Book on Jowers Includes Our Guys

Posted by Dan Jensen

 

Buddy Carlisle has told me of a recently published book on Milton Jowers, the Southwest Texas coaching legend.  I just received the book and found it interesting.

 

Coach George Carlisle played for Jowers and the book mentions several other names that would be familiar to us as well.  Les Talley, Joddie Witte, Boonie Wilkening, and Chuck Trcka all played for Jowers and Curley Lenox is also mentioned.  Henry Bauerschlag also played for Jowers but is not mentioned.

 

I will share some of the portions of the book in the days to come.

Comments

[Dan Jensen]

In the book, Jowers is quoted as saying: "In my relations as a coach with a boy, I want him to feel that I will treat him fairly. This doesn't mean that I will be easy on him. I had rather he respect me as a man and as a coach rather than to like me personally, although I would hope that I could get that same respect and be liked."

His batting average with our Coach Carlisle was only .500 and that likely was the case with many of his players but he did produce outstanding coaches.

Jowers died of cancer in 1972 at age 58.

[Dan Jensen]

I had long known that Coach Carlisle gave up a year of football eligibility to come to Webster because he had transferred from Baylor to Southwest Texas after one semester. But, I did not know that he had tried to quit football earlier and concentrate on basketball.

Vernon McDonald, an assistant to Jowers then long time head coach, was the one who compiled the stories of former players and produced the book. He included the following section:

"George Carlisle was a great athlete who played both football and basketball and was first team all-conference in each one. At the start of his senior year he came in to see Coach Jowers and told him that he had decided not to play football his last year of college. Coach didn't respond right away, so George asked him was that all right? Coach calmly told him that it would be just fine but there was one catch. If he did not play football and basketball both, he would just be on a half scholarship. George played both sports."

Peggy Carlisle provided me with McDonald's e-mail address and I discussed this with him. Part of his response was, "Can you imagine telling his best football and basketball player that?????"

[Dan Jensen]

Clear Creek has had several coaches with gaudy records but none better than Les Talley's from his junior high and junior varsity teams.

Talley was one of our coaches who played for Jowers. In the book, he is pictured with the 1952 team that lost only one game all year--in double overtime at the national tournament.

Talley is standing next to Jowers in the picture but claims it was not because he was the coach's pet.

Elsewhere in the book, it is mentioned that he teamed with Pence Dacus to win a conference championship in tennis.

He also coached a girl's doubles team state champion at Clear Creek.

[Dan Jensen]

Coach Carlisle had great success at Clear Creek with the tandem post offense and 1-3-1 matching zone on defense. Both originated with Milton Jowers.

His 1960 national champions utilized both and Boonie Wilkening and Chuck Trcka were players on that team.

McDonald says in the book, "It is best if you have a left-handed guard to play on the right side of the offense since he will be dribbling with his left hand. This player should be a good shooter too. Boonie Wilkening was the perfect fit for this position.

"On playing the 1-3-1 defense, the baseline man must be quick and be able to guard both corners whenever the ball is there. Bonnie Wilkening was right for this job.

"The good part about this team was the second team. Either Chuck Trcka or Donny Schmeltekopf handled the point guard very adequately. Chuck was the better scorer and Donny was the better defensive man."

Jack Worthington was also on that team and later coached at Clear Creek for three years in the seventies.

[Buddy Carlisle]

I do think that most ex Clear Creek/Webster basketball players would really enjoy the book. Vernon McDonald has long been a family friend along with his wife, Delores. I coached against his son, Lynn, at Clear Lake for many years and he has recently retired from teaching and coaching. His son, Donny, is still coaching girls basketball at Hays Consolidated and led his team to the state tourney this past year.

I told Dan that I can't speak to the Jowers decision about the picking basketball over football because dad never shared that story with me. I just knew he was all-conference in both.

[Dan Jensen]

Coach Jowers went to Southwest Texas at the same time that Lyndon Johnson was attending. These two did not get along very well. Coach also hated the fact that Lyndon would sneak into the gym and shower from time to time since his home did not have a shower or else it was too busy. He did like the fact that both were Democrats. When Lyndon Johnson first ran for the Presidency, Coach Jowers went to vote and when he returned I (McDonald) asked him how he voted,and he said that never thought that he would vote for anything that had to do with Lyndon Johnson but that he had voted for him because he was a Democrat.

