Our Baseball Champions in Days of Yore

Posted by Dan Jensen

     This year's baseball team, despite a late season slump that cost it a district championship, is now battling its way through the playoffs. 

     I recall that, in days of yore, we were in the playoffs under a system that included only district champions and, although we had good teams, did not advance far.  I need help from the rest of you for some details. 

     The first baseball district winner was in 1957.  We beat a good West Columbia team in bid-district but then lost to Northside San Antonio.  I recall the starting lineup of that veteran, competitive team very well.  Gary Brizendine and Chuck Trcka were good pitchers throwing to catcher Tom Goodman and they switched to first base when not on the mound.  Bobo Fredericks was at second, Stanley Magee the shortstop with Robert Brown at third.  William Frost, James Davis and Buddy Witte were the outfielders from left to right.  All were seniors with the exception of juniors Trcka, Fredericks, and Witte. 

     Terry Mathis will have to confirm this but I believe the next champ was in 1967.  I do not remember the bi-district champion but we lost to a Beaumont team at the next level.  I remember that Terry and Robbie Copeland gave us strength up the middle and that junior Scooter Lenox was a very good pitcher but need Terry, or someone, to help me with the rest. 

     Jim Mallory, the current coach, came to Clear Creek for the 1978 baseball season and we won a plumb loverly state championship in 1991.  He has coached other champions, too, but I will have to defer to others for the details on those also.  Too bad that Lynn Davis can't type.

Comments

[Terry Mathis]

I know we did not win district in 1965 or 1966. Alvin won in 65 and I don't know who did in 1966, since there was not a lot of press back then. You actually had to be at the game to know the score, and who won. I don't remember who we beat in bi-district, but Beaumont Forest Park beat us in regionals in Beaumont 1-0, after all of our seniors stayed up all night (Senior Prom), after being told the game the next day would be cancelled because of the down pour of rain in Beaumont, but somehow the officials required us to play the game due to scheduling conflicts of the State Tournament the following week. Forest Part eventually lost to South San Antonio in the State Championship game 3-0. At the time South San was the King of baseball. and here I just thought they played Basketball. From 1958 to 1967, they won 7 State Championships, in 58, 59, 61, 63, 64, 66, and 1967, and they haven't been to the state tournament since, sounds familar doesn't it, ie. Clear Creek in basketball. Our infield in 1967 was Alan Hansen 1B, Robbie Copeland 2B, Bobby Walton 3B, Terry Mathis SS, and Jimmy Cornelius C. And Scooter could pitch almost as good as he could shoot the basketball. We had a lot of good talented players, that could play football, basketball, and baseball, in 1967. I will still nominate 1967 as the most successfull overall sports year in Clear Creek history.

[Dan Jensen]

After you tell us who those outfielders were, give us some detail on that very good sports year of 1967. Our old warhorses may not be interested but I am.

[Terry Mathis]

The outfielders on the 1967 baseball team were Tommy Sanders, Tommy Kilgore, Bonnie Spears, Allan Collier, and Mike Claessens. Another note of interest is that our back up catcher was Lynn Davis. Again in 1967 we went to the regional game against Bridge City in football. I am still trying to find out who we beat in bi-district, is there any help out there? Bridge City beat Conroe in their bi-district game, and we were in the top 10 in the state. In basketball we ended up the 3rd best team in state. In baseball we lost in the regionals to the 2nd best team in the state in AAA. If we would have won (1) more game each in football and baseball we would have sent all (3) teams to state. Again, can any year top that?

[Dan Jensen]

Lynn Davis phoned this afternoon. He said he still had not learned to type. He didn't say if his wife dialed the phone for him or not.

He passed on the bad news that Clear Creek lost to Cypress-Fairbanks today in the rubber game so our season is over.

We also talked about a district champion that he played on. It was in 1968 and that made two straight. The Wildcats were undefeated in district play and took a 16-2 record into bi-district against El Campo but lost two straight. Jack Thornton was the coach for just that one year.

Lynn pointed out that we had beaten El Campo in bi-district the year before before losing two straight 2-0 games to Beaumont Forest Park.

Scooter Lenox was the ace pitcher again and he and catcher Lynn Davis were the district co-MVP. Mike Bolden was the number two pitcher and he and Scooter played first base when they didn't pitch.

