09.30
This is the 1968 Ramblers football team, in front of the old Patton Stadium gate. The 1968 team had a losing 4-6 season under coach Ralph Williams, but one year later the same coach gave LaFayette its best record ever: a 10-1-1 season, featuring a November tie with Cedartown and a post-Thanksgiving quarterfinal loss to the Gainesville Red Elephants.
In those days Patton Stadium was pretty primitive, this was before the legendary 1970 Johnny Cash concert that paid for new buildings and improvements at the facility that (mostly) still stands today. LaFayette High School played its last season here in November 1997.
Tonight LaFayette won its 4th game of the 2011 season at Jack King Stadium, going 4-1 for the year. Jack King is a modern facility that lacks some of the quirks and character of Patton Stadium, but under current head coach Tab Gable the Ramblers may see a return to the glory years like 68, 78, 86, and 93. Gable’s leadership and a surge of local support have given LHS back some of the confidence it’s lacked for the better part of two decades, and that confidence goes a long way towards making the team a success.
Photos: 1968 LHS Yearbook. Team Stats: GHSFHA.
Why are we using a photo of the 1968 Ramblers in a discussion of the 1969 team? Because we don’t have a photo of the 1969 team. We’d like to make the Friday Photo a regular weekly or bi-weekly feature of the site, but in order to do that we need your help in getting historical local photos not available elsewhere. If you have a photo of the ’69 team or anything else interesting from LaFayette’s past (or present) please e-mail it to photo@cityoflafayettega.com.
Next week: The Caboose Museum
I’ll look through my personal archives and see what I can dig up. But, I thought ’71 (my senior year) was the best year for the Ramblers, when P. Carruthers quarter-backed and we went to state.
According to GHSFHA, LaFayette had a 2-8 season in 1971. http://ghsfha.org/showgamesgy.php?GSEASONID=1971&gTeamID=LaFayette
The photos don’t necessarily have to be from sports or even from the high school, trying to have a wide variety of material. Next week’s photos will be a mixture from newspaper archives and current photos.
— LU
I believe 1971 was a bad year for the ramblers, as they only won 2 games all season. They had an outstanding season in 1969 and went to state. Paul Careathers was a running back, not a quarterback. I threw popcorn at him as he was lining up for a play once. He gave me a dirty look that chilled me to the bone.
I grew up listening to stories about Paul and the ’69 team. My dad played from 68-71 and his stories kind of blew our minds. We thought he was crazy with all his talk about a LaFayette team that won 10 games in a season and lost in the state quarterfinals. My brothers and I all played for the Orange and Black, and although we never won many games (other than my middle brother, they were 7-3 his senior year) we were proud to have suited up.
NOW GABBY.YOU KNOW PAUL DID NOT PLAY QUARTERBACK.HE PLAYED TAILBACK.JEFF POTTS WAS QUARTERBACK.AND JIMMY SPEIR WAS FULLBACK.I PLAYED ON THAT GREAT 1969 TEAM.
Slobber, who is that 4th from right, kneeling, with the white long-sleeve pullover ?
I can’t decide if it’s Ronnie Fincher or Jimmy Speir. They look so much alike, I can’t tell.
hey gabby.i think that is Bruce Potts,if my old eyes don’t decieve me.email me.
Gabby that is Bazzo (Bruce)
Love these photos…brings back lots of memories of great high school football and quality people
SLOBBER, DENNIS ALEXANDER WAS THE QUARTERBACK ON THE BEST FOOTBALL TEAM
LA FAYETTE EVER HAD. IF YOU WANT THE FULL ROSTER LET ME KNOW? JEFF POTTS WAS A VERY GOOD QUARTERBACK BUT IT WAS DENNIS ALEXANDER WHO WAS UNDER CENTER THAT YEAR.
ALSO WE BEAT CEDARTOWN THE FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON AND THEN BEAT EAST ROME IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS. WE LOST TO GAINESVILLE THE NEXT WEEK AT HOME. WE WERE 11 and 1. NO TIES!