[Dan Jensen]

The team made a Christmas trip in 1964 for several games. The trip took them to Washington, D.C. and Southwest Texas alumnus Lyndon Johnson was president at the time.

The White House sent a note regarding a meeting with the President. The team was taken into the cabinet room. The President was late in getting there but he finally came in with a big old grin and said, "Hello Bobcats."

There is a picture of that team meeting with Johnson. Curley Lenox is standing right behind and to the side of President Johnson.

[Dan Jensen]

Paul Hackett played basketball at Southwest Texas after Vernon McDonald had succeeded Jowers as coach. He was asked if he knew Jowers.

"I do know Coach Jowers. I actually had him for one course as Phys Ed was my minor. He was thrown from a horse that semester and we drove all over San Marcos trying to find a horse with a cast on its leg similar to the one Jowers had on his arm. He was a cranky and craggy old bugger."

[Dan Jensen]

For the book, McDonald collected several submissions from former players. Joddie Witte is the only one of our guys who shared any and he has several, some of which appeared in this blog long ago.

Another has to do with Jowers helping him get a high school coaching job. The first offer was from Lyford but it turned out that he liked one from Hutto better.

"I received a call inviting me for an interview for the vacant athletic director's job and head coach in all sports. In fact, the only coach in the system--grades 7-12. Hutto had great tradition and some good athletes. The teaching assignment included Physics, Math, American History and two science classes, plus a morning bus route. The salary was less than Lyford ISD and house rent was $25.00 a month. After reflecting on the two offers, I accepted the job at Hutto.

"The next day, Jowers called me into his office and said that when he recommends someone for a job, he did not expect it to be turned down. I explained to him why I accepted the offer at Hutto. It was obvious that he was upset. My decision turned out to be a good one. We played for the state championship in boys' basketball in my second year at Hutto.

"The point to be made, in this, my first experience in the hiring process, was that Jowers had a tremendous reputation statewide for producing outstanding coaches and teachers. I can remember for several years, when one would check the programs for the state basketball tournament, the largest number of coaches listed with tournament teams had graduated from SWT.

"He was a legend in Texas public schools for producing excellent coaches. There will never be another person who will be able to achieve the reputation he had with Texas superintendents."

[Dan Jensen]

More comments from Vernon McDonald:

"He was a really great coach. He was the meanest guy in the world. He knew how to coach you. When he coached me, if he chewed me out, I took it personally. I thought he hated my mother, my daddy, I'd hang my head, and I was through. He would not chew me out while we were playing. He'd just take me out."

"In 1959, we got beat by Tennessee State. (Note: In the national tournament.) One of the officials in that game was from Nashville, Tennessee. This guy called a miserable, terrible, awful game. Coach Jowers screamed and yelled and hollered and they gave him a technical. We got beat by one point. One point. We lost our chance to win the whole thing.

"The next year we were back up there and the same referees were in there. We were sitting up in the stands, scouting. This same referee was calling the game. He grabbed his chest, fell to the floor and died right there. And Coach Jowers said, 'He deserved it.' I said 'Coach!' Jowers said again, 'He did deserve it.'

"He didn't hold a grudge, did he? He was a mean son of a gun."

[Ed Davis]

I noted with interest the mention of one of Jower's players named Donny Schmeltekopf, who played at the same time as Chuck Trcka (see earlier comment above).

Well, I have a friend here in Waco who was a person high in administrative circles at Baylor University and who also was a parent of one of my students while I was Headmaster at a Waco college preparatory school. His name is Don Schmeltekopf and I inquired if he was the aforementioned Donny and he owned up to it indeed being him.

So I sent him some links to the blog and this article and some of the other posts which mention Coach Jowers for his reading enjoyment. I hope he reads them and adds some comments of his own.

Small world I guess!!!!

[Don Schmeltekopf]

Yes, a small world indeed. I had no idea Ed Davis had played basketball at Clear Creek as did Joddie Witte, Boonie Wilkening, and Chuck Trcka, all of whom were my teammates at Southwest Texas for several years. When I came to Baylor in 1990 (and I'm still there), Ed was my host during a preliminary visit--and a fine host he was. And, yes, later he turned up as the Headmaster at Vanguard School where my son, Stephen, was in attendance.

Great memories!

