"The 1979 A.L. Brown Wonders"
Central Piedmont AAAA Conference Champions
"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. -Vincent Lombardi-
Raising the Bar
It's the end of the 1978 football season, and the varsity Wonders football team has just accomplished something that had not been accomplished since 1974. A winning season!! To some a 7-3 season seems subpar by todays standards, but in the landscape of Wonder football at this point in time it was an astronomical feat. The last of the losing seasons had vanished into the cold November night in 1978 after the Wonders took down the Concord Spiders 33-0 at Memorial Stadium in front of thousands. The bell had long been gone from K-Town for the last four years after the 1974 Little Wonders suffered their heartbreaking defeat. Redemption had come, and how sweet it was.
This 7-3 season was a milestone for this flegling group of elite Wonders who were well on their way to cementing a legacy of great Wonder football teams in the pages of Kannapolis football history. Not only had they accomplished a winning season they had done it in the brutality of the Central Piedmont AAAA Conference. A conference that had run roughshod over the Wonders in 1977. A conference that boasted such heavy hitters as Greensboro Grimsley, R.J. Reynolds, West Forsyth, T Wingate Andrews, Greensboro Dudley, Winston Salem Parkland, High Point, Central, and Lucy Ragsdale. Just the year before the 1977 mauling the Wonders had faired no better in the South Piedmont Conference, and now they were playing in the big arena against foes that nobody gave the Wonders any chance of competing against.
Several things were different however with this group, and some new faces were about to leave their mark in Memorial Stadium as well as in the class of the AAAA. The 1979 Wonders were comprised of athletes who had already spent two years under the tutiledge of new head coach Robert Bob Boswell, and little did anyone realize that this group was about to make some major noise in K-Town. The sweat and toil of the last two years for coach Boswell was about to start paying dividends for the already proven new head coach. When all would be said and done this group of Wonders would ultimatley set the standard for which all Wonder teams to follow would be measured. In the NFL most teams in search of the Vince Lombardi trophy are compared to the 1985 Chicago Bears. In Kannapolis teams searching for their state titles are compared to the 79 and 80 Wonders.
This elite group of Wonders are arguably considered one of the toughest most talent ladened group of Wonders to ever step on the field at Memorial Stadium. The team was loaded from top to bottom and you would be hard pressed to find a weak link anywhere. Names like Ethan Horton, Terry Baxter, Brent Holbrook, Steve Litaker, Winston Johnson, Darrell Maxwell, Tim Templeton, Derrick Cunningham, Lance Smith, Randy Bost, Donald Gray, David James, and so many more who helped comprise this football monster. This amazing year would see this stellar group of Wonders rise to national prominence, and capture a unanimous number one ranking in the state AAAA classification by the associated press. This would forever be a team like no other. Just one bad night in Icard would separate the 1979 Wonders from the likes of many of the Wonder teams from the nineties and Y2k era that would become the status quo for football in Kannapolis. The 1979 Wonders would go one step further than it's predecesser in 1978 and would effectively raise the bar for winning in Kannapolis. Lets take a look at the year that would define the class of 1980 and would record the Wonders first undefeated regular season in Kannapolis football history.
This 7-3 season was a milestone for this flegling group of elite Wonders who were well on their way to cementing a legacy of great Wonder football teams in the pages of Kannapolis football history. Not only had they accomplished a winning season they had done it in the brutality of the Central Piedmont AAAA Conference. A conference that had run roughshod over the Wonders in 1977. A conference that boasted such heavy hitters as Greensboro Grimsley, R.J. Reynolds, West Forsyth, T Wingate Andrews, Greensboro Dudley, Winston Salem Parkland, High Point, Central, and Lucy Ragsdale. Just the year before the 1977 mauling the Wonders had faired no better in the South Piedmont Conference, and now they were playing in the big arena against foes that nobody gave the Wonders any chance of competing against.
Several things were different however with this group, and some new faces were about to leave their mark in Memorial Stadium as well as in the class of the AAAA. The 1979 Wonders were comprised of athletes who had already spent two years under the tutiledge of new head coach Robert Bob Boswell, and little did anyone realize that this group was about to make some major noise in K-Town. The sweat and toil of the last two years for coach Boswell was about to start paying dividends for the already proven new head coach. When all would be said and done this group of Wonders would ultimatley set the standard for which all Wonder teams to follow would be measured. In the NFL most teams in search of the Vince Lombardi trophy are compared to the 1985 Chicago Bears. In Kannapolis teams searching for their state titles are compared to the 79 and 80 Wonders.
This elite group of Wonders are arguably considered one of the toughest most talent ladened group of Wonders to ever step on the field at Memorial Stadium. The team was loaded from top to bottom and you would be hard pressed to find a weak link anywhere. Names like Ethan Horton, Terry Baxter, Brent Holbrook, Steve Litaker, Winston Johnson, Darrell Maxwell, Tim Templeton, Derrick Cunningham, Lance Smith, Randy Bost, Donald Gray, David James, and so many more who helped comprise this football monster. This amazing year would see this stellar group of Wonders rise to national prominence, and capture a unanimous number one ranking in the state AAAA classification by the associated press. This would forever be a team like no other. Just one bad night in Icard would separate the 1979 Wonders from the likes of many of the Wonder teams from the nineties and Y2k era that would become the status quo for football in Kannapolis. The 1979 Wonders would go one step further than it's predecesser in 1978 and would effectively raise the bar for winning in Kannapolis. Lets take a look at the year that would define the class of 1980 and would record the Wonders first undefeated regular season in Kannapolis football history.
