Waltrip High School
Class Of 1964
Football
SPORTS BANQUET FOR ALL WALTRIP ATHLETES UNDER COACH BURTON
CADILLAC BAR AND GRILL
JUNE 9, 2022
ORGANIZED BY GLEN SMITH
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Joe Clooney
James Syer, Louis Klare, Johnny Sheffield
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Tony Maddox and Allen Brown
Louis Klare and Johnny Rolater
Roger Synnott
Tom Gann and Glen Smith
John Lievsay, Gary Armbrister, Bill Groberg, Paul Salazar, Mike Smith
Bill Groberg
Lloyd Pond
John Goyen and Richard Kennedy
Pete Biggs and Richard Meeks
Norman Adams
Ronnie Day
Charlie Yenton
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Richard Kennedy
Allen Brown
John Lievsay
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Don McPherson
Bubba Hiil
Holly Ware
Tommy Tucker and Mike Smith
Pictures taken by Johnny Sheffield
Submitted by Tom Gann - 8-3-18
Waltrip vs. Reagan 1963 - Waltrip won 28 to 0
Waltrip vs. Milby 1963
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Coach Burton
Waltrip ‘64- Feb. 2018
With all the flood of news about the latest school shootings in Florida (2018) and not having armed individuals inside the school campus, I’m reminded of one of those very special individuals from Waltrip that made a difference in his profession and with our class. It was at his funeral that many of us learned that Coach Les Burton had not just Waltrip’s two City of Houston Champion Football teams but two more as an assistant coach while he was at Reagan High the years before Waltrip. As two rows of Waltrip players sat near the front, two more rows of Reagan players sat on the other side further in the middle rear unnoticed, at least by this player, until later during the service.
Near the end of the speakers, the past longtime Superintendent of Houston Independant School District, Billy Reagan, a legend on his own, spoke to what Les Burton had done for the the Houston school district in the late 60’s and for many years beyond.
Reagan said that in the turmoil of the late sixties and the riots, etc that followed he approached one individual to start a “school police force” just for the Houston school system. That person was Les Burton. With no prior real knowledge Burton was the sole individual to develop an armed team to protect and control all of Houston’s schools during the era of integration and the Viet Nam War. Remember that Louie Welch, from our neighborhoods, was mounting machine guns on police cars.
Houston schools were tamed in all those years and Les also used armed older Waltrip players on occasion.** Superintendent Reagan made numerous remarks of gratitude on the work accomplishments of Coach Burton over many years of excellence as head of the Houston School (armed) Police Force in all our Houston schools. Just thought we all should know some of Coach Burton’s contributions.
“We thought we were ordinary but the whole class was very special.”
———John Goyen ‘64
Tom H. Gann ‘64
** (None of the Oates or Curbo were included in that remark I’m sure)
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City Football Champions 1964 and 1967
November 22, 1963 - Football Champions - Recounting the Memories
From those of us in the stands who were watching our team win, thank you.
Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2008 7:29 AM
To: Tom Gann; 'Allen C. Geiser'; 'Don & Shirley Ellisor'
Subject: Re: Momentous Day in History
That was the way to do it.
...and only 12 months before (November, 1962) , many of you were a part of another great “mud battle” against Reagan High School. You were building for your success.
It’s fun to have those memories.
Charlie Eastburn
On 11/22/08 10:53 AM, "Tom Gann" wrote:
#77 (Don Ellisor)
Once again we celebrate a Momentous day in our Great History. It's a wet, muddy, cold evening in November. The people are tense and nervous as out of nowhere a 200# plus tackle finds a oblong leather object cradled in his arms. As he streaks to the East followed by 10 Muddy compatriots, #77 scores on 4 minute run on a blocked punt to lead the Mighty Waltrip Rams to their first ever City of Houston High School Football Championship.. A feat no one can comprehend except for the meagre 23 plus individuals that made up that team and had survived four long years of gruelling work to accomplish this goal. I can still vividly see that run as we surrounded you to fend off any Bellaire attempt to stop you.
#34 (Allen Geiser)
#88(Tom Gann) Comment: Coach Burton had us so focused that the fact that President Kennedy had been shot and died at 1:00 that day, November 22, 1963, was not on our minds for that 2 ∏ hours at Delmar.
..
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