In the middle to late summer, some 25 years ago, it became customary for one of the younger employees at the University of Arkansas to drive Coach Wilson Matthews to a reunion of his former high school athletes on a Saturday evening in Little Rock.
It seemed there were never fewer than 110 to 130 former athletes on hand to pay homage to Matthews an hour or two later. Usually two or three former players would be complaining of long-ago woes while Coach Matthews would be trying to convince former fullback Henry Moore how wrong he was about some certain play in a long ago game.
Wilson and Martha Matthews showed a high entertaining value [both are now deceased] when grateful Arkansas Razorback fans were amused. Over a span of 20-some years, what we know now as “Wilson’s Tigers” started in any place that could hold enough food, drink and merriment.
“When Coach Matthews died,” George Clark said at one recent get-together, “I figured the reunion would last another two or three years maybe, and that would be it. But [except for the coach’s absence] there doesn’t seem to be any difference. People who live maybe 1,500 miles from Little Rock usually show up.”
Clark was an all-state running back on the Tigers’ undefeated 1956 team. So were running back Bruce Fullerton and quarterback Billy Moore. In those times, Central High was on a 33-game winning streak - not for the first time, and neither for the last. In fact, the reunion sheet invites the celebration of the “greatest football dynasty of the 20th century.”
Very hard to argue with across the 20th century , as far as high as high school football goes.
“Wilson’s Tigers” will be honoring the 60th anniversary of the 1953 team on Aug. 3, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Pulaski Heights Baptist Church at Hicks Hall, 2200 Kavanaugh Boulevard, in Little Rock.
“It gets tougher,” Clark said last week. “Reunions combined with football, I guess.”
A few years ago, someone asked him if he was in charge. Only up to a point, Clark said.
“I started out to be sure we had everybody’s name, address and so forth,” he said. “Everything that counted.”
“About six years ago, the fans of soccer and football in Tiger Stadium didn’t like each other very much. Ralph Brodie put together some things that probably neither the soccer nor football folks liked.”
Someone drew a vague impression that a bronzed head (Matthews) is possibly getting fitted for some other bronzed head to sit in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
“I think we can have another feed in the winter,” Clark said.
Sports, Pages 14 on 05/28/2013