I just had to have a serious talk with my crystal ball. I took it out of its drawer and plunked it on top of my desk.
I said, “You told us the UTEP football team was going to be 3-0 after its first three games. It went 1-2. What have you got to say for yourself?”
For the first time I can remember, the crystal ball looked sheepish. It hung its head and said, “I’m as disappointed as you are. In those two losses the Miners were simply out-played and out-coached if not out-fought. I guess I underestimated the inexperience of both coach Sean Kugler and quarterback Jameill Showers. They’re both rookies.”
THE ORB SHOOK its head and went on. “I also underestimated the strength of both New Mexico and UT San Antonio. They were really much better than I expected. But I’m not giving up on the Miners yet. I still think they’ll win some games. Look, it takes a coach and a quarterback time to get the hang of things. I think they have shown some promise and will continue to get better.”
I frowned. “Well, they’d better,” I said. “You really went out on a limb by saying they’d win nine games. After seeing their first three games, how many do you say they’ll win now?”
The crystal ball looked down at its toes, made a little circle with them and, with fingers crossed, it said, “six?”
TRIVIA QUESTION: Alabama has been the power in college football the past several years. But which college has the most football victories overall and where does Alabama rank? Answer at end.
LAST WEEK’S column about El Paso High School brought pleasant memories to Elizabeth McAlmon. Her late husband, George, and other of her relatives graduated from there. Somehow, she wound up with a yearbook of the 1915 El Paso High School which was located then on Arizona Avenue. The new El Paso High School opened in 1916 and the previous one was turned into an elementary school and renamed Morehead Elementary. That 1915 yearbook is a real treasure of memories.
AND WHILE on the subject of El Paso High School, two of the greatest athletes ever to don a football uniform there passed away this month within days of each other: Bill Chesak and Bill Squires.
Chesak was a powerful running back who made the 1945 All-State high school team and went on to star at UTEP. He helped the Miners reach the 1950 Sun Bowl game and scored the game’s first touchdown as the Miners beat Georgetown, 33-20. I got to know him well later in life and found him always to be a friendly, out-going guy one couldn’t help but like. He passed away at the age of 84.
BILL SQUIRES preceded Chesak at El Paso High. He was your typical quarterback – tall, handsome and with a great arm. He led the Tigers to their most successful football season ever, not only winning the district title but advancing past the bi-district game on penetrations. He was named the district’s most valuable player and received All-State honorable mention that year.
He had a long and fruitful life and died at the age of 89. I had the privilege of writing a column about his exploits shortly before his death. Although he was very ill and could hardly talk, he was such a gentleman and so gracious he called me and thanked me for it.
Both Bill Chesak and Bill Squires are legends in local high school lore. They’ll long be remembered.
ANSWER to trivia question: Michigan was number one in total number of football victories going into this season with 903. Alabama is ninth with 827 behind Yale 871, Texas 867, Notre Dame 865, Nebraska 856, Ohio State 837, Oklahoma 831 and Harvard 829.