Thanks to the talented toe of EO Whealler, who kicked two booming field goals, not to forget his two important pass interceptions, the Druid Hills Red Devils began a football season with an opening win for the first time in a few years Saturday.

Whealler’s big play heroics gave second-year head man Jim Rakestraw win No. 1 of the year against Southwest DeKalb, 12-7.

If Whealler were a senior, instead of a junior 147-pound kicking specialist-safety man, the colleges would surely be courting him highly.

After all, how many prep players can split the uprights from 45 and 39 yards out?

One lad who is a senior and whom the colleges are observing closely is fullback-linebacker Sanford Freeman (6-1, 190) and it’s no wonder. His tackles all over the field proved what Rakestraw had said a few days prior to the game.

“I feel he’s one of the top linebackers in the county,” was the way the Red Devil boss put it at the time.

And although Rakestraw was extremely pleased with the performances of the above two boys, as well as a few others, he said, “I’ll tell you what we were lucky to win that game.”

He was quite laudatory about the way the Panthers struck his boys and called coach Dewey Alverson’s Class AA squad “a good team.”

Specifically, he mentioned Caray Thompson and Stan Purvis for top efforts in a losing cause.

Mike Kelley, a two-way tackle; Harold Reese, cited for his pass rush; quarterback Chuck Nichols; end Curtis Tanner, who caught a 23-yard TD pass from Nichols; and back Joe Stubbs, who totaled close to 100 yards as a runner and receiver, were others praised in the win.