1965 Whiteville football team honored for regional championship

WHITEVILLE, NC (WWAY) — In 1965 state titles didn’t exist in high school football in North Carolina. Regional championships were awarded instead. On Friday several members of the 1965 Whiteville High School football team were honored at halftime of the Whiteville-West Brunswick game.

We’ve posted the entire script from Friday’s presentation below.

Tonight we take great pleasure in recognizing the 1965 Whiteville Wolfpack football team. 50 years ago this year, this team was the Region II, 2 A Champions. They had an 11 and 1 record, winning 11 in a row after losing their opener and defeated Wake Forest 20-13 and Burgaw 19-13 in the title game, bring home the first regional title in Whiteville High School history and are recognized by NCHSAA as a state championship team. In 1965 the Regional finals was as far as you could advance.

With us tonight are 19 members of that team. Also, we are especially glad to have with us, head coach, Buck Jolly, who led this team to victory. Sadly,  assistant coach, Jerry Cartrette, is no longer with us. The team consisted of 12 seniors, 17 juniors, and 4 sophomores.

Senior players present tonight: Co-Captains Charlie Ripple and James Smith—- Ronnie Barden- Vinson Bowers- Sidney Gibson- David Heath- Roy Herring- Guy Towne,Jr.- and Edward White. .

Others members of team: Ed Baldwin- Bill Floyd- Mike Formyduval- Mel Herring- Rick Maxwell- Sandy McNeil- Tommy Palmer- Calvin Shearin- Malcolm Smith- and Dickie Turner. Also team manager- Junior McKeel.

Five players who have passed away- Royce Odom- Donald Angel- Bill Barnes- Bill Viets- and Preston Melton.

Interesting facts about the team. Called by some “Jolly’s Blue Gaints” . Over 3500 people watched the game against Wake Forest and over 4500 watched the game against Burgaw. Both played in Whiteville at Legion Field. The Pack averaged 238 yds rushing and 42 yds passing per game for the 12 games played. They averaged scoring 29 points a game and gave up 5.6 points per game to their opponents. Only one team they played gained more than 35 yards rushing against them.

Mr. Jiggs Powers( News Reporter sports editor) wrote this about them. He called them an exceptional group. He wrote: “There is no other way to say that the great victory that came to Whiteville this year arrived except to use that oft- quoted expression, TEAM VICTORY, and that’ s exactly what it was. Such a team as this Whiteville Wolfpack of 1965 does not often come to these Coastal Tar Heel flatlands; nor does the personnel such as this come often to any school. These boys are not just good athletes, not just Champions on the football field; they’re just plain good boys, any place. Not just talented and determined, they were of high moral standards, always the mark of any good organization. Team-work was their way of doing the job. Exceptional was this club because there was never a show of jealousy, never a claim of one of its stars being a “ glory-hog”, never lying down on the job….Instead the desire to get the job done in a satisfactory manner came first with all the boys on the squad. That’s what made them the solid unit they were; MADE THEM CHAMPIONS. “