Winnfield Senior High School has a proud history of winning football. And while teams have often mused, “We ought to get back together,” that hadn’t happened until last Saturday, June 8, when players and coaches of three teams that played in the Championship Game and the fourth that “slayed the giant” to claim the crown returned to WSHS.
Through the impetus and organization of Eddie Jenkins and Andy Pyles, working together with others with a vision of such a get-together, some 180 gathered in the WSHS activity room for an afternoon. Those teams were 1971 under Coach Joe Dosher, 1976 under Coach Larry Dauterive, 2011 under Coach Andy Pyles and the state champion team 1982 under Coach Doug Moreau.
There were a lot of handshakes and hugs and back-patting as players and coaches greeted one another, perhaps for the first time in decades. They’d gone through school together, bonded through this team sport and many had remained in or returned to their home community. But many others had followed their careers to other parts of the country and had a lot of catching up and “remember whens” with their old teammates.
WSHS Principal Chase Bartlett called the gathering “an amazing turnout, with so many represented across the years, over the miles. Players, coaches, principals, teachers…all part of one big family in Winnfield.” He also recognized “those who are no longer with us who helped in building Winnfield football to what it is now.”
Touching on the significance of the reunion, Bartlett noted that players grow and develop over their playing years to become a team. “But after football, life happens. We spread out over the country.” Still there’s a bond. “Once a Tiger, always a Tiger.”
As part of the ceremony, each team gathered on the stage to pose for a photo, then made a presentation to their coach of a football commemorating their historic game and year that had been signed by all of the attending players.
A special presentation was also made in honor of two individuals whose lives played a large impact on Tiger Football. Those were Jerry Bamburg, with Jeanette Bamburg attending to accept the award and Randy Poisso, with Pat Poisso attending to accept the award.
