By TONY McINTYRE
Closing out the year with a 49-0 drubbing of neighboring Shamrock, Druid Hills completed the season with an overall record of 9-1, the best regular-season record in 18 years, according to Coach Jim Rakestraw.
Rakestraw had been under the impression that the Red Devils’ record would be the best ever for the school, but after further checking around found out otherwise.
“I’ve been told that the ’56 team that lost to Valdosta in the finals of the state AA playoffs had a 9-0-1 record,” he said.
“I’m not positive about that, but this is probably the second best regular season record over for the school.”
The previous second best was Coach Crawford Kennedy’s 8-1-1 season in 1965. Kennedy, of course, has continued his success at Avondale the last four years.
“This is the best team in 18 years,” said Rakestraw proudly. “That ain’t bad. We feel like that’s a pretty good accomplishment. We did what a lot of people didn’t think we could do. We kinda turned the score around on a lot of people.”
Rakestraw’s first winning season in five as a head coach saw the Red Devils score 325 points over the 10-game slate, an average of 32.5 an outing. On the other hand, the defense blanked five teams and gave up only 118 points or an average of 11.8 per game.
“We had some football players,” said the personable coach. “They weren’t very big. We had some horses. They weren’t very big, but they were good athletes.”
There had been rumors that this would be Rakestraw’s last season in coaching, but he said he has not made a decision about that as yet.
“Right now, I plan to stay in coaching,” he said, “but I haven’t made up my mind yet. I really haven’t had time to think about it. I thought about this possibly being my last year, but I haven’t reached any decision.”
Regardless of whether he said he stays or not, Rakestraw believes Druid Hills can be a winner again next year.
Analyzing the success the team had, the coach said he would have to start with quarterback David Middour, elected captain last week.
Elected cocaptains were versatile halfback Tommy Southard and defensive tackle Mike Cutting.
“David was the key to what we could do with the ball,” said the coach. “He only scored two touchdowns himself rushing, but he was really a great team leader.”
Middour was also a pretty good passer. He completed 60 of 108 passes for 998 yards and 15 touchdowns, giving him a 56 per cent completion average.
He also carried 68 times for 162 yards, giving him a total offense of 1,160 yards.
Southard had more than 1,000 yards total offense for the second straight year, this year rushing for 1,062 yards on 140 carries.
Averaging 7.6 yards per carry, Southard rushed for 10 touchdowns. He also completed seven of 11 passes for 186 yards and another.
Southard also was on the receiving end of 12 passes for an additional 261 yards and three touchdowns.
“He’s been tremendous for us,” said Rakestraw. “He’s the type of player than can literally do anything. He could have played on either offense or defense. He’s a tremendous blocker, can punt, kickoff, return kicks, kick extra points. Everything.”
Southard didn’t have to kick extra points or field goals because Mike Goodwin was available. Goodwin hit on six of seven field goals and made 28 of 32 PATs.
The other setbacks, David Adams and Keith Honeycutt, also figured in the balanced offense the team had. Adams rushed for 533 yards, an average of 6.7 yards per carry. Honeycutt added 550 yards, an average of 5.0. He scored 11 touchdowns, 10 running.
Junior split end Tripp Childs and senior light end Randy Tanner also figured in the impressive stats.
Childs, who “had a tremendous season,” according to Rakestraw, caught 34 passes for 608 yards and seven TDs. Tanner, an excellent blocker, caught five TD strikes.
Rakestraw credited the coaching of Ken Townley for being the motivating force behind the job done by the offensive line, so small that it picked up the tag “Rakestraw’s Runts.”
Center Winn Jackson was cited as being the best percentage blocker on the team. Steve Mullins, a senior, was called “our strongest blocker.” He weighed in at 153 pounds.
Senior tackle John Stillwell, who reportedly weighed only 131 pounds the last game of the season, was called “just as good as Mullins.”
