Erie High School Football

By Lew Holloway and Jean Holloway

Prologue

From 1900 to the late 1940s, Northern Colorado Coal Fields led U.S. production. It took coal miners from Superior, Louisville, Lafayette, Erie, and Fredrick, who supplied coal throughout the western states. The labor was dangerous and demanding. As the mines shut down, so did the towns.

Unfortunately, education was not a priority in most miners’ homes. Coaches and teachers had many challenges. I’m confident a new coach was not aware of what was ahead. My estimation of the population in the early 1950s is that 60% of the town lived in poverty. The rest of the community was not much better off. These unfortunate residents did not have indoor bathrooms or running water. A large majority of homes were no more than shacks with dirt floors. The only heat was a kitchen coal stove. Often, a child’s clothing was hand-me-downs or donated by neighbors.

Erie had five active taverns, which were well-favored by the miners. A common practice was an intoxicated father would beat his wife and kids.

Football

I grew up in Erie during the 1940s. Our home was about two blocks south of the high school (now the middle school). Erie was a busy town during the early 40s; local coal mines were still active, especially during World War II. Nine mines were still productive, all within 5 miles of town. The Erie population was less than 1000 residents. High school graduating classes had less than 20 students. The high school facility housed grades 7 through 12. The primary sport was basketball; other sports were an afterthought. There was an appointed sports coach, usually a teacher with limited coaching knowledge. Several years later, Erie hired its first coach. He had majored in education (athletics) during his college studies.

I was very young, in my early 40s, and did not recall six-man football being played at the high school. I do remember basketball and track events. The school did have a dirt track south of the high school, across Wells Street. The dirt street ran east and west, ending at County Line Road (the middle school campus now covers this area).

Six-Man Football

Erie played six-man football on a dirt field adjacent (west) to the high school. The field ran from North Chesman Street to Wells Street on the south. The high school requested the town to use the street grader to maintain the playing area. Goat Head stickers, uneven ruts, weeds, and often rocks covered the entire field. Goat Head stickers were constantly on your mind. The stickers created a greater fear than being tackled to the ground. The thorns were painful and always festered up. Dust restricted visibility and caked around your eyes if the wind came up. The dirt grime covered your entire body. Tee shirts and jockstraps turned from white to a reddish-brown. They’d never be white again.

Uniforms

The first uniforms were a strange lot. Erie’s uniforms were “hand-me-downs” from the University of Colorado. They were used during the thirties. As a scrub junior high player, I remember the equipment was always too big for young kids. Shoulder pads lapped over the shoulders to near the elbow. Hip pads covered one’s thighs, about to your knees. Pants with knee pad protection often came close to protecting one’s ankles. Some uniforms were black, others tan. Most Erie kids had to wear their street shoes. Only the kids from families with comfortable incomes could afford football shoes. Others used canvas or street shoes. The CU donation included leather helmets they used in the 20s/30s. The leather helmets were usually too large for smaller heads. It was easy to shift the helmet and look through the ear hole. Often, the helmet chinstraps were missing. A string was substituted for the missing chinstraps. We looked like clowns, but in our world, we were thrilled and felt gifted about what we had. After all, being a poor community, kids had nothing.

Around 1951, Erie purchased its first football team uniforms. The total inventory consisted of eighteen bright orange uniforms with black leather helmets. On game day, the new game (18) uniforms were issued to players selected by the coach. Five or six white jerseys were on the bench, the reserve players. In 1954, the school purchased orange molded helmets (possibly polycarbonate). These helmets had face protection and a single nylon bar.

Gameday was on Friday afternoons. The spectators were high school students; seeing a parent or an adult at the game was an exception. Most of the teachers had no interest and were not on the sidelines. The opponents were other small towns, usually surrounding farm communities within 60 miles. The opponents usually showed up in a packed school bus. It had football players, cheerleaders, and students onboard.

A New Era (Coaching)

In 1951, Erie started eleven-man football. To the best of my knowledge, 1951 was the first year a coach with a physical education major was hired.

The first 11-man football coach was Glen Stenson. Two years later, coach David Lewis replaced him. He was a graduate of Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. Coaches had many duties, coaching football, basketball, track, and a school class assignment. I do not understand how teachers’ contracts were negotiated. But, Erie teachers, including coaches, rarely stayed for over two years. Most of the high school teachers were young ladies. Several teachers lived in Boulder, 15 miles west. A problem for Erie’s residency was that the town did not offer adequate housing or a normal lifestyle. The assistant coaches were teachers willing to help. I do not believe the assistant coaches received extra compensation for their time.

The first year of 11-man high school football was introduced. A junior-high program was also initiated. One of the first scheduled high school games was in Johnstown, Colorado. The football game was called the “Never Ending Contest.” The game started in the early afternoon and shut down at sunset. Neither team had scored in what would have been the regular game time. The players on both teams had lost their enthusiasm and were exhausted. Everyone was relieved that the game was canceled. The student timekeeper used a standard time watch. The inexperienced high school kid had not been properly instructed. He only kept time when the players were in motion. For both coaches not to have known the problem, they must have also been in the dark!

