By Joe Reavis An outfit named Alumni Football USA sent a press release to the newspaper last week that intrigued me, gathering up some former high school football players for games. The company actually is trying to put together teams from Fairfield and Teague, longstanding rivals. This could be fun.

My thought is to base the teams around the squad that took the field in 1979. That fall, the Fairfield Eagles had a perfect regular season going until the Teague Lions jumped up and beat them in the last game.

The game report in The Fairfield Recorder of the 1979 Fairfield-Teague matchup stated: “Someone forgot to tell the Teague Lions that this year’s edition of the Fairfield Eagles were tough, unbeatable ogres just waiting to administer the coup de gras on their last victim and record a perfect season. Someone forgot to tell them to be awed and respectful, and before that message could be transmitted, the Lions ran up a 20-9 shellacking that left almost 1,000 Eagle fans muttering and mumbling to themselves, only somewhat less shell shocked than their beloved football team.”

What a perfect setup for a rematch.

Granted, the players from those teams are quickly approaching their 50th birthdays, so slow motion replay would not be necessary. When you are near 50 years old, you provide your own slow motion.

Imagine, today, southpaw Eagles quarterback Jeff Taylor, now an investment representative with a stock company, directing Fairfield against former County Attorney Keith Meredith. Taylor says that he played his worst game of the year against the Lions and Meredith played his best. The former Eagles signal caller has been gray haired for several years, sort of like Kenny “The Snake” Stabler of Oakland Raiders fame.

High school football players were not as big in 1979 as they are today—-the Eagles only listed a pair of 200- pound linemen on the roster. Three decades later, it is a sure bet that there would be several 200 pounders. Some of the running backs from 1979 might be better suited as linemen today.

More than likely it would be difficult to get the 1979 Eagles and Lions to strap on pads for practices and the big game, but since the game is for all alumni, some substitutions could easily be made.

For example, running back/defensive back LaCharles Bass, a Fairfield school trustee, could substitute his son, Gavan, who is a McMurry University track star. Seems fair to me.

The Eagles could make use of some alumni that would be real ringers, specifically a trio of former National Football League players.

Suiting up again in maroon and gold would be offensive lineman Louis Cheek, middle linebacker Winfred Tubbs and defensive end Tony Brackens, Jr. Add to that a number of Fairfield gridders who went on to play in college and the lineup could be formidable.

Taking the roster to another level, recruit former Eagles coaches.

Head coach Joe Johnston is retired, giving him time to whip the players into shape, and assistant coach Von Wade, who is Fairfield high school principal, could grab a whistle.

If the game between the two rivals does come about, there is one certainty . . . the smell of linament on the sidelines will be strong.