Humor, In or Near a Refugio Bobcat Uniform

Only on this page, nowhere else

By Putt

For several years I have from time to time shared with Refugians humorous stories from my experience in that football-crazy little town in South Texas.

Afterwards, at least once, there was a passionate request that I put these stories in a book or in some form that would preserve them for posterity.  I am here responding to that request.

The point is:  As seriously as Refugio takes the gridiron sport, which is well known around the Lone Star State, the town has had loads of fun along its sports history - great fun!  Unbelievably true humorous  events - all to be coveted and enjoyed, hopefully for years.

Herein, for the first time, I am sharing two alumni "funnies" from my Bobcat experience.  I have many more, as do other present and past residents of the town.  And I invite all who wish to share their's to send them to me; at: [email protected]   I will edit and publish the best stories right here, on future pages.

Huntsville 1953 Revisited

In 2003 at the College Station HIlton a group of us Refugio exes and coaches  gathered to remember the Bobcat team led by Serafin Vela and Bill Anderson that went deep into the playoffs only to lose its semi-final game to Huntsville, 13-6.

The speaker for the event was the quarterback on the Huntsville team, Joe Clements, (1936-2015) who later was a QB for the UT Longhorns and after college, had a distinguished career in Texas high school coaching.

This was the main remembrance of the 1953 game told by Clements:

"We were in the dressing room about ready to take the field for pregame and out of no where we hear "Onward Christian Soldiers" being sung beauifully by the Refugio team nearby.

We listened in awe.  When it was over, our coach stood up and told us, "Alright, Hornets.  Let's go out there and beat the hell out of Refugio."

A Refugio Star Who Matured

In 2005, We had a similar reunion of two classes. that of 1955 and that of 1956;, the first full year (55-56) of the high school being integrated,  at a Hyatt in west Houston.  The running back  star of the 1955 team, James T. Lott, who had gone on to graduate college and become a superb educator in southern California.

The time came for Lott to speak.  He was well-dressed for the occasion, wearing a fine sport coat.  He stood before us.  Then without saying a word, he took off his jacket, turned his back on the rest of us, then took of his shirt, leaving  a  t-shirt covering his upper body.

Slowly James turned and opened wide his arms so that we could see what was written on the front of his t-shirt:  "Property of Refugio High school"

This "Lott" story reminds me of the time Rice Basketball coach came out to Quintana to recruit Teddy Gray, in whose backyard a group of us were playing a pickup game.

Head Refugio coach Paul Gips was with the Rice coach.  It was a Saturday.  On Monday morning Coach Gips called all of us in the pickup game to his office and told us we either had to return our "RHS property" shirts or pay for them.