Around the infield it was Buzzy Barcelona at second, Jimmy Huepers at shortstop and Ronnie Lenox at third.

The McKee brothers, Danny and David, were in center and right field but Lynn could not remember who the left fielder was.

As before, it was really good to talk with Lynn. But, I sure wish someone would teach him to type.

[Dan Jensen]

Twice Terry has asked if any school year was more successful athletically than his senior year of 1966-67.

This is an excellent question and one that we ought to explore. I also believe it deserves a thread of its own and will send it along to Ed Davis for origination.

[Dan Jensen]

This could be a very special day for Clear Creek baseball coach Jim Mallory. Not only can Mallory notch his 500th career victory with the Wildcats today, but he can do it coaching against a former player.

Creek (3-2) plays Seguin (5-0) at 1 p.m. today in the opening round of the CCISD varsity baseball tournament at Wildcat Field.

The Matadors are coached by Curtis Hosek, a Creek grad who played for Mallory.

“I know it’s going to be special for him to come back home and get to coach on the field he used to play at,” said Mallory, who is coaching his 29th year at Creek.

[Dan Jensen]

Jim Mallory notched his 500th-career victory as the Clear Creek baseball team’s head coach on Thursday.

Mallory’s Wildcats scored eight runs in the third inning en route to a 12-2 win over the Seguin Matadors in the CCISD tournament at Wildcat Field.

Mallory, starting his 29th season as the Wildcats’ coach, picked up the historic win at the expense of a former player. Seguin coach Curtis Hosek is a Creek graduate, who played for Mallory from 1991 through 1994.

“Kind of a dubious honor, isn’t it — to be his 500th win?” Hosek joked.

Yet Hosek praised his former mentor.

“He demanded excellence at all times, and I don’t think that his expectations are too high,” Hosek said. “He’s the last of the old-school, hardnosed coaches. He’s one of the last of that breed that I know, but he’s produced results year-in and year-out, and that’s to be commended.”

Mallory tried to downplay the moment, giving credit to his players — past and present — including Hosek.

“I guess you can say when you’ve been given an opportunity to stay in a profession at a good place with good kids, that certain mark will eventually come, and today happened to be it,” Mallory said. I guess I’m working on 600. I hope I can get that. I don’t know. I’ve been blessed with good kids.”

Mallory improved to 500-298 as Creek’s head coach. He’s 547-327 overall as a head baseball coach.

It appeared the record might have to wait. Seguin (5-1) scored two runs in the second inning. Creek starter James Wooster hit the first two batters — Brad Reiley and Adam Perry — to start the inning. He then balked both over, when he started to throw to first on a pick-off attempt, but didn’t throw the ball.

Mallory promptly pulled him, replacing him with Jack Pollard.

“We talk about the journeys we go through this season,” Mallory said. “We start with a pretty big margin. But as you get closer to district, that margin of error gets smaller. You just don’t make mental mistakes like that. Hopefully, he learned a lesson.”

[Roland Castanie]

Does anyone know how to contact Tommy Kilgore, class of '67 ?

[Dan Jensen]

Try this to e-mail Tom Kilgore. It is courtesy of Lynn Davis.
[email protected]

See how informative it is to come to this blog. I hope you will do so frequently--and post.

[Lester Curtner]

Clear Creek's football team beat Lamar Consolidated in 1967 for Bi District 3A playoffs. We went on to play Bridge City at Baytown Lee's stadium and lost. In 1968 the UIL integarted all black schools and our district had a North and South Zone. The winners of each Zone had a play off game. Clear Creek won the North Zone and we lost the district play off to Galveston Central. In 1969 Central was merged with Ball High and Clear Creek moved up to 4A.

[Lester Curtner]

I need to correct the years above.
1966 football season we played Lamar Consolidated and Bridge City in the state play offs and finished with a loss to Bridge City in the quarter finals.

In 1967 we won our North Zone District as we went undefeated in our zone which included La Porte, Channelview, EC Elmore and Aldine Carver. We also had key wins over Bay City, Lamar Consolidated and Cypress Fairbanks. Our losses were to El Campo and St Thomas along with the Galveston Central Loss. El Campo lost to Brownwood in the state finals and St Thomas went on to win state in their division. El Campo beat Galvest Central in Bi District.