Coaching Challenges

By 1951, Erie was just a forgotten spot on a map. Most of the coal mines had closed, and the city declined quickly. The only businesses surviving were the taverns. Erie did not have television reception until about 1952. Very few residents were fortunate enough to own a television. During those years, I do not remember seeing televised football games.

Erie boys knew very little about organized football. Our football rules were made up in a vacant lot, changing from game to game, sometimes from play to play. I remember playing with a worn-out football stuffed with rags. One of the kids had a seriously dilapidated leather football helmet. Another boy had an Army Air Force surplus, canvas, rubber-eared, WW2 pilot helmet.

Only the famous ball players’ names were discussed. Chances their pictures were on a Wheaties box. A newspaper or magazine would have an article about football. We all knew Johnny Unitas, Otto Graham, and Frank Gifford. We never understood the meaning of football team franchises. In the early 50s, we admired the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Baltimore Colts for dominating pro football.

Teaching us rules and plays had to have been a coach’s nightmare. Erie kids were not disciplined, often running wild without parental supervision. During practice, there were fistfights on the field. Often, a player would be legally blocked, knocking another player to the ground. The grounded player became offended, and a fight occurred. Our coaches had to teach us sportsmanship. It was not unheard of that the coach would get physical with an unruly, out-of-control kid. He would shove him to the ground or slap him on the head. I never knew of a parent getting involved with the coach’s discipline. Parents often said, “You most likely deserve it.”

Football Progress

The high school constructed a football field in 1953. It was south of the school building, across Wells Street, and in the center of the existing track. A whirlybird-type irrigating system was installed around the football field sidelines. The grass was planted but never developed due to town water restrictions. Erie had a severe water shortage, which resulted in playing on a dirt field.

The Numbers

The entire team may have been 35 participants. We rarely had more than four or five talented athletes. Finding beef was no problem; 200-pound farm kids made up our linemen. I witnessed a farm kid (team tackle) who could knock a cow to its knees with a fist punch.

It was difficult to assign player positions. Due to a lack of talent, the coach often moved us around during the game. Most of the backup players on the bench were often only spectators, many thin and fragile. There were no differentials between defense and offense teams. You played both throughout the game. When a first-string player was injured, his replacement was some kid sitting on the bench. The anxious kid on the bench held up his hand as if he were in a classroom.

Sanitation

Another coach’s nightmare was teaching hygiene. I will never forget the unsanitary conditions of the locker room. The pungent smell was noticeable. It extended out into the hallway.

Erie kids didn’t appreciate or understand personal hygiene or sanitary conditions. The school did not use a commercial laundry service. Laundering was a player’s responsibility. The players had to take tee shirts, sweatshirts, socks, and jockstraps home. Most athletes did not wash their undergarments. The filth became dangerous. Often, items became unwearable and stunk beyond belief. I remember several lockers with filthy garments hanging. Due to sweat, the tee shirts appeared to be heavily starched brown rags. Garments were so stiff they could stand in the locker. Kids stealing another’s tee shirt and even a dirty jockstrap was not unusual. We all had severe cases of athlete’s foot and jock itch. The locker room was a luxury for many boys; they could now shower. Kids came from homes without indoor running water or toilets. A teammate told me he had never taken a shower or a bath until he used the high school locker room shower. His family took turns sponge bathing with hot water from a pan once a week at home.

Gridiron Dreams

The vision of going on to college was only a dream. Coal mine fathers looked forward to the 16-year-old boys working in the mines or farm fields. It was a common practice to quit school after the eighth grade. Most coal miners did not see education as an essential priority. They also expected their boys to leave school and work. Farm kids were the exception; they had greater parental guidance. The farmers knew their business would fail if they did not keep up with progress. This guidance often pushed them to pursue higher education.

Football improved considerably six years after 11-man football was first introduced. Erie became a Class “B” football power. In 1956, Erie played in the Colorado State Championship game at Center, Colorado. Erie lost the game without playing. The coach forfeited the final playoff game. Several players got drunk the night before. An assistant coach had purchased the alcohol.

Epilogue

The town of Erie hit a real low in the late fifties and sixties. Erie turned into a ghost town; businesses had closed along with the coal mines. Most stores and shops on the business on Briggs Street were boarded up. Only a few beer joints (taverns) survived. I do not know how the town collapse affected the schools. By this time, I had moved to Lafayette, Colorado.

Erie is in the extreme southwest corner of Weld County. The school system was under Weld County’s control. Sometime later, Colorado changed school administrative authorities. County school control and boundaries no longer existed.

The change made a significant improvement for the Erie School system. As the Denver metropolitan area grew, Erie became a Denver suburb. This change pulled it out of being a depressing slum town.

From 1950 through 1957, I only knew two athletes who received a football scholarship. One failed to get through fall training; the other made the team. I played the game for several years, including a short stay with the Denver Broncos.

My life had moved on, and I lived far from Colorado. I did not keep up with Erie High School sports until recent years. Erie High School football has become a state-wide power. Knowing we kids were part of the beginning 11-man football team is rewarding. Team coaches had to build from such limited resources.

**The photographs are intended only to help you understand the story. They have been taken off the internet, copyright-free photos.