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Welcome to the Mulberry Panthers football history web site.
Mulberry, located in Central Florida, fielded its first football team in 1924 and were called the Miners, probably due
to the fact of the phosphate pits and the miners needed to work them. But they soon became the Panthers. Now you can see year
by year how the Panthers have done.
THE FIRST 25 YEARS...AND MORE
Football.
High school football.
Mulberry High School football is entering its 86th year of competition on the gridiron
in 2009.
There have been good years and there have been bad years – mostly good years.
It all started back in
1924. Many records have been lost. Only bits and pieces remain of that first year.
Mulberry’s first ever opponent
is forgotten, but its second opponent, Fort Meade, won’t be.
On Sept. 26, 1924, the Mulberry Miners traveled to Fort
Meade to play the Turpintiners. Fort Meade won that first game 6-0 in a long string that continues to this day. The rivalry
had not yet begun, but would develop later.
Lake Wales came to town the next Friday afternoon for the Highlanders first-ever
game. Mulberry was ready for this one, winning it handily, 64-0.
The next week, Mulberry hosted Largo and nearly surpassed
the blowout from the week before, obtaining a 61-0 shutout.
Traveling to Sarasota to play the Sailors, Mulberry faced a
stronger team losing 28-0.
The season finale at Hernando ended in a 7-7 tie.
Players on that first team included Graham
at left end, Haynesworth at halfback, Sweat at left guard, Lovell at center, Smith at right guard, Clark at right tackle,
J. Evers at quarterback, Barrington at fullback, Hooker at left halfback, Evers at right end, Conner at right halfback, and
Turner. One of the Evers served as captain. They provided Mulberry with its first taste of interscholastic football ending
with a 2-3-1 record of known opponents. Mulberry also lost 74-0 to Fort Myers.
1924 – Graham, left end; Haynesworth, left tackle; Sweat, left guard; Lovell, center; Smith, right guard;
Clark, right tackle; J. Evers, quarterback; Barrington, fullback; Hooker, left halfback; Evers (Captain), right end; Conner,
right halfback; Turner
1925 – Turner
1926 – Strickland; Sapp; Wilson; Holland; Fitts; E.
Haynesworth; Graham; Burnett; Gable; Green; T. Haynesworth; Turner; Sutton; Albritton; Howell
1927 – Albritton, left halfback; T. Haynesworth, quarterback; Gandy, left end; E. Haynesworth, left
tackle; Newsom, left guard; Turner, end; Wilson, right guard; Holland, right tackle; Smith, right end; Fitts, right halfback;
Green, fullback; Simpson; Coach Tipton. Member Central Florida High School
Athletic Conference
1928 – Duke, left end & fullback; Hall, left tackle; J. Haynesworth, left guard; Evers, center;
Wilson (Captain), right guard; Buck Newsome, right tackle; Jones, right end; Theo Haynesworth, quarterback; Overstreet (Non-conference
All-State), right halfback; Hicks, left halfback; Green, fullback; Gandy, left end; Graves (or Gray); Sigler; Turner; Coach
McPherson (Southern College grid star)
1929 – Haynesworth, left tackle & right guard; Jones, right end; Graves, fullback; Overstreet, back;
Hubbard, back; Clark, left tackle; Duke, left end; Hall, right tackle; Capps, left back; Turner; Evers; Proctor; Cantrell;
Jenkins. Ridge Conference Champions
1930 – Haynesworth (Captain), left tackle; Keel, center; Whiddon, right end; Seigler, right halfback;
Smith, left halfback; Jones, fullback; Overstreet, quarterback; Hewitt, left end; Clark, fullback; Hall, left guard; Woodall,
right guard; Brown, halfback; Turner, right tackle; Hunter; Coach Carlyle Huskey
1931 – Wilbur Jones, halfback; Trammell Smith, quarterback; Billy Turner, right tackle; Edgar Woodall,
