Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
60YearsOn
BY SUSIE SANSOM-PIPER
Special to the Reporter
Rockdale Reporter - 2015-12-17
In December 1955, the Aycock Purple Tigers took the first step in a rare feat in Texas
high school sports history
A decade before the integration of Rockdale public schools, the Aycock High School for
Blacks brought history and great pride to the city of Rockdale.
The school was classified as Class A under the direction of the Prairie View
Interscholastic League.
The only coach for the school was the young and energetic Ralph Johnson, who taught
social studies during school hours and coached at the end of the day.
This team, said to be quite versatile, as well as awesome, set enviable records among
many schools in the state. They were not only athletically talented, but academically
talented.
They produced the first professional football and basketball players in the area, the
first Black postal superintendent in the state of Arizona, college professors, medical
technicians, business owners, ministers and outstanding politicians.
Members of this team were highly recruited by colleges in other states.
During the 1955 season, they stacked up 629 points in 14 games, in comparison to only 51
for their opponents.
They defeated Lockhart 78-0 in bi-district, Texas 13-7 in the quarterfinals, Seguin 45-6
in the semi-finals and West 21-7 for the state championship.
Members of the team were Billy Ray Locklin, Arthur Ray Locklin, Albert Malone, Frank
Charles (Mikey) McKee, John E. Tindle, Charlie Maloy, David Lee Wright, Bob Roberson,
Billy Joe Douglas, Johnnie Alonzo, Jesse Johnson, Fate. E. Arnwine, D. Lee Alcorn, Leroy
Wright, Johnell Harris, James Banks, Jr., Vastine Johnson, Joe Louis Wilson, George Lee
Molden, Overton D. Smith, Jewel Jones, David E. Myles and Lussine Roberson.
Booker T. Turner served as student manager, assisted by Earnest Williams.
Most of this group also played on the 1956 state winning basketball team.
*****
The Game
BY SUSIE SANSOM-PIPER
Special to the Reporter
Rockdale Reporter - 2015-12-17
Purple Tigers smother with purple haze D
Aycock stuffed Dunbar and star Shaw to less than 200 yards
It was a cold and blustery evening when unbeatens Aycock and Dunbar ran onto Tiger field
that Friday.
Aycock (13-0) had an incredible advantage in being able to play the state championship on
its home turf.
They outbid Dunbar (12- 0) for the right to host the game. Aycock’s previous three
playoff contests had been on the road so Johnson was determined to play at home.
The Purple Tigers played at Tiger Field during the regular season when the Rockdale
Tigers were out of town.
They weren’t allowed to use the dressing rooms however.
Despite having a freakish (and freakishly talented) 6-foot-9 quarterback in Leroy Wright,
The Purple Tigers’ two starting tackles — Lussine Roberson and Jesse Johnson — weighed
130 pounds each.
Of course having tight end Frank “Rock” McKee (211 pounds) and guard Billy Ray Locklin
(195 pounds) in the line mix made up for a lack of density elsewhere.
McKee and Locklin were professional calibur talents.
“A lot of people look at Locklin and McKee and say we have a big team,” Johnson said.
“But they forget about the two little tackles. It sure makes a good surprise.”
With Wright wheeling and dealing out of the single- T, the Purple Tigers entered the
title game with the top offense in the state, averaging 46.7 points a game.
In the season opener, they defeated the Bryan “B” team 104-6.
However, Dunbar rode its defense to the finale, allowing just 32 points all season and 20
of those came in a single game against Mexia Dunbar.
The Dragons had posted nine shutouts in 1955 and no one had scored on them in four games.
Dunbar was sparked on offense by 175-pound fullback Robert Shaw, the Dragons’ top rusher
and passer.
A confident Johnson was still concerned because his squad had not played in two weeks.
“Workouts are no substitute for a state championship,” Johnson said. “The boys want to
hurry up and play.”
So did Johnson. Because of the sour weather, turnovers were abundant, with both squads
combining to cough the ball up 15 times.
Aycock had five fumbles. The Purple Tigers wasted little time in establishing their
dominance and scored on their first two possessions after stout defensive stands.
John Tindle took in a seven-yard pass from Wright to open the scoring for a 7-0 lead
after Charlie Maloy busted over for the conversion. Maloy had missed most of the season
with an injury.
On their next possession, McKee perfectly executed an end around from the 15 and after
Bob Roberson’s conversion run, Aycock led 14-0 with four minutes left in the first
quarter.
The two teams slugged it out in the middle quarters and did not score again until the
final period.
Dunbar scored on a freakish 41-yard pass from Shaw to Horace Vanner to slice the lead to
14-7 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
After another Aycock fumble at its own nineyard line, Shaw and Dunbar were poised to tie
the game, until the Purple Dragon defense bowed up and slammed Shaw and took over on
downs.
Driving 91 yards with a mix of passes and double reverses, Aycock created some space when
McKee skirted around the Dunbar line on another end around from nine yards out for a 21-7
lead after Wright found McKee for the extra point.
While it was the Dunbar defense that garnered most of the attention entering the game, it
was the Purple Tiger D that dominated, holding the Dragons to 183 total yards and eight
first downs.
According to the Rockdale Reporter’s John Lovelace, the attendance was split almost
evenly between blacks and whites.
Coach Johnson received a bonus of $142.29 after a collection was taken up after the game,
with both whites and blacks contributing.
Judge E.A. Camp promised the team a turkey dinner if they won, which he delivered as
promised.
In a foreshadowing of things to come, Johnson made a bold statement after the game.
“I expect to win state in basketball, but the football championship was a little
unexpected.”
To be continued...
Front - (left to right)—George Mouldin (35), Johnny Alonzo (33), Overton Smith (34),
Jewel Jones (32), Lussine Roberson (26), Fate Arnwine (31), David Meyers (27),
manager Ernest Williams.
Middle — Manager Booker Turner, Johnnel Harris (30), David Wright (28), James Banks (43), Arthur Locklin (42), Jess Johnson (25), Bob Roberson (29), Louis Wilson (38),
Billy J. Douglas (36), Principal O.E. Wilhite.
Back — Coach Ralph Johnson, Albert Malone (37), Lee Alcorn (40), Frank McKee (46),
Leroy Wright (45), John Tindle (41), Billy Ray Locklin (44), Charlie Maloy (39).
Jewel Jones (32), Lussine Roberson (26), Fate Arnwine (31), David Meyers (27),
manager Ernest Williams.
Middle — Manager Booker Turner, Johnnel Harris (30), David Wright (28), James Banks (43), Arthur Locklin (42), Jess Johnson (25), Bob Roberson (29), Louis Wilson (38),
Billy J. Douglas (36), Principal O.E. Wilhite.
Back — Coach Ralph Johnson, Albert Malone (37), Lee Alcorn (40), Frank McKee (46),
Leroy Wright (45), John Tindle (41), Billy Ray Locklin (44), Charlie Maloy (39).
All Credit for this article
goes to Susie Sansom-Piper
and the
Rockdale Reporter
.