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Goff recalls '60 state game
  
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BY MELONY OVERTON
Today, former football coach Robert Goff can still see the faces of his starting line of the state-bound 1960 Calhoun High School Sandcrab team.
Forty-nine years later, he knows their names. He sees them in position on the field, ready to beat legendary coach Gordon Wood’s Brownwood Lions that memorable day in December at the 3A state championship game at Texas Stadium in Austin.
Despite one other loss that season to the El Campo Ricebirds, the Sandcrabs suffered another defeat. Brownwood took the state title, beating Calhoun 26-6.
With his boys down after the loss, Goff swallowed his own disappointment in the loss and offered words of encouragement.
“I told them we had a good season. I told them I was very proud of them,” Goff said. “I felt we were a pretty matched ball club, but Gordon (Wood) came out on top. They (Brownwood) had a good team.”
So did Goff, in his opinion.
“That particular team was a group of very fine boys and athletes who ended up becoming very fine men,” he said.
That season, Goff was confident his team would go the distance.
“We had an exceptional ball team. We had size and speed. We had good passing and good punting,” he said. “We had several scrimmages before the season began and we ran over every one of them.”
According to Goff, the Sandcrabs had built up such a reputation as winners that none of the district teams would scrimmage with them. The team had to turn to Corpus Christi Ray High School to scrimmage.
“We held our own against Ray,” Goff said.
Goff does not want to take all of the credit for the near-perfect season. He gives accolades to his assistant coaches and the players.
“I had a very fine coaching staff. The men who weren’t coaching with me on the sidelines were scouting games and giving me good reports. That helped just as much,” he said. “We were thorough. We had all teams ready, including a reserve team.”
Rickey Whatley, 66, of Long Mott, was a senior who played left end during the state game. He remembers his former coach fondly.
“He (Goff) was a great coach. All the players liked him. He picked his assistant coaches well. He was a good motivator who wasn’t overly strict. He knew what needed to be done,” Whatley said.
Whatley and his teammates grew up together playing Little League baseball and junior high football. He feels this togetherness over the years contributed to the 1960 winning season.
“We knew each other and our abilities. We had a sense of camaraderie,” he said. “We felt like we could go to state.”
But for all they knew about each other, Whatley said he had butterflies in his stomach the day of the state game.
“We were nervous. I think we were overwhelmed by the size of Texas Stadium and the size of the crowd. We weren’t used to it,” he said.
Whatley admits the Sandcrabs did not play their best game.
“The loss was heartbreaking. We didn’t feel like we played a game we were capable of playing,” he said.
Whatley graduated in 1961 and went on to play football for Texas A&M University. He majored in agronomy.
“What I learned in high school from Coach Goff I took with me to A&M,” Whatley said.
Today, he is a farmer who has an agriculture aviation business, Whatley Flying Service, where he sprays crops. He sees Goff often at the Hatch Bend Country Club, where they play cards.
During the 1961 season, Goff lead the Sandcrabs to Bi-District, but they lost to San Benito. Goff could not get his team to the playoffs again, but that did not diminish his love for the game or for his players.
Goff, now in his 80s, was a ball player himself, and got into coaching for the love of the game. He played high school football for his hometown of Kennedy. In 1944, at the age of 18, a six-foot, 230-pound Goff went to play for the Texas A&M University Aggies as a halfback. That year, he went into the military. By 1946, he was back at A&M and married Billie Jean, his wife, on Dec. 7. They went on to have three daughters.
Along the way, back at A&M, Goff suffered a ruptured kidney.
“That was during the time when players could hit you from the back,” he said.
By 1947, he was a fullback for the Aggies and received the Most Valuable Player Award.
He was co-captain of the team in 1949 and graduated in 1950. He majored in animal husbandry and minored in education.
From 1950-56, Goff coached in Yoakum, and he coached at Goliad from 1957-58.
After 10 years as head coach of the Sandcrabs, Goff quit coaching in 1968 to take on a different leadership role as vice principal of CHS.
“I had developed a good football program, but I decided to get out when it was still good,” Goff said. “I missed the association I had with the boys, but I did not miss the coaching part when I became vice principal.”
Goff retired from education in 1987.
He continued to attend Sandcrab football games throughout the years. He saw the team make playoffs for the first time in four decades in 2006. The 2009 campaign is the fourth straight season that the Sandcrabs have made the playoffs.
Goff has been able to witness the glory days once again.
