     John Harrington (30) handled PAT duties from his sophomore (1955) through his senior (1957) seasons. He is one of the most accurate kickers in the history of the program as he converted 35 of 43 PAT attempts for a .814 kicking average. At the time, he set a single-season school record with his 35 PAT kicks.
PUNTER
     Ray Jenkins (40) handled punting duties for the 1934 and 1935 teams.
     In addition to being the placekicker, running back and defensive back, Conrad Swilley (39) handled punting duties for three seasons between 1950 and 1952.
     Durwood Swilley (32) handled all kicking duties for the 1947 and 1948 teams.
KICK RETURNER
     Eddie Parker (40) was a versatile player who was a dangerous return man and running back. He was the team’s leading scorer during both his sophomore (1941) and junior (1942) seasons. During his sophomore season he caught three touchdown passes, which was the second most touchdown passes ever caught in one season up to that time. During his junior season he had four rushing touchdowns, including a 60-yarder. During Parker’s final season he rushed for three touchdowns, including one that went 75 yards. Parker had an 87-yard punt return in 1943 that broke the school record for length by 22 yards. That distance wasn’t surpassed until 1948 (Vernon McDonald, 90 yards vs. Mansfield) and is the fifth-longest punt return for a touchdown in the history of the program. Parker was thought highly of by the Expert Panel voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad as he was the highest vote getter for kick-returners of that era.
       Gabe Durham (34) handled kick returns during the 1926 through 1928 seasons. Had a 65 punt return for a touchdown.
    Jackie Givens (29)first kick return for a touchdown came during his junior season (1945). That kickoff return went for a school record 95 yards. That distance has been tied but not broken at the school. In 1946 he scored on another kickoff return, this one covering 85 yards. He is one of only seven players in the history of the program that have returned multiple kickoffs for touchdowns in a career, with all of the others coming from the 1970 to 2008 era. He was the first to accomplish that feat. Givens received the third highest vote total at the kick return position by the Expert Panel voting on the 2000 All-Century Poll for the Old Timers Squad.
     Vernon McDonald (27) set a anew school record with a 90-yard punt return during the 1948 season. That punt return is the third-longest punt return for a touchdown in the first 100 years of Tiger football. He rushed for 11 touchdowns from his running back position.
HEAD COACH
    Alwin Stokes (60) has the fourth-highest win total of any head coach at the school with 47 wins.. He served as head coach on two occasions. The first came from 1917 to 1923. His 1919 squad went undefeated (8-0-0) and was unscored on (220-0). The squad was declared State Champions by the New Orleans Times Picayune. His 1923 team was equally strong, as they posted a 9-1 record and outscored their opponents by a 296 to 7 margin. Their only loss came at the hands of Warren Easton by a 7-0 margin. Stokes was minister at the First Presbyterian Church, thus his name Brother Stokes. He returned for a second head coaching stint in 1933 and 1934 where he posted a 10-8-2 record.
     Charles "Hoss" Newman (58) served as head coach from 1956-1965. That is the longest tenure of any Tiger head coach. Newman took over a program that had losing seasons six of the seven seasons prior to his coming and a program that had never played in a playoff game. Newman went 5-5-0 his first season (1956), but he guided his second team to the program’s first district title and first playoff game in 1957. After a one year drop-off in 1958 his 1959, 1960 and 1961 teams won consecutive district titles, going 13-0-0 in district play during that time. His 1960 team broke a 19-year losing streak to Ruston with a 13-13 tie and the 1961 went one step further by defeating Ruston 21-6 in 1961 to break a twenty-five year streak of non-wins (losses and ties). Both his 1960 and 1961 teams were ranked No. 1 in the LSWA poll and his 1961 team posted an undefeated regular season. His overall record at Winnfield was 53-50-5, giving him the third-most wins in school history.
     L. D. Baggett (29) served as head coach only one season; that being the 1946 season when he posted a 6-5-0 record. That was one of only eight teams to post a winning record between 1930 and 1959. Baggett had his 1946 team at 5-1 to start the season, however tough losses at the end of the season added four more losses.
