The Real Story Behind the Game with Alvin that Broke the 28 Game Winning Streak

Posted by Peggy Carlisle

The day before the infamous loss to Alvin, Billy Carlisle made his debut at Galveston County Hospital. Needless to say, I was still in the Hospital when Alvin defeated Clear Creek, but I have to say in Coach's defense that he must have been somewhat distracted and probably hadn't eaten or slept very well the night before. I know he was very down when he came to see me after the game very late the same night. I remember that the Hospital nurse broke some rules about the visiting hours. A lesson I learned from the whole experience was not to ever have a child born during basketball season, if you happen to be a basketball coach's wife. Billy was born on Feb 11right in the middle of district play. I remember vividly driving myself to Victoria for a play-off game two weeks later, after first taking the children to Prairie Lea, where my parents still lived at that time. I was madly in love with my husband though, and I am sure I would do it all over again in a New York minute. He is still the love of my life.

Our regards to everyone,
Peggy and Coach

Comments

[Ed Davis]

Being a proud parent of two boys myself, I can guarantee that Coach would not trade a win over Alvin in that game for the thrill of little Billy coming into the world. Billy and Buddy have always made mom and dad proud through the years. Thanks for this post, Peggy. It was good to hear from you. Tell Coach hello from all of us.

[Dan Jensen]

Peggy, I don't know. You were in the hospital, "needless to say?"

I believe one of Coach's favorite sayings is, "Gut it out." Are you sure he didn't say that to you? It seems to me you should have been out of that hospital by the next night and cheering our Wildcats on.

I have always wondered who to blame for that unfortunate loss. Now I know.

And, you may have noticed that I don't pour the syrup on as heartily as Sir Edward Davis.

[Ed Davis]

Dan, I think the world knows by now that syrupy is not one of your strong suits. But, we all know that deep down you are probably a real cream-puff, being a sports writer and all.

[Frank McKinney]

Peggy,
I’m a little remiss in thanking you for your insight into the infamous game with Alvin that ended our 28 game winning streak. Since our days at SHSTC, Dan Jensen has been trying to place blame for this loss on me because I just happen to be wearing jersey number 29. I’m sure Coach was somewhat distracted for this game, but as I recall he did not play a single minute. I’m confident that I did my part by remaining permanently seated at the end of the bench. It was the big guns that didn’t get the job done. This Blog has not done an adequate job of chronicling the end of the “streak” that put Wildcat Basketball on the map. Dan needs to dig into his dusty archives and provide us with the box scores for this ill-fated game as well as the other three games with Alvin in which we were victorious. This will allow the collective brain trust of this Blog to analyze the data and document the finding for all mankind.

[Dan Jensen]

I have just arrived in Arlington and will be heading for League City tomorrow for the game and other things so I will be away from any box scores for a week. I'm not sure what they are supposed to prove anyway.

[Arthur Landriault]

I just so happen to have the orgional newspaper write-up that was put in the Houston Chronicle written by a sportswriter named Boo Odem. It is as follows;

CHEERLEADER FAINTS, FIGHTS OCCUR

ALVIN POURS WEBSTER'S STREAK DOWN THE DRAIN

Alvin,-- The word "defeat' in Webster Wildcats basketball dictionary means snapping of 28-game winning streak.

After 15 weeks of winning, the law of averages finally caught up with the Webster Wildcats.

The Alvin Yellowjackets, an old nemises, broke the skein here Friday night, 56-51, to throw District 27-AA into a tie and a playoff between the two clubs.

The game got to be so tense in the fading moments that a Webster cheerleader fainted and fistcuffs between players and fans resulted.

Facts are the best persuader.
The day wasn't Webster's. They held the lead but once,20-19,in the second period. That was for 15 seconds.

The Yellowjackets nursed leads up to 10 points during the contest.

Alvin jumped off to a quick,13-6, lead after seven minutes had elasped. From then on it was a case of catch-up for Webster.

In the first four minutes of the third period Alvin ran the count to 38-28 and coasted in on that bulge.

