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1956 West Blocton 

1956 West Blocton 
 Record: 10-0
 Head Coach: Morris Higginbotham
 
 The 1956 West Blocton  were chosen as Class 2A  State Champions by the Birmingham Post-Herald.
 Summary:
 


 Site  PF   Opponent  PA   W/L/T 
A 20   Tuscaloosa County 0 W
A 40   Brookwood 0 W
A 26   Greenville 14 W
H 34   Prattville 6 W
A 41   Greensboro 2 W
H 41   Thompson 14 W
H 41   Fayette County 18 W
H 34   Holt 0 W
H 59   Montevallo 6 W
A 34   Bibb County 7 W
  
37010-0-0 67


1956 West Blocton All-State Players
 Walt SansingB 1  BN


1956 West Blocton All-Star Players
 All American   
 Walt Sansing B Alabama  WW
 AHSAA-University of Alabama All-Star Game   
 Walt Sansing B Sr. Alabama  
 Roy Holsomback T Sr. 195 Alabama  
 Dave Hicks QB Sr. 210 Alabama  
 Tommy White HB Sr. 180 Alabama  


The 1956 version of the West Blocton Tigers came into the seaon with high hopes and great expectations. They fielded a veteran club with stars throughout the lineup. By season's end  West Blocton was awarded the 1956 State Championship as voted by the Birmingham Post Herald.

Three stars of the West Blocton powerhouse that won their last twenty games and 38 of their last 40 games went on to attend the University of Alabama. Walter Sansing and Tommy White were star halfbacks while Roy Holsombeck started at tackle. Sansing gained more than 1,200 yards in each of his last two seasons as a starter. He closed out his career with 226 yards rushing and three touchdowns against rival Bibb County.

As a junior he rushed for 1,205 yards and scored 20 touchdowns while throwing for two more scores. He followed that with 1,255 yards rushing and another 20 touchdowns. He also added eight scoring passes to his totals.

White shifted from fullback to halfback as a senior and responded with 940 yards and eleven touchdowns rushing despite missing one game. As a junior he ran for 822 yards while also serving as the team punter and was a terror on defense as a safety.

Fullback Bob Allen gained over 600 yards rushing the give West Blocton a very potent running attack that just proved to be too much for their opponents. Allen was the only starting member of the team that was not a senior in 1956.

Holsombech was considered the best lineman in the area and was twice named lineman of the week by the Tuscaloosa Quarterback Club.

West Blocton was coached by Morris Higginbotham who in his first four seasons at the helm went 38-2 with three undefeated teams. He came over from Walnut Grove after only one season there with a 7-1-1 record. He had attended the University of Alabama after graduation from Phillips high school in Birmingham. Between high school and college he actually played minor league baseball for two years.

The state championship was the second in a row as the 1955 edition of the West Blocton Tigers won the award given by the Birmingham News.


1956 West Blocton Roster
NO. NAME POS.
34 Thomas Medders  
49 Milton Lucas  
47 Roy Jones  
33 Bob Allen  
21 Floyd Lippcott  
26 Travis Hall  
32 Ken Broadhead  
33 Jacob Marchant  
41 Reed Martin  
44 Kenneth Reach  
81 Bobby Oglesby  
43 Travis Dailey  
46 Tommy White  
55 Morris Moody  
26 Paul Stewart  
30 Alden Little  
80 Ronald Burns  
28 Steve Davis  
45 Bill Cobern  
60 Donald Holland  
61 Frank Melsoni  
62 Bobby Hicks  
27 Walter Marsh  
73 Roy Holsombeck  
74 Wayne Cobern  
75 Jack Hicks  
76 David Hicks  
  Walter Sansing  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

The Alabama High School Athletic Association was first organized in 1921.