The Troup Tigers, the 1973 Class 1A state football champions, gathered in Tyler in 2021 to receive their championship rings. Team members include (front row, from left) Keith Tillman, Howard Henson, Arthur Franklin, Jerry Clayton, Jamison Thompson, former Troup head coach and athletic director John Eastman; (second row) Preston Lindsey, Jerry Daniels, Jimmy Payton, Willie Lacy and Ray Ross.

Some 48 years later, “Troup Tigers Class 1A State Football Champions” still has a nice ring to it.

Ten members of that state championship team got together Friday night in Tyler to reminisce about that special 1973 season.

There were laughs, a few tears and lots of smiles as they finally got their state championship rings. The friendships and brotherhood that was forged that special season many years ago were still present.

Although it is almost a half-century since the Tigers won the state title, their faces lit up with pride as if they had just got off the field after defeating the Vega Longhorns in the Class 1A state championship game on Dec. 22, 1973 at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.

“Just to see these guys again, it just really made my heart kind of flutter,” Arthur Franklin, who resides in Troup, said. “I just wanted to see these guys and just talk to them, reminisce and everything and talk about old times, that’s what it was about.”

Franklin was a cornerback on they squad that was 15-0 and defeated Vega 28-7 in they state championship game. The Tigers trailed 7-6 heading into the fourth quarter before notching 22 points for the win.

In the final period, Keith Tillman recovered a fumble at the Tigers’ 31. Troup drove toward the go-ahead score as quarterback Mike Toole hit Tillman for 20 yards to the nine-yard line. Curtis Tillman, who scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter, then followed with a nine-yard TD run. Toole’s two-point conversion run put Troup ahead to stay 14-7 with 7:58 on the clock. Later Keith Tillman scored on an 11-yard run and Rayford Jackson tallied a 29-yard TD. Keith Tillman kicked the final two PATs.

“Just to come together with these guys that I played with in 1973 and now to see they are still the same guys that I played with and loved so much back then,” Keith Tillman, of Houston, said.

While the Vega win was special, they talked mostly about beating “a very good Falls City team” that had averaged 43 points.

The Tigers rallied to down the the Beavers 21-20, scoring a late touchdown, in the semifinals played at Texas A&M University’s Kyle Field in College Station.

Trailing 20-14 in the fourth quarter, the Tigers marched 80 yards with quarterback Toole hitting John Cole with a 12-yard TD strike in the corner of the end zone on fourth-and-10 with 4:58 on the clock. Cole made the catch despite being interfered on the play.

With the Beavers leading in penetrations, 4-3, the extra point was crucial with the game tied at 20-20.

Keith Tillman then recalled his cousin Curtis Tillman telling him “you better make this extra point or I’ll ….”, “I said no extra pressure at all.” He made the PAT for the 21-20 lead.

Eugene Toole blocked two extra-points in the game for the Tigers.

Falls City got two more chances. Linebacker Curtis Tillman was instrumental in stopping the first drive and forced the Beavers to punt. The second time, Jim McCasland picked off a pass with 43 seconds on the clock.

Attending Friday night at the Golden Corral were Jerry Clayton (Tyler), Jerry Daniels (Troup), Arthur Franklin (Troup), Howard Henson (Troup), Willie Lacy (Tyler), Preston Lindsey (Troup), Jimmy Payton (Arlington), Ray Ross (Rockdale), Jamison Thompson (Troup), and Keith Tillman (Houston).

Keith Tillman added it was special to say you won a state championship in Texas. Franklin also thanked the cheerleaders and supporters of the Tigers.

Current Troup head football coach and athletic director John Eastman, who was in attendance, said the team will be honored in the fall at halftime of one of the games. It is tentatively set for Friday, Sept. 17 against Brownsboro.

Tillman thanked Adam Cook, Randy Copeland, Joel Harris and Brad Cooper, who were instrumental in getting the rings.

Dewitt Jones was the head coach of the 1973 Tigers. His staff included Cullen Davis and Gary Hamilton.

Team members included: Jerry Daniels, Rayford Jackson, Davey Hamilton, Mike Toole, Bart Boothe, Arthur Franklin, Jimmy Nelson, Keith Tillman, Preston Lindsey, Johnny Medford, Ray Ross, Roy Dewberry, Jimmy Payton, Earnest Duncan, Bob Neely, Willie Lacy, Charlie Rhodes, Eugene Toole, Jerry Clayton, Bobby Franklin, Rob Eubanks, Tony Shaw, Curtis Tillman, Clarence Malone, John Cole, Jim McCasland and T.C. Thompson.

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