An ode on the SWD victory over Lakeside
September 29, 1978 Panthersville Stadium
The word was out that fateful day,
The stands they would be packed.
Eight thousand fans or more would see
two vaunted teams they backed.
A stupid boast the Vikings made,
Newspapers heard the quote:
“No problem is the Panther squad”!
The scribes they heard, and wrote.
“Northside Tigers beat the Gold,
With ease they passed and rushed.
So when the Purple takes the field,
The Panthers will be crushed!”
Ranked first in statewide football polls
The Panthers were Week One.
But a loss and tie their record marred
Their perfect season done.
Meanwhile Lakeside found a gem
In White County way up north;
Melvin Dorsey had the skill
To push the Vikings forth.
Full of strength and speed and skill,
This halfback had it all:
He dipped and cruised and crashed the line,
And really moved the ball.
The Panthers were just hanging on
To keep Lakeside off the board.
They couldn’t seem to put a stop
To the Sturdy Purple Horde.
Halftime found the Panthers down;
“13-7” was the score.
Their work and schemes seemed all for naught;
The Vikings would score more.
But the Panthers found a key,
A thing they seemed to lack:
Captain Lindsey’s stirring words:
“Get crazy: Take this game back!”
Just like the country redneck lad
In the song they often heard;
Their backs were up against the wall;
Giving up would be absurd!
Intent the Vikings to upset,
The Panthers took the field
Their cleats they churned; their eyes they burned:
The Vikings had to yield!
Clark put his hat right on their end,
And bowled him on his rear.
And Smith sliced through the gaping hole
To the end zone without fear.
The roar from Panther fans awoke
South County’s silent vale;
The sound did echo out for miles
The Vikings sat there pale.
The Viking horde would not retreat;
To stop them required skill.
They closed and scraped and hit and held
And every gap did fill.
Then much to everyone’s surprise
From deep in his own zone,
Bob Berry faked a criss-crop trap
And dropped back all alone
He fired a missile high and long
Fifty-seven yards it soared
Selesky down the left side flew
And caught the ball and scored!
The Viking cornerback was brave
The Purple lad gave all
But all the effort in the world
Wouldn’t help that boy catch Paul!
The sideline players did erupt;
The stands became unglued;
The Panther pride came surging back
All hopes were now renewed.
One final scare in their own zone
Occurred on fourth and one.
Lakeside tried to tie it up
But lost 13-21!
I’m sure by now you surely know
The moral of this long, long tale:
Don’t underestimate the Panther pride.
You do and you will fail!
By Coach Dan Spier
SWD assistant football coach 1968-1979
Revised 2018