The Port Arthur Package

Introduction • Chapter 1 • Chapter 1-Page 2 • Chapter 1-Page 3 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 2-Page 2 • Chapter 2- Page 3 • Junior Year • Junior Year-Page 2 • Junior Year-Page 3 • Junior Year-Page 4 • Head Hunters • Black Friday • We Beat Beaumont • Sweethearts • Wrapper Page 1 • Wrapper Page 2

Chapter 2

Thomas Jefferson High School - Sophomore Year

I often wondered if I would feel something different as I approached high school. We were arriving at the point in life where we all had been going. I had to conceal a grin sometimes just thinking about learning to drive, hanging out at Rettigs, or NUZEST, making the drag, and girls. During the summer before tenth grade we were unofficially "encouraged" to be at the gym to work out on our own. We had to be in shape for football season or the training would kill us. The heat was awful, but we had to learn to tolerate it.

One of the greatest memories I have as a young man, is being in the presence of some great former Yellow Jackets while working out in the gym, in the summer of '63. Some of them were Reagan Gennussa, Mike Doyle, Ted Lillghedahl, Charles Wilson, and Tommy Daniels. All of these were 3-year lettermen. Charles Wilson was among the last TJ ever had. These memories really melded with my other more youthful ones.

Ball players were hazed as part of the ritual of becoming a ball player. Most of the time it was scary, but harmless. The typical treatment was to have your hair scalped off during the summer before school started. I was there with my usual group, Bobby, Randy and some new friends from Edison, David Meeker, and Earl Kitchens. In came a group of seniors whose names aren't important, and they administered the ritual howling and hooting, but causing no real damage. We all went home looking really sad and had to do some trimming. We all mutually agreed that some traditions were better left behind.

A very familiar sound was a constantly present at the school. The Band and Hussars were there practicing and learning new routines. The Drum Majors were learning to give commands and directions as the field generals they would soon be. I'd heard all those same sounds in my youth. Some of the guys griped about the noise, but I welcomed it. It made the situation seem right to me. This was how it was supposed to be. And there were girls. So the rest of the summer went along just that way, playing, learning, exercising and dreaming about school, football, teachers, and girls. Until the final couple of weeks when it was official practice and He came along.