2022 Battle For The Bell Commemorative Video © Gashouse Media
"North Carolina's Longest, Continuous High School Football Rivalry"
Ri-Val-Ry
The Kannapolis/Concord "Battle for the Bell" game is a rivalry between two schools who harbour an extreme dislike for the other when it comes to football, and who demonstrate that dislike with a vengeance one week out of the year. To clarify what I just stated lets take a look at the definitions to some of the terminology just used to describe this game straight from the Websters dictionary.
Ri-Val-Ry: A state or situation in which people or groups are competing against the other:
Dis-Like: A feeling of aversion or disapproval.
Ven-Ge-Ance: With great force or vehemence: To an extreme or excessive degree.
Get the picture? In this bitter rivalry there is no straddling the fence. You are either Green and White or you are Black and Gold. There is no middle ground. Families divide, and friendships are put on standby during this week. With ninety one continuous meetings since 1931, and ninety five total meetings since 1924, this rivalry is considered to be the longest ongoing border war in the State of North Carolina. The two schools played their first football contest in 1924 with the Spiders taking a 26-0 decision. After 1924 there was a six year lull after football was suspended in Kannapolis due to academic ineligibility. The lull lasted for two more years after football was reinstated in 1929. The rivalry became a continuous event played annually beginning in 1931 with Concord recording the first victory 13-0. At that time, J.W. Cannon High School was the primary high school in Kannapolis, until it was relegated to a junior High School in 1952 when A.L Brown High School opened it's doors for service.
"Dubbed the "Battle for the Bell" in 1950, Kannapolis and Concord face off for bragging rights once a year and a coveted 1940s Southern Railway Bell, which was donated to promote sportsmanship in the series for the 1950 game. The Bell is painted in transom of the winner's colors, a tribute to the textile heritage of Kannapolis and Concord. Played continuously since 1931, it's the longest, continuous rivalry in N.C. regularly drawing 11–14,000 fans and is preceded by a week of activities both charitable and rivalry-oriented at the two schools" -Wikipedia
Now, don't let this politically correct account of the rivalry fool you, because there are many like I who remember a time when the rivalry was anything but charitable or cordial. In the days of old the only charitable gesture anyone from Kannapolis or Concord gave the other was a punch in the face, and that surely wasn't cordial. In the sixties through much of the nineties, both fanbases in the spirit of "good fun" have reeked havoc at both schools, and facilities. At one time random acts of vandalism at the opposing schools during Kannapolis and Concord week were common place for participants, and other interested parties from both Kannapolis and Concord, and after all turnabout is fair play. School buildings have been defaced with each school's colors and letters as well as athletic fields. Players houses have been targeted as well as coaches for various sophomore pranks. The old Prince of Pizza in Kannapolis, and Martins Diner in downtown Concord were at one time war zones for players, and students wanting to engage in a little pre game melodrama or fisticuffs if you will. No school was innocent of these types of activities, and engaged in them willingly. In 1979 a rumor was started that students from Concord High School were plotting to break into A.L Brown High School to steal the bell before the game. This prompted principle Byron King to have the bell removed from the school to an anonymous location as a safety precaution. If you think this is an old wives tale I can tell you personally it was not because I was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle which had the bell in tow on its way to its anonymous location off China Grove Rd in Kannapolis.
The Battle for the Bell game has captivated fans both young and old alike since the bell was introduced back in 1950 and with every playing of this game the stakes are always the same. It's pride and bragging rights for one year to it's winner, and a long year of shame and disappointment for it's loser. No game on the schedule for both Kannapolis or Concord holds the same significance as this game does. Many players and fans will tell you that this one game can do more to define one teams season no matter how successful the season is. Talking in depth with some of the game's participants has revealed that there is some division as to what the bell actually means to the individual, and to the team as a whole. Some will tell you they would have loved to have dropped the Bell into Kannapolis lake and never looked back, while some will tell you it's like a sacred chalice to them, but there is one point from which there is no division, and that's the thrill of beating your rival. For Wonder/Spider players and fans alike, the simple act of beating your rival and having the solace of knowing you did it in memorable fashion means more than a thousand Bells could ever do. I would bet those in the enemy camp would echo the exact same sentiment. This game transcends what is on the surface and goes much deeper into the hearts of Wonder and Spider supporters alike who want nothing more than to see their adversary lying humiliated on the field of battle. -The editor
Ri-Val-Ry: A state or situation in which people or groups are competing against the other:
Dis-Like: A feeling of aversion or disapproval.
Ven-Ge-Ance: With great force or vehemence: To an extreme or excessive degree.
Get the picture? In this bitter rivalry there is no straddling the fence. You are either Green and White or you are Black and Gold. There is no middle ground. Families divide, and friendships are put on standby during this week. With ninety one continuous meetings since 1931, and ninety five total meetings since 1924, this rivalry is considered to be the longest ongoing border war in the State of North Carolina. The two schools played their first football contest in 1924 with the Spiders taking a 26-0 decision. After 1924 there was a six year lull after football was suspended in Kannapolis due to academic ineligibility. The lull lasted for two more years after football was reinstated in 1929. The rivalry became a continuous event played annually beginning in 1931 with Concord recording the first victory 13-0. At that time, J.W. Cannon High School was the primary high school in Kannapolis, until it was relegated to a junior High School in 1952 when A.L Brown High School opened it's doors for service.
"Dubbed the "Battle for the Bell" in 1950, Kannapolis and Concord face off for bragging rights once a year and a coveted 1940s Southern Railway Bell, which was donated to promote sportsmanship in the series for the 1950 game. The Bell is painted in transom of the winner's colors, a tribute to the textile heritage of Kannapolis and Concord. Played continuously since 1931, it's the longest, continuous rivalry in N.C. regularly drawing 11–14,000 fans and is preceded by a week of activities both charitable and rivalry-oriented at the two schools" -Wikipedia
Now, don't let this politically correct account of the rivalry fool you, because there are many like I who remember a time when the rivalry was anything but charitable or cordial. In the days of old the only charitable gesture anyone from Kannapolis or Concord gave the other was a punch in the face, and that surely wasn't cordial. In the sixties through much of the nineties, both fanbases in the spirit of "good fun" have reeked havoc at both schools, and facilities. At one time random acts of vandalism at the opposing schools during Kannapolis and Concord week were common place for participants, and other interested parties from both Kannapolis and Concord, and after all turnabout is fair play. School buildings have been defaced with each school's colors and letters as well as athletic fields. Players houses have been targeted as well as coaches for various sophomore pranks. The old Prince of Pizza in Kannapolis, and Martins Diner in downtown Concord were at one time war zones for players, and students wanting to engage in a little pre game melodrama or fisticuffs if you will. No school was innocent of these types of activities, and engaged in them willingly. In 1979 a rumor was started that students from Concord High School were plotting to break into A.L Brown High School to steal the bell before the game. This prompted principle Byron King to have the bell removed from the school to an anonymous location as a safety precaution. If you think this is an old wives tale I can tell you personally it was not because I was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle which had the bell in tow on its way to its anonymous location off China Grove Rd in Kannapolis.
The Battle for the Bell game has captivated fans both young and old alike since the bell was introduced back in 1950 and with every playing of this game the stakes are always the same. It's pride and bragging rights for one year to it's winner, and a long year of shame and disappointment for it's loser. No game on the schedule for both Kannapolis or Concord holds the same significance as this game does. Many players and fans will tell you that this one game can do more to define one teams season no matter how successful the season is. Talking in depth with some of the game's participants has revealed that there is some division as to what the bell actually means to the individual, and to the team as a whole. Some will tell you they would have loved to have dropped the Bell into Kannapolis lake and never looked back, while some will tell you it's like a sacred chalice to them, but there is one point from which there is no division, and that's the thrill of beating your rival. For Wonder/Spider players and fans alike, the simple act of beating your rival and having the solace of knowing you did it in memorable fashion means more than a thousand Bells could ever do. I would bet those in the enemy camp would echo the exact same sentiment. This game transcends what is on the surface and goes much deeper into the hearts of Wonder and Spider supporters alike who want nothing more than to see their adversary lying humiliated on the field of battle. -The editor
Do You Know the Enemy?
The Victory Bell
Sacred Chalice or One Big Distraction?
The Victory Bell. A thorn in the flesh to some, a sacred chalice to most. Whichever side of the fence you lean it's significance transcends the very game for which it's been played. In 1950 Southern Railway donated an old bell to the now defunct Kannapolis Sports Club to be used as a symbolic gesture to promote sportsmanship and good will between the two neighboring high school institutions of A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis and Concord High School.
At the time it was suggested by then Southern Railway representative Gene C Potter in 1950, Potter was quoted as saying "The ringing of the bell would be inspirational to the boys" and so then members of the sports club began fabricating a sturdy rolling chassis for which the bell could be mounted and thus easily moved for it's inaugural presentation at the twentieth annual meeting in 1950. |
With it's introduction came specific guidelines and protocol derived by the sports club for it's exchange at the conclusion of the contest. The captains from both teams along with the cheerleaders and student body president were to meet at midfield at the conclusion of the contest for it's ceremonial exchange. No fans were to enter the field during the exchange.
The exchange would be made and the winning school would be awarded it's possession for the following year until the next game could be played. Over the more recent years, protocol has taken a backseat to enthusiasm. Mobs have ascended the field taking away from much of the tradition and humiliation of the Bell exchange. The inaugural 1950 Battle for the Bell game would end deadlocked 0-0, in which there was no official exchange of the bell. The first exchange would come in 1951 when the Concord Spiders recorded the first Battle for the Bell victory 7-6 over the Wonders. |
The Wonders and Spiders have competed in gridiron competition for ninety years since 1924, and though not officially christened "The Battle for the Bell" until 1950, the bell has witnessed some twenty seven changing of hands since 1951, and continues to be the focal point for the state's longest ongoing cross town rivalry. Whether or not the bell is perceived to be the enduring symbol of goodwill and sportsmanship or just an unwanted distraction is up to the individual. Like it or not it's here to stay, and as long as it is, it will be forever linked with the two schools. The coveted Victory Bell, and the right of ownership can make for some pretty intense moments both on the field and off when rivalry week comes around. -The editor
The Victory Bell Gallery
"The Right of Ownership"
Are You Reeling in the Years?
1924: 1st Ever Meeting
1931: 1st Annual Meeting 1932: 2nd Annual Meeting 1933: 3rd Annual Meeting 1934: 4th Annual Meeting 1935: 5th Annual Meeting 1936: 6th Annual Meeting 1937: 7th Annual Meeting 1938: 8th Annual Meeting 1939: 9th Annual Meeting 1970: 40th Annual Meeting 1971: 41st Annual Meeting 1972: 42nd Annual Meeting 1973: 43rd Annual Meeting 1974: 44th Annual Meeting 1975: 45th Annual Meeting 1976: 46th Annual Meeting 1977: 47th Annual Meeting 1978: 48th Annual Meeting 1979: 49th Annual Meeting 2010: 80th Annual Meeting 2011: 81st Annual Meeting 2012: 82nd Annual Meeting 2013: 83rd Annual Meeting 2014: 84th Annual Meeting 2015: 85th Annual Meeting 2016: 86th Annual Meeting 2017: 87th Annual Meeting 2018: 88th Annual Meeting 2019: 89th Annual Meeting |
1940: 10th Annual Meeting
1941: 11th Annual Meeting 1942: 12th Annual Meeting 1943: 13th Annual Meeting 1944: 14th Annual Meeting 1945: 15th Annual Meeting 1946: 16th Annual Meeting 1947: 17th Annual Meeting 1948: 18th Annual Meeting 1949: 19th Annual Meeting 1980: 50th Annual Meeting 1981: 51st Annual Meeting 1982: 52nd Annual Meeting 1983: 53rd Annual Meeting 1984: 54th Annual Meeting 1985: 55th Annual Meeting 1986: 56th Annual Meeting 1987: 57th Annual Meeting 1988: 58th Annual Meeting 1989: 59th Annual Meeting 2021 90th Annual Meeting 2021: 91st Annual Meeting 2022: 92nd Annual Meeting 2023: 93rd Annual Meeting 2024: 94th Annual Meeting |
1950: 20th Annual Meeting
1951: 21st Annual Meeting 1952: 22nd Annual Meeting 1953: 23rd Annual Meeting 1954: 24th Annual Meeting 1955: 25th Annual Meeting 1956: 26th Annual Meeting 1957: 27th Annual Meeting 1958: 28th Annual Meeting 1959: 29th Annual Meeting 1990: 60th Annual Meeting 1991: 61st Annual Meeting 1992: 62nd Annual Meeting 1993: 63rd Annual Meeting 1994: 64th Annual Meeting 1995: 65th Annual Meeting 1996: 66th Annual Meeting 1997: 67th Annual Meeting 1998: 68th Annual Meeting 1999: 69th Annual Meeting ***Editor's Notes*** White Denotes a Tie Green Denotes KHS Victory Gold Denotes CHS Victory (F) Denotes CHS Forfeit *Game Played Twice in 2021* |
1960: 30th Annual Meeting
1961: 31st Annual Meeting 1962: 32nd Annual Meeting 1963: 33rd Annual Meeting 1964: 34th Annual Meeting 1965: 35th Annual Meeting 1966: 36th Annual Meeting 1967: 37th Annual Meeting 1968: 38th Annual Meeting 1969: 39th Annual Meeting 2000: 70th Annual Meeting 2001: 71st Annual Meeting (F) 2002: 72nd Annual Meeting 2003: 73rd Annual Meeting 2004: 74th Annual Meeting 2005: 75th Annual Meeting 2006: 76th Annual Meeting 2007: 77th Annual Meeting 2008: 78th Annual Meeting 2009: 79th Annual Meeting ***Playoff Meetings*** 1991: 1997: 1999: **With playoff meetings both teams have played a total of 97 contests since 1924** |
Kannapolis/Concord Rivalry Points of Contact
1924: Gibson Park Concord
1931: Webb Field Concord 1932: Midway BF Kannapolis 1933: Webb Field Concord 1934: Midway BF Kannapolis 1935: Webb Field Concord 1936: Midway BF Kannapolis 1937: Webb Field: Concord 1938: Midway BF Kannapolis 1939: Webb Field Concord 1970: Memorial Kannapolis 1971: Spider Stad Concord 1972: Memorial Kannapolis 1973: Spider Stad Concord 1974: Memorial Kannapolis 1975: Spider Stad Concord 1976: Memorial Kannapolis 1977: R.C. Bailey Concord 1978: Memorial Kannapolis 1979: R.C. Bailey Concord 2010: R.C. Bailey Concord 2011: Memorial Kannapolis 2012: R.C. Bailey Concord 2013: Memorial Kannapolis 2014: R.C. Bailey Concord 2015: Memorial Kannapolis 2016: R.C. Bailey Concord 2017: Memorial Kannapolis 2018: R.C. Bailey Concord 2019: Memorial Kannapolis |
1940: Midway BF Kannapolis
1941: Webb Field Concord 1942: Midway BF Kannapolis 1943: Webb Field Concord 1944: Midway BF Kannapolis 1945: Webb Field Concord 1946: Midway BF Kannapolis 1947: Webb Field Concord 1948: Midway BF Kannapolis 1949: Webb Field Concord 1980: Memorial Kannapolis 1981: R.C. Bailey Concord 1982: Memorial Kannapolis 1983: R.C. Bailey Concord 1984: Memorial Kannapolis 1985: R.C. Bailey Concord 1986: Memorial Kannapolis 1987: R.C. Bailey Concord 1988: Memorial Kannapolis 1989: R.C. Bailey Concord 2021: R.C. Bailey Concord 2021: Memorial Kannapolis 2022: R.C. Bailey Concord 2023: Memorial Stadium 2024: R.C. Bailey Stadium Playoff Meetings 1991: R.C. Bailey Concord 1997: R.C. Bailey Concord 1999: Memorial Kannapolis |
1950: Midway BF Kannapolis
1951: Webb Field Concord 1952: Midway BF Kannapolis 1953: Webb Field Concord 1954: Midway BF Kannapolis 1955: Webb Field Concord 1956: Midway BF Kannapolis 1957: Webb Field Concord 1958: Memorial Kannapolis 1959: Webb Field Concord 1990: Memorial Kannapolis 1991: R.C. Bailey Concord 1992: Memorial Kannapolis 1993: R.C. Bailey Concord 1994: Memorial Kannapolis 1995: R.C. Bailey Concord 1996: Memorial Kannapolis 1997: R.C. Bailey Concord 1998: Memorial Kannapolis 1999: R.C. Bailey Concord |
1960: Memorial Kannapolis
1961: Webb Field Concord 1962: Memorial Kannapolis 1963: Webb Field Concord 1964: Memorial Kannapolis 1965: Webb Field Concord 1966: Memorial Kannapolis 1967: Spider Stad Concord 1968: Memorial Kannapolis 1969: Spider Stad Concord 2000: Memorial Kannapolis 2001: R.C. Bailey Concord 2002: Memorial Kannapolis 2003: R.C. Bailey Concord 2004: Memorial Kannapolis 2005: Memorial Kannapolis 2006: R.C. Bailey Concord 2007: Memorial Kannapolis 2008: R.C. Bailey Concord 2009: Memorial Kannapolis |
Significant Moments in Rivalry History
1924: In 1924 the first ever football contest between the two neighboring communities of Kannapolis and Concord took place at Gibson Park in Concord. Central High School was the proprietary high school in Kannapolis at that time, and the school was playing in their first inaugural season of football in Kannapolis. The Concord Spiders were already in their 9th season of football, and recorded a 26-0 shutout victory over the Towelers from Kannapolis.