The 1979 Wonders
23rd Annual Football Preview 1979
"Lets Get the Party Started"
"The Regular Season Begins"
Kannapolis-21 Northwest Cabarrus-7
Kannapolis-21 South Rowan-0
Kannapolis-9 High Point Central-7
Kannapolis-35 Parkland-0
"An Elite Group Emerges"
As the 1979 season was reaching the midway point, four players were beginning to capture headlines on a regular basis throughout Kannapolis and the state. QB Ethan Horton, HB Brent Holbrook, HB Terry Baxter, and T Lance Smith were becoming household names through their Friday night exploits.
Kannapolis-28 Greensboro Dudley-0
Kannapolis-24 West Forsyth-8
"Wonders Make a Loud Statement"
Kannapolis-39 Greensboro Grimsley-0
"The AP Speaks, Wonders Are No 1"
"A Spoiler Awaits"
Concord Spiders Look to Crash the Wonders Party
Kannapolis-31 Concord-6
"Undefeated and It Feels So Good"
Steve Litaker The Class of Wonder Linebackers!!
"A long Time Coming"
After The Wonders convincing 31-6 victory over the Spiders in The Battle for the Bell game they would suddenly find themselves in pleasant, but very unfamiliar territory- the post season. It had been eight years since the Wonders had experienced life after the bell game back in 1971 when they played host to the Hornets of Salisbury in the first round at Memorial Stadium. Now the Wonders were looking at hosting the Tigers of Chapel Hill at Memorial Stadium in the first round. Wonder fans would find themselves in a place where they would learn to become very comfortable.
Round #1
Kannapolis-34 Chapel Hill-3
Round #2
Kannapolis-6 East Burke-7
"Boswell's Stud Horses Receive Top Honors"
The 1979 Wonder football season was a storybook year for the rising super power in high school football. Everything fell into place for this team as if they were destined for the events that happened to unfold the way they did. Stars emerged and the talent pool continued to grow. There was excitement and enthusiam within the locker room, and most importantly with the loyal supporters that had followed them through the hard years that came before. The first real taste of success was sweet, and it was a taste that grew upon Wonder nation. Coach Boswell's vision was becoming reality, and from this point on there would be no where to go but up for the rising program.
The first undefeated regular season since 1960 was a far cry from the 2-8 debacle that happened in 1976, and to attain a number one ranking within the 4A classification just three years after becoming a member was of epic proportions to the program. The light of day had come, and from this point forward there would be no looking back. Not even the loss to East Burke in the playoffs could shadow what had been accomplished this year. The Wonders were losers no more, and all the heartbreak and disapointment that came in the years prior were beginning to fade away in the memories of Wonder nation. We were now a force to be reckoned with wherever we played, and with whoever we played. Our time had come, and this would be no short fifteen minutes of fame. The years to follow would set the standard, and the standard would be high.
The first undefeated regular season since 1960 was a far cry from the 2-8 debacle that happened in 1976, and to attain a number one ranking within the 4A classification just three years after becoming a member was of epic proportions to the program. The light of day had come, and from this point forward there would be no looking back. Not even the loss to East Burke in the playoffs could shadow what had been accomplished this year. The Wonders were losers no more, and all the heartbreak and disapointment that came in the years prior were beginning to fade away in the memories of Wonder nation. We were now a force to be reckoned with wherever we played, and with whoever we played. Our time had come, and this would be no short fifteen minutes of fame. The years to follow would set the standard, and the standard would be high.
"The 1979 A.L. Brown Wonders"
Kannapolis 21 Northwest 7
Kannapolis 21 South Rowan 0
Kannapolis 9 High Point Central 7
Kannapolis 28 T.W. Andrews 14
Kannapolis 35 W.S. Reynolds 6
Kannapolis 35 Parkland 0
Kannapolis 28 Dudley 0
Kannapolis 24 West Forsyth 8
Kannapolis 39 Grimsley 0
Kannapolis 31 Concord 6
1st Rnd Kannapolis 34 Chapel Hill 3
2nd Rnd Kannapolis 6 East Burke 7
Kannapolis 21 South Rowan 0
Kannapolis 9 High Point Central 7
Kannapolis 28 T.W. Andrews 14
Kannapolis 35 W.S. Reynolds 6
Kannapolis 35 Parkland 0
Kannapolis 28 Dudley 0
Kannapolis 24 West Forsyth 8
Kannapolis 39 Grimsley 0
Kannapolis 31 Concord 6
1st Rnd Kannapolis 34 Chapel Hill 3
2nd Rnd Kannapolis 6 East Burke 7
11-1
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
-Vincent Lombardi-
-Vincent Lombardi-