     Zollie Bennett (26) also only served one season, but that one team was arguably one of the strongest teams in the school's history; that being the 1928 team. Bennett guided that team to a 9-1 record, and except for a 1 pt. loss to Bolton the 1928 team would have likely represented north Louisiana in the state title game. Bennett's 1928 team was the first Tiger team to score over 300 pts. as they finished the year with 385 pts. They only gave up 20 pts.
WIN
     1933 Neville (7-6) 29 votes With a 2-2 record for the season, Winnfield could not afford a letdown because they faced Neville High School in the fifth game of the season. The Winnfield scouting report on the Neville Tigers summed up Winnfield’s opponent in simple fashion. Neville was reported to be a "heavier and faster team.” Winnfield had played Neville one other time, that being the opening game of the 1930 season. In that game, Winnfield played its first night game ever and dropped a close 6-0 decision. The Neville game would be the Tigers second night game of the year. The Bolton game was also played at night but, "the lights do not seem to bother the Tigers”, declared the local paper.
     True to form, Winnfield played Neville tough in the first half. Neville jumped to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter when they drove a short 43 yards for a score. Winnfield responded on their next possession and drove the length of the field on a drive aided by a pass from Joe Beville to J. D. Wood to place the ball into scoring position. Hovey Harrell took the ball through a hole opened by Curtis Varnell (RG) for Winnfield’s first score. Wood carried the ball across the goal line for the point after, giving the Crimson Tigers a slim 7-6 lead, which held up until halftime.
     Both teams mounted only one second half scoring threat but neither was able to add to their total. As a result, Winnfield finally escaped with one of those close wins. The Tigers had met a quality opponent, on their opponent’s home field, under the lights and had won. This was certainly the biggest win the program had seen since the great 1928 season and one of the most impressive wins Winnfield would have during the entire decade. The victory moved the team’s record to 3-2 for the season. That marked the first time a Tiger team had been above the .500 mark at the midpoint of the season in five years.
     1928 vs. Ruston (32-0) 29 votes The third game of the season had Winnfield playing what the local paper called "the only big game of the football season scheduled to be played on the Winnfield gridiron.” Ruston was the opponent, and it was reasonable to expect that this would be Winnfield’s toughest opponent. Both teams came into the game with undefeated records. Prior to the game, it appeared the game would decide the North Louisiana representative for the state championship because the victor would certainly be in a position to go undefeated through the remainder of the season. Winnfield had a 1-2-2 series record against Ruston coming into the 1928 contest.
     Despite all of the build-up, the game was never close. In the first ten minutes of play, Winnfield blocked two Ruston punts, resulting in two Winnfield scores. Then, early in the second half, Winnfield again used the punt to score. Winnfield held Ruston short of a first down on the first series of the second half, forcing them to punt near their own goal line. Percy Dortch, Tiger return man, fielded the ball at the Ruston 40 yard-line and carried the ball the full distance, giving the Crimson Tigers a three-touchdown lead.   Later in the quarter, Teal Calhoun intercepted a Bearcat pass and returned it for another 40-yard touchdown. The final touchdown of the game would be one of the most impressive runs of the entire season when Frank Brewer raced 60 yards through, "the entire Bearcat eleven”, so the local paper said. The win gave the team a 3-0-0 record.
     If expectations were high before the season began, they were at a fever pitch now. Writing in the New Orleans States, legendary sportswriter Harry Martinez wrote, "In trouncing Ruston by such a decisive margin, Winnfield declared themselves as probably the strongest team in the state at this time. Coach Bennett’s gang handled the powerful Ruston eleven like paper, and at no time was Coach Rush’s (Ruston coach) aggregation a factor. Before the game, Ruston was rated a formidable foe. Winnfield looks more than ever like the team to beat for the title, even at this early date.”
     1955 vs. Neville (13-13) 20 votes Winnfield opened the season at home against Neville. The Neville Tigers were loaded with talent and had already won two games to open the season. The “Neville Dynasty” began in the 1955 season. At the end of the 1955 season, Neville won that school's first state championship. They would not do so undefeated.