The closest the Wildcats got from then was 46-43 on Boonie Wilkening's jump shot with 6:25 left in the game.

But Wilking, Webster leading scorer, joined teammate Billy Coleman, the Wildcats' tallest man at 5 feet, 11 inches, as the results of 5 fouls and the game was easily Alvin's then.

Charles Watson led Alvin's scoring with 20 points. Leon Charleston dominated the rebounding for Alvin.

Wilkening scored 14 points for Webster which gives him a total of 400 points in 29 games.

The two out of three game series for the district crown will be played this week.

Alvin-- Fg Ft Pf Tp
Brawley........... 3 6 5 12
Charleston........ 2 0 5 4
Wherly............ 1 3 3 5
Watsen............ 8 4 4 20
Tomlinsen......... 3 3 3 9
Huerta............ 2 0 3 4
Totals.........19 18 25 56

Webster--
Goodman........... 2 1 3 5
Wilkening......... 6 2 3 14
Barba............. 2 3 2 7
Coleman........... 2 4 5 8
Witte............. 2 3 4 7
Landriault........ 3 4 2 10
Totals.........17 17 21 51

Officals......Forester and Johnson

Just for the record..Webster won the first two games of the playoff
series to advance to the By-district game with French Beaumont.

[Dan Jensen]

Which cheerleader of ours fainted? And which of our players were involved in a fight?

[Arthur Landriault]

I know which cheerleader fainted, but I can't say due to self incrimination. You can probably guess. I can't recall who was involved in the fight.

[Dan Jensen]

I thought Arthur was one of the star players on that team but he must have been a cheerleader instead. If he fainted that would explain why he did not know what player(s) was involved in the fight.

But, I really don't think he was a cheerleader and I really don't know who it was.

Regular bloggers Garvis Hadley and Pat Jensen were B teamers that year. Maybe their memory is better.

[Pat Jensen]

I don't remember any of it, which is a mystery because I would have been there and it sure seems something I would remember, especially the fighting part. However, I can add to the mystery by injecting a view from the enemy side of the court, though I can not attest to its accuracy. A little background first.

A few years ago, I stumbled into an acquaintance with Jerry McCrummen who played for Alvin and says he always had the assignment of guarding Boonie. He mentioned the "fight", as well as a Webster cheerleader fainting. His version is that he and Boonie were fighting for a loose ball and both fell into the stands. Boonie hit his head, and according to McCrummen was either briefly knocked out or so stunned he couldn't move. Boonie was on top of McCrummen, and since he didn't get off, McCrummen shoved him off and apparently there was a disturbance of some kind over that. According to McCrummen, Coach got involved somehow with McCrummen, which prompted McCrummen's mother to enter the fray and confront Coach over whatever it was he said or did to her little boy.

The mystery deepens now though, because the Chronicle box score that Arthur submitted doesn't show McCrummen as a player in that game. I would re-question McCrummen about it, but he passed away about six months ago.

[Arthur Landriault]

Dan,
After rechecking the newspaper article you are correct. Somehow I over looked that McCrummun was indeed a player on that team. He had 2-FG, 0-FT, 5-PF, 4-TP, for the night. After seeing that he had 5 fouls he probably was involve in the fight and his story was probably correct.

[Arthur Landriault]

Dan,
Just to clear up any mystery as to who the cheerleader was, it was Linda Booth.
Art

[Dan Jensen]

Arthur, just to clear things up further it was Pat that was friends with McCrummen and who made that post. Kind of hard to tell the way this blog is set up.

It was good to visit with you the other night and it's good to see you posting so much in here since.

We will have to be on separate sides next football season though when my Baylor plays your grandson's TCU team.

[Frank McKinney]

This good info, thanks guys.

[Dan Jensen]

Very, very bad news regarding Billy Carlisle. He had a heart attack after his game last night (Fri., Feb. 10) and died.

The Carlisles were at the game and were with him in his office. An ambulance was called but he could not be revived on the way to the hospital.