The 1980's Scrapbook"
"If It's Worth Doing, It's Worth Doing Big"
MTV, Garfield, Reaganomics, Mork and Mindy, Microwaves, Culture Club, Run DMC, The Challenger Explosion, Back to The Future, Three Mile Island, and Flock of Seagulls. The eighties was a unique era in time with so many events that changed the face of history. This decade was exciting and exploding with possibilities. A decade when you were free to be anything you could dream and only the sky was the limit. It was a decade that indulged in excess, and the belief that "If it's worth doing, It's worth doing big"
Wonder football in a sense reflected those sentiments as the green and white would establish themselves as a dominant force in high school football and there would be no turning back. Bob Boswell's master plan for success that was planted in 1976 had sprung to life by 1980 in a big way, and the expectations for the program couldn't have been any higher. Wonder football had found it's way out of the dark ages and blossomed into a world class program that commanded the respect of the entire state. It was time now to revel in the spoils of it's conquests.
Wonder football in a sense reflected those sentiments as the green and white would establish themselves as a dominant force in high school football and there would be no turning back. Bob Boswell's master plan for success that was planted in 1976 had sprung to life by 1980 in a big way, and the expectations for the program couldn't have been any higher. Wonder football had found it's way out of the dark ages and blossomed into a world class program that commanded the respect of the entire state. It was time now to revel in the spoils of it's conquests.
The eighties era would be ushered in with the Ethan Horton led Wonders giving it's final performance in 1980. The big four including Ethan Horton, Lance Smith, Brent Holbrook, and Terry Baxter would say goodbye after the 1980 season as graduation would send the group traveling in three different directions ushering in the era of Mark Smith, Mark Miller, Terry Williams, James Lott, Greg Bost, Quentin Klutz, and Shelwyn Klutz. From 1980 to 1984 The Wonders would claim one Central Piedmont Conference AAAA Championship in 1980 and two South Piedmont Conference Championships in 1982, and 1984.
In 1984 the Wonders would do something that had not been accomplished since 1960, and that was to make the state title game. The state title game was played in Kannapolis as the Wonders would take on the Vikings of Tarboro. The Wonders would go into that game undefeated looking for it's first sate championship in the modern era. The Vikings however proved to be too tough down the stretch as they would ultimately hand the Wonders their first defeat of the year 20-0 ending the Wonders dream of a perfect season.
In 1984 the Wonders would do something that had not been accomplished since 1960, and that was to make the state title game. The state title game was played in Kannapolis as the Wonders would take on the Vikings of Tarboro. The Wonders would go into that game undefeated looking for it's first sate championship in the modern era. The Vikings however proved to be too tough down the stretch as they would ultimately hand the Wonders their first defeat of the year 20-0 ending the Wonders dream of a perfect season.
From 1985 to 1988 stars like Ruben Wells, Pat Moore, Rob Boswell, Mike Morton, and Chad Blackwelder, Lester Smith, Lamont Johnson, Paul Raitz, and Patrick Argo would gain prominence as the Wonders would venture back into AAAA conference play. The Wonders would account for championships in the Central Piedmont AAAA in 1987, and 1988. As Bob Boswell left the program in 1989 and Bruce Hardin came on the scene the Wonders would claim their first AAA State title in 1989. Ushering in the new decade of the nineties.
The 1980's Scrapbook is a collection of archival newspaper articles and photos that document some of the memorable moments of Wonder football from 1981 to 1988. The actual scrapbooks from which this material was obtained were from scrapbooks created by staff members of the Kannapolis City Schools Central Office. These scrapbooks were maintained at the central office building for many years from the early seventies until the late 2000's after which they were donated to the Kannapolis Rotary Club for it's historical preservation society. I was led to these books by former superintendent of Kannapolis City Schools Dr Grier A Bradshaw in early 2012. The Rotary Hall Historical Preservation Society was gracious enough to allow me access to these books to scan and publish on Friday Nights in K-Town.
Many of these scrapbooks contained material that gave chronical to entire seasons while some in the case of the 1981-1988 scrapbooks contained only newspaper photos with some articles which made it quite difficult to create complete season featurettes as I have created in the past. I struggled for some time to come up with a way to present these eighties materials in a way that would be acceptable for the site, and this idea was the most advantageous means to get this information out to Wonder nation. Everything you will see in these yearly scrapbooks will give you a glimpse back in time to these years in Wonder football history. Though not complete featurettes they still serve the purpose of bringing back to life some of the memorable moments of Wonder football during this period. I hope you will enjoy scanning these scrapbooks and the memories they preserved. Friday Nights in K-Town would like to personally give a big thank you to the Rotary Hall Historical Preservation Society who made the bulk of what you have been privileged to view possible. I owe you a big one. Eighties style! (The Editor)
Many of these scrapbooks contained material that gave chronical to entire seasons while some in the case of the 1981-1988 scrapbooks contained only newspaper photos with some articles which made it quite difficult to create complete season featurettes as I have created in the past. I struggled for some time to come up with a way to present these eighties materials in a way that would be acceptable for the site, and this idea was the most advantageous means to get this information out to Wonder nation. Everything you will see in these yearly scrapbooks will give you a glimpse back in time to these years in Wonder football history. Though not complete featurettes they still serve the purpose of bringing back to life some of the memorable moments of Wonder football during this period. I hope you will enjoy scanning these scrapbooks and the memories they preserved. Friday Nights in K-Town would like to personally give a big thank you to the Rotary Hall Historical Preservation Society who made the bulk of what you have been privileged to view possible. I owe you a big one. Eighties style! (The Editor)