[Dan Jensen]

CAUTION: Reading of the comment below may be hazardous to your health or infect your computer with a strange virus. It appears to have been written by a deranged imitator of Dan Jensen or by ol' Dan himself while in one of his semi-senile states. Read at your own risk.

Don, welcome. It's good to meet another who survived the San Marcos Death March. How about some Jowers stories from you?

Some background on Ed Davis. He was only a two year starter at Clear Creek. The good ones started three years--like Boonie Wilkening and Bennie Lenox.

Ed was a senior on the 1959 team. It was one that, until this year, was the sorriest in school history.

He also had the poor judgment of marrying a Houston Milby alumna.

[Ed Davis]

What Dan failed to mention is that our 1959 team played a lot of excellent teams, won our district without losing a game, and lost out going to the state tournament by one game, losing in the regional finals game. Our record was 26-11, elevating the team to a level high above "sorry" for everyone but Dan it appears. Note that most of those 11 losses were to teams 2 classifications higher than that of the Wildcats of that day.

But, then, Dan is a great example of that old saying: Those that can actually play the game; those that can't just write about them.

Since we are good friends, I am sure Dan meant to say good things about the guy managing this blog who could just delete everything anyone writes. You just gotta understand his sense of humor to read through what is really there. I am sure ol' Dan can come up with something a little more positive to say to someone who is a friend of this here blog manager.

Finally, I am happy to say that I was quite fortunate, as Don knows, to have married that beautiful and charming Milby Buffalo gal 47 years ago and who had the distinct honor of being named the 1994 Texas State Teacher of the Year. Dan was also fortunate to have married one of them Milby gals himself.

Good to hear from you as usual, Dan!!!!

[Dan Jensen]

I've long known that we cannot trust Ralph Parr for accurate season records but now Ed has joined him.

His 1959 team had a 27-14 record. It would have been better but Ed refused to pass the ball to Bennie Lenox. His attitude must have been, I'm a senior, you're a junior. Your time is next year.

But, I've taken too many shots at that team. It had some really good people and really battled back after those early season losses to bigger schools.

Now, back to the subject. I am glad for the posts of Don and Ed and hope that others with comments on Jowers will contribute.

[Dan Jensen]

There are a couple of sections in the book on Chuck Trcka.

Hugh Taylor, who married Chuck's sister, e-mailed me this: "Chuck said there was more to
the story about him & his college coach that the story is not correct."

I have asked Hugh for specifics from Chuck and if they are not soon forthcoming, I will share the quotes from the book.

[Ed Davis]

Well, now it is evident that Dan was only an observer of the game. Anyone who ever played the game with my good friend Bennie Lenox will tell you that you only had to pass the ball once to him before he shot it - and I had no problem with that!!!! My main job was making sure he got the ball. So if there were records kept on assists, I probably would be leading the pack based on Bennie's scoring average for us.

I am still trying to figure out the 27-14 instead of the 26-11 record, Dan. I looked back into the 1959 yearbook and it also shows a 26-11 record.

Oh, well. Such details are kind of trivial at this point in my life. More important things to think about than that.

[Dan Jensen]

As I explained on another thread in this blog, Ralph Parr once printed a string of wrong season records. I asked him where he got his information and he said yearbooks.

I never knew Ralph and Ed were so much alike.

Yes Ed, I was an observer of the game--a close observer and keeper of records. Ed, you can believe me or Ralph. It's your choice. And, accurate records are never trivial.

[Ed Davis]

I agree about accurate records not being trivial. What I think at this point as trivial is the consuming worrying about them when there are far more important things to think about. Life is full of choices and that is my choice right now. 26-11 or 27-14?? It was fun no matter what it correct. And the memories are even better.

[Dan Jensen]

In 1957 Boonie Wilkening was practicing shooting the ball and getting back on defense. Boonie always played on the baseline when we were on defense playing our 1-3-1 zone. One day in practice Boonie told Coach Jowers that if he shot the ball then he could not get back on defense quick enough. Coach told him that he could and Boonie said, "No way."

That was not the right thing to say to Coach Jowers because Coach told Boonie to just shoot the ball with no one else on the court and then start running back on defense. Coach told him that he, Coach Jowers, would get the rebound or the ball if it went in and he would throw the ball all the way to the other end as soon as he got it. He also told Boonie that he better not get the ball to the opposite end of the court before Boonie got there. Boonie shot the ball and Coach caught it and threw it to the other end of the court time after time. Boonie did get back most of the time and if he hadn't, he still might be running down the court. Finally, and out of breath, Boonie decided that he could get back on defense when he shot the ball.

