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The Lubbock ISD Athletics Hall of Honor would like to congratulate the inductees of the class of 2024.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024

A huge thank you to the sponsors for this year’s event.

1939 Lubbock State Champion Football Team

Class of 2011

1939 Lubbock State Champion Football Team

The 1939 Lubbock High School football team won the Texas state football championship in 1939. In its championship season, LHS lost three of its first four games and went into district play that year without much momentum or fanfare.

Several players had been together since their days in junior high under coach Mule Davis and had been under coach Weldon Chapman’s wing for several years.

Still, a 1-3 start didn’t inspire much favoritism outside the program. After beating Pampa and Borger by a combined score of 46-0 to open district play, however, things seemed to be turning back in the right direction for the Westerners. That is, until another blow almost leveled the team. Coach Chapman died suddenly after the Borger game, leaving the team stunned. Instead of letting Chapman’s death define the team, the Westerners used it as motiva- tion and inspiration.

A win over Plainview and a non-district victory over Hobbs, N.M., set up a showdown for the district champi- onship at Amarillo’s Butler Field. Amarillo was considered the class of West Texas at that time. As it turned out, it would only be a stepping stone to the state title, but a huge one it was.

LHS would earn playoff wins over Electra, Sweetwater and Dallas Woodrow Wilson by a combined score of 40-0, setting up the state title game against Waco on a cold, blustery winter day at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Waco was led by legendary coach Paul Tyson and considered a huge fa- vorite to claim another state championship. But the Westerners at that point were a team of destiny, and destiny couldn’t be stopped. Lubbock High defeated Waco by a final score of 20-14.

Team members included: J. D. Wynn, Henry Lawson, Franklin Butler, Max Walthall, Francis Bearden, Jimmy Williamson, Troy Davidson, Rob- ert McKinnon, Jack Lovin, Clifton Hill, Howard Alford, Paul Sparkman, Joe Tyson, James Barker, Fred Redwine, R. E. Jones, , J. A. Blackwell, Ed Crites, Carl Sanders, Pete Cawthon, James Merriman, J. D. Milner, Pritchett Hart, Leete Jackson, Floyd Ward, Ray McBrayer, Arlie Chism, Robert Parks, Pat Farris, L. A. Storrs, Dan Gregory, Milner Thorne, Coach Walter Nichols, Coach J. G. Keys.
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