fullback; Hall, right guard; Estridge, center; Haynesworth (Captain); Smith; Brown; Griffin; Edmondson; Denmark; Whidden;
Hewett; Rentz; Burris. Lakeland’s first defeat in 25
games. Ridge Conference Champions. Mulberry “All Stars” defeated Tampa
31-0
1932 – Hewitt, end; Woodall, end; Hall, guard; Turner, guard; Denmark, tackle; Powers, tackle; Estridge,
center; Rentz, quarterback; Brown, halfback; Burris, halfback; Edmondson, fullback, Coach Huskey. Ridge Conference Champions
1933 – Burris, quarterback; Estridge, center; Morgan, end; Hicks, punter; Evers; Brown; Hall; Turner;
Riley; Mills. Ridge Conference Champions
1934 – Carlton, left end; Mills, left tackle; Haynesworth, left guard; Keel, center; McDonald, right
guard; Mann, right tackle; Lewis, right end; Driver, quarterback; Clements, left halfback; O. McDonald, right halfback; Gillete,
right back, Coach Harry “Moon” Mullins
1935 – Keel, center; Mullis, left end & back; Paul Lewis, right end; Jack Jones, left tackle; Evans,
right tackle; Jordan, left guard & center; Duke, guard; Douglas, back; Pope, back; H.C. Tucker, right guard; Clements,
quarterback; Herrin, halfback; Surrency, halfback; Pete Hall, end; S. Hall, end; Byrd, guard; Everett Parrish, back; Carter,
back; Wiggs, back; M. Lewis, end; R.J Anderson, center; Harry Mills, guard; Evarts, tackle; Raymond Haynesworth, guard; Driver,
back; Williams, back; Coach Joel “Red” Evers; Coach Wilbur H. Purcell. MHS suspended from FHSAA for one year,
nicknamed themselves “Black Sheep”, for having overage boys
1936 – Paul Lewis, end; Q. Cantrell, center; Bobby Wiggs, back; J.B. Riley, back; Tom Evans, back; Duke
McDonald, back; Raymond (Red) Driver, back’ R. Cribbs, back; Frank Carter, back; H. Spence, back; Jack Jones; Julian
Mullis; Earl Jordan; H.C. Tucker; K.C. Anderson; Jerry Duke; Murphy Lewis; Wilbur Ray; James (Pete) Driver; Melvin (Pot) McCook;
J.L. Green; D. Gross; Sim Cozart; Billie Harrell; Coach Dewey Spooner
1937 – Hall, tackle; McDonald, halfback; Driver, end; McBride, tackle; Cribb, halfback; Polk, guard;
Strickland, guard; Ray, halfback; Spear, center; Evans, quarterback; Carter, fullback; Harrell, tackle; Waring; Cantrell;
Coach Dewey Spooner
1938 – R. Driver, right end; L. Carter, right tackle; W. Strickland, right guard; L. Bergquist, center;
M. Gillete, left guard; V.J. Hague, left tackle; C. Clements, left end; L. Walker, halfback; Collice Mills, fullback; Q. Cantrell,
center; E. Hutchinson, left guard; H. Foxworth, left tackle; B. Wiggs, left end; Buck McDonald, quarterback; Percy Cribbs
(Captain), halfback; J.B. Riley, halfback; H. Spence, fullback; J.L. Green; Jr. Hutchinson; B. Palmer; H. Vassie; E. Powers;
J.B. Mann; E. Autman; L. Marsh; G. Hoffman; A. Keel; T. Evans; M. Tucker; Coach Marwood Stark; Assistant Coach Evers. Played
on Spence Field
1939 – Reynolds (First Team All-Conference), right guard; Duke McDonald (First Team All-Conference),
right halfback; Quick (Second Team All-Conference), right end; Riley (Second Team All-Conference), right halfback; Ken McQuaddy,
halfback; B. McDonald, quarterback; Marvin Moore, fullback; W.C. Jordan, fullback; J. Hutchinson, right tackle; Tucker, left
end; Keel, right end; Pierce, left tackle; Smith, left guard; Burris, center; Walker, halfback; Bennett, fullback; Coach Marwood
Stark
1940 - Gilbert Bergquist, guard; Allen Wood, guard; Billy Crough,
tackle; Jackie Alderman, end; Bernard Palmer, end; V.J. Hague, tackle; Allen Keel, left end; Francis Pierce, tackle; Junior
Hutchinson, tackle; James Burris (Captain), center, Gordon Hoffman, guard; Mickey Walker, halfback; Kenneth McQuady, halfback;
Buck McDonald, fullback & quarterback; Milford Tucker, end; Lester Marsh, quarterback & guard; Dutch Jordan, halfback;