     Winnfield scored on its first series on a 15 yard run by Mickey Frazier to take a 6-0 lead. Just as impressive – and as uplifting – was the next series that saw Neville move to a first and goal at the Winnfield 5 yard-line, only to be repelled in four attempts.
    Neville did get a touchdown on their next series to tie the game at 6-all, but the remainder of the first half turned into a defensive struggle as the two teams exchanged punts four times. Neither team threatened to score again in the first half.
     Winnfield stared Neville square in the eyes for two quarters and matched them blow for blow. While no serious fan of football would have given Winnfield a chance against Neville prior to the game, no reasonable person would have completely counted the Tigers out as the two teams headed in for halftime. Neville got a huge break early in the third quarter when Winnfield fumbled the ball away five yards from their own goal line. Two plays later Neville pushed over their second touchdown to forge a 12-6 lead.
       With just over three minutes to go in the game, Neville had the lead and the ball at the Winnfield 31 yard line. However, Neville went backwards from there when, in three successive plays they: fumbled and recovered the ball, got a five-yard penalty for illegal procedure and suffered a 15-yard penalty for clipping. Facing a fourth and long from midfield and with just under a minute to play in the game, Neville elected to punt to Winnfield, hoping to pin the Tigers deep in their own end of the field and play defense. Coach Ruple had every reason to believe his defense could hold Winnfield one more time.
     Broussard fielded the punt and returned it to the Neville 20 yard-line with less than 30 seconds to go in the game. With time for only a couple of plays, Winnfield squandered their first opportunity when they fumbled on first down but recovered for no gain, leaving time for only one more play. Coach Davis called for a flea flicker. After Tiger quarterback Brooks Broussard took the snap from center, he pitched the ball to fullback Dale Reeves, who ran several steps, stopped and threw the ball back to Broussard, who gathered in the ball in the flat at the Winnfield 20 yard-line. After making the catch, “Crazy Legs” Broussard took off down the sidelines and ran 80 yards for one of the most improbable and decisive touchdowns in Winnfield football history. The final horn had sounded during Broussard's game-tying run, but Winnfield still had the opportunity to break the deadlock when they were given their chance at the PAT with no time on the clock. With the ball placed on the 3 yard-line, and the crowd in a frenzy, Mickey Frazier got the call and plowed through the Neville defensive front to cross the goal line and give the Tigers a thrilling 13-12 win. Never before had a Winnfield team, playing as an underdog, faced as formidable opponent as Neville and walked away with a win. At the time, Winnfield’s improbable win over Neville was the biggest upset in Tiger football history.
LOSS
      1928 vs. Bolton (7-6) 18 votes. The only loss of the 1928 season and quite possibly a loss that kept the 1928 team out of the state title game came against Bolton. In the 1920s the biggest rival that the Winnfield football program had was the Bolton Bears. The two teams met in the fifth game of the season. Winnfield was undefeated and had outscored their first four opponents by a 171-6 margin. The Tigers were thus averaging 42.8 pts. per game. Bolton was enjoying a banner year themselves. Both Winnfield and Bolton had been considered strong contenders for the state championship since the season began. However, Bolton was coming off their first loss of the season at the hands of Lake Charles, so, they were desperate.    The game was played at Bolton and was declared "Homecoming Day” by Bolton. The Bears were reported to be making "extensive preparations” for the game. S. M. Brame, principal of Bolton High School, even went as far as mailing letters to alumni of the school, asking that they return for the game. Winnfield fans were just as prepared. Several buses were chartered to transport fans to the game. The game was billed as “one of the strongest bids for the state championship”, according to the local paper. And, the newspaper article continued - "the Tigers are ready.”
     The Alexandria Towntalk reported that “one of the largest crowds to ever attend a high school football game” in Alexandria was on hand for the Saturday afternoon game. The game turned out to be as close as people predicted. There was no scoring int he first quarter but Bolton got on the board in the second to take a 7-0 lead into halftime. As a result, the Tigers went into the locker room with no points on the board for the first time all season.
