One of the greatest teams in Russellville football history—the undefeated 1950 squad—is to be honored at halftime of the Panthers’ district game against Fulton County at Rhea Stadium.
A team with only 23 players, just 14 of whom they counted on in clutch situations, defeated every Kentucky opponent, won the Western Kentucky Conference, finished second in the state overall, and was invited to Missouri to play what was virtually a junior college team.
Moreover, they beat Hopkinsville, a feat no one before them had managed.
They earned their nickname, “The Golden Panthers.”
Their success was not unexpected. The past four teams, under the coaching of Harold Hunter and Jimmy Haynes and Pat McNeal, had gone 31-7-2. The great Jimmy Sanford returned for his senior season. In addition to returning talent, two key lineman moved in to town.
The size of the backfield was small compared to what it had been in the past, but Sanford—known as “The Big Train”—didn’t derail in his fifth year as a starter, although, sometimes he must have seemed like a run-away locomotive to his opponents.
The backfield was deep with Rex Johnson at blocking back and Charles ‘Bunk’ O’Brien, Glenn Pate, Howard Wren and Bobby Goodwin alternating at the other backs opposite Sanford. They all performed well.
Having the line that was in front of them didn’t hurt their performances. Joe Hardy had moved to end, and he and Wren were the best passing combination Russellville had ever put on the field. Sophomore Huey Hinton was at the other end, and was an adept receiver and kicker.
The tackles were giants with Larry Ludwig the offensive standout and James Holman the defensive whiz. Maynard ‘Blackie’ Elftmann, who like his cousin Ludwig had moved here in recent months, was a 185-pound guard, but he had to back up Charles Dennison and Henry Moss. Ray Gaw was a tremendous young center.
Also on the team were youngsters Bob Ballance, Alderson Clark Jr., Dickie Glenn, Mervin McCormick, Clay Sledge, Leon Douglas, Arnold Hendricks, Pat Kirkpatrick and Bobby Stevenson.
All the starters but Wren, Hinton and Dennison were seniors and had played for years.
A look at their wins:
Ludwig blocked a punt and Sanford did the scoring in a 12-0 shutout over Portland. Pate scored two touchdowns and averaged five yards per carry in a 20-0 decision over Murray. Louisville Fairdale was easy pickings, 39-7. Sanford ran for three TDs in a 32-13 win over Glasgow.
Hardy was superb in a 31-0 romp over Providence when he played excellent defense and returned a punt 80 yards. Wren threw three touchdown passes in that game.
Pate scored 26 of the 47 points against Franklin-Simpson, and Goodwin had his best game in that one with a 70-yard run and 20-yard scoring pass reception from Wren.
The ice was not only broken but was crushed when the Panthers got their first-ever win over Hopkinsville by an incredible 38-6 score. The reserves played the last 14 minutes as the “Big Gold” built a 27-0 halftime lead before a huge crowd including sportswriters in the new pressbox at Rhea Stadium. Sanford scored two touchdowns and Hardy two, including another 85-yard punt return.
For the seventh straight game, Wren threw a touchdown pass and Sanford scored three touchdowns, including a 96-yard run, as the Panthers blasted Madisonville 27-0.
Then came the big one. Mayfield, undefeated and ranked fifth in the state, came calling to Russellville, also undefeated and ranked eighth in the state, with the Western Kentucky Conference title on the line. Winning the WKC would be huge, since there were no state playoffs in those days.
Temporary seats were added at Rhea Stadium, and they were needed. The game was so highly anticipated that some schools changed their game nights so that they could come see this one. People drove down from Louisville to see this attraction.
The Panthers led 12-0 at the half on a pass from Wren to Hinton and a Sanford run. In the third quarter, the Panthers rampaged and ravished the Cardinals. Hinton recovered a fumble in the end zone after a jarring Sanford tackle. Hardy scored on a 51-yard interception. O’Brien scored on a two-yard run, and Sanford took a 42-yard pass from Wren. O’Brien returned an interception 32 yards. Hinton kicked four extra points.
The game that was supposed to be a thriller was not even close. Russellville won 46-0. “The stadium rocked, the lights blinked, and the writers turn red as Russellville’s mighty Panthers plucked the plumage from Mayfield’s brilliant Cardinals in a humiliating rout at Rhea Stadium before a packed crowd,” an unnamed local sportswriter gushed.
Haynes said he felt the team had a letdown on Thanksgiving, but the Panthers still beat Bowling Green 20-13 as Wren threw touchdown passes to Hinton and Sanford, who also ran for a score.
Russellville’s ranking improved to second in the state. Paducah Tilghman, which was ranked first, refused to play the Panthers for a state championship game.
The Panthers instead went to Missouri for a game against a Blytheville, Ark. school for guys who were between high school and college. They lost that one, but were undefeated against high school teams.
Sanford and Ludwig finished one-two in the voting for Southern Kentucky Player of the Year. They both were named All-American and All-State. Ludwig was the only Kentuckian named to the multi-state All-Southern team. Sanford and Hinton were honorable mention.
Haynes became the first Russellvillian named to coach the West team in the East-West all-star game. His assistant coach was Ben Parker, a former RHS coach and businessman, who was coaching Louisville Shawnee then. Sanford and Ludwig were chosen to play on that team, but Ludwig had already left school and reported to Lackland Air Force Base as the Korean War was looming.
Haynes left the following season to assist his mentor, Ben Parker, at Shawnee. He still lives in Florida.
A bright young coach named Joe Russell succeeded him.
In the last few months, Holman and Elftmann have died. It hasn’t been long since the deaths of Ludwig and Douglas.
Also no longer living are that great passing combination of Howard Wren and Joe Hardy. Wren was an assistant coach throughout the Panthers’ great state championship game runs of 1964, ’80, ’83, ’84 and ’87. Hardy served many years as chairman of the Russellville School Board.
Hinton, Ballance, Kirkpatrick and Clark were part of last year’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of Rhea Stadium and could be there tonight.