[Dan Jensen]

One year when the Bobcats were playing in the National Basketball Tournament, the sponsor of our team asked Coach Jowers if he could take the entire team to the roof of some big-time restaurant and feed the players. Coach told him he surely could and then proceeded to tell the team to go put on their Sunday best clothes, 'cause we were going to eat with the big shots in Kansas City. We did eat on the top floor of some very tall building and the food was scrumptious. When we were through eating all the players went by the sponsor and shook his hand and thanked him for the wonderful meal. Everything was fine until one of our players, Chuck Trcka, shook this man's hand and told him that it was the best chicken that he had ever eaten. The sponsor sorta coughed and told Chuck that he was glad that he liked it but that was not chicken. It was pheasant under glass. Coach almost gagged when he heard what was going on.

[Dan Jensen]

Another section on Chuck Trcka by Vernon McDonald:

Way back when, and I think it was in 1961; we were having a sorry workout one day. One of our players, Chuck Trcka, was having the worst day of all. The longer practice went on, the worse it got and the madder Coach Jowers got. Finally he called practice off and yelled at Chuck to come over to him. Chuck did and Coach said, "Start running and keep running until I tell you to stop." Chuck did as he was told, started running.

Coach Jowers went into the dressing room, still mad, undressed and took a shower and never one time thought of Chuck and his running. Coach Jowers went home. About the time that he had reached home, it dawned on him that he had forgotten about Chuck running. He turned his old truck around and drove back to the gym to see what Chuck was doing. He walked into the gym and there was Chuck still running, but very slowly. Coach didn't mention that he'd forgotten Chuck was running and went home, he just yelled, "Chuck, I guess that's enough running for the day."

I don't believe Chuck ever knew that Coach had forgotten him.

[Dan Jensen]

Following is something Vernon McDonald shared with me in an e-mail about Boonie Wilkening:

"The Bobcats went to Kansas City in 1957 and Boonie came off the bench to score 20 points in the first half of that game. Bill Krueger was the starting guard and he was a senior but we needed points and Coach put Boonie in and he killed them. We lost the next game to Southeastern Oklahoma but I will never forget that jump shooting freshman in the first game that he ever played in the National Tournament. Boonie graduated with the whole starting five in the spring of 1960.

"Coach Jowers said that he was the best shooter that he ever saw."

[Dan Jensen]

I've about come to the end of my comments on the Jowers book.

Our Boonie Wilkening was the best shooter he ever saw said Jowers. Does anyone question that? If you do, say so and we will discuss it.

I did that with Vernon McDonald and that will be my last installment regarding the book.

[Dan Jensen]

I told Coach McDonald that while Jowers thought Boonie Wilkening was the best shooter he ever saw, I thought that Clear Creek had some that were better and quickly coming to mind were Curley Lenox, Paul Hackett and Paul Trcka. All three went to Southwest Texas and while Jowers did not coach them he certainly saw them shoot.

Now none had the flair of Boonie's jump shot but I would think that all three had better shooting percentages. I have no idea what Boonie's were since he shot before I started tabulating them. Maybe flair trumps accuracy in some minds. Boonie's leaping, twisting bulls eyes did provide a great spark.

McDonald responded with comments on our guys and I will soon share them but how about some of the rest of you sharing your thoughts on Clear Creek's all-time best shooters?

[paul hackett]

Dan,

Thanks for the kind words. The legacy of Clear Creek players at SWT is ceratinly a proud one. Quite a few of us were fortunate to play there and positively contribute to the program.

I wish that I would have had the opportunity to see some of the Creek players who preceeded me both in High School and at SWT actually play. i did get to see Bennie, Timmins and Doty durin g their college careers and of course was a teammate of Curley's at SWT. Maybe we can get Scooter to comment but I recall that Curley's shot was not exactly a classic jump shot with the release at the top of his jump. Curley was devastating going to his right and he sort of went into a short glide with a very quick release and the usual result was "nothing but net".

[Dan Jensen]

Following is Vernon McDonald's remarks about our great Clear Creek shooters that I mentioned to him. This is my last installment from the book and I hope that others will chip in with remarks and opinions.