1931: After a seven year hiatus, the now "Little Wonders" of J.W. Cannon High School played in what would become the first of 92 consecutive games with neighboring Concord High School at Webb Field in Concord. The game would mark the beginning of an instant rivalry between the two schools. The Spiders would win that first inaugural rivalry game 13-0 in a rain marred contest in Concord.
1950: Southern Railway donates an old Bell to the now defunct Kannapolis Sports Club to serve as a totemistic spoil of war for future Kannapolis/Concord games. The Bell was intended to be a gesture of good will to be awarded to the winning team for a year, and painted in transom of the winning school's colors. The first game in 1950 resulted in a tie, with neither team being awarded sole possession. The Bell was shared that year between the two schools. Though it is historically considered the 20th annual meeting between the two schools for continuous rivalry purposes, it was the first ever Battle for the Bell contest played for the Victory Bell.
1951: The Concord Spiders become the first team to win the Victory Bell outright in a 7-6 contest at Webb Field in Concord.
1952: A.L. Brown High School opens for it's inaugural season of football in Kannapolis, and in the school's first season go undefeated winning the Victory Bell outright for the first time in a 27-13 affair at Midway Ball Field in Kannapolis.
1958: The 28th annual contest is played inside the all new Kannapolis Memorial Stadium in front of an estimated eight thousand fans. It is the first Battle for the Bell contest played in the new home field of A.L. Brown High School. The Little Wonders would win the contest 13-0 reclaiming the victory Bell from the visiting Spiders. Though considered historically as the 29th meeting between the two schools for continuous rivalry purposes, it was the 9th Battle for the Bell contest played for the Victory Bell.
1961: The Concord Spiders would win the first of what would become the longest recorded winning streak in the rivalry's history. The Spiders would win a marathon ten straight Bell games from 1961-1970, which still stands as the longest win streak in Bell game history to date.
1967: The first ever Battle for the Bell game is played at the newly built Concord High School inside what was then called Spider Stadium. The Spiders would win their inaugural first Bell game in their new stadium 21-11 in the seventh game of the ten game win streak. Spider Stadium would later be renamed Robert C Bailey Stadium in 1977 in honor of their longtime team physician Dr Robert C Bailey. The Stadium is now referred to as Robert C Bailey Stadium @ E.Z. Smith III Field.
1971: The A.L. Brown Wonders defeated the Concord Spiders 10-7 at Spider Stadium in Concord, ending the above afformentioned ten game win streak and ten year hiatus of Victory Bell possession in K-Town. The contest produced one of the rivalry's most iconic photos of the Victory Bell exchange in which a CHS cheerleader was captured giving the middle finger to the winning school during it's exchange.
1978: Third year Wonder head coach Bob Boswell wins his first ever Battle for the Bell contest 33-0 at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. The shutout win would mark the beginning of the end of Spider dominance in the Battle for the Bell game.
1981: 2nd year Concord head coach E.Z. Smith III wins his first ever Battle for the Bell contest as head coach of the Concord Spiders 7-6 over Bob Boswell's Wonders at Robert C Bailey Stadium.
1989: First year Wonder head coach Bruce Hardin wins his first ever Battle for the Bell contest 16-14 at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord.
1991: The A.L Brown Wonders and Concord Spiders meet for the first time in the post regular season playoffs in the 3A Western Regional Final at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord. Having dropped the Battle for the Bell game just four weeks prior 30-20 at Robert C Bailey Stadium, the Wonders would defeat the Spiders 21-7 to make the state 3A title game for the 3rd time in school history.
1997: The A.L. Brown Wonders and Concord Spiders meet for the second time in the post regular season playoffs in the 3rd round 3A district championship game at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord. Having defeated the Spiders in the 67th Annual Bell contest at Bailey Stadium just three weeks prior, the Wonders would take a 9-0 victory, becoming the first and only A.L. Brown football team to defeat Concord twice in the same season. The 1997 Wonders would win the 3A state championship two weeks later.
1999: The A.L. Brown Wonders and Concord Spiders would meet in the post season for the third time in the decade of the nineties in the second round at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. Having dropped a tight 10-7 Battle for the Bell game to the Wonders at Robert C Bailey Stadium just two weeks earlier, the Spiders would use their two prior failed attempts to defeat the Wonders as motivation to take a 21-7 victory over the Kannapolis team, advancing to the third round the following week. It was the first post season playoff victory for the Spiders over the Wonders in rivalry history. It would also be 11 year Wonder head coach Bruce Hardin's final contest against the Spiders before leaving to be a assistant coach at The Citadel.
2000: First year Wonder head coach Ron Massey wins his first ever Battle for the Bell contest 28-0 at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium.
2001: The Concord Spiders defeat the A.L. Brown Wonders 21-7 at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord, but due to the inadvertent playing of an ineligible player are subsequently forced to forfeit the contest to the A.L. Brown Wonders. The game though won by CHS on the field officially goes down in the record books as a 1-0 Kannapolis victory for historical purposes. The Victory Bell would be in a state of limbo until the following year.
2003: The A.L. Brown Wonders defeat the Concord Spiders 13-12 in overtime at Robert C Bailey Stadium in what would be the rivalry's first and only recorded overtime contest to date.
2008: Concord Spider head coach E.Z. Smith III drops a 56-6 decision to the Wonders at Robert C Bailey Stadium in coach Smith's 29th and final season as head coach at Concord High School. It would be the largest margin of defeat for the Spiders in rivalry history.
2019: The Wonders defeat the Concord Spiders 59-21 at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium for the fifth consecutive year, making it the first time either team has won five consecutive rivalry games since the Spiders ten game win streak from 1961-1970. The 59 points scored by the Wonders becomes the most points scored in a Bell game by either team in the rivalry's history. The Kannapolis victory levels the overall series record for the first time at 43-43-4, to include the 1924 contest.
2020: Landmark year for both schools as the Covid Pandemic would force the cancellation of the 2020 football season, marking the first time in 90 consecutive years the Battle for the Bell Game would not be played. The 2020 fall football season would be made up in late winter of 2021.
2021: Due to the Covid Pandemic forcing the fall 2020 season to be played in early winter of 2021, for the first time in it's history, The Battle for the Bell Game would be played twice in the same year. The Wonders would defeat the Spiders for the 6th consecutive time 28-0 at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord. The Wonders would go on to defeat the Concord Spiders five months later at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium 47-0, making it seven consecutive Bell game wins for the Wonders. The longest recorded win streak for Kannapolis Football over Concord in the Rivalry's 92 year history.
1931: After a seven year hiatus, the now "Little Wonders" of J.W. Cannon High School played in what would become the first of 92 consecutive games with neighboring Concord High School at Webb Field in Concord. The game would mark the beginning of an instant rivalry between the two schools. The Spiders would win that first inaugural rivalry game 13-0 in a rain marred contest in Concord.
1950: Southern Railway donates an old Bell to the now defunct Kannapolis Sports Club to serve as a totemistic spoil of war for future Kannapolis/Concord games. The Bell was intended to be a gesture of good will to be awarded to the winning team for a year, and painted in transom of the winning school's colors. The first game in 1950 resulted in a tie, with neither team being awarded sole possession. The Bell was shared that year between the two schools. Though it is historically considered the 20th annual meeting between the two schools for continuous rivalry purposes, it was the first ever Battle for the Bell contest played for the Victory Bell.
1951: The Concord Spiders become the first team to win the Victory Bell outright in a 7-6 contest at Webb Field in Concord.
1952: A.L. Brown High School opens for it's inaugural season of football in Kannapolis, and in the school's first season go undefeated winning the Victory Bell outright for the first time in a 27-13 affair at Midway Ball Field in Kannapolis.
1958: The 28th annual contest is played inside the all new Kannapolis Memorial Stadium in front of an estimated eight thousand fans. It is the first Battle for the Bell contest played in the new home field of A.L. Brown High School. The Little Wonders would win the contest 13-0 reclaiming the victory Bell from the visiting Spiders. Though considered historically as the 29th meeting between the two schools for continuous rivalry purposes, it was the 9th Battle for the Bell contest played for the Victory Bell.
1961: The Concord Spiders would win the first of what would become the longest recorded winning streak in the rivalry's history. The Spiders would win a marathon ten straight Bell games from 1961-1970, which still stands as the longest win streak in Bell game history to date.
1967: The first ever Battle for the Bell game is played at the newly built Concord High School inside what was then called Spider Stadium. The Spiders would win their inaugural first Bell game in their new stadium 21-11 in the seventh game of the ten game win streak. Spider Stadium would later be renamed Robert C Bailey Stadium in 1977 in honor of their longtime team physician Dr Robert C Bailey. The Stadium is now referred to as Robert C Bailey Stadium @ E.Z. Smith III Field.
1971: The A.L. Brown Wonders defeated the Concord Spiders 10-7 at Spider Stadium in Concord, ending the above afformentioned ten game win streak and ten year hiatus of Victory Bell possession in K-Town. The contest produced one of the rivalry's most iconic photos of the Victory Bell exchange in which a CHS cheerleader was captured giving the middle finger to the winning school during it's exchange.
1978: Third year Wonder head coach Bob Boswell wins his first ever Battle for the Bell contest 33-0 at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. The shutout win would mark the beginning of the end of Spider dominance in the Battle for the Bell game.
1981: 2nd year Concord head coach E.Z. Smith III wins his first ever Battle for the Bell contest as head coach of the Concord Spiders 7-6 over Bob Boswell's Wonders at Robert C Bailey Stadium.
1989: First year Wonder head coach Bruce Hardin wins his first ever Battle for the Bell contest 16-14 at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord.
1991: The A.L Brown Wonders and Concord Spiders meet for the first time in the post regular season playoffs in the 3A Western Regional Final at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord. Having dropped the Battle for the Bell game just four weeks prior 30-20 at Robert C Bailey Stadium, the Wonders would defeat the Spiders 21-7 to make the state 3A title game for the 3rd time in school history.
1997: The A.L. Brown Wonders and Concord Spiders meet for the second time in the post regular season playoffs in the 3rd round 3A district championship game at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord. Having defeated the Spiders in the 67th Annual Bell contest at Bailey Stadium just three weeks prior, the Wonders would take a 9-0 victory, becoming the first and only A.L. Brown football team to defeat Concord twice in the same season. The 1997 Wonders would win the 3A state championship two weeks later.
1999: The A.L. Brown Wonders and Concord Spiders would meet in the post season for the third time in the decade of the nineties in the second round at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. Having dropped a tight 10-7 Battle for the Bell game to the Wonders at Robert C Bailey Stadium just two weeks earlier, the Spiders would use their two prior failed attempts to defeat the Wonders as motivation to take a 21-7 victory over the Kannapolis team, advancing to the third round the following week. It was the first post season playoff victory for the Spiders over the Wonders in rivalry history. It would also be 11 year Wonder head coach Bruce Hardin's final contest against the Spiders before leaving to be a assistant coach at The Citadel.
2000: First year Wonder head coach Ron Massey wins his first ever Battle for the Bell contest 28-0 at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium.
2001: The Concord Spiders defeat the A.L. Brown Wonders 21-7 at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord, but due to the inadvertent playing of an ineligible player are subsequently forced to forfeit the contest to the A.L. Brown Wonders. The game though won by CHS on the field officially goes down in the record books as a 1-0 Kannapolis victory for historical purposes. The Victory Bell would be in a state of limbo until the following year.
2003: The A.L. Brown Wonders defeat the Concord Spiders 13-12 in overtime at Robert C Bailey Stadium in what would be the rivalry's first and only recorded overtime contest to date.
2008: Concord Spider head coach E.Z. Smith III drops a 56-6 decision to the Wonders at Robert C Bailey Stadium in coach Smith's 29th and final season as head coach at Concord High School. It would be the largest margin of defeat for the Spiders in rivalry history.
2019: The Wonders defeat the Concord Spiders 59-21 at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium for the fifth consecutive year, making it the first time either team has won five consecutive rivalry games since the Spiders ten game win streak from 1961-1970. The 59 points scored by the Wonders becomes the most points scored in a Bell game by either team in the rivalry's history. The Kannapolis victory levels the overall series record for the first time at 43-43-4, to include the 1924 contest.
2020: Landmark year for both schools as the Covid Pandemic would force the cancellation of the 2020 football season, marking the first time in 90 consecutive years the Battle for the Bell Game would not be played. The 2020 fall football season would be made up in late winter of 2021.
2021: Due to the Covid Pandemic forcing the fall 2020 season to be played in early winter of 2021, for the first time in it's history, The Battle for the Bell Game would be played twice in the same year. The Wonders would defeat the Spiders for the 6th consecutive time 28-0 at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord. The Wonders would go on to defeat the Concord Spiders five months later at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium 47-0, making it seven consecutive Bell game wins for the Wonders. The longest recorded win streak for Kannapolis Football over Concord in the Rivalry's 92 year history.
Rare Photos of 1961 Victory Bell Exchange
Never before seen photos of the 1961 exchange of the coveted Victory Bell at Webb Field in Concord. These photos were never published publicly, and document the beginning of the longest recorded victory streak in rivalry history of ten consecutive years by Concord High School from 1961-1970. The cheerleaders from A.L. Brown pictured below would be the last Wonders to touch the Victory Bell until it was recaptured by A.L. Brown in 1971.
