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   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.






1955 Luverne Tigers


          Coach Glenn Daniel is as fine a gentleman as you'll ever want to meet.  His wife died about a year ago, but he is doing fine, with some health problems.  I never heard Coach Daniel use profanity.  He instituted the winged T offensive formation and the 6-1-2-2 defensive formation (a single linebacker head-on the center).  At practice, we scrimmaged more than we practiced the fundamentals of blocking and tackling.  I think Coach Daniel realized that we were already well versed in the fundamentals, because our previous coach (Clarence "Jocko" Norton, who had  been a back on the Auburn University squad) had really emphasized the fundamentals.  Coach Daniel's winged T formation allowed us to do some pretty good faking on every play, and often nobody but the team knew who had the ball.

     We ran the triple option a lot (we called it the "belly play"). The quarterback would hold the ball in the fullback's belly as they ran toward the defensive end.  If the defensive end committed on the fullback, the quarterback would remove the ball and slant to the outside or inside, keeping the ball until just before a defender hit him, when he pitched it (if he could) to the trailing halfback.  If the defensive end looked like he was going to guard the outside, and there was no linebacker in the hole, the quarterback often just gave the ball to the fullback.  Sometimes the quarterback kept the ball in the fullback's belly and they both ran together into the defensive backfield until a defender threatened.  We had lots of luck with this play.  Another play we had, that you don't see much anymore, was a quick lateral to a halfback who moved from his three-point stance directly to the outside.  The lateral was an underhanded spiral that traveled about four yards.  Timing was everything on that play, and if it worked right, the halfback turned the corner before the defense knew what had happened.
 Coach Glen Daniel 
          When the offensive team set, the quarterback would call out the defense (e.g., 5-4) and then call out a two-digit number (e.g. 43).  The two-digit number meant nothing unless it began with a one or a nine (If I remember correctly).  If the two-digit number began with a one, it meant that the quarterback would throw a quick pass to the left end.  If it began with a nine, it meant that the quick pass would go to the right end.  If the quarterback tapped the center on his rear, it meant that there would be a quarterback sneak that only the center and quarterback would know about.  We used lots of these "automatic" plays to beat Andalusia.  We had beaten them the previous year, and they were out for blood (Andalusia had a very powerful team and a lot was expected of them.  The Montgomery Advertiser had predicted the game:  Andalusia 35, Luverne 0).  Andalusia scouted us and designed a specific defensive alignment to defeat our strengths.  But, they didn't count on our "automatics".  At the half, we had them 19-0 and held on for a 19-14 win.

          Lewis Gholston (number 39 in the photo) made first-team all-state at end.  Back then, the all-state players were selected from all the schools, whatever their classification.  I made honorable mention as a back.  We had other players that deserved at least honorable mention.  There is no doubt that John West (number 38 in the photo) should have made all-state, at least second-team I believe.  But, back then, publicity counted a lot in the selection of the all-state players.

          It should be noted that Elba's Marlin Dyess and Mack Wise both made first team all-state as backs.  I believe Elba (also only a 2A school) had the best high school football team in the state that year.  They shut out Dothan in the annual Peanut bowl (14-0, I think).

          Coach Daniel is a rare type of man.  It is heartening to know that a coach can succeed without yelling, cursing, etc.  He was always a gentleman and a fine Christian man.  He played basketball for Adolph Rupp at Kentucky.  You might want to read from "Tales from Alabama Prep Football" by Ron Ingram and Rubin E. Grant.  In the chapter "Distinguished Coaches", they write about Coach Daniel. 

          One more thing:  In our opening game against Georgiana in 1955, they had us 18-0 at the half.  During the halftime break, Coach Daniel said nothing until we were ready to go back out on the field.  Then he said, "Let's go, girls."  We scored 20 points in the second half to win 20-18.


 
Best regards,

David Williams
Quarterback and Co-Captain
1955 Luverne Tigers


 

Luverne Tigers of 1955
 Top Row: Manager Jimmy Head, West, Boswell, Jackson,Jeter, Gholston, Bodiford, Burkes,
Sikes, Armstrong, Johnston, Murry, R. Moore, Penn, Phillips, Coach Glen Daniel
Bottom Row:  Brown, Norman, L. Johns, Hargrove, Petrey, Williams, Lightfoot,
J. Johns, J. Johnson, Pittman, Ballard, Hall



1955 Luverne Tigers
20 Georgiana 18
0 Elba 47
40 Highland Home 7
19 Andalusia 14
33 Brantley 0
19 Ft. Deposit 7
7 Troy 6
34 Ramer 6
26 Florala 12
41 Bullock County 13
239 9-1 120 

    Dec. 12, 2007
   ASHFHS.org



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