Chuck Moses, fullback; Red Strickland, fullback; Martin, tackle; Coach Stark. Homecoming was on Nov. 15 against Avon Park. Ridge Conference
Champions. On Dec. 20, in Polk All-Stars vs. Hillsborough All-Stars, Jimmie Burris (First Team), Mickey Walker (First Team),
Milford Tucker (Second Team), Keel (Honorable Mention), Hutchinson
(Honorable Mention). Polk defeated Hillsborough 20-0
1941 – Francis Pierce, tackle; Robert Barwick; Gilbert Bergquist; Hadden Evans; Don Harrell; W.C. Jordan;
Kenneth McQuady, right halfback; Lester Marsh, fullback; Leslie Moody; Williard Moses; Billy Pollock; Bobby Reynolds; Milford
Tucker; Allen Wood; Jackie Alderman; Elmo Fernandez; LaRue Jones; John Williamson; Clifton Davis; Ben Hunt; Conley Mears;
Billy Adams; Richard Bergquist; Harry Eville, end; Derien Handley; Earl Jordan; Elbert Osborne; George Seigler; Dick Stavely;
Wendell Lewis; Manager Tommy Brooke; Manager Russell Lowery; Manager Virgil Handley; Coach Marwood W. Stark. Hillsborough
All-Stars defeated Polk All-Stars, 19-0
1942 – Berquist; Hunt; O’Brien; Coach Stark. Homecoming was on Nov. 13 against Avon Park
1943 – Paul McDonald, quarterback; Dick Stavely, end; Billy Adams, guard; Jack Jones, tackle; John Moore,
halfback; Sonny O’Brien, end; Mullis, halfback; Richard Burgquist; J.W. Clements; Adams; Coach Stark. Homecoming was
on Nov. 5 against Fort Meade
1944 – Paul McDonald, halfback; Gene Sikes, halfback; Edgar Mears, halfback; Kenneth Durrance; Whidden;
O’Brien; Coach Marwood Stark. Homecoming was on Nov. 3 against Fort
Meade
1945 – Stuart Acree; Jimmie Aggelis; John Andy Bergquist; Ralph Clements; Don Coleman; Guy Coleman;
Gene Cunningham; Jimmie Davis; Cecil Eason; Lawrence Freeman; Wallace Hayman; Max Howard; Leroy Johnson; Joe Jones; Homer
Julian; Bill Mallard; Donald Marin; Buddy McClelland; William McKinney; Edgar Mears, Eston Melton; Robert Moore; Bob Moran;
Dawson Moran; Joe Murat; Lewis O’Cain; William Peace; Jack Peters; Marty Whidden; Lloyd Prevatt; W.M. Price; George
Scott; Gene Sikes; Leon Ward; James Watson; Dwight Weeks; Wilton Wilkerson; Tommy Woods; Coach Marwood Stark. Homecoming was
on Nov. 2 against Fort Meade
1946 – Cecil Eason; Gene Sikes; Dawson Moran; Edgar Mears; Joe Jones; Coach Henry D. Raines. Homecoming
was on Nov. 8 against Avon Park
1947 – Cecil (Bo) Eason, halfback; Jerry Earp, fullback; Donald Foster, halfback; Sonny Young, end;
Donald Mann, guard; David Alderman, fullback; Wilbur Mills, right end; Carl Mears, halfback; Wogan Badcock; Danny J. Byrd;
Owen, tackle; Gerald Culp, tackle; Red Moore, tackle; Robert Young; David Alderman; John Boyles; Edward Clements; Harold Coleman;
Billy J. Stephens; Bobby L. Moore; Jimmie Morrison; Bobby Moody; Granda Cozart; Jerry Polk; Wayne Hayman; Buck Walker; Alfred
McNeal; Coach Red Stephens; Assistant Coach Holmes; Athletic Director Joe Stephens. Homecoming was on Nov. 21 against Fort Meade. Ridge
Conference members were Lake Wales, Frostproof,
Haines City, Kathleen, Mulberry, Kissimmee, Sebring, Fort Meade,
Auburndale, and Avon Park
1948 – Jackie Purcell; Charles Anderson; Buck Walker; John Morrison; Boyce Sweat; Bill Seigler; Denver
Hart; Bobby Caruthers; Dewey Hilton; Jimmy Willis; John Boyles; Carl Mears; Jerry Earp; Danny Joe Byrd; Donald Mann; Harold
Coleman; Gerald Culp; Donald Foster; Bobby Byrd; Bobby Ghiotto; Jerry Polk; Charles Brown; Wogan Badcock; Bobby Moody; Lovette
Johnson; Bobby Moore; Cecil Eason; Billy Stephens; Wayne Hayman; Jay Maddox; Manager Teddy Aggelis; Manager Ulysses Knowles;
Manager Ben Rowand; Coach Arnold Holmes
1949 – Jay Maddox; Billy Hayman; Guy Perry Anderson; Buck Walker; Dewey Hilton; Bobby Byrd; Bobby Ghiotto;
Billy Seigler; Jimmy Willis; John Morrison; Jerry Earp; Jackie Purcell; Boyce Sweat; Alfred McNeal; Lionel Brenneman; Jerry