The Games
1960-1969
Battle For the Bell 1960 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1961 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1965 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1966 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1968 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1969 Slideshow
1970-1979
The First Kannapolis/Concord Game
September 29, 1924
"The Records by Decade"
1924-Present
1924
1924 Kannapolis-0 Concord-26
Decade Record 0-1
Total PS 0-26
Point Dif: 26 pts
1924 Kannapolis-0 Concord-26
Decade Record 0-1
Total PS 0-26
Point Dif: 26 pts
1931-1939 1931 Kannapolis-0 Concord-13 1932 Kannapolis-12 Concord-0 1933 Kannapolis-0 Concord-20 1934 Kannapolis-7 Concord-20 1935 Kannapolis-8 Concord-13 1936 Kannapolis-0 Concord-0 1937 Kannapolis-0 Concord-0 1938 Kannapolis-18 Concord-12 1939 Kannapolis-6 Concord-13 Decade Record 2-5-2 Total PS 51-91 Point Dif: 40 pts |
1940-1949 1940 Kannapolis-0 Concord-7 1941 Kannapolis-19 Concord-13 1942 Kannapolis-7 Concord-7 1943 Kannapolis7 Concord-26 1944 Kannapolis0 Concord-25 1945 Kannapolis-0 Concord-27 1946 Kannapolis-0 Concord-13 1947 Kannapolis-0 Concord-35 1948 Kannapolis-0 Concord-23 1949 Kannapolis-7 Concord-12 Decade Record 1-8-1 Total PS 40-188 Point Dif: 148 pts |
1950-1959 1950 Kannapolis-0 Concord-0 1951 Kannapolis-6 Concord-7 1952 Kannapolis-27 Concord-13 1953 Kannapolis-32 Concord-0 1954 Kannapolis-7 Concord-6 1955 Kannapolis-41 Concord-0 1956 Kannapolis-20 Concord-14 1957 Kannapolis-0 Concord-7 1958 Kannapolis-13 Concord-0 1959 Kannapolis-7 Concord-0 Decade Record 7-2-1 Total PS 153-47 Point Dif: 106 pts |
1960-1969
1960 Kannapolis-14 Concord-8 1961 Kannapolis-6 Concord-14 1962 Kannapolis-0 Concord-6 1963 Kannapolis-19 Concord-20 1964 Kannapolis-12 Concord-13 1965 Kannapolis-0 Concord-12 1966 Kannapolis-6 Concord-13 1967 Kannapolis-11 Concord-21 1968 Kannapolis-8 Concord-21 1969 Kannapolis-6 Concord-33 Decade Record 1-9 Total PS 82-161 Point Dif: 79 pts |
1970-1979
1970 Kannapolis-11 Concord-13 1971 Kannapolis-10 Concord-7 1972 Kannapolis-30 Concord-13 1973 Kannapolis-7 Concord-3 1974 Kannapolis-6 Concord-14 1975 Kannapolis-0 Concord-21 1976 Kannapolis-3 Concord-7 1977 Kannapolis-7 Concord-18 1978 Kannapolis-33 Concord-0 1979 Kannapolis-31 Concord-6 Decade Record 5-5 Total PS 138-102 Point Dif: 36 pts |
1980-1989
1980 Kannapolis-41 Concord-0 1981 Kannapolis-6 Concord-7 1982 Kannapolis-14 Concord-10 1983 Kannapolis-7 Concord-27 1984 Kannapolis-26 Concord-8 1985 Kannapolis-6 Concord-7 1986 Kannapolis-0 Concord-14 1987 Kannapolis-19 Concord-0 1988 Kannapolis-9 Concord-7 1989 Kannapolis-16 Concord-14 Decade Record 6-4 Total PS 144-94 Point Dif: 50 pts |
1990-1999
1990 Kannapolis-20 Concord-19 1991 Kannapolis-20 Concord-30 1992 Kannapolis-27 Concord-19 1993 Kannapolis-28 Concord-6 1994 Kannapolis-14 Concord-35 1995 Kannapolis-5 Concord-0 1996 Kannapolis-0 Concord-27 1997 Kannapolis-33 Concord-14 1998 Kannapolis-28 Concord-10 1999 Kannapolis-10 Concord-7 Decade Record 7-3 Total PS 185-167 Point Dif: 18 pts 2020-Present
2020 Covid Year DNP 2021 Kannapolis-28 Concord-0 2021 Kannapolis-47 Concord-0 2022 Kannapolis-17 Concord-8 2023 Kannapolis-27 Concord-7 Decade Record 4-0 Total PS 119-15 Point Dif: 104 pts |
2000-2009
2000 Kannapolis-28 Concord-0 2001 Kannapolis-1 Concord-0 (F) 2002 Kannapolis-42 Concord-6 2003 Kannapolis-13 Concord-12 OT 2004 Kannapolis-9 Concord-20 2005 Kannapolis-19 Concord-14 2006 Kannapolis-20 Concord-42 2007 Kannapolis-45 Concord-25 2008 Kannapolis-56 Concord-6 2009 Kannapolis-10 Concord-13 Decade Record 7-3 Total PS 243-138 Point Dif: 105 pts Playoff Meetings
1991 Kannapolis-21 Concord-7 1997 Kannapolis-9 Concord-0 1999 Kannapolis-7 Concord-20 Total PS 37-27 Point Dif: 10 pts |
2010-2019
2010 Kannapolis-28 Concord-21 2011 Kannapolis-31 Concord-26 2012 Kannapolis-14 Concord-21 2013 Kannapolis-20 Concord-33 2014 Kannapolis-14 Concord-20 2015 Kannapolis-26 Concord-15 2016 Kannapolis-31 Concord-19 2017 Kannapolis-14 Concord-12 2018 Kannapolis-54 Concord-35 2019 Kannapolis-59 Concord-21 Decade Record 7-3 Total PS 291-223 Point Dif: 68 pts |
"If You Wanna get Nit Picky Breakdown"
The Kannapolis/Concord Battle for the Bell game through it's history has not been without it's share of controversy, and so it should be with the records between the two rival institutions. It only makes a heated rivalry more interesting. With the recent discovery of a Kannapolis/Concord game played in 1924, in which Concord won 26-0, there is a debate as to whether that score should be included with the score history from 1931 to the present date when the rivalry actually became a rivalry, and was played continuously for 91 years to date. Of course Concord fans would echo it should, as it extends the Spiders record, but most people in K-Town feel that the contest, though part of the history was not part of what became the continuous rivalry. The Florida/Georgia rivalry of college football also experiences the same dilemma, as a contest which was won by Georgia in the early twenties is considered part of the record by Georgia fans, but not Florida fans.
For whichever side of the fence you lean there are reasonable arguments by both sides which validate each individual opinion on the matter. Though the first contest was played in 1924, there was a six year lull in the action in which the two sides never played. Partly due to injunctions taken by administration of Central High School which suspended football in Kannapolis due to academic ineligibility from 1925-1928. Then for two more years following the reinstatement of football in 1929, the two teams still did not play the other until it became an annual rivalry game in 1931. For the sake of argument however there have been 91 regular season Kannapolis/Concord games and 94 total games if you take into account the three playoff games played in 1991,1997, and 1999 in which both teams played twice in the same year. Again, I guess it all depends on which side of the Cabarrus County line you live as to which holds true for you so it appears it will be just another area where we will just have to agree to disagree. -The editor
For whichever side of the fence you lean there are reasonable arguments by both sides which validate each individual opinion on the matter. Though the first contest was played in 1924, there was a six year lull in the action in which the two sides never played. Partly due to injunctions taken by administration of Central High School which suspended football in Kannapolis due to academic ineligibility from 1925-1928. Then for two more years following the reinstatement of football in 1929, the two teams still did not play the other until it became an annual rivalry game in 1931. For the sake of argument however there have been 91 regular season Kannapolis/Concord games and 94 total games if you take into account the three playoff games played in 1991,1997, and 1999 in which both teams played twice in the same year. Again, I guess it all depends on which side of the Cabarrus County line you live as to which holds true for you so it appears it will be just another area where we will just have to agree to disagree. -The editor
Overall Regular Season Game Record Since 1924
A.L. Brown 47-43-4 Since 1924
Continuous Rivalry Record Since 1931
A.L. Brown 47-42-4 Overall Since 1931
Overall Record with Playoff Meetings Since 1924
A.L. Brown 49-44-4 W/Playoffs Since 1924
Overall Record with Playoff Meetings Since 1931
A.L. Brown 49-43-4 W/Playoffs Since 1931
"Total Points Scored by Decade"
1931-1939 Kannapolis-51 pts Concord- 91pts 1960-1969 Kannapolis-82 pts Concord-161 pts 1990-1999 Kannapolis-185 pts Concord-167 pts 2020-2029 Kannapolis-75 pts Concord-0 pts 2020-2023 Kannapolis-119 Concord-15 |
1924
Kannapolis-0 pts Concord-26 pts 1940-1949 Kannapolis-40 pts Concord-188 pts 1970-1979 Kannapolis-138 pts Concord-102 pts 2000-2009 Kannapolis-243 pts Concord-138 pts Playoff Meetings Kannapolis-37 pts Concord-27 pts |
1950-1959 Kannapolis-153 pts Concord-47 pts 1980-1989 Kannapolis-144 pts Concord-94 pts 2010-2019 Kannapolis-291 pts Concord-223 pts |
"Cumulative Total Points after 93 Regular Season Games Since 1924"
Kannapolis-1,419pts
Concord-1,245 pts
Both Teams Combined-2,664pts
"Cumulative Total Points after 93 Regular Season Games/3 Playoff Games"
Kannapolis-1,456 pts
Concord-1,272 pts
Both teams Combined-2,728 pts
"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words"
The Battle for the Bell's Most Enduring Image
“All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not of truth.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
A very poignant analogy in the concept of perception as spoken by Friedrich Nietzsche. Perception can call forth a multitude of conclusions and first perceptions are always the strongest. Case in point the photo seen above. The Infamous photo above serves as a standing testament captured in celluloid to the bitterness between the two institutions of Kannapolis and Concord High Schools where this eighty three year old rivalry in football is concerned. The photo taken by Daily Independent freelance photographer Charles Foster shows the bell exchange in 1971 after Kannapolis defeated Concord 10-7 ending the Wonders ten year losing streak. The photo shows a dejected group of Concord players and cheerleaders honored with the dubious task of transferring ownership of the bell for the following year to Kannapolis. One Spider cheerleader (Front Left) taking particular disgust in the proceedings opts to throw the Kannapolis constituency the universal sign of peace that Foster captured with his camera, which in turn was posted in the Daily Independent the following Sunday after the game.
To this day, whether the gesture was intended for the Kannapolis constituency, or for Foster who was taking the photo remains unknown because no one I have spoken with from the Concord High School class of 1971 will discuss it openly. It may have been just the sudden outpouring of uncontrolled emotion during a tense moment on the part of the young lady in the photo, but consequently this photo lives to this day as one of the rivalries most enduring images. For many years a large poster size reprint of this very photo hung on the wall in the old Key Club room in the Bullock Gymnasium as a reminder to all of this rivalry's intensity. The Battle for the Bell is considered to be the most iconic and most hotly contested high school football games in the State of North Carolina. It's significance within the two communities of Kannapolis and Concord resonates loud and strong 365 days out of the year. To understand it you have to to experience it, and to experience it, you have to be willing to take the good with the bad. -The editor
A very poignant analogy in the concept of perception as spoken by Friedrich Nietzsche. Perception can call forth a multitude of conclusions and first perceptions are always the strongest. Case in point the photo seen above. The Infamous photo above serves as a standing testament captured in celluloid to the bitterness between the two institutions of Kannapolis and Concord High Schools where this eighty three year old rivalry in football is concerned. The photo taken by Daily Independent freelance photographer Charles Foster shows the bell exchange in 1971 after Kannapolis defeated Concord 10-7 ending the Wonders ten year losing streak. The photo shows a dejected group of Concord players and cheerleaders honored with the dubious task of transferring ownership of the bell for the following year to Kannapolis. One Spider cheerleader (Front Left) taking particular disgust in the proceedings opts to throw the Kannapolis constituency the universal sign of peace that Foster captured with his camera, which in turn was posted in the Daily Independent the following Sunday after the game.
To this day, whether the gesture was intended for the Kannapolis constituency, or for Foster who was taking the photo remains unknown because no one I have spoken with from the Concord High School class of 1971 will discuss it openly. It may have been just the sudden outpouring of uncontrolled emotion during a tense moment on the part of the young lady in the photo, but consequently this photo lives to this day as one of the rivalries most enduring images. For many years a large poster size reprint of this very photo hung on the wall in the old Key Club room in the Bullock Gymnasium as a reminder to all of this rivalry's intensity. The Battle for the Bell is considered to be the most iconic and most hotly contested high school football games in the State of North Carolina. It's significance within the two communities of Kannapolis and Concord resonates loud and strong 365 days out of the year. To understand it you have to to experience it, and to experience it, you have to be willing to take the good with the bad. -The editor
Long Lost Original Negatives From 1971 Located
"Daily Independent Staff Photographer Charles Foster's Infamous Bell Exchange Original Photo Found"
02-20-2020- In what has to be considered a landmark discovery in Battle for the Bell rivalry lore, the original staff photographer for the Kannapolis Daily Independent, the late (Charles Foster's) original negatives of the 1971 Battle for the Bell game at Concord's Spider Stadium in 1971 were recovered by the editor for Friday Nights in K-Town on February 20, 2020. The original negatives were located within the photo files of the now defunct news publication's (lost archives) recovered by the Kannapolis History Associates at the Hinson History Center on the campus of A.L. Brown High School. This lost archives was originally discarded for waste by the Daily Independent upon their merger with the Concord Tribune in 1993, and were saved from destruction by the History organization.
For many years the original photo negatives were believed to have been misplaced, or for a better term (lost) while the publication was still located on North Main Street in Kannapolis. I made several personal attempts to locate this iconic treasure over the years to no avail, which included contact with Daily Independent staff before it's Merger and relocation with the Concord Tribune, and with staff photographer Charles Foster personally before his passing. Foster told me that all of his negatives from games he was assigned to cover would be turned over to the sports editor the night following the contest, and what happened to them after was anybody's guess.
When I contacted the Daily Independent I was told that the photo negatives from Friday night games were never saved, and were usually discarded within a week of it's initial publishing. That information as you can clearly see turned out to be anything but the truth. I don't know if the person I spoke with that day was familiar with the publication's protocol on the saving and disposal of old photo negatives, which I find hard to believe, or they just didn't want to go to any great lengths to locate them. The discovery of this iconic piece of Bell game lore is very satisfying to me after all these years, and to know that it is now preserved forever for posterity gives me a great feeling of accomplishment. Special thanks to the Kannapolis History Associates for guiding me to this Wonderous and most gratifying find. -The editor
For many years the original photo negatives were believed to have been misplaced, or for a better term (lost) while the publication was still located on North Main Street in Kannapolis. I made several personal attempts to locate this iconic treasure over the years to no avail, which included contact with Daily Independent staff before it's Merger and relocation with the Concord Tribune, and with staff photographer Charles Foster personally before his passing. Foster told me that all of his negatives from games he was assigned to cover would be turned over to the sports editor the night following the contest, and what happened to them after was anybody's guess.
When I contacted the Daily Independent I was told that the photo negatives from Friday night games were never saved, and were usually discarded within a week of it's initial publishing. That information as you can clearly see turned out to be anything but the truth. I don't know if the person I spoke with that day was familiar with the publication's protocol on the saving and disposal of old photo negatives, which I find hard to believe, or they just didn't want to go to any great lengths to locate them. The discovery of this iconic piece of Bell game lore is very satisfying to me after all these years, and to know that it is now preserved forever for posterity gives me a great feeling of accomplishment. Special thanks to the Kannapolis History Associates for guiding me to this Wonderous and most gratifying find. -The editor
A Voice from 1971, Long Silenced Speaks
"Former CHS Spider Cheerleader from 1971 Saundra Eudy Miller
Breaks Silence About Iconic Photo"
04-30-16- Friday Nights in K-Town had the distinct pleasure of sitting down and talking with one of the central figures in the infamous Victory Bell exchange photo of 1971, Mrs Saundra Eudy Miller. A completely surprise meeting for Saundra who never saw this coming. (Lol) I had recently been in written communication with Saundra on Facebook after becoming friends with her some months ago after learning her identity. Friday Nights in K-Town hunted down the former Concord Spider Cheerleader who some 45 years ago was part of the contingency from CHS who had the dubious task of turning over possession of the coveted Victory Bell after a ten year drought for the Wonders that began in 1961. Miller, though not the actual doer of the deed, stood front and center in the infamous photo that was shot by Daily Independent free lance photographer Charles Foster some forty five years ago this year, and was very close friends with the young lady in question. Looking at the photo, Miss Eudy Miller is the cheerleader with long dark hair standing directly in front of the Victory Bell to the right of Concord Spider LB Andy Troxler, and the doer of the deed to her left (SG)
Now this is not the story of the game or that of the ten year drought, but rather FIK's attempt at clearing up some myths, misconceptions and truths that are known only to Mrs Miller as she knew them on that night in 1971. Not so much an interview as it was just a personal one on one talk between two new acquaintances who just met for the first time. So how did Saundra feel after the shocking loss to K-Town? Mrs Miller stated "We were so shocked at the loss that most of us did not know what to do. I remember being called into the office with some of the other cheerleaders earlier that week by principle Rimer who went over what we were to do if we lost the game, and how the Victory Bell was to be exchanged because none of us had a clue. We hadn't lost in ten years and we really didn't even think about it" I think now that was an omen. (Lol) "I remember Andy was one of the only football players to help us drag that heavy bell across the field that night. Andy was one of the captains I believe. The rest were so stunned they couldn't move. Many of them were on their knees with their heads in their hands. I remember we knocked over one of the wooden benches taking it onto the field, and then got one of the wheels stuck in the dirt where they had holes dug for pole vaulting. I then asked Saundra if she recalled the infamous moment that made the photo so iconic?
"I was trying not to look at anybody as you can tell in the photo by the expression on my face. I remember when the camera flashed and I saw my friend with her finger in the air. I really didn't think anything about it at the time, because I was just as hurt as she was. I do know had I done the same thing that night, grandma Eudy would have whipped me good" (Lol) Miller told me she didn't recall anybody shaking hands during the exchange "We just dropped it off, turned away and walked off" It's obvious that emotions were running high that night among all the Spiders, it just so happens that Saundra was fortunately able to control her emotions a little better at that critical moment. So what of the young lady who did the deed? Miller said "We've tried to communicate as much as we can over the years, but since she moved out of state with her job it hasn't been very easy. Saundra told me she wished the two could get together again at one of the S.O.B. (Spiders On the Beach) events in OD sometime soon, but that it would all be contingent upon her availability to do so.
At no time during our conversation did I ever feel the uncontrollable urge to lunge across the table and choke Saundra out, and I suspect the feeling was mutual even though she probably would have preferred I had wore anything but my Kannapolis jersey in her presence. (Lol) I found Saundra to be a charming, soft spoken person who was very amiable and easy to talk with. There were no animosities as I didn't expect there to be. Saundra was straight forward and forthright in her feelings about what transpired on the field that night in 1971, and supported her friend as I knew she would. As far as consequences for those involved that night after the photo hit the media? Those involved did get a reprimand from the principal and I will leave it at that. Saundra offered no apologies for her friend's outpouring of emotion at a critical moment in time, and I didn't expect her to. We are all capable of losing control when we are emotionally charged at any given moment. I can remember on many occasions wanting to do more than flip a Spider off during an agonizing loss, so I fully understand the concept of reacting off the cuff. In the end I have to ask myself "What did it really hurt?" I think in retrospect the photo did more to show the level of intensity the rivalry commands than any one thing could have ever done and for that I can accept it. Today I can't imaging the history of this game without it. Saundra did confess that she was shocked that this photo has retained it's longevity for so many years and that it is still the topic of conversation today. Saundra told me that for many years people thought it was her who did the deed.
At the conclusion of our conversation I presented Saundra with the first ever completed 8X10 copy of the newly edited Bell exchange photo for her to keep as a momento of our first meeting. We took a few photos to document the event and in an attempt to extend the olive branch Saundra gave the peace sign in one of the shots to replace the middle finger originally extended by her friend. So in the end what did the editor for FIK take from this meeting you might ask? I found Mrs Miller to be exactly who I thought she would be. A fiercely loyal Concord Spider who harbours no ill will toward me or anyone else from K-Town, but who crosses no boundaries when the rivalry between our two communities rolls around. Saundra cringes at the site of the Green and White as most of us Wonder supporters do of the Black and Gold. We are natural born rivals by geographical boundaries, and enemies on the gridiron, but human beings on the larger scale of life. We sweat, we bleed and we hurt just the same.
As for the editor of FIK, I hold no ill will against the young CHS Cheerleader who flipped my people off in her hurt and despair some forty five years ago this year. I actually respect her for her honesty, and would like nothing more than to shake her hand and have a laugh over it. Maybe one day. I still hold out hope for that meeting. Until then I am grateful to say that I have a new friend in the CHS family who I think now holds a mutual respect for me. Thank you for your time today Saundra. It was truly an honor and a privilege to meet you, and have such a candid conversation. I know there is still an imaginary line that divides us which begins at the Kannapolis/Concord city limits, but when it all comes down to brass tacks, we are friends which will ultimately binds the line that divides!! -The editor
Now this is not the story of the game or that of the ten year drought, but rather FIK's attempt at clearing up some myths, misconceptions and truths that are known only to Mrs Miller as she knew them on that night in 1971. Not so much an interview as it was just a personal one on one talk between two new acquaintances who just met for the first time. So how did Saundra feel after the shocking loss to K-Town? Mrs Miller stated "We were so shocked at the loss that most of us did not know what to do. I remember being called into the office with some of the other cheerleaders earlier that week by principle Rimer who went over what we were to do if we lost the game, and how the Victory Bell was to be exchanged because none of us had a clue. We hadn't lost in ten years and we really didn't even think about it" I think now that was an omen. (Lol) "I remember Andy was one of the only football players to help us drag that heavy bell across the field that night. Andy was one of the captains I believe. The rest were so stunned they couldn't move. Many of them were on their knees with their heads in their hands. I remember we knocked over one of the wooden benches taking it onto the field, and then got one of the wheels stuck in the dirt where they had holes dug for pole vaulting. I then asked Saundra if she recalled the infamous moment that made the photo so iconic?
"I was trying not to look at anybody as you can tell in the photo by the expression on my face. I remember when the camera flashed and I saw my friend with her finger in the air. I really didn't think anything about it at the time, because I was just as hurt as she was. I do know had I done the same thing that night, grandma Eudy would have whipped me good" (Lol) Miller told me she didn't recall anybody shaking hands during the exchange "We just dropped it off, turned away and walked off" It's obvious that emotions were running high that night among all the Spiders, it just so happens that Saundra was fortunately able to control her emotions a little better at that critical moment. So what of the young lady who did the deed? Miller said "We've tried to communicate as much as we can over the years, but since she moved out of state with her job it hasn't been very easy. Saundra told me she wished the two could get together again at one of the S.O.B. (Spiders On the Beach) events in OD sometime soon, but that it would all be contingent upon her availability to do so.
At no time during our conversation did I ever feel the uncontrollable urge to lunge across the table and choke Saundra out, and I suspect the feeling was mutual even though she probably would have preferred I had wore anything but my Kannapolis jersey in her presence. (Lol) I found Saundra to be a charming, soft spoken person who was very amiable and easy to talk with. There were no animosities as I didn't expect there to be. Saundra was straight forward and forthright in her feelings about what transpired on the field that night in 1971, and supported her friend as I knew she would. As far as consequences for those involved that night after the photo hit the media? Those involved did get a reprimand from the principal and I will leave it at that. Saundra offered no apologies for her friend's outpouring of emotion at a critical moment in time, and I didn't expect her to. We are all capable of losing control when we are emotionally charged at any given moment. I can remember on many occasions wanting to do more than flip a Spider off during an agonizing loss, so I fully understand the concept of reacting off the cuff. In the end I have to ask myself "What did it really hurt?" I think in retrospect the photo did more to show the level of intensity the rivalry commands than any one thing could have ever done and for that I can accept it. Today I can't imaging the history of this game without it. Saundra did confess that she was shocked that this photo has retained it's longevity for so many years and that it is still the topic of conversation today. Saundra told me that for many years people thought it was her who did the deed.
At the conclusion of our conversation I presented Saundra with the first ever completed 8X10 copy of the newly edited Bell exchange photo for her to keep as a momento of our first meeting. We took a few photos to document the event and in an attempt to extend the olive branch Saundra gave the peace sign in one of the shots to replace the middle finger originally extended by her friend. So in the end what did the editor for FIK take from this meeting you might ask? I found Mrs Miller to be exactly who I thought she would be. A fiercely loyal Concord Spider who harbours no ill will toward me or anyone else from K-Town, but who crosses no boundaries when the rivalry between our two communities rolls around. Saundra cringes at the site of the Green and White as most of us Wonder supporters do of the Black and Gold. We are natural born rivals by geographical boundaries, and enemies on the gridiron, but human beings on the larger scale of life. We sweat, we bleed and we hurt just the same.
As for the editor of FIK, I hold no ill will against the young CHS Cheerleader who flipped my people off in her hurt and despair some forty five years ago this year. I actually respect her for her honesty, and would like nothing more than to shake her hand and have a laugh over it. Maybe one day. I still hold out hope for that meeting. Until then I am grateful to say that I have a new friend in the CHS family who I think now holds a mutual respect for me. Thank you for your time today Saundra. It was truly an honor and a privilege to meet you, and have such a candid conversation. I know there is still an imaginary line that divides us which begins at the Kannapolis/Concord city limits, but when it all comes down to brass tacks, we are friends which will ultimately binds the line that divides!! -The editor
So What's it Like?
The Jayvee Football History
Between Kannapolis and Concord
The record almost rivals that of a Kannapolis/South Rowan or Kannapolis/Northwest Cabarrus rivalry history, and you would be hard pressed to find a more dominant display of football mastery than that what the Wonder Jayvees hold over our crosstown rival Concord. A.L. Brown High School first started fielding a dedicated junior varsity football team back in the late days of summer in 1964, when former Little Wonder head coach Roy Boyles was in his first season as the head honcho at A.L. Brown High School.
The annual rivalry game between the varsity Little Wonders and Spiders had been raging for 34 consecutive years prior since 1931. The very first Kannapolis/Concord Jayvee game took place on September 18, 1964 at Concord's Webb Field, and was the fledgling Little Wonder junior varsity's season opener, but that would not be the only time the two programs would play that season, in fact, for the first three years of A.L. Brown junior varsity football from 1964-1966, the Little Wonders and Baby Spiders would play twice in a season. Those first three seasons the Little Wonders would take victories in five of the six contests, with one game ending in a 7-7 tie in the second game of the 1965 season. The twice a season meetings would end after their second contest of the 1966 season. The Little Wonders jayvees would begin a full South Piedmont Conference football schedule the following year in 1967, and like the varsity, the annual meeting between the two teams would become the season finale.
Since that first contest in 1964, a total of fifty nine junior varsity football contests have been played between the rival institutions of Kannapolis and Concord, with the Wonders holding a very commanding 50-6-3 overall series record. Of those fifty nine contests, Kannapolis football has outscored the Spiders by a combined total of 1,413-405, with sixteen of those Spider losses coming by way of shutout. Currently, Kannapolis football holds a twenty three consecutive game win streak against the Black and Gold, with the Spiders last victory coming in 1996.
The annual rivalry game between the varsity Little Wonders and Spiders had been raging for 34 consecutive years prior since 1931. The very first Kannapolis/Concord Jayvee game took place on September 18, 1964 at Concord's Webb Field, and was the fledgling Little Wonder junior varsity's season opener, but that would not be the only time the two programs would play that season, in fact, for the first three years of A.L. Brown junior varsity football from 1964-1966, the Little Wonders and Baby Spiders would play twice in a season. Those first three seasons the Little Wonders would take victories in five of the six contests, with one game ending in a 7-7 tie in the second game of the 1965 season. The twice a season meetings would end after their second contest of the 1966 season. The Little Wonders jayvees would begin a full South Piedmont Conference football schedule the following year in 1967, and like the varsity, the annual meeting between the two teams would become the season finale.
Since that first contest in 1964, a total of fifty nine junior varsity football contests have been played between the rival institutions of Kannapolis and Concord, with the Wonders holding a very commanding 50-6-3 overall series record. Of those fifty nine contests, Kannapolis football has outscored the Spiders by a combined total of 1,413-405, with sixteen of those Spider losses coming by way of shutout. Currently, Kannapolis football holds a twenty three consecutive game win streak against the Black and Gold, with the Spiders last victory coming in 1996.
Wonder Jayvee Legacy
of Dominance over Concord
Commemorative Slideshow
The Score History
1961-1069
1960-1963: DNP 1964 Kannapolis-20 Concord-0 1964 Kannapolis-7 Concord-0 1965 Kannapolis-18 Concord-13 1965 Kannapolis-7 Concord-7 1966 Kannapolis-26 Concord-7 1966 Kannapolis-13 Concord-7 1967 Kannapolis-18 Concord-7 1968 Kannapolis-0 Concord-13 1969 Kannapolis-0 Concord-6 Overall Record 6-2-1 PF-109 pts PA-60 pts |
1970-1070
1970 Kannapolis-6 Concord-8 1971 Kannapolis-22 Concord-0 1972 Kannapolis-41 Concord-12 1973 Kannapolis-12 Concord-7 1974 Kannapolis-33 Concord-8 1975 Kannapolis-7 Concord-0 1976 Kannapolis-24 Concord-12 1977 Kannapolis-0 Concord-8 1978 Kannapolis-6 Concord-6 1979 Kannapolis-23 Concord-12 Overall Record 7-2-1 PF-174 pts PA-73 pts |
1980-1989
1980 Kannapolis-32 Concord-6 1981 Kannapolis-14 Concord-0 1982 Kannapolis-14 Concord-12 1983 Kannapolis-14 Concord-0 1984 Kannapolis-7 Concord-7 1985 Kannapolis-24 Concord-8 1986 Kaqnnapolis-8 Concord-0 1987 Kannapolis-42 Concord-0 1988 Kannapolis-28 Concord-0 1989 Kannapolis-12 Concord-20 Overall Record 8-1-1 PF-195 pts PA-53 pts |
1990-1999
1990 Kannapolis-28 Concord-0 1991 Kannapolis-39 Concord-8 1992 Kannapolis-12 Concord-0 1993 Kannapolis-34 Concord-8 1994 Kannapolis-13 Concord-7 1995 Kannapolis-21 Concord-6 1996 Kannapolis-20 Concord-22 1997 Kannapolis-42 Concord-0 1998 Kannapolis-14 Concord-8 1999 Kannapolis-14 Concord-0 Overall Record 9-1 PF-237 pts PA-59 pts 2020-Present 2020 Covid Year DNP 2021 Kannapolis-36 Concord-14 2022 Kannapolis-44 Concord-14 2023 Kannapolis-35 Concord-0 Overall Record 3-0 PF-115 PA-28 |
2000-2009
2000 Kannapolis-14 Concord-6 2001 Kannapolis-21 Concord-7 2002 Kannapolis-24 Concord-6 2003 Kannapolis-27 Concord-6 2004 Kannapolis-25 Concord-0 2005 Kannapolis-21 Concord-6 2006 Kannapolis-44 Concord-14 2007 Kannapolis-29 Concord-6 2008 Kannapolis-42 Concord-8 2009 Kannapolis-34 Concord-6 Overall Record 10-0 PF-281 pts PA-65 pts |
2010-2019
2010 Kannapolis-36 Concord-30 2011 Kannapolis-42 Concord-12 2012 Kannapolis-28 Concord-0 2013 Kannapolis-48 Concord-6 2014 Kannapolis-34 Concord-14 2015 Kannapolis-38 Concord-14 2016 Kannapolis-56 Concord-6 2017 Kannapolis-55 Concord-6 2018 Kannapolis-49 Concord-0 2019 Kannapolis-31 Concord-7 Overall Record 10-0 PF-417 pts PA-95 pts |
Combined Jayvee Record since 1964
52-6-3
Total PF-1,448 pts Total PA-405 pts
"Coaches Gather for Bell Game Celebration"
Sitting Left to Right- Coach Roy Boyles Kannapolis, Coach Bill Watts Kannapolis, Coach Robert "Bob" Boswell Kannapolis, Coach Gerald Cook Concord, Coach Sonny Pruette Concord, Coach W.A. Cline Concord, Standing Left to Right- Coach Ron Massey Kannapolis, Coach Bruce Hardin Kannapolis, Coach Mike Newsome Kannapolis, Coach Glenn Padgett Concord, and Coach E.Z. Smith III Concord
Celebrating 83 Years of Rivalry
August 18, 2013- On Sunday evening August 18, 2013 Eleven former coaches, and two current coaches from both Kannapolis and Concord got together for the Battle for the Bell game's first ever coaches reunion banquet held at Troutman's Barbeque in Concord. The event was the brain child of former Concord High School coach of twenty nine years Mr E.Z. Smith III. Smith stated "It's because of my love for this rivalry game and the immense respect I have for both the communities of Kannapolis and Concord that I arranged this ceremony tonight. Smith went on to elaborate "I've played in the Astro Dome, Clemson, LSU, and countless other big venues during my college career, but nothing compares to walking from behind that press box at Concord or from behind the Bullock Gymnasium in Kannapolis and see all those fans waiting to see this game. It still sends chills up my back and down my arm just thinking about it" Food, fun and a boatload of old war stories about the classic battles between Kannapolis and Concord were rushing like the waters on the river Jordan as these hall of fame coaches told stories of their individual experiences having coached and played in this historic rivalry game.
In attendance this evening were former Kannapolis Head coaches Roy Boyles, Bill Watts, Bob Boswell, Bruce Hardin, Ron Massey, and current head football coach Mike Newsome. In attendance for Concord was Mr E.Z. Smith III, Gerald Cook, Sonny Pruette, W.A. Cline, and current head football coach Glenn Padgett. Absent due to prior obligations was former Concord head coach Richard Thompson. Also in attendance were media representatives from News 14 Carolina, WBTV 3, The Independent Tribune, and Chris Hughes from Carolina Preps along with Friday Nights in K-Town to cover this event. It was a great evening with lots of former players from both Concord and Kannapolis. My compliments once again to Mr E.Z. Smith III for organizing this special event that meant so much to so many fans who love this rivalry.
In attendance this evening were former Kannapolis Head coaches Roy Boyles, Bill Watts, Bob Boswell, Bruce Hardin, Ron Massey, and current head football coach Mike Newsome. In attendance for Concord was Mr E.Z. Smith III, Gerald Cook, Sonny Pruette, W.A. Cline, and current head football coach Glenn Padgett. Absent due to prior obligations was former Concord head coach Richard Thompson. Also in attendance were media representatives from News 14 Carolina, WBTV 3, The Independent Tribune, and Chris Hughes from Carolina Preps along with Friday Nights in K-Town to cover this event. It was a great evening with lots of former players from both Concord and Kannapolis. My compliments once again to Mr E.Z. Smith III for organizing this special event that meant so much to so many fans who love this rivalry.
The Guest Coaches
"The Great American Rivalry Series"
Battle For the Bell 1970 Slideshow
"The Night of the Giant Killers"
1971
Heralded as one of the most landmark victories ever for the Little Wonders of Kannapolis, the Littlle Wonders in 1971 were looking down the wrong end of a ten year losing streak to the Concord Spiders that spanned from 1961-1970. At that time it was the longest winning streak for the Spiders in the series, since a seven year affair which spanned from 1943-1949. In 1971 the prognosis for the Little Wonders wasn't looking that much better as they traveled to Concord to take on a poised Spider team that was looking to extend the streak to eleven in favor of the Black and Gold. The Little Wonders were looking at a possible date with the Salisbury Hornets in a first round playoff game the following week if they could pull off the upset of the Spiders. Historically referred to as "The Night of the Giant Killers" the Little Wonders under the command of first year head coach Will Campagna shocked a capacity crowd in Concord with a stifling defense and just enough offense to keep the game close until just under 5:28 left in the game. After Little Wonder Defensive Tackle Lacy Brumley intercepted a Jimmy Steere pass deep inside Spider territory. The shot heard around the world would come from Kannapolis place kicker Billy "The Toe" Krimminger on a twenty eight yard field goal that pushed the Little Wonders to victory, ending the Victory Bell's ten year hiatus in K-Town once and for all. This victory not only gave the Little Wonders the Victory Bell, but secured them a spot in the WNCHSAA Playoffs for the first time since 1960. This game would also put an effective end to Spider dominance in the series as the soon to be Wonders would begin to take control of the rivalry in the decades that followed.
Battle For the Bell 1971 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1972 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1973 Slideshow
"The Loss that Still Stings Today"
1974
For a young blossoming Wonder fan of nine years old, your first home Bell game is suppose to be a memorable experience of victory celebrations, and the warm fuzzies you get on a cold November night after you have humiliated your arch foe. Not to mention looking forward to a possible playoff game in the week ahead. Not exactly the way the editor for Friday Nights in K-Town's first home Battle for the Bell game played out. On a chilling cold November night at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium, the 7-1-1 Little Wonders of Kannapolis came in facing a group of upstart Concord Spiders for the home finale. The Spiders were expected to be fourteen point underdogs to the Wonders by Daily Independent sports columnist Frankie Patterson. The Little Wonders under first year head coach Lope Linder had blazed a trail of glory for most of the season with their only hiccups coming in the form of a tie with the Asheboro Blue Comets and a lone defeat at the hands of the Thomasville Bulldogs.
The Little Wonders had bulled their way through much of the regular season with a bruising running game. That running game was held to just 58 total yards by the lightning quick Spider defense who wouldn't allow Little Wonder backs Vernon Grier and Terry Cunningham running lanes. The Spiders under the field direction of quarterback Tracy Andrews gouged the once stingy Kannapolis defense for 230 yards on the ground behind the running of Ray Long, Dale Cline and David House who kept the bend but don't break Little Wonder defense on their heels for much of the game. The Little Wonders would make a valiant effort to tie the game with just five seconds left in the contest. Wonder halfback Vernon Grier failed to haul in a diving catch in the end zone with no time remaining off a tipped pass from Terry Cunningham to Greg Wagoner, Which sealed the deal for the Spiders. I can clearly remember the dejection and the tears that followed on into the night after this game was finished. The memory of this game still haunts me today as I know it does many of the players from that team who played in it. Some forty years later It's a loss you just can't put behind you. -The editor
The Little Wonders had bulled their way through much of the regular season with a bruising running game. That running game was held to just 58 total yards by the lightning quick Spider defense who wouldn't allow Little Wonder backs Vernon Grier and Terry Cunningham running lanes. The Spiders under the field direction of quarterback Tracy Andrews gouged the once stingy Kannapolis defense for 230 yards on the ground behind the running of Ray Long, Dale Cline and David House who kept the bend but don't break Little Wonder defense on their heels for much of the game. The Little Wonders would make a valiant effort to tie the game with just five seconds left in the contest. Wonder halfback Vernon Grier failed to haul in a diving catch in the end zone with no time remaining off a tipped pass from Terry Cunningham to Greg Wagoner, Which sealed the deal for the Spiders. I can clearly remember the dejection and the tears that followed on into the night after this game was finished. The memory of this game still haunts me today as I know it does many of the players from that team who played in it. Some forty years later It's a loss you just can't put behind you. -The editor
Battle For the Bell 1974 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1975 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1976 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1977 Slideshow
"The Turning of the Tide"
1978
Battle For the Bell 1979 Sideshow
Battle For the Bell 1980 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1982 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1983 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1984 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1985 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1986 Slideshow
Battle For the Bell 1987 Slideshow
"Been There, Done That"
2013
A Most Unwelcome Change Rears It's Ugly Head Once Again
"Concord 4Peat? I don't Think So"
2015
In 2012, the A.L. Brown Wonders dropped a heartbreaking 21-14 decision to the Concord Spiders at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord, and thus began a string of three consecutive years that the Wonders would fall to their arch rival in the Battle for the Bell game. In 2015 the Concord Spiders were looking at a possible 4peat, which had not been accomplished by either team since 2000 when the Wonders completed a 4 game sweep of the Spiders from 1997-2000. The Concord Spiders had not accomplished a 4peat since 1977 when they went on a 4 game spree from 1974-1977. 2015 the Wonders had come off an even more heartbreaking defeat the year before when time ran out on the Wonders at the one yardline of Concord and a possible victory that would have snapped the streak before it ever got to this point.
The Spiders boasted a 4peat the entire week, but had grossly underestimated the Wonder resolve in keeping that little bit of history from ever happening. The Wonders pulled off a 26-15 victory over the Spiders at Memorial Stadium, ending the Spider streak, thus keeping the Black and Gold from making history of their own. Coach Mike Newsome and an elated crowd of Wonder faithful gathered at midfield after the exchange of the Victory Bell and performed an impromptu painting of the Victory Bell, desecrating the "CHS" that had festooned the top tier of the Victory Bell for three years. Justice was served as the Wonders dished out a little payback for unfinished business.
The Spiders boasted a 4peat the entire week, but had grossly underestimated the Wonder resolve in keeping that little bit of history from ever happening. The Wonders pulled off a 26-15 victory over the Spiders at Memorial Stadium, ending the Spider streak, thus keeping the Black and Gold from making history of their own. Coach Mike Newsome and an elated crowd of Wonder faithful gathered at midfield after the exchange of the Victory Bell and performed an impromptu painting of the Victory Bell, desecrating the "CHS" that had festooned the top tier of the Victory Bell for three years. Justice was served as the Wonders dished out a little payback for unfinished business.
2022
The 92nd Annual Battle For the Bell marked another landmark moment for Kannapolis Football when the Wonders defeated the Concord Spiders 17-8 at Robert C Bailey Stadium @ E.Z. Smith Field in Concord. The victory brought the program two games closer from knotting the longest active win streak in rivalry history held by Concord from 1961-1970. 2023 the 93rd Annual Battle For the Bell will be hosted by Kannapolis at Memorial Stadium.
The Battle's Most Landmark Games
"From the Green and White Perspective"
2017 will mark the 87th time the two high school institutions of Kannapolis and Concord will meet on the gridiron to continue this intense football rivalry, and over the last eighty two meetings some games hold more significance to Wonder fans and to the history of the rivalry as a whole. In this segment of the retrospective we will take a quick look at some of those games that hold some specific historical relevance and maybe one personal game from the editor. Though Kannapolis and Concord officially began play in 1931 it wasn't until the introduction of the prestigious Victory Bell donated to the Kannapolis Sports Club in 1950 that the game was given it's enduring title. Here are some of those games with a brief synopsis on that particular games relevance, and how the headlines looked following the game in the morning paper.
"The 1950 Battle for the Bell"
Officially the first ever Battle for the Bell in the record books both Kannapolis and Concord met at Kannapolis Ball Park in Midway to decide who would take possession of the coveted item for the first time. In a brutal defensive struggle between the two squads the Spiders out gained the Wonders offensively 249-40, but were unable to sustain a drive that resulted in points. The game would end deadlocked at 0-0 making the first Battle for the Bell very anti climatic. It was decided that the Spiders would get to ring the bell for their first home game against Spencer that following week and the Wonders would get the same opportunity in their first home game against Winecoff two weeks later.
"The 1951 Battle for the Bell"
The first recorded victory in the Battle for the Bell would go to Concord after a 7-6 affair at Concord's Webb Field. Both teams fought valiantly throughout the game, but a missed extra point by the Wonders would prove the difference on this night. This would be the tenth straight time the Wonders would fall to the Spiders not having defeated them since 1941.
"The 1952 Battle for the Bell"
Officially the Wonders first Battle for the Bell victory and the end of the first ten year skid to the Spiders the Wonders would put up twenty seven points on the Spiders at Kannapolis Ball Park to take the victory bell for the first time ever since the bell was introduced.
"The 1960 Battle for the Bell"
In 1960 the Wonders and Spiders hooked up at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium to decide the South Piedmont Conference Championship and to secure the Wonders bid for a WNCHSAA state title. Down 8-7 to the Spiders with 2:23 left in the game, the Wonders drove eighty yards in a minute and thirty one seconds on seven plays capped by Ronnie Barlow's nine yard touchdown plunge to secure the victory. Up until 1971 this game was voted one of the most exciting victories for the Wonders in rivalry history.
"The 1970 Battle for the Bell"
In 1970 The Concord Spiders were looking to extend their already impressive victory streak of nine games to ten. The rivalry's longest winning streak had long been surpassed by Concord by two games since the Spiders recorded seven straight victories from 1943-1949. The Wonders looked as if they would snap the streak as they entered the third period ahead of the Spiders 11-0, but a third period scoring barrage by Concord on short touchdown runs by Dean Thomas and Tommy Jones doomed the Wonders yet again to defeat. This would be the final loss in the long succession of victories by the Spiders from 1961-1970 which to this day stands as the longest continuous winning streak in rivalry history.
"The 1971 Battle for the Bell"
In 1971 the Wonders were looking at the backside of ten years losing to the Concord Spiders in the Battle for the Bell game. The longest recorded losing streak in the series. Tied 7-7 with the Spiders with just under ten minutes remaining in the game, Wonder defensive tackle Lacy Brumley intercepted Concord QB Jimmy Steere after defensive end Lonnie Isom batted a half hearted pass attempt that fell into the outstretched hands of Brumley just inside the Spider 11 yard line.The Wonders were unable to move the ball on three attempts, and with 6:10 left in the game the points needed to seal the Spiders fate were obtained when Billy "The Toe" Krimminger booted a 28 yard field goal that would put the Wonders ahead 10-7. The Wonder defense would hold the Spiders off for the remainder of the game and the ten year streak was broken. This game marked the end of Spider domination in the series and ushered in the new age where the Wonders would begin to take charge.
"The 1974 Battle for the Bell" "The Editor's Choice"
Heavily favored to beat the Spiders in 1974 the Wonders powerful running game which had carried them through the entire 1974 season was shut down by a determined defense from Concord who left no avenues open for the Wonder runningbacks. In contrast the Spiders led by quarterback Tracy Andrews and runningback Ray Long gashed the vaunted Wonder defense for 230 yards on the ground on their way to a 14-6 shocker that knocked the Wonders out of the post season in 1974. This was my first home bell game at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium and without a doubt the most heartbreaking defeat I have ever personally experienced.
"1975 Battle for the Bell"
In 1975 the Concord Spiders were looking to win the SPC Title outright and make the state AAA playoffs for the first time since 1969. The 1975 Spiders were dominant in the SPC that year led by an all star group of veterans from 1974 in QB Tracy Andrews, LB Matt Troxler and HBs Ray Long, Barry Cannon and Chip Irby. 1975 would not be a good showing for the Wonders as they would drop the match 21-0 at Bailey Stadium granting Concord their wish for a South Piedmont Conference title and a playoff slot with Lexington. The Spiders would defeat the Lexington Yellow Jackets in the first round of the playoffs only to fall to North Davidson in the semi final round the following week.
"The 1976 Battle for the Bell"
In 1976 the Wonders hired new head football coach Robert Bob Boswell to redeem the ailing Kannapolis football program which had been on a skid to the Spiders since the 1974 defeat in Kannapolis. In Boswell's first year though aspirations were high success was fleeting and his first Battle for the Bell would not be a momentous occasion. Sporting a new look and a new philosophy the Wonders kept the game tight leading the Spiders through the fourth quarter 3-0 on a David Gibson field goal, however the Wonders would have to bite the bullet again after Spider back Chip Irby scored the games lone touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Spiders up 7-3. The Wonders would try for a last minute touchdown late in the game and on fourth and goal were denied again of the go ahead touchdown.
"The 1978 Battle for the Bell"
The 1978 Battle for the Bell would mark third year head coach Bob Boswell's first victory in the rivalry. The Wonders led by sophomore quarterback Ethan Horton and tailbacks Terry Baxter and Derrick Cunningham put up thirty three unanswered points on the Spiders at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium ending a three year hiatus for the Wonders that began in 1974. 1978 would mark the beginning of a definitive shift in power in the Battle for the Bell rivalry as Kannapolis would begin to flex it's muscle in the football landscape in Cabarrus County and the State of North Carolina for decades to come.
"The 1979 Battle for the Bell"
The 1979 Battle for the Bell would be significant in that the Wonders were looking to complete it's first undefeated regular season since the10-0 Wonders accomplished the feat in 1952. W.A. Cline's Spiders were outmatched from the get go as Terry Baxter rushed for 153 of the 316 yards of rushing offense the Wonders tacked on the Spider defense. Baxter along with Larry Hamilton and kicker Lynn Ritchie accounted for the Wonders 31-6 victory over the Spiders at Concord's Bailey Stadium. Concord was unable to keep up with this collection of Wonder greats.
"The 1980 Battle for the Bell"
The 1980 Battle for the Bell would mark the end for one of the Wonders most dominating senior classes since 1960, and would also usher in the era of new Concord head football coach E.Z. Smith III to the rivalry. The 1980 Wonders under the direction of 5th year head coach Bob Boswell demoralized Smith's Spiders in his inaugural bell game at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium 41-0 under the power running of Terry Baxter and Gene Barnette. The Wonders ripped the Concord defense for 318 yards on the ground with 205 of them coming courtesy of Baxter who also scored three touchdowns. This would be the third straight bell game victory for the Wonders in the Boswell era.
"The 1984 Battle for the Bell"
Looking to complete yet another undefeated regular season under coach Bob Boswell the Wonders hosted the Concord Spiders at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium after defeating the South Rowan Raiders in overtime the week prior. A Spider defeat would give the Wonders sole possession of the South Piedmont Conference Championship for 1984. Wonder runningbacks Tracy Johnson and Tony Smith combined for 279 yards rushing on their way to giving the Wonders a 26-8 victory over the Spiders and their third ever undefeated regular season in school history.The Wonders would go on to host Tarboro in the State Championship at Memorial Stadium only to go down in defeat 20-0 finishing the season as the AAA state runner up for 1984.
"The 1988 Battle for the Bell"
In head coach Bob Boswell's thirteenth season with the Wonders the 1988 Battle for the Bell would be his swan song as he would move on following the 1988 season to coach in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. The Wonders would score a hard fought 9-7 victory over the Spiders at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium behind the running of Wayne Martin and Ruben Wells who accounted for 215 yards of of rushing in the Wonders victory effort. Bob Boswell would leave Kannapolis a legend.
"The 1989 Battle for the Bell"
In first year head coach Bruce Hardin's Battle for the Bell game Hardin would have a fight on his hands as he took his 8-1 Wonders into Robert C Bailey Stadium hoping to lock up the South Piedmont Conference Championship. The Wonders and Spiders played a hard fought defensive game throughout that came down to Wonder defensive end Roland Grant's blocked punt for a safety. The two points gave Hardin and the soon to be State Champion Wonders a controversial 16-14 victory over Concord in Hardin's inaugural Battle for the Bell game.
"The 1990 Battle for the Bell"
The 1960 Battle for the Bell game held the prestigious spot as the most exciting Battle for the Bell game ever played until 1990 rolled around. Deemed the greatest fifty seven seconds of football in Cabarrus County, Wonder quarterback Maurice Blakeney engineered a desperation two minute scoring spree which brought the Wonders back from a 19-7 deficit with 2:07 left in the game.Wonder wide receiver Scott Jordan's Hail Mary, Everything, but his feet out of bounds with no time remaining catch buried the shell shocked Spiders who stood helplessly in disbelief as the Wonder crowd stormed the field. The 1960 Battle for the Bell had been put to sleep.
"The 1997 Battle for the Bell"
The 1997 Battle for the Bell saw the 9-1 Wonders taking on the 10-0 Spiders at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord for at least a three way tie for first in the SPC with Concord and East Rowan. The Wonders were in a must win situation to force a draw for seedings in the 1997 state AAA playoffs. Wonder QB William Craft executed a perfect game plan mixing the run and pass to defeat the favored Spiders in the contest 33-20 in front of a record crowd of almost 14,000 fans. The Wonders would later face these same Spiders three weeks later in the Sectional Final at Robert C Bailey Stadium scoring a 9-0 victory that propelled the Wonders to the Western Regional game against Kings Mountain. The Wonders would go on to become the 1997 State AAA Champions after defeating Northeast Guilford in the State Title game in Chapel Hill.
"The 1999 Battle for the Bell"
In head coach Bruce Hardin's tenth season with the Wonders the 1999 Battle for the Bell would be his swan song. Hardin would leave Kannapolis following the 1999 season to help coach his twin sons Justin and Blair at the Citadel. The 1999 game would prove to be a bell ringer as the heavily favored and undefeated Wonders would battle the Spiders to a 7-7 tie late in the waning stages of the fourth quarter. With 10.2 seconds remaining in regulation Wonder kicker Rush Rollins would connect on a twenty eight yard field goal that bounced through off the right upright to put the Wonders ahead 10-7 giving Bruce Hardin his final victory in the Battle for the Bell over E.Z. Smith's Spiders. Smith would get his revenge however two weeks later when he defeated Hardin for the first time in the playoffs 21-7 in the District Championship.
"The 2000 Battle for the Bell"
The Y2K edition of the Battle for the Bell would see new Wonder head coach and former Kings Mountain head coach Ron Massey in his first ever bell game at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. Massey's Wonders would come into the contest 9-1 having suffered it's only conference loss to West Rowan. The Wonders were too much for the Spiders in Massey's first game as the offense racked up 326 yards of rushing offense against the Spiders sending the Spiders back to Concord with a 28-0 waylaying in Kannapolis.
"The 2001 Battle for the Bell"
In a weird twist of circumstances the 2001 Battle for the Bell game was a resounding triumph for the Spiders who had their way with the Wonders at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord posting an impressive 21-0 victory. Later in the year Concord head coach E.Z. Smith discovered he had inadvertently played an ineligible player and reported that information as he should have to the NCHSAA. The Spiders as a penalty were forced to forfeit the game to the Wonders. For the record books the Spiders 21-0 victory officially became a 1-0 loss. The bell was placed in hiatus that year until the playing of the 2002 Battle for the Bell in which the Wonders would win claiming the bell once again.
"The 2003 Battle for the Bell"
The 2003 Battle for the Bell was perhaps another one of the most exciting bell games ever played between Kannapolis and Concord. Tied 6-6 at the end of regulation Wonder defensive back Tauren Fisher who had blocked the PAT after the first Concord touchdown in regulation blocked a Spider field goal attempt in the second overtime to notch a 13-12 victory for the Wonders. The 2003 Battle for the Bell marked the first bell game ever to be decided in overtime.
"The 2008 Battle for the Bell"
Though not particularly memorable as a game it's historical significance was deep. The 2008 Battle for the Bell marked the end of the tenure of one of the battle's most colorful characters in Concord head football coach E.Z. Smith III. Smith had been the head football coach at Concord High School for twenty eight years prior to this game and number 29 would become Smith's swan song. Though not the way Smith wanted to go out the game proved to be history making in it's own right. Smith's 2008 Spiders holds the dubious distinction of giving up the most points in bell game history. On a long night for Smith and the Spiders at Robert C Bailey Stadium the Spiders gave up fifty six points to Ron Massey's Wonders finally getting on the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter. When all was said and done the final score would reflect Kannapolis-56 Concord-6.
"The 2010 Battle for the Bell"
In Ron Massey's eleventh season in Kannapolis the 2010 Battle for the Bell would become Massey's swan song. The Wonders marched into Robert C Bailey Stadium with one goal in mind. Revenge! The Wonders who were heavily favored in 2009 to defeat the Spiders at home were shocked 13-10 by the Spiders. The 2011 Wonders, and their seniors wanted atonement, and exacted their revenge behind the running of Wonder runningback Travis Riley. The Wonders fought the Spiders to a hard fought 28-21 victory giving Ron Massey his final victory over the Concord Spiders before leaving to take a head coaching position at Piedmont High School.
"The 2011 Battle for the Bell"
The 2011 Battle for the Bell marked the beginning of a new era for the Wonders with new head coach Mike Newsome just hired from Butler High School in Matthews. Newsome came to Kannapolis with a brand new coaching philosophy and eager to see what this Battle he had read about for so long was all about. Newsome's Wonders jumped out of the gate fast going up 24-0 in the first quarter, but like they had done all year they allowed a veteran group of Spiders led by QB B.J. Beecher to creep back into the game only one touchdown away from victory in the final seconds of the game. The Wonder defense would stiffen and deny the Spiders a miracle comeback victory at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. Now we come to a crossroads in the battle with new faces to emerge and new games to take their place in Battle for the Bell rivalry history.
"The 2014 Battle for the Bell" |
It had been thirty seven years since the Concord Spiders defeated the Wonders in the annual Battle for the Bell game for three consecutive years, but in 2014 they finally got the monkey off their back. In one of the most bitter defeats since the 1974 loss, the Concord Spiders, defeated the Wonders 20-14 to give the Spiders their third consecutive victory over Kannapolis in the Mike Newsome era of Wonder football. Not since a string of Spider victories from 1974-1977 had the Spiders been able to pull this many consecutive wins off over the Wonders. A dubious distinction for any Kannapolis team to hold. It was one of the most gut wrenching losses I can remember as a Wonder supporter. The Wonders with just under a minute to go in the contest had a game knotting touchdown called back on a holding penalty. Then with just one yard to go for another possible game knotting touchdown, The Wonders had time run out on them on first and goal from the one as the Wonders could not get the ball set before time ran out in regulation. Probably one of the more controversial Wonder losses in the rivalry history. |
"Bell Game Hype"
"The psychological game within the game"
"The 1976 Battle for the Bell"
"The 1976 Battle for the Bell"
In 1976 Tony Pethel was a seventeen year old Wonder lineman who was about to finish his high school football career and head off to the next level at Elon college. Before that could be accomplished Tony had one more Battle for the Bell game to contend with in 1976 and things would be particularly interesting for the seventeen year old during this week. Now Tony would be the first to tell you he loved to fight, and was not afraid to mix it up with the biggest and baddest of the time. He would also tell you that during this week in question most of the things that happened to him was not provoked by him, but rather the unfortunate circumstances that Tony found himself in during the week.
Unfortunately for Tony, he became the target for some of the things you see posted below at his residence in Kannapolis. Several of the Concord students knew Tony personally and also knew where he lived which made matters worse. Now vandalism and sophomore pranks were nothing new where this game was concerned, and as I said before most students engaged in them willingly and would be more than willing to accept the consequences for getting caught. It was all in good fun or so it's said. This is what happened to Tony during the week of the 1976 installment of the Battle for the Bell.
(TP) I was seeing one of the Concord gals at the time, and I admit I did mouth off a lot.(laughing) We also played a lot of backyard ball growing up together down at Winecoff School which was a good area to play. We would see a lot of the Concord and Northwest guys then and we would go over there and play pretty much what you would call in your face style football. They made it real hard for me in 1976. They harassed me through the mail. I was dating one of the Concord gals at the time and I didn't have lot of friends over there.(laughing) I’m pretty sure that just kinda carried over into the season. Me and a couple of our guys made it a point to stay in touch with some of the Concord guys during the season because their season was going pretty much like ours, and we would just stay in touch to keep them motivated. (laughing)
The week of the game they rolled my yard with toilet paper because they had some crazy idea that I had something to do with a little gift their coach W.A Cline received in his driveway during the week. I was wrongly accused of that, and they don’t want to believe it, but I didn’t have anything to do with that one. I thought we were all friends down there by the way they use to wave at me when I would ride through Martins Drive In. (laughing) They always made me feel like I was number one when I would go through there you know. They would lift the sign as I drove through. (laughing) They would come down to the Prince and we would do the same thing to them and make them feel like they were number one. (laughing) I received a few packages in the mail with meaningful messages attached. (laughing) I had funeral signs displayed in my front yard. The Concord game was for a better word a psychological game within a game. (laughing)
(Story is an excerpt from "The Hard Road to Glory" Tony Pethel segment)
Unfortunately for Tony, he became the target for some of the things you see posted below at his residence in Kannapolis. Several of the Concord students knew Tony personally and also knew where he lived which made matters worse. Now vandalism and sophomore pranks were nothing new where this game was concerned, and as I said before most students engaged in them willingly and would be more than willing to accept the consequences for getting caught. It was all in good fun or so it's said. This is what happened to Tony during the week of the 1976 installment of the Battle for the Bell.
(TP) I was seeing one of the Concord gals at the time, and I admit I did mouth off a lot.(laughing) We also played a lot of backyard ball growing up together down at Winecoff School which was a good area to play. We would see a lot of the Concord and Northwest guys then and we would go over there and play pretty much what you would call in your face style football. They made it real hard for me in 1976. They harassed me through the mail. I was dating one of the Concord gals at the time and I didn't have lot of friends over there.(laughing) I’m pretty sure that just kinda carried over into the season. Me and a couple of our guys made it a point to stay in touch with some of the Concord guys during the season because their season was going pretty much like ours, and we would just stay in touch to keep them motivated. (laughing)
The week of the game they rolled my yard with toilet paper because they had some crazy idea that I had something to do with a little gift their coach W.A Cline received in his driveway during the week. I was wrongly accused of that, and they don’t want to believe it, but I didn’t have anything to do with that one. I thought we were all friends down there by the way they use to wave at me when I would ride through Martins Drive In. (laughing) They always made me feel like I was number one when I would go through there you know. They would lift the sign as I drove through. (laughing) They would come down to the Prince and we would do the same thing to them and make them feel like they were number one. (laughing) I received a few packages in the mail with meaningful messages attached. (laughing) I had funeral signs displayed in my front yard. The Concord game was for a better word a psychological game within a game. (laughing)
(Story is an excerpt from "The Hard Road to Glory" Tony Pethel segment)
"The 1979 Battle for the Bell"
The Hostilities Bleed Over in Concord
In 1979 the Battle for the Bell would experience one of it's most ugly on field scenes in the series. In a game that boasted much trash talking and your typical game within the game psychology, players from Kannapolis and Concord hooked up in a series of post game fisticuffs that prompted the intervention of coaches and police to control the situation. There was lots of speculation as to what caused the altercations to begin and of course it depends on which side you were standing as to what you might consider to be fact. The Kannapolis contingency will claim lots of trash talking during the game while the Concord constituency will claim the unnecessary taunting of an injured Spider football player during the game. For which ever tale you believe it is obvious the bad blood boiled over in this one which again adds weight to the volatility of this rivalry.
"The 1999 Battle for the Bell"
"line gets Skewed
"Pre Game Propaganda"
The Psychological Game within the Game
"1966"
"1969"
"1971"
"1974"
"1976"
"Reflections 1979"
Thoughts on the Battle for the Bell Game From Those who Played in It
The Battle for the Bell
"The View From the South Side"
In 1931 the Wonders from Kannapolis and Spiders from Concord hooked up for the first time at Concord’s Webb Field. The game was played in very poor weather conditions as the Spiders led by then second year head coach V C Austin defeated the Wonders 13-0 to record the very first victory for the Spiders in rivalry history. From 1931 to 1950 when the victory bell was officially introduced into the game the Spiders commanded the series 13-3-3. The 1950 game would also end in a tie making the inaugural Battle for the Bell game a little lack luster to say the least. During that nineteen year stretch the Concord Spiders transitioned between three head coaches in V C Austin, Henry Hollingsworth and Teeny Lafferty. In 1950 when the first Battle for the Bell game took place at the old Midway Ball Field the Spiders were led by 4th year head coach Frank Austin. Austin guided the Spiders that year to the last of four ties in the series with the game being deadlocked 0-0 at the conclusion.
