Submitted by admin on Thu, 2006-11-16 08:00. ::
PORT LAVACA - The stands were overflowing and the atmosphere was electric for Calhoun's 38-23 win over Beeville. But it wasn't the first time extra bleachers had to be brought into Sandcrab Stadium.
The stadium wasn't as big but the crowd was just as enthusiastic for Calhoun's 20-0 Class 3A semifinal win over Cleburne in 1960, despite playing in weather that resembled the conditions after Friday night's game.
Bobby Goff and his wife, Billie, were in the stands Friday to see Calhoun win a share of the District 30-4A title but he was on the sideline as the head coach when the Sandcrabs advanced to the 1960 state final and the next year when they became the last Calhoun team until this season to win district and make the playoffs.
Goff, who played at Texas A&M and still holds the school record for his 86-yard punt against Texas Tech, coached at Calhoun from 1958 to 1969 before becoming an administrator with the district. He retired in 1987 and lives within walking distance of the stadium and plays golf four days a week with his buddies at Hatch Bend Country Club.
Goff, who turned 80 in June, admits the years have clouded his memory of the 1960 and '61 seasons, but not the feeling of accomplishment he and assistants Dave McCoy, Jim Collins, Lee Vansickle and A.B. Menasco felt despite a 20-6 loss in the 1960 state final to Gordon Wood's first Brownwood team that featured future Baylor receiver Lawrence Elkins.
"We thought we had good possibilities," said Goff, who grew up in Kenedy and coached at Yoakum and Goliad before taking over at Calhoun. "I brought in a good staff. We worked on toughness and started the first weight program."
Calhoun ended the 1959 season by winning its final three district games and opened the 1960 season with wins over Victoria, Palacios and San Antonio Sam Houston, giving the Sandcrabs the longest winning streak in Class 3A at the time and putting them in the Associated Press poll at No. 8. Calhoun dropped out of the poll despite beating San Marcos the next week before losing to No. 6 El Campo.
Calhoun won its district opener against an undefeated Kingsville team and claimed the district title with wins over Cuero, Aransas Pass and Robstown, a game in which it scored 37 second-half points to win 50-7, before ending the regular season with a win over Beeville.
Calhoun was ranked No. 6 and opened the playoffs with a 22-8 win over No. 9 Pharr-San Juan-Alamo before cruising to a 49-14 road win over Seguin, which had taken the place of Sam Houston, which had to forfeit its first playoff win. Calhoun then won a coin flip to host Cleburne, a game that began with the Sandcrabs, whose uniforms were muddy from the pre-game routine Goff put them through to adjust to the conditions, covering the opening kickoff in a mud puddle.
Goff still remembers a good portion of his starting lineup, including Ronny Cervinka and Pat McGrath, Tex Rogers and John DeBault from the 1960 team, and James Wotipka, Eddie Owens and Bill Shrader from the 1961 squad.
Goff has opinions but he doesn't like to talk about Calhoun's long playoff drought, although he will say he got his "belly full" attending games. But Goff could sense early on this season would be different.
"I saw their first game and I saw the way the kids were hitting and their enthusiasm and that's something I hadn't seen in the kids for so long," Goff said. "I am well pleased with what coach (Richard) Whitaker and his staff are doing."
Goff's daughters Dana, Susan and Ginger will visit for the Thanksgiving holiday and he won't travel to San Antonio on Saturday for Calhoun's first playoff game since he left the sidelines. But Goff can't help but get a sense of the Sandcrabs' past success in the present team.
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