The Turkey Day Game – 50 Years Ago (1969)

Fifty years ago, in 1969, Neal Armstong took the first steps on the Moon. The Cold War chilled as a war raged in Vietnam and leaders from the United States and the Soviet Union met in Helsinki, Suomenlahden (Finland) in a negotiation to limit nuclear arms.

There were record-breaking attendance numbers at the Turkey Day Game during the 1960s, peaking at a seams-bursting 11,905 persons in 1965. It was at that point that the schools limited attendance to 10,000 persons which had to include such persons as the band and cheerleaders. The previous year, in 1968, Webster beat Kirkwood 27-0, but Kirkwood had bested Webster in 1965 and 1966.

During the regular season, the Webster Statesmen had a nearly complete varsity changeover from 1968 and were led by Jack Jones, in his fifth year as head coach. Bob Hoffman was the backfield coach, a role he had for nine years, and Vic Miller was in his fourth year as the linesmen coach. The Statesmen came into the game 5-3. The Kirkwood Pioneers had several returning starters and were led by Bill Lenich, in his twenty-first year as head coach. Leon Lefler, the backfield and ends coach, and Don Shannan, who coached the linesmen, were both in their second years. The Pioneers came into the game 3-6.

Webster began the game with a kick-off to Kirkwood which was carried to their 40-yard line. On the first play, Kirkwood's Jason Kniffen fumbled the ball at the line of scrimmage, on a Jim Hughes hand-off, which was recovered by Webster's Bill Morris.

On the first Webster play, halfback Mike Hall ran the ball to the Kirkwood 15 but a clipping penalty brought the ball back to the Webster 30. The next play, still the first down, went nowhere and the second down was an incomplete pass.

On the third down, quarterback Chris Stocke evaded several tackles and began to weave his way through the Kirkwood defense, carrying the ball to the three-yard line. On the next play, a first down, Stocke brought the ball over the goal-line. The extra point was missed.
During the remaining time of the game, Webster fumbled the ball on three occasions but those turnovers were made moot because Kirkwood failed to get the ball to the Webster 33-yard line until the last play of the game. In that play, Hughes threw a desperation pass to Drew Rogers, which finished the game with the ball on the 27-yard line.

This year celebrates the 111th varsity contest between the 121st football teams of both schools. In varsity meetings at the Turkey Day Game, Kirkwood leads the series 42-37-5. In the record of all varsity games ever played, Webster leads that series 54-49-7 – which, at five games, has not been that close since 1921. This is the seventh year in a row in which the varsity teams will have presented themselves to the field on Thanksgiving Day. You may listen to all of the action as alumni Jim Grillo and Damon A. Patterson bring you all of the action and the best interviews on WOodland 1 Sports at www.mixlr.com/WOodland1
May the Frisco Bell ring for you this Turkey Day!

By Shawn Buchanan Greene
Webster Alumnus 1987
Kirkwood Patch
Monday, November 25, 2019