“The present staff and kids are doing an excellent job,” Goff said. “These kids are hitters and competitors. I enjoy watching them play.”
Forty-nine years later, he knows their names. He sees them in position on the field, ready to beat legendary coach Gordon Wood’s Brownwood Lions that memorable day in December at the 3A state championship game at Texas Stadium in Austin.
Despite one other loss that season to the El Campo Ricebirds, the Sandcrabs suffered another defeat. Brownwood took the state title, beating Calhoun 26-6.
With his boys down after the loss, Goff swallowed his own disappointment in the loss and offered words of encouragement.
“I told them we had a good season. I told them I was very proud of them,” Goff said. “I felt we were a pretty matched ball club, but Gordon (Wood) came out on top. They (Brownwood) had a good team.”
So did Goff, in his opinion.
“That particular team was a group of very fine boys and athletes who ended up becoming very fine men,” he said.
That season, Goff was confident his team would go the distance.
“We had an exceptional ball team. We had size and speed. We had good passing and good punting,” he said. “We had several scrimmages before the season began and we ran over every one of them.”
According to Goff, the Sandcrabs had built up such a reputation as winners that none of the district teams would scrimmage with them. The team had to turn to Corpus Christi Ray High School to scrimmage.
“We held our own against Ray,” Goff said.
Goff does not want to take all of the credit for the near-perfect season. He gives accolades to his assistant coaches and the players.
“I had a very fine coaching staff. The men who weren’t coaching with me on the sidelines were scouting games and giving me good reports. That helped just as much,” he said. “We were thorough. We had all teams ready, including a reserve team.”
Rickey Whatley, 66, of Long Mott, was a senior who played left end during the state game. He remembers his former coach fondly.
“He (Goff) was a great coach. All the players liked him. He picked his assistant coaches well. He was a good motivator who wasn’t overly strict. He knew what needed to be done,” Whatley said.
Whatley and his teammates grew up together playing Little League baseball and junior high football. He feels this togetherness over the years contributed to the 1960 winning season.
“We knew each other and our abilities. We had a sense of camaraderie,” he said. “We felt like we could go to state.”
But for all they knew about each other, Whatley said he had butterflies in his stomach the day of the state game.
“We were nervous. I think we were overwhelmed by the size of Texas Stadium and the size of the crowd. We weren’t used to it,” he said.
Whatley admits the Sandcrabs did not play their best game.
“The loss was heartbreaking. We didn’t feel like we played a game we were capable of playing,” he said.
Whatley graduated in 1961 and went on to play football for Texas A&M University. He majored in agronomy.
“What I learned in high school from Coach Goff I took with me to A&M,” Whatley said.
Today, he is a farmer who has an agriculture aviation business, Whatley Flying Service, where he sprays crops. He sees Goff often at the Hatch Bend Country Club, where they play cards.
During the 1961 season, Goff lead the Sandcrabs to Bi-District, but they lost to San Benito. Goff could not get his team to the playoffs again, but that did not diminish his love for the game or for his players.
Goff, now in his 80s, was a ball player himself, and got into coaching for the love of the game. He played high school football for his hometown of Kennedy. In 1944, at the age of 18, a six-foot, 230-pound Goff went to play for the Texas A&M University Aggies as a halfback. That year, he went into the military. By 1946, he was back at A&M and married Billie Jean, his wife, on Dec. 7. They went on to have three daughters.
Along the way, back at A&M, Goff suffered a ruptured kidney.
“That was during the time when players could hit you from the back,” he said.
By 1947, he was a fullback for the Aggies and received the Most Valuable Player Award.
He was co-captain of the team in 1949 and graduated in 1950. He majored in animal husbandry and minored in education.
From 1950-56, Goff coached in Yoakum, and he coached at Goliad from 1957-58.
After 10 years as head coach of the Sandcrabs, Goff quit coaching in 1968 to take on a different leadership role as vice principal of CHS.
“I had developed a good football program, but I decided to get out when it was still good,” Goff said. “I missed the association I had with the boys, but I did not miss the coaching part when I became vice principal.”
Goff retired from education in 1987.
He continued to attend Sandcrab football games throughout the years. He saw the team make playoffs for the first time in four decades in 2006. The 2009 campaign is the fourth straight season that the Sandcrabs have made the playoffs.
Goff has been able to witness the glory days once again.
“The present staff and kids are doing an excellent job,” Goff said. “These kids are hitters and competitors. I enjoy watching them play.”
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David Ferraez wrote on Nov 15, 2009 10:12 AM: