Cheer Raleigh High School.....

Back in the fall of ’61 my brother was a tenth grader and a tackle on the Broughton J.V. football team. 1961 was the year that 24 busloads of Raleigh fans rode down to Rocky Mount one autumn night to watch the Caps take on and defeat the highly ranked Danny Talbot-led Black Birds.  Undefeated Raleigh Broughton went on to win the State Championship against Charlotte Garinger in Riddick Stadium a few weeks later.  What thrilling Friday nights those were--watching the Caps play.  Remember us little guys pretending to be our big brothers, playing tackle at halftime just past the end zone near the Riddick field house.  Watching my neighbor Bob Denlinger playing starting fullback for Broughton that year had me dreaming.

 

 

Riddick Stadium

 

 

 

 

Riddick Field House

 

 

The Great Larry Honeycutt (Quarterback of the '61 State Champion Raleigh Broughton Caps)

 

As I told Coach Stutts at our recent reunion in October, “If I had only been a bit bigger back then I could have played for you."

Years later my little fourteen-year-old daughter played spring soccer for the Broughton J.V.  Then late in the season she came home with word that Coach (Izzy) Hernandez was bringing her up to the varsity.  And suddenly Broughton was in the State Championship game over at Raleigh's Method Road Stadium against Greensboro Grimsley, with a nervous little Cap player sitting on the bench, so thrilled to be there.  But there was an injury and Anna was sent in as a replacement.  A great memory for her playing for the proud Broughton girl’s soccer team.

Broughton Girls, Soccer Champs once again.....

Broughton's great Coach Izzy Hernandez

Now I am in a Lyon cafe thinking about our great women’s soccer team, and their World Cup Championship.  What a talented bunch with such heart and grit.

Rose Lavelle is a rising star.

Best in the World!!!  :-)

I wasn’t able to make any of the Broughton teams like my brother and daughter. Maybe if that other football was played back then? Soccer would have been a fun sport for a lot of us--those who were a little shy about tackling a charging 220 pound fullback.  :-)

My hotel owner-friend shouted , 'Viva La France!' as she pointed to the Tour de France winner on the front page of the newspaper.

'Viva La USA!' I replied, showing her a photo of our World Cup champions from the same paper.

For Coach Stutts.....

From Lyon

Dan(ny)