The 1958 "Cinderella" team

Pictured: Harry Krenek, named to Class A All-stars and Coach James Lyda, named Coach of the Year in Texas high school athletics. The Cinderella team.

‘Twas the week before Christmas 1958. Everything in Elgin focused on the Wildcats. It was the first and last time Elgin Football made it to State. They played against a formidable team (White Deer produced 3 All-Americans through the years) but did not prevail in the end. They DID, however, rack up a first Bi-district championship, first Regional Championship, first Quarterfinals win, and first Semifinals win.

Fans made reservations to ride two charter buses to Sweetwater.  Cost:  $9.00 per person. Some fans even went by plane. Walter Puckett was a friend of Bobby Ragsdale of Austin who had Ragsdale Aviation.  Walter arranged with Ragsdale to supply a DC-3 for Elgin fans who wanted to save time and fly to the game.  After the town found out about it, they could have filled three planes, but only one was available.  Cost was $26.00 per person.  The plane arrived in Sweetwater at approximately 5:30 p.m. and left immediately after the game.

The team left on Friday in a chartered bus and stayed in Abilene that night in a motel.  That was the first time many had ever stayed in a motel.  Some remember that they were fed fried chicken and toast.

For the stay at homes there were loud speakers on Elgin Main Street through which a play by play account of the game was transmitted by long-distance phone by a professional radio announcer. Pretty high tech, eh?