Paul Hackett led the nation twice, I think, in free throw shooting. He was also a tremendous shooter. He always played the way that I asked. He was a tremendous asset to our team for a number of reasons with free throw shooting being the best because I would always have him in at the end of the game and if they fouled him almost without exception end up with two points. Also since I played him as a forward sometimes a smaller player would guard Paul we would quickly put him in the post and he would kill a shorter player which he was in the post. I would rotate him around according to his defensive man.

Now Curley Lenox was one really great shooter. We played East Texas one time and we always wanted to beat them and in that game Curley never missed a shot. I am not exactly sure of the number of shots but he ended the game with 25 or 26 points and was 10 for 10 from the free throw line and something like eight for eight from the field. Whatever the exact numbers were it was really something. Curley did not shoot jump shots either. He would quickly set both feet and shoot.

Now Paul Trcka never fit into our offense. He was really an inside man and was way too small to play in there for rebounds and defense. He was a scorer but in college he was jut a little bit short.

Boonie was something else. He had the most beautiful jump shot that I have ever seen. He had the ability to jump and then hang there momentarily and at that stopped moment shoot that left handed beauty. Boonie also had no fear. If he missed, he just missed. Pressure did not ever bother him.

[[email protected]]

Nice Comments from Coach Mac. i did get a few inside points as we ran a shuffle offense that allowed the high and low post man along with the one forward or 3 slot to slash through the lane off a screen and did afford us some post up opportunities.

We actually ran the same set as we did my senior year with Coach K. Two guards to run the tandem post offense and one forward who set up on the left side of the floor offensively.

I was glad to see that mac re enforced my recollection of Curley's shot as a quick release set shot.

As for leading the nation in gfree throw shooting, it was only once. What coach may have been thinking of was the fact that my junior year, we led the nation in Free Throw shooting as a team shooting well over 80%. Our two highest percentage shooters that year were Ronnie Arrow(Houston Jones) and larry Black(South San).

Both shot in the high 80's. Our two staring postmen both shot in the high 70's and our bench had a couple of shooters as well.

Nothing special was done at our practices to instruct quality shooting. Mac recruited them.

[Paul Timmins]

Do you guys remember what the kids did while sitting on the bench? I think they called it the follies,they did everything in unison,like cross their legs at the same time.

[Dan Jensen]

Paul, it's good to see you in here and I am happy to direct you to an earlier thread by Joddie Witte on the subject and Garvis Hadley comments on it too late in the thread. Just copy and paste the link below:
http://carlislescreek.typepad.com/carlisles_creek/2006/01/the_follies_gre.html

[Dan Jensen]

Actually, all you have to do is click on the above link. I wish there were some way to edit our posts.

[Dwayne "Curley" Lenox]

I can remember at least one of the teams that Bennie was on doing the same things on the bench mimicking Coach Carlise that Jodie and his teammates did towards Coach Jowers. Perhaps Paul Timmins was on one of those Clear Creek teams. I believe Coach Carlisle took his players to San Marcos one week-end for the purpose of watching the Bobcats play. They had a very good team and were running the same offense and defense Clear Creek was using. It was to be a learning trip. I know Bennie came back and was thoroughly impressed with them.

[Alex Kalinowski]

I didn't play sports but I went to all games in 56-57 season. I remember that George Carlisle considered free shots as just that. If you missed one , the next day you spent all practice shooting free shots.Seen several of the old horses do some of that.

[Dwayne "Curley" Lenox]

Paul,

Send me your mailing address so I can mail something from our SWT days that I think you will like. My address is: Dwayne Lenox, 306 Tallwood Dr., Georgetown, Texas 78628.

Look forward to hearing from you.

[debbie]

Curly,
What is your email address? I'm going to surprise you and Wanda one day when I walk in there. I was in Kyle the weekend of the Lenox reunion I almost came to find all of you,but one day I will show up at your house.....
debbie
email address [email protected]
please everyone email any time....

[Jim Finley]

I found my way to your site doing a search for Paul Timmins. When he came to Texas A&M in the fall of 1961, he was married (Cookie) and lived in the other half of a duplex on Milam Street from my wife and me. Bennie Lennox live a couple of doors down, so Coach Metcalf would show up in our neighborhood quite often.

I'm just trying to find out where Paul is now so I can contact him. It's been a VERY long time since I've seen him.

Jim Finley
Texas A&M '62