Tag: Richard Whybrew

HSHS All-Decade Team: 1960s

The 1960s era of Heber Springs football saw the game change with more liberal substitution rules and the Panthers coming close to pair of conference championships.

Bill Rosa took over coaching duties from Cecil Alexander for the 1960 season and the Panthers finished with a 1-7 mark, defeating Newport “B” in week 6.

James Staggs would take over in 1961 with a young assistant coach Isaac Witt helping out. After starting the season 0-3, the Panthers would close out the season by winning five in a row and finishing their first winning season since 1952. Heber Springs would down Carlisle, Harding Academy in 2B action, Searcy “B”, Cotton Plant and Beebe.

The next season, 1962, would see another new coach on the sidelines for the Panthers as former Arkansas Razorback fullback Darrell Williams (whose twin brother Jarrell would win 261 games and four state championships as a head coach at Springdale) took over the coaching duties, with Witt remaining as an assistant. The 1962 season also saw the opening of the current Panther Stadium as McCrory won the first game at the new field, 7-6. After downing Clinton, 13-7 on the road, the Panthers returned home for a week 3 contest with the coach Harold Horton-led Bald Knob Bulldogs. The match-up of former Razorback teammates would go to the Bulldogs but the Panthers would four out of their last six to finish with a winning record.

The Panthers fifth coach in as many seasons, Russell Sims, took over in 1963 — with Witt still in an assistant’s role. Heber Springs finished the season with a 3-7-1 mark, tying McCrory in the opener and downing Newport “B”, Beebe and Batesville “B”.

Sims and Witt stayed together in 1964 and led the Panthers to an historic 9-win season (the most wins in school history until 1979). The Panthers would meet Hazen in the next to last week of the season in match-up of ranked teams to determine the champion for district 2B. The Hornets would claim a 13-12 victory to earn the title.

With the success, Sims and Witt both left with Sims taking over the Mountain Home program. Richard Whybrew and former Clinton standout Stanley Stanton would lead the program for the 1965 and 1966 seasons. The Panthers would manager only two wins in each season, downing Clinton and Cotton Plant in 1965 and Cotton Plant and DeValls Bluff in 1966.

Witt would return for the 1967 season, this time as head coach, as Heber Springs would finish 1-9-1, downing Marshall in week two and tying Hazen in week 9.

Jim Patchell would join Witt’s staff for the 1968 and 1969 seasons as the Panthers would close out the decade by going 7-2 in 1968 and 7-3 in 1969. The 1968 squad lost a heartbreaker to Hazen, 12-7, in the final game of the season that would have earned the Panthers their second conference title.

After two decades in the 2B, Heber Springs moved up a classification as the school begin to grow in the late 1960s. The 1969 team was placed in the 2A-South but did not play a conference schedule. Instead, many newer programs that would later be conference rivals began football programs, including Mountain View, Vilonia, Highland, Marshall and Greenbrier; and the Panthers feasted on those programs going 9-0 against those schools.

The 1960s HSHS All-Decade Football Team

(Position, Player and Last Season Played)

OFFENSE

WR – Dennis DeBusk (1965)

WR – Dwight Olmstead (1968)

OL – Verlon Abram (1969)

OL – Wayne Bailey (1964)

OL – Charles Bradford (1960)

OL – John Cunningham (1965)

OL – James Robert DeBusk (1967)

QB – Rickey Pilkington (1968)

RB – Ronnie Lewellyn (1968)

RB – Bubba Ramsey (1961)

RB – Ernie Longing (1963)

K/AP – Jim Patchell (1962)

AP – Freddie Clayton (1964)

AP – Larry Robinson (1968)

DEFENSE

DL – Thurman Clark (1964)

DL – Joe Paul Daves (1962)

DL – Eddie Lacy (1968)

DL – Robert Walters (1966)

LB – David Lay (1968)

LB – Don Lucy (1964)

LB – Bill Cook (1961)

DB/P – Jerry Todd (1964)

DB – Wain Westerman (1968)

DB – Dan Verser (1963)

DB – Jeff Long (1964)

AP – Whit Birdsong (1969)

AP – Terry Lynn (1969)

AP – Gene McFarland (1962)

PREVIOUS DECADES

The 1950s HSHS All-Decade Team

The 1940s HSHS All-Decade Team

The 1930s HSHS All-Decade Team

The 1910s/20s HSHS All-Decade Team

Panthers expect to name new football coach Monday

January 20, 2020

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The search for Heber Springs’ next head football coach will end Monday night when a recommendation will be presented to the school board during its meeting.

Six candidates were interviewed by Superintendent Dr. Alan Stauffacher and a five-member search committee in December and then again in January.
The position became vacant in July when Darren Gowen resigned to accept another coaching position. Assistant coach Will Cox was named interim head coach for the 2019 season.

Athletic director Brad Reese, high school principal Marc Griffin, former school board member Richard Whybrew, current board member Dr. Ryan Buffalo and coach Jay Bishop comprise the committee.

Monday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. in the school district’s central office.

Interviews for Heber Springs football coach continue Wednesday

January 7, 2020

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

A second round of interviews with Heber Springs High School head football coaching candidates will be held on Wednesday.

The five-member search committee met last week after the initial interviews of six candidates in December.

Assistant coach Will Cox was named interim head coach in July, replacing Darren Gowen, who resigned in June.

Heber Springs finished the season at 4-7.

Superintendent Dr. Alan Stauffacher earlier said he expected a recommendation for the school board’s January 20 meeting. Stauffacher said the recommendation may be delayed.

Athletic director Brad Reese, high school principal Marc Griffin, former school board member Richard Whybrew, current board member Dr. Ryan Buffalo, coach Jay Bishop and Stauffacher comprise the committee.

Interviews begin today for Heber Springs football coach

December 18, 2019

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

A five-member search committee, along with Superintendent Dr. Alan Stauffacher, will interview six candidates to become the next head football coach at Heber Springs High School Wednesday.

Athletic director Brad Reese, high school principal Marc Griffin, former school board member Richard Whybrew, current board member Dr. Ryan Buffalo and coach Jay Bishop comprise the committee.

Stauffacher said the plan is to conduct the first round of interviews before Christmas and possibly calling for second interviews either in late December or early January. He said the committee’s goal is to have a recommendation ready for the Jan. 20 school board meeting.

Assistant coach Will Cox was named interim head coach in July, replacing Darren Gowen, who resigned in June.

“The committee and I met twice and reviewed the applications,” Stauffacher said. “We decided on who would be interviewed and possibly the best fit for the job. We plan to keep our options open. We wanted to do the first round of interviews before Christmas, and then we will look at where we are at that point.”

The search process began following the completion of the football season in mid-November.

“I’m pleased with the six candidates,” Stauffacher said. “We are looking for a quality person to lead the football program. We also want a coach who wants to be at Heber Springs, become vested into the community and build the program. We want a coach with high energy and a proven record. Those are some of the qualities we are looking for in the next coach.”

If a new coach is hired at the January school board meeting, Stauffacher hopes to have him on campus by late February or possibly early March.

“The holiday may delay it, but I believe we can have a recommendation by the next board meeting,” Stauffacher said. “We will have to wait and see how the process goes.”