     Winnfield was held scoreless for three quarters, allowing Bolton to hold onto their slim 7-0 lead as the fourth quarter began. In the final quarter it was a turnover that helped the Tigers to finally get on the scoreboard. On the first play of the fourth quarter Bolton fumbled near their own goal line and the ball was recovered by Kenneth Teegarden. After three line plunges, Frank Brewer carried the ball over for the first Winnfield touchdown. The Tigers attempted to run for the extra point but were held by the Bears. As a result, Bolton still maintained a slim 7-6 lead, with plenty of time on the clock.
     Winnfield held Bolton on the next series and took over with what would likely be time for one last drive. The Tigers did drive down the field as the end of the game neared. Again, taking advantage of the passing arm of Frank Brewer, the Tigers moved into Bolton territory. A pass from Brewer to Percy Dortch, who was streaking into the end zone, was knocked down by the Bolton defender. With the ball on the Bolton 40 yard-line, Winnfield tried two more passes on third and fourth down, but both fell incomplete. Much to the satisfaction of the returning alumni, Bolton managed to hold onto their lead until the clock ran out.
     With the loss, the Tigers’ record dropped to 4-1-0. The loss put a serious damper on the Tigers title hopes because of the unrealistic need to virtually go undefeated each year to get into the playoffs, since the primary criteria used to select playoff participants was winning percentage.
     1923 vs. Warren Easton (0-7) 14 votes The only opponent to score against the 1923 Tigers was the powerful Warren Easton Fighting Eagles, who was also the only team to defeat Winnfield that year. Warren Easton won by a slim 7-0 margin in a game played at mid season. Warren Easton was arguably one of the strongest high school programs in the state during the 1920s, sending two of their teams to title games in that decade. The only other schools to send multiple teams to the title game in the 1920s were Haynesville and Rayville. Warren Easton won the state title in 1921, and lost to Homer in the 1928 game. Mr. Leo “Buck” Sowers, a member of the 1923 team, gave the following account of the season in a 1988 interview for The Enterprise - “Winnfield opened the season against the Louisiana College freshman team, or at least they were supposed to be a freshman team. They (Louisiana College) only had eight freshmen. One newspaper reported that Winnfield played the college’s second team. In the Warren Easton game, Bennie Parker (Winnfield’s MVP) was ejected from the game. Warren Easton designated one player to hit Parker to provoke a fight. Warren Easton had a strong replacement but Winnfield’s loss of Bennie Parker was a fatal blow.
TEAM
    The 1919 team (54) posted an 8-0-0 record, scored 220 points and were unscored on. They scored a single-game school record 94 pts. against Coushatta. After the season the 1919 team was declared state champions. Three of the team members were first team All State picks and three more were 2nd team selections.
     The 1928 team (19) came within one win of playing for a state title. In the 1920s sportswriters voted on a north Louisiana and south Louisiana team to compete for the state crown. Typically the teams with the best winning percentage (regardless of the level of competition that teams faced) got the nod. Winnfield played all-takers in the 1920s. For example, in 1928 the Tigers played and beat the likes of Ruston, Minden and Jonesboro....three of the strongest program around at the time. The team also played and defeated the Normal College freshman team. All in all the 1928 team played ten teams, scored 385 points against those teams and allowed only 20 pts. That was the most points scored by any team from 1909 to 1960 and remains one of the top ten best regular season totals. The only loss on the team's record came in a 7-6 defeat to Bolton. What made this group so special was the core group of seniors that had made up the bulk of the 1926 and 1927 teams as well.
      The last team that Alwin Stokes coached during his first tenure as head coach at the school was the 1923 team (18). This group won nine games (all shutouts) and scored 296 points in those nine wins. They also lost one lost and that came by a 7-0 margin, making that the only points this team allowed. The loss was to then powerful Warren Easton High School out of New Orleans.
      Easily the best team of the 1930s, 1940s and quite possibly the 1950s was the 1948 squad (11). This group posted the most wins (9) of any team from those three decades. They had only two losses (the fewest by any team from those three decades). Their losses were to Ruston and Bastrop. Ruston was the defending Class 1A state champions.