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Historically Pearland
By John D. “Mickey” Mark, President – Pearland Historical Society
Great Memories of Pearland Football Pearland High School Bi-District Champions 1941 Front row: Eugene Johnston, David Coker, Roy Mark, Orlen O’Day. Second row: Eugene Garner, Lester Hood, Nolan King, Harold F. Johnston, Ray Watson. Third row: Lloyd Mahaney, Warren Oblinger, Le Roy Watson, Owen Maynor, Billy Brocker, Charles Logan. Back row: Dan Paulk, Ray Flannery, Victor Shore, Edgar A. Lawhon, Coach Lloyd Hawkins.
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ears from now when someone writes a story about the history of Pearland sports, 2010 will undoubtedly come up as the greatest year. Last spring, the Pearland girl’s softball team brought home the state championship trophy; then this past summer, our Little Leaguers got to the finals of the USA World Series. And now, the Pearup for practice. He did get a field laid out and went on to win bi-district defeating land Oilers football team is the Texas on the east side of Pearland Street, did get New Waverly 52 – 0. At that time, sixClass 5A Division One Champion after deequipment for 18 players and did manage man play offs did not extend past bi-disfeating Euless Trinity, a team which was to schedule one game with LaMarque for trict. At the end of the season, Pearland rated as not only the number one team in the 1937 team. Pearland’s oldest native was to play Kinkaid, a private Houston Texas, but also number one nationally in born citizen, David Scott, was quarterschool, which also had an undefeated many polls. The memory of seeing the Oilback on that first team and scored the team. The Houston newspapers played ers play in Cowboy Stadium before over first touchdown ever scored by a Pearup the game as being for the unofficial six43,000 fans and also being on television land Oiler. David still lives in Pearland man championship of the State of Texas. will no doubt go down as one of the great on Grand Blvd. and at age 90 seldom Much like the papers didn’t give the Oilmoments in Pearland High School sports misses a Pearland Oiler game. ers much chance against Euless Trinity history. In 1938, Pearland did not field a team, in 2010, the Houston papers in 1941 felt For many old time Pearlanders in our but Coach Hawkins had found that the Kinkaid would give the Oilers a pretty Historical Society, this season has brought game of six man football was very popular good beating. Also, much like the Oilback a lot of memories about the start of in the mid-west; so he encouraged other ers of 2010, when the “unofficial” state football at Pearland High School. Football small schools in the area to go along with championship game ended, the Oilers had in Pearland started back in 1937 when Pearland and form a six-man district. In pummeled Kinkaid to the tune of 44-14, Pearland got a brand new high school after 1939, Pearland fielded its first six-man and the next day, the little community 22 years of our community’s kids attendteam, and by 1940, the district consisted of Pearland swelled with pride when the ing Webster High School after the great of Pearland, Friendswood, Santa Fe, DanHouston Post carried a big story about the storm of 1915 destroyed Pearland’s school. bury, League City, Dickinson, LaMarque game with action game pictures and also Prior to the opening of the new high school and Sweeny. pictures of the Pearland all girls drum and in 1937, Superintendent of Schools B. In 1941, the Pearland Oilers had their bugle corps. For 69 years, old time PearB. Ainsworth visited Stephen F. Austin first undefeated district champion team landers have reminisced about the Oilers College and recruited a football/basketof 1941. ball standout named Lloyd Now, the Oilers of 2010 Hawkins to be the coach at have given the 90,000 or the new school. Hawkins, so Pearland residents a who had never been to Pearmemory for years and years land, understood Ainsworth to come. A great year for to say there would be about Pearland athletics! For 65 boys coming out for footmany of us, it goes right beball. What Ainsworth had side that old 1941 memory. really said was that there One strange fact is that two were somewhere around teams playing for champion65 boys in the entire school ships at Cowboy Stadium, grades one through twelve. LaMarque in 4A and PearWhen Hawkins arrived in land in 5A, had been rivals Pearland, he faced the chalin that six-man district back lenge of laying out a football in 1941. One thing for sure, field, buying equipment and Pearland has always had a scheduling games for that great bunch of fans. fall. For more Pearland history, When school opened visit the Pearland Historical Society website @ www.pearlandhisin the fall of 1937, Coach toricalsociety.org H Hawkins had 13 boys show David Scott – 1937 David Scott – December 2010 pearland
magazine • January/February 2011
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