Austin would go on to lead the Spiders two more years until 1953 when the Spiders were handed over to head coach Floyd Wilson. Wilson would have no luck against the Wonders going 0-2 in 1953 and 1954. After Wilson’s departure at the conclusion of the 1954 season the reigns were handed over to Jack Sparks who guided the Spiders from 1955 to 1957. In that time Sparks would go 1-2 against the Wonders scoring his only victory 7-0 over the Wonders in 1957. At the conclusion of the 1957 campaign the Spiders would change coaches yet again. In 1958 head coach Charley Rimer was introduced to the Spider faithful with Rimer completing five seasons with the Spiders going a combined 3-2 during his five year stint. After Rimer’s final season in 1962, the Spiders relinquished the head coaching position to George “Ick” Alley who would lead the Spiders for three of their ten years dominance over the Wonders from 1963 thru 1965. After the 1965 season Alley stepped down and was replaced in 1966 by head coach Richard Thompson who would lead the Spiders from 1966 to 1968 going 3-0 against the Wonders. As the sixties came to a close, Thompson would step down in 1969 and the position was handed over to head coach Sonny Pruett who coached at CHS for one year going 1-0 against Kannapolis.
As the seventies began and the end of Spider dominance in the series began to come to a close, head coach Gerald Cook would take over controls for the Spiders in 1970 finishing his tenure after the heartbreaking defeat to the Wonders at Spider Stadium in Concord in 1971. Cook would go a combined total of 1-1 against the Wonders after which the reigns were handed back over to former head coach Richard Thompson in 1972. Thompson would spearhead the Spider effort from 1972 thru 1975 turning in one of the Spiders most successful outings in 1975 going 10-1. Thompson would go a combined 2-2 against Kannapolis during this four year period before he stepped down once again after the 1975 season. In 1976 Concord hired head coach W. A. Cline to lead the Spider charges. Cline would lead the Spiders from 1976 through 1979 going a combined total of 2-2 against the Wonders during his four year term of office. 1980 would mark the beginning of an new era in Concord football which of the likes has not been seen to this day. The Battle for the Bell was about to get a facelift.
Austin would go on to lead the Spiders two more years until 1953 when the Spiders were handed over to head coach Floyd Wilson. Wilson would have no luck against the Wonders going 0-2 in 1953 and 1954. After Wilson’s departure at the conclusion of the 1954 season the reigns were handed over to Jack Sparks who guided the Spiders from 1955 to 1957. In that time Sparks would go 1-2 against the Wonders scoring his only victory 7-0 over the Wonders in 1957. At the conclusion of the 1957 campaign the Spiders would change coaches yet again. In 1958 head coach Charley Rimer was introduced to the Spider faithful with Rimer completing five seasons with the Spiders going a combined 3-2 during his five year stint. After Rimer’s final season in 1962, the Spiders relinquished the head coaching position to George “Ick” Alley who would lead the Spiders for three of their ten years dominance over the Wonders from 1963 thru 1965. After the 1965 season Alley stepped down and was replaced in 1966 by head coach Richard Thompson who would lead the Spiders from 1966 to 1968 going 3-0 against the Wonders. As the sixties came to a close, Thompson would step down in 1969 and the position was handed over to head coach Sonny Pruett who coached at CHS for one year going 1-0 against Kannapolis.
As the seventies began and the end of Spider dominance in the series began to come to a close, head coach Gerald Cook would take over controls for the Spiders in 1970 finishing his tenure after the heartbreaking defeat to the Wonders at Spider Stadium in Concord in 1971. Cook would go a combined total of 1-1 against the Wonders after which the reigns were handed back over to former head coach Richard Thompson in 1972. Thompson would spearhead the Spider effort from 1972 thru 1975 turning in one of the Spiders most successful outings in 1975 going 10-1. Thompson would go a combined 2-2 against Kannapolis during this four year period before he stepped down once again after the 1975 season. In 1976 Concord hired head coach W. A. Cline to lead the Spider charges. Cline would lead the Spiders from 1976 through 1979 going a combined total of 2-2 against the Wonders during his four year term of office. 1980 would mark the beginning of an new era in Concord football which of the likes has not been seen to this day. The Battle for the Bell was about to get a facelift.
Enter Mr E.Z. Smith III
"The Man You Love to Hate"
In 1980 former Spider standout from the early seventies and University of South Carolina standout E.Z. Smith III came back home to take over his alma mater and thus began a twenty nine year marathon that would forever cement Smith's legacy in the history books of this rivalry and that of Concord Football. During the charismatic leader’s twenty nine year ride he went a combined total of 10-22 against the Wonders with one of those losses coming by way of a forfeit in 2001. Smith would face off with the Wonders three times in the state AAA playoffs with one of those meetings coming in the Western Regional Final in 1991. Smith would have to concede defeat to the Wonders in 1991 and would again meet the Wonders in the District Championship in 1997 losing that game 9-0 to the soon to be state champion Wonders. Smith would enact revenge in it’s sweetest form in 1999 when he defeated the #1 ranked and heavily favored Wonders in the second round of the state AAA playoffs 21-7 at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium. Known to Wonder supporters everywhere as “the man you love to hate” Smith’s long and successful run at Concord High School made for some of the most exciting rivalry match ups the series has ever known taking it even further into the stratosphere with three additional playoff meetings.
Smith’s unquestionable coaching ability and charisma provided that extra level of spice which ultimately made the Kannapolis/Concord rivalry the hottest ticket in town for twenty nine unparalleled years from 1980 to 2008. Everybody lined up early to get the opportunity to see what Smith would do next that would be talked about for the following year in K-Town. If it was at all possible, Smith had a unique way of making an already heated rivalry even hotter by his mere presence which made for some memorable moments at both Memorial and Bailey Stadiums. From Smith’s trademark shorts in thirty degree weather to that mischievous grin, Smith was one person you had to take notice of when this rivalry came around. Love him or hate him there was no denying him and his accomplishments at Concord High School set a standard that has yet to be repeated. It is widely accepted that coach Smith spearheaded some of the finest Spider football teams Cabarrus County has ever seen and though not always successful against the Wonders he was able to bring state notoriety and respect to the Concord Spiders during his tenure. In Smith’s final five years at Concord High School he captured two of the schools three state titles before his departure at the conclusion of the 2008 season. More than anything coach Smith will always be remembered for the sincere love he showed for his alma mater and for Concord Football. Coach Smith was and still is the embodiment of Concord Football and when coach Smith made his exit stage left in 2008 he took with him a good portion of the spice that made this rivalry such a unique experience. -The editor
"I Appreciate When You Cover Concord Football"
A Sit Down with E.Z. Smith III
"Friday Nights in K-Town Goes Behind Enemy Lines
to Experience The Battle for the Bell as a Concord Spider"
Preface
Friday Nights in K-Town is dedicated to football played by the Wonders of A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, and rightfully so is heavily biased towards the Green and White, however in order to present a fair and accurate view of this colorful ninety five year old rivalry between Kannapolis and Concord, I knew it would be a virtual impossibility without getting part of the story from the other side. The question was who could I get to give me the account I was looking for in keeping with the no holds barred style of Friday Nights in K-Town. I also understood there was no way to get this account without venturing deep into the heart of the enemy camp which made me a little uneasy to say the least. There was no question who I needed to talk to from the Spider camp, but would he be willing to share privileged information with an adversary he had battled so fiercely for nearly thirty one years as both a player and a coach.
Former Concord High School head Football Coach E.Z. Smith III is widely known in rivalry circles as an outspoken individual, but cautious in his dealings with people. Having met coach Smith in the late nineties I was fortunate enough to have developed a mutually respectful rapport with him which made asking him for this exclusive interview on the Battle for the Bell from the Spider perspective much easier to do. I wanted to get a complete and accurate assessment of what it was like to experience the Battle for the Bell while wearing the Black and Gold and there was no one better to give me this perspective than the quintessential Concord Spider E.Z. Smith III. Smith who is still as fiercely loyal to his alma mater as he was when he retired from coaching in 2008 is the proverbial Funk and Wagnall of Concord Football. Anybody who knows Smith personally will tell you there is nobody who can tell a story with as much color and passion as Smith can when it comes to the exploits of his beloved Concord Spiders.
Former Concord High School head Football Coach E.Z. Smith III is widely known in rivalry circles as an outspoken individual, but cautious in his dealings with people. Having met coach Smith in the late nineties I was fortunate enough to have developed a mutually respectful rapport with him which made asking him for this exclusive interview on the Battle for the Bell from the Spider perspective much easier to do. I wanted to get a complete and accurate assessment of what it was like to experience the Battle for the Bell while wearing the Black and Gold and there was no one better to give me this perspective than the quintessential Concord Spider E.Z. Smith III. Smith who is still as fiercely loyal to his alma mater as he was when he retired from coaching in 2008 is the proverbial Funk and Wagnall of Concord Football. Anybody who knows Smith personally will tell you there is nobody who can tell a story with as much color and passion as Smith can when it comes to the exploits of his beloved Concord Spiders.
"There are no words to describe just how big this game is" -Coach E.Z. Smith III
So on a crisp evening in late March I made the twelve mile drive South down Branchview Drive to Smith’s home in Concord at his invitation for what would become the first of two meetings with the guru of Concord Football. The first meeting would be to conduct the interview sequence of the story you are about to read while the second meeting would be for a few follow up tasks and a photo shoot inside Smith’s old stomping grounds at Robert C Bailey Stadium. When I arrived at Coach Smith’s home, I was greeted at the door by Coach Smith who was adorned in a pair of Black Slacks and a Gold Polo Shirt proudly festooned with a logo that read “Concord Football State 3A Champions” two titles Coach Smith fought hard to obtain during his twenty nine seasons as the head football coach for the Concord Spiders. I was immediately welcomed into his home with a firm handshake and that trademark E.Z. Smith III grin that so many of us have come to know. I was then introduced to Coach Smith’s lovely wife Patricia at which time Coach Smith told me with a laugh “I want you to know you are the only person I have allowed in this house wearing anything Green and White” (Laughing) Already the lines of loyalty were clear and evident.
After a short get acquainted session with the Mrs. Coach Smith we retired into a room that Coach Smith affectionately called his “Man Cave” decorated with many items of Concord Football memorabilia most notably a large framed print commemorating Coach Smith’s first state title win with Concord in 2004 which hung just above the couch with many Black and Gold quilts and pillows resting on the cushions. Exactly what I pictured Coach Smith’s home would look like, as a matter of fact not too many rooms in his house didn’t have something from Coach Smith’s football or coaching career either on the wall or displayed on a table with pictures of his family. As Coach Smith positioned himself comfortably on his couch I prepared my camera and voice recorder to properly document the evenings events, all the while thinking in the back of my mind what the evening would reveal. Could this story dispel some of the misconceptions behind the man who come to embody the very spirit of this rivalry and to that of Concord Football? Could this story dispel some of the uncertainties about some of this rivalry’s most memorable moments? Most importantly could this story make you think differently about the man that Wonder fans all “Love to Hate?” This story is not designed to make you sway allegiance to your school colors, but rather to present a clearer view into the Battle for the Bell from the South side of Kannapolis and to experience first hand just how hot the battle burns inside the Spiders Web -The editor
After a short get acquainted session with the Mrs. Coach Smith we retired into a room that Coach Smith affectionately called his “Man Cave” decorated with many items of Concord Football memorabilia most notably a large framed print commemorating Coach Smith’s first state title win with Concord in 2004 which hung just above the couch with many Black and Gold quilts and pillows resting on the cushions. Exactly what I pictured Coach Smith’s home would look like, as a matter of fact not too many rooms in his house didn’t have something from Coach Smith’s football or coaching career either on the wall or displayed on a table with pictures of his family. As Coach Smith positioned himself comfortably on his couch I prepared my camera and voice recorder to properly document the evenings events, all the while thinking in the back of my mind what the evening would reveal. Could this story dispel some of the misconceptions behind the man who come to embody the very spirit of this rivalry and to that of Concord Football? Could this story dispel some of the uncertainties about some of this rivalry’s most memorable moments? Most importantly could this story make you think differently about the man that Wonder fans all “Love to Hate?” This story is not designed to make you sway allegiance to your school colors, but rather to present a clearer view into the Battle for the Bell from the South side of Kannapolis and to experience first hand just how hot the battle burns inside the Spiders Web -The editor
" A Fledgling Spider Takes his First Steps Towards History"
(FIK) What are some of your earliest memories of the rivalry between Kannapolis and Concord as a youth?
(EZS) My first game was in 1961 at Webb Field in Concord. I was in the second grade by that time and my dad took me. I remember we parked at the old McAllister Field which was located opposite of Webb Field. I remember we had to stand up because there was very limited seating in those days at Webb Field. We had some great players back then like George Blanton and Jerry Barringer. Later in life I got to know them personally, but back then I only knew of them on the field because I was so young. I loved football at a very young age and started playing when I was five at the Boys Club so to get the opportunity to see these big guys play was a special thrill for me.
The game prior to this in 1960 was played in Kannapolis and we didn’t go to Kannapolis that year. We stayed until the end of the game because it was a really close game that year and Concord ended up winning. We were all excited because Concord won, but I had no idea of what was getting ready to happen on the field after the game was over. Now since Kannapolis had won the previous year in 1960 they had the victory bell so all of the sudden at the games conclusion I see people lining up from both sides on the field. Some were crying and others seemed really happy and then there was this big celebration on the Concord side of the field. So that was first experience with the exchange of the Victory Bell. The following year in 1962 my dad asked me again if I wanted to go to the Kannapolis/Concord game and I said sure so it became sort of a tradition in my family to go to the game with my dad up until I started playing at Concord. Now you have to understand that from 1961 to 1970 Concord won that game so we had the bell every year and I think we kind of took it for granted that we were just going to beat Kannapolis after having so much success early on. I think a lot of fans from Concord took for granted during that time that we were just going to win that game and that became somewhat of an omen for me as a coach later on that I should have never thought of it that way.
I think it’s ironic now looking back at some of the early history of the game dating back to 1950 when the battle for the bell really started and they talk about having 3500 people in attendance at the game. Now we have 3500 people at the pep rally alone and crowds of eleven thousand or more in attendance at the games. So I think as far my earliest recollections of the game it would have to be the exchanging of the bell and the ceremony behind it. It was my dad who explained to me about the tradition of the bell exchange, but after the exchange in 1961 I never witnessed the exchange again until we had the misfortune of having to do it my senior year at Concord, an unforgettable night one of the worst nights of my life.
(FIK) Of the games you witnessed as a youth which game had the most impact on you?
(EZS) It would have to be 1965. It was pouring down rain, the field was muddy and I was sitting with a group of friends and other young people in this driving rain. I remember watching Ronnie MCcrae make these two unbelievable long touchdown runs of sixty or eighty yards in the mud and him just being as fast as lightning. Then there was the games in 1967 and 1968 when I was in middle school and just how big both of those games seemed to be. I remember it being really cold and just a tremendous crowd at both of those games, but one of the biggest was the game in 1969 when I was a sophomore. I remember Haskell Stanback was the running back for Kannapolis that year and we had to win that game to retain the bell and take the conference championship because Thomasville had beaten us earlier in the season. That allowed us to go to what we called the bi-conference and we did that 32-6. So to summarize all of this I would have to say the 1961 game when my dad took me to my very first game, The 1965 game with Ronnie McCrae running those two long touchdowns in the rain and mud and then my first game as a sophomore in 1969 would have to be some of the more memorable games for me.
(FIK) At what point did you begin to understand the feeling of pride in being a Concord Spider?
(EZS) I would have to say that came probably in 1967 when I was in the eighth grade playing with the ninth grade football team. That was when we had both junior and senior high schools. So seventh, eighth and ninth was junior high and then tenth, eleventh and twelfth was senior high. So in 1967 we played Cannon Junior High and for us it was like a mini bell game of sorts. I can remember thinking back then that in two years I would be playing for the high school either as a junior varsity or varsity player. Now in junior high we were the Goldminers and our colors were Black and Gold and I remember wearing our jerseys to the varsity games on Friday night so we became what you might consider the prelude of what the varsity team was going to be later on. I remember I couldn’t wait for the time t come where I could get out on the field as a varsity player.
