Saturday, July 27th, 2024

1968 Estacado Matadors Football

The 1968 State Championship Football Team at Estacado High School won the 3A State Championship in 1968, becoming the first Texas High School to win a state title during its first year of UIL competition.

It was only Estacado’s second year of existence after opening as the first integrated high school in Lubbock. The first year Estacado did not have a varsity football team, but the junior varsity team finished 9-1 during the 1967 season. The next year the 1968 varsity team went 14-0 on the season, the first high school in Lubbock ISD to do this since Lubbock High School in 1952. Coach Jimmie Keeling led his team to score 559 points that season (most ever by a Lubbock ISD team), and only allowed 32 points to be scored against them. 10 of their 14 games were shutouts. By the end of district play, they had amassed 431 points to just 12 for their opponents. The only teams in district to score against Estacado were San Angelo Lakeview and Slaton with 6 points apiece. For their district championship, the team beat Sweetwater 7-0 in their closest game of the season.

In the playoffs, Estacado opened with a 49-8 win over Brownwood and a 28-12 win over Kermit. For the semifinals, they beat Henderson 30-0. This sent the team to TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium to the 3A State Championship against the Refugio Bobcats. The game ended 14-0 in Estacado’s favor, with the team scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter. The offense was great, but it was overshadowed by the team’s no-nonsense defense that made it hard for other teams’ offenses to score, or even make first downs. The team had great chemistry with each other, work ethic, a commitment to excellence, and the desire to win it all. They were led by the well-respected and admired Coach Keeling. The team proved that people from all races and walks of life could come together and achieve greatness. They were a rallying point for the city to start to overcome racial barriers.

Team Members included: Willie Avery, Rudy Beltran, Joseph Benson, Robert Boykin, Jesse Bozeman, Michael Eller, Avance Green, William Hall, Floyd Harris, Tyson Haynes, Walter Hibbler, Jr., Ronnie Hill, Robert Hines, Porter Juashlin, Daniel Johnson, Lee Jones, Frank Judie, Buddy Ray King, J.B. Lemon, Bobby Lester, James Lester, Jesse Lethridge, Michael McLin, Larry Miller, David Moody, Homer Morse, James Mosley, Angel Rodriquez, Ruben Romero, Joe Rose, Enedino Samudio, Tommy Scruggs, Richard Segura, Marvin Turner, Kenneth Wallace, Fred White and Kenny Williams. Head Coach: Jimmie Keeling

Coaching Staff included: Delbert Wilson, Gene Murrell, Wayne Garner, Hollis Gainey, R.A. Wade, Robert Sigman, Buddy Hampton and E.G. Nunez

Managers included: Donald Bradshaw, Gary Garrett, Harry Hulsey, Earnest Jones, Billy D. McGinnis and Melvin Mitchell
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