Tigers Fall To Red Raiders - What Happened?

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Decal from top of Tryon Tiger Helmet.

The Tryon Tigers Came up on the short end of the score against the Cowpens (now Broome) Red Raiders by the score of 7 to 6. In a close, low scoring game, Tryon just couldn't get the offense moving and one missed defensive opportunity and an extra point was the difference in the game. See the write up and program by clicking here.

Has Big Time Football Come To Harmon Field?

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Led by senior captain Susan Rutledge, the cheerleaders had been practicing all summer. They were ready for the first game of the season.

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Pep Club Officers: Michelle Williams, Sec. Treas; Mary Powell, Pres.; Debbie Goode, V. Pres.

Led by seniors Mary Powell and Debbie Goode, the students were ready!

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Senior Majorettes Judy Hutcherson and Bunny Henson. The band, under new leader Bryant Poole and with senior majoretts Judy Hutcherson and Bunny Henson was ready. 

The best comments probably came from Curt Eargle, long time Harmon Field Commisoner and owner of the Home Ice Plant in his newspaper communication: "every seat filled on both sides of the field","Last  Friday night when Tryon High won over West Henderson, I had the best feeling of satisfaction I have ever had over the past 40 years I have been associated with Tryon High Football as their former coach and personal supporter. This was not only because we won, but because it was the first time it really looked like big time football.", "the home fans, band and cheerleaders were having a wonderful time"

And win they did. As one newspaper put it, Tiny Tryon Finds Right Combination. Click here to read write-ups of the game (including a picture of Mike Leonard running the football).

The football programs had also been upgraded. Click here to see what the West Henderson game program looked like. Look through the ads and see how many businesses no longer exist. Just to show how times have really changed.

Below is Kenny Chesney's video, The Boys of Fall

Class of 1971 Begins Final Year at Tryon High School

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Senior Class Officers; Stuart Williams (VP); Mary Powell (Secretary); Susan Morris (Treasurer) and;  Mike Burns (President).  Looks like Mike is having too much fun with the trash can!
In addition to picking class officers,  Tonya Pearson and Austin Neal were chosen as class mascots and Susan Rutledge was chosen as the class beauty sponsor.

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Susan Rutledge, Senior Class Beauty Sponsor

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Sissie Barber showed  that the class of 71 could do well outside the classroom when she won the open jumper class at the third annual Blue Ridge Vale Riding Academy Horse Show. She also finished first in two other classifications.

War, by Edwin Starr was the top song, a reminder that the war in Vietnam was still going strong. Girls still couldn't wear pants to school (and the dresses were still short) and boys had to keep their hair cut.

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1970 Tryon Tigers Were Not On Anyone's Radar

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The 1970 Tryon Tigers were small in size and numbers, and on top of that, kind of slow in speed. There was some talk they would not be able to field a JV team. The preseason write-ups were not very encouraging....and probably for a lot of good reasons. Going back to the 1968 team (click here for 1969 sports banquet program), the season started with a lot of promise. This was the first year the school moved up to the 2A Parkway conference and was coming off a successful year in 1967 where the team went a couple of rounds in the state playoffs. However, the untimely passing of Coach Bill Barry was a blow the team couldn't overcome.

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The 1969 season (click here for 1969 newspaper pictures) was to be a rebuilding year, and it was. Although the team was in most games, it was blown away by Hendersonville and couldn't beat rivals Landrum or Polk Central. They were able to give Coach Neal his 100th career win.

Football Practice Begins for the 1970 Season

The big day came for the football team on August 5. This was the first day of practice (Close to You by The Carpenters was the number one song).  Led by a small but dedicated senior class, the team showed up for 5 days of one-a-days in helmets and shorts at Harmon Field. The small but dedicated group of seniors was joined the first day by only 18 others to make up the varsity and JV teams.

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The team welcomed Tryon legend, Duke Fisher, into the coaching ranks (Joining Neal, Pearson, and Tennant). Duke had played freshman basketball at the University of North Carolina and later coached Kevin Garnett in basketball at Mauldin High School.

Also new this year were playbooks. Not that I can remember actually using them - it still was a first.

The team loaded up and went to three-a-day camp outside of Charleston. Arriving late on Sunday, we started with a practice in shorts, then up before daylight for another 90 minute practice in shorts, breakfast, skills practice from 9:30 am until lunch, and a scrimmage practice from 5 pm until dark and supper. We also had free time after lunch to go to the artisan filled pool or to the beach by team bus.

The camp was famous for mosquitoes and cold sulfur water. Located right on the inter-coastal waterway, near Mount Pleasant, SC, I doubt it exists today. Meals were provided for the team from donated food which was prepared by parents enjoying their "vacation".

I believe Coach Neal's favorite drill was, "Head-on-tackling". As freshmen, he had gotten so mad  we were not doing it correctly, that he demonstrated (without pads) on fellow classmate Mike Burns, breaking some ribs. But as seniors, he stopped the drill early, worried that someone would get hurt because of the drill intensity.

Camp broke after a Saturday morning scrimmage and lunch and everyone headed back to Tryon - a lot battered and uncertain what the season would bring.