(FIK) Describe what the bell game meant to you both personally and collectively as a team in those days?
(EZS) We were 8-1 going into that game in 1969 when I was a sophomore starting as a defensive nose guard. Coach Alley ran a 6-2 defense with two defensive guards, two tackles and two ends. Jim May who played in the Shrine Bowl that year and I were the two guards. I was about 245 to 250lbs playing guard because I was not as big as some of the other guys, but leading up to that game there was such an emphasis not just on winning the bell game, but winning the conference championship. There was a fair amount of pressure on all of us to make that happen. I can remember the seniors Mickey Davis, Jim May, John Tomlin, Jerry Surratt, Jerry Herbert, and Jim Brown who later became one of my assistants and who I also coached against as a head coach feeling this pressure and they made sure we underclassmen knew that Hey, you have a responsibility to play the greatest game of your life and not to let your teammates or the community down. I remember none of us went to the JV game up in Kannapolis that Thursday night. We watched game film we studied our game plan and it was very intense. Everyone knew and accepted the responsibility that we could not lose that game. Not only would we be letting our teammates down, but our school, our family and the entire city of Concord. It was a lot of pressure, but I liked the pressure, If I didn’t I wouldn’t have done what I did for a living for so long, but to be perfectly honest with you I didn’t really realize the full extent of the pressure the players were under until I started coaching.
(FIK) Did the pressure ever take away any of the enjoyment of the game for you or those around you?
(EZS) No, absolutely not. I kicked a lot of field goals that won games for us during my time playing football and to be honest I wanted to have the opportunity to kick the winning field goal or extra point to win the game. I wanted to be the one to take the last shot to win the game that was what I wanted to do. The pressure never bothered me not as a player or a coach. I think what you have to do is make sure that everybody around you is comfortable with the pressure and if not to be able to take that pressure off them if it comes down to it. Now there are times when pressure can get to you. I tried never to show it because if those around you see you buckling to the pressure it can take away some of their confidence in you and I never wanted to lose the confidence my teammates had in me to step up if it was needed. The best analogy I ever heard on handling pressure is you feel like a swan or a duck on a pond and you’re out there looking graceful doing what you want to do, but underneath you are paddling like the devil to keep from drowning and that’s what this game was like. You tried your best to look composed and collected, but deep inside you were just churning inside thinking “Don’t let me be the one to miss the tackle or fumble the ball or make that one mistake that cost you the game.
(EZS) My first game was in 1961 at Webb Field in Concord. I was in the second grade by that time and my dad took me. I remember we parked at the old McAllister Field which was located opposite of Webb Field. I remember we had to stand up because there was very limited seating in those days at Webb Field. We had some great players back then like George Blanton and Jerry Barringer. Later in life I got to know them personally, but back then I only knew of them on the field because I was so young. I loved football at a very young age and started playing when I was five at the Boys Club so to get the opportunity to see these big guys play was a special thrill for me.
The game prior to this in 1960 was played in Kannapolis and we didn’t go to Kannapolis that year. We stayed until the end of the game because it was a really close game that year and Concord ended up winning. We were all excited because Concord won, but I had no idea of what was getting ready to happen on the field after the game was over. Now since Kannapolis had won the previous year in 1960 they had the victory bell so all of the sudden at the games conclusion I see people lining up from both sides on the field. Some were crying and others seemed really happy and then there was this big celebration on the Concord side of the field. So that was first experience with the exchange of the Victory Bell. The following year in 1962 my dad asked me again if I wanted to go to the Kannapolis/Concord game and I said sure so it became sort of a tradition in my family to go to the game with my dad up until I started playing at Concord. Now you have to understand that from 1961 to 1970 Concord won that game so we had the bell every year and I think we kind of took it for granted that we were just going to beat Kannapolis after having so much success early on. I think a lot of fans from Concord took for granted during that time that we were just going to win that game and that became somewhat of an omen for me as a coach later on that I should have never thought of it that way.
I think it’s ironic now looking back at some of the early history of the game dating back to 1950 when the battle for the bell really started and they talk about having 3500 people in attendance at the game. Now we have 3500 people at the pep rally alone and crowds of eleven thousand or more in attendance at the games. So I think as far my earliest recollections of the game it would have to be the exchanging of the bell and the ceremony behind it. It was my dad who explained to me about the tradition of the bell exchange, but after the exchange in 1961 I never witnessed the exchange again until we had the misfortune of having to do it my senior year at Concord, an unforgettable night one of the worst nights of my life.
(FIK) Of the games you witnessed as a youth which game had the most impact on you?
(EZS) It would have to be 1965. It was pouring down rain, the field was muddy and I was sitting with a group of friends and other young people in this driving rain. I remember watching Ronnie MCcrae make these two unbelievable long touchdown runs of sixty or eighty yards in the mud and him just being as fast as lightning. Then there was the games in 1967 and 1968 when I was in middle school and just how big both of those games seemed to be. I remember it being really cold and just a tremendous crowd at both of those games, but one of the biggest was the game in 1969 when I was a sophomore. I remember Haskell Stanback was the running back for Kannapolis that year and we had to win that game to retain the bell and take the conference championship because Thomasville had beaten us earlier in the season. That allowed us to go to what we called the bi-conference and we did that 32-6. So to summarize all of this I would have to say the 1961 game when my dad took me to my very first game, The 1965 game with Ronnie McCrae running those two long touchdowns in the rain and mud and then my first game as a sophomore in 1969 would have to be some of the more memorable games for me.
(FIK) At what point did you begin to understand the feeling of pride in being a Concord Spider?
(EZS) I would have to say that came probably in 1967 when I was in the eighth grade playing with the ninth grade football team. That was when we had both junior and senior high schools. So seventh, eighth and ninth was junior high and then tenth, eleventh and twelfth was senior high. So in 1967 we played Cannon Junior High and for us it was like a mini bell game of sorts. I can remember thinking back then that in two years I would be playing for the high school either as a junior varsity or varsity player. Now in junior high we were the Goldminers and our colors were Black and Gold and I remember wearing our jerseys to the varsity games on Friday night so we became what you might consider the prelude of what the varsity team was going to be later on. I remember I couldn’t wait for the time t come where I could get out on the field as a varsity player.
(FIK) Describe what the bell game meant to you both personally and collectively as a team in those days?
(EZS) We were 8-1 going into that game in 1969 when I was a sophomore starting as a defensive nose guard. Coach Alley ran a 6-2 defense with two defensive guards, two tackles and two ends. Jim May who played in the Shrine Bowl that year and I were the two guards. I was about 245 to 250lbs playing guard because I was not as big as some of the other guys, but leading up to that game there was such an emphasis not just on winning the bell game, but winning the conference championship. There was a fair amount of pressure on all of us to make that happen. I can remember the seniors Mickey Davis, Jim May, John Tomlin, Jerry Surratt, Jerry Herbert, and Jim Brown who later became one of my assistants and who I also coached against as a head coach feeling this pressure and they made sure we underclassmen knew that Hey, you have a responsibility to play the greatest game of your life and not to let your teammates or the community down. I remember none of us went to the JV game up in Kannapolis that Thursday night. We watched game film we studied our game plan and it was very intense. Everyone knew and accepted the responsibility that we could not lose that game. Not only would we be letting our teammates down, but our school, our family and the entire city of Concord. It was a lot of pressure, but I liked the pressure, If I didn’t I wouldn’t have done what I did for a living for so long, but to be perfectly honest with you I didn’t really realize the full extent of the pressure the players were under until I started coaching.
(FIK) Did the pressure ever take away any of the enjoyment of the game for you or those around you?
(EZS) No, absolutely not. I kicked a lot of field goals that won games for us during my time playing football and to be honest I wanted to have the opportunity to kick the winning field goal or extra point to win the game. I wanted to be the one to take the last shot to win the game that was what I wanted to do. The pressure never bothered me not as a player or a coach. I think what you have to do is make sure that everybody around you is comfortable with the pressure and if not to be able to take that pressure off them if it comes down to it. Now there are times when pressure can get to you. I tried never to show it because if those around you see you buckling to the pressure it can take away some of their confidence in you and I never wanted to lose the confidence my teammates had in me to step up if it was needed. The best analogy I ever heard on handling pressure is you feel like a swan or a duck on a pond and you’re out there looking graceful doing what you want to do, but underneath you are paddling like the devil to keep from drowning and that’s what this game was like. You tried your best to look composed and collected, but deep inside you were just churning inside thinking “Don’t let me be the one to miss the tackle or fumble the ball or make that one mistake that cost you the game.
"A Lasting Impression is Made in the Mud"
(FIK) Do you feel the pressure pushed you to excel?
(EZS) I think it helped me as a coach. I think knowing the emphasis that A.L. Brown and Concord put on the game helped me as a coach, and it probably hurt me a little bit because I may have overemphasized how important that game was having had such a personal attachment to the game. Guys like W.A. Cline, Richard Thompson, Sonny Pruette and even Glen Padgett who were not from Concord I don’t think they felt the same pressure as much as it was for guys like me or Gerald Cook, Ick Alley, Charlie Rimer, Harry Hollingsworth, Frank Austin or Jack Sparks who all played at Concord.
(FIK) Take us through what an average week of bell game hype was like at Concord High School?
(EZS) I’m going to take you back just a little bit further to the sixties before we went to the new high school over on Burrage Road that is now almost fifty years old and I can remember this because I went to a couple of these events back then. They use to have a march where they carried torches and they would go down through the streets of Concord to a big pep rally downtown. Now during the pep rally everybody was cheering and excited about the game and really working it up. Afterwards they would come back to Mcallister Field and they would burn the Wonder in a bonfire to get everybody all ready for the game.
Now later on usually on Monday would be the first day the cheerleaders had the school decorated with the victory links (which we called them) which we called them all through the halls with good luck signs or footballs just to emphasize this was bell week. Now on Monday we would arrest “The Little Wonder” Now you have to understand before Bob Boswell got there and changed their name to just Wonders that was what we called them. It wasn’t derogatory or disrespectful to their size or anything that was their nickname “The Little Wonders” you know it and I know it. Now on Wednesday the Little Wonder who was arrested would be tried and convicted. Then on Thursday (which we don’t do anymore) we had the hanging. We had a little gallows built and the Little Wonder would hang there all day. (Laughing) Then on Thursday night we would have the burning. We had a big bonfire and we would throw the Little Wonder into the fire. After the fire we would take the ashes of the Little Wonder and we would put it in the coffin and they would stay there until the pep rally in the stadium on Friday morning. At the pep rally we would have the funeral for the assumed to be dead Little Wonder. All of a sudden the coffin would break open and the Little Wonder, as if being reincarnated, would jump out and try to get away. We would have a person posing as a police officer who would pull out a gun (which we don’t do anymore) (Laughing) and he would fire blanks from a rifle at the Little Wonder as he was trying to escape. Everybody would cheer. (Laughing)
About 2:10 we would have another pep rally in the gym we got out of school around 3:10 back then and then we would go home. Now when I became a coach I didn’t allow my players to go home because we fed them and we wanted them here with us. When I played we would go home and eat and relax. If it was a home game we would get back to the school around 6:00 pm and if it was an away game we would come back around 5:30 pm. Then around 7:00 pm we would have pre game and then 8:00 pm was kickoff. I remember we use to have cannons back then. Widenhouse movers would bring in about six or eight of these civil war style cannons on flatbeds and they would fire the cannons before the game started. I remember the haze that would be out over the field and how cold it was. I remember how excited I was to run out on the field back then. Me and Andy Troxler and Punchy Whittaker were the only sophomores in 1969 and we would hang back to be some of the last to run down the hill behind the pressbox. It was such an exciting time and I get chills on my arm just thinking about it now. When I started coaching I would let the cheerleaders decorate the field house and they would decorate each players locker
(FIK) Not having experienced defeat at the hands of Kannapolis as a player in 1969 and 1970 describe how difficult the 1971 loss was to you personally?
(EZS) As I stated earlier I think we had just become so accustom to winning the bell game that losing never entered our minds back then. We had been on the longest winning streak in the rivalry’s history. The thought of losing that game just didn’t seem like a possibility. As a matter of fact back in the early sixties they use to practice the exchanging of the bell just in case it happened so everyone would know how to conduct themselves, but to be honest with you I don’t think that was done after 1965 because it was just accepted that we would win that game. I don’t like to call it complacency because if you will remember also the winner of that game was going to the playoffs that year so we knew what was riding on that game. Everyone who dressed out that night share in the responsibility of that loss and I was part of that. I think when it comes right down to it they were hungrier for that win because it had been so long. Kannapolis played a great game in 1971 and looking back I think they were playing to win and we were playing not to lose.
Anybody who has ever played this game will tell you when you play not to lose you usually lose it’s just the nature of football or any sport for that matter. I can remember we played that game really safe and didn’t take too many chances which is really what prompts me to say that. I think the biggest factor for Kannapolis in that game was their new head coach Will Campagna. Campagna came in and brought a new dimension of excitement to that 1971 Kannapolis team that I don’t think was there in 1969 and 1970. There just seemed to be that added level of intensity with that team that year. Anytime a new head coach comes to town whether it be me or Bob Boswell, or Bruce Hardin, or Ron Massey there is just a new level of excitement that comes with that and I believe Campagna had those guys sold on winning and they just brought that attitude with them to Concord that night. I remember it being a tough, physical contest that night. Everyone laid it all out that night and it hurt really bad to come up short.
I remember the week prior to the Kannapolis game I had kicked the winning field goal to beat Lexington and that gave us a lot of confidence going into the game with Kannapolis. I think if anything history has proven that you better come to play every time these two schools meet because the unexpected can happen without warning when you are least expecting it. I remember we had a chance to win later on in that game and ended up fumbling the ball which iced the game for Kannapolis, but I knew if we could just get into field goal range I could kick the field goal to at least tie the game and force it into overtime because they couldn’t let that game end in a tie because of the playoffs. So we had our opportunities, but couldn’t capitalize when we needed to and Kannapolis took advantage of that. I have told people this in the past that second only to the death of my father it was the most devastating loss I have ever experienced, and I’m not sure that the graduating seniors of the class of 1972 ever recovered from that. It’s like I said earlier that when you lose that game you feel like you are letting everyone down not just your teammates, but the school, your family and the entire city of Concord. It’s a devastating experience, but you move on and try not to repeat that the following year. I will tell you in all honesty that I learned more as a player and a coach in defeat then I ever did in victory especially when it comes to humility. That’s a tough game to lose and it’s a feeling you never seem to shake. Just look around my house at all the pictures I have with that bell and you can tell that it’s a big deal to me. I’ll tell you a funny story real quick. When we moved here in 1980 my wife Pat had a Green Catalina and when I got the job I told her honey we got to sell the car and she asked why? I told her we couldn’t have anything Green in the house and we never have. (laughing) You are the only person I’ve allowed in this house wearing Green. (Laughing)
(FIK) Were you a designated captain in that game.
(EZS) No I was not, but if I had of been I would have been right there to hand that bell over to Kannapolis just like it would have been expected. I think a lot of people may have thought I was suppose to be one of the captains to walk the bell over to Kannapolis, but at the beginning of the year I was not selected as one of the captains.
(FIK) ** I intended on asking coach Smith for his input on the infamous picture taken in 1971 of the bell exchange by Charles Foster, but speculating on the intent or lack of intent on the part of the young lady in the picture and out of respect to the young lady in the photo coach Smith declined comment on the issue**
(EZS) I think it helped me as a coach. I think knowing the emphasis that A.L. Brown and Concord put on the game helped me as a coach, and it probably hurt me a little bit because I