Polk; Bobby Caruthers; Charles Anderson; Jimmie Morrison; Daniel Handley; Melburn Marchant; Wogie Badcock; Manager Gene Lewis;
Manager Carl Fortner; Manager Charles Alderman; Coach Arnold Holmes; Assistant Coach Reed
1950 – Bobby Caruthers; Ottis Wilson; Jerry Williams; Bobby Byrd; Johnie Lane; Glenn Alderman; John
Morrison; Earnest Dixon; Billy Coleman; Jimmy Emerson; Jimmie Morrison; Pierce Jones; Charles Alderman; Jimmy Willis; Jackie
Purcell; Ollie Barrington; Charles Anderson; Rueben Connell; Dan Handley; Bobby Ghiotto; Dick Harte; Billy Seigler; Lionel
Brenneman; Gene Johnson; Coach Arnold Holmes
1951 – Jerry Williams; Floyd Johnson; Rooney Connell; Bill Coleman; Harold Mathis; Dennis Parrish; Earnest
Dixon; Joe Peddy; George Anderson; Bobby Gunter; Watson McDonald; Jerry Hicks; Glen Alderman; Jackie Purcell; Charles Alderman;
Charles Bailey; Jim Emerson; Eulus Stephens; Allen Polk; Owen Townley; Bill Seigler; Gene Johnson; Jimmy Davis; Elmer Caruthers;
Dick Harte; Harold Lyle; John Morrison; Charles Anderson; Manager Billy Strange; Manager Charlton Peddy; Manager Pierce Jones;
Coach Holmes; Assistant Coach Glenn Reed
1952 – Jimmy Davis; Marion Blackwell; George Anderson; Reuben Connell; Floyd Johnson; Asa Keene; Jerry
Hicks; Owen Townley; Pasco Hagan; Oliver Sheffield; J.L. Kitchell; James Pace; Eulus Stephens; Charles Bailey; Sonny Seigler;
Edward McNeal; Jimmy Ray McGilvary; Jerry Williams; Bobby Joe Malloy; Charles Alderman; Elmer Caruthers; Allen Polk; John
Watson; Charles Renninger; Dickie Harte; Glen Alderman; Jim Simons; Manager Charlton Peddy; Manager Bobby Crosby; Coach Glenn
Reed; Assistant Coach Henry Moody, Jr.
1953 – Sammy Polk; Jim Davis; Jim Windham; Jerry Williams; George Anderson; Bobby Arnold; Edward Hendrix;
Pasco Hagen; John Watson; James Pace; Jimmy Boutwell; Edward McNeal; Bobby Malloy; Marian Blackwell; Ronald Lane; Eulus Stephens;
Norman Seigler; Coach Glenn Reed; Assistant Coach Henry Moody
1954 – Leon Peace; Ronald Lane; Donald Lane; Norman Seigler; Bob Hood; Richard Lane. Auburndale game
started 90 minutes late due to no officials
1955 – Ronald Lane, halfback; Richard Weaver, quarterback; David Willis, quarterback; Charles Lyle,
halfback; James Tice, fullback; Leland Hagan, fullback; James Eason, end; Al Hood, end; Richard Galbreath, tackle; Don Miles,
tackle; David Burdette, guard; Lester Hoffman, guard; Donald Caraker, center; Jerry Moore, center; Coach Glenn Reed; Assistant
Coach Bill McDonald. Phosphate Area President’s Roundtable, composed of all past and present presidents of civic, service,
and labor clubs, had all proceeds from Sept. 9 blue-white game to go towards new stadium at new school. Dick Hawkins was the
general chairman
1956 – Jerry Moore; Richard Stavely; Leland Hagan; David Willis; West; Lee Purcell; Pedro Curry; Richard
Weaver; Tommy McGilvery; Key Cozart; Wyman MacDonald; Stevens; Galberaith; Randall Mills; Charles Lyle; Coach McDonald; Coach
Sheridan
1957 –
1958 – Bill Mixon; Randall Mills; Ray Cook, quarterback; Lee Purcell; Frankie Campbell; Jimmy Chestnut;
Coach Bill McDonald; Coach Marvin Sheridan. Tied for second place in Ridge Conference
1959 – Claude Eason; Andy Combass; Phil Dixon; Dickie Moore; Red Campbell; Randy Gurley; Jerry Escue;
Bill Mixon; Billy Ray Harvey; Quin Clements; George O’Cain; Ray Cook (Co-captain); Bobby Murphy; Carl Ellis (Co-captain);
Gene Caruthers; Jimmy Chestnut; Neal Dilliard; Galberaith; Parrish; Felder; McCraney; Duke; Hagan; Lingard; J. Mullis; Jenkins;
Barwick; Thomas; Mills; Farmer; K. Mullis; Twiss; Coach McDonald; Coach Sheridan. Opened play in the new stadium, which cost
$5,300, on Oct. 2. First Phosphate Memorial Bowl held on Dec. 5, Mulberry defeated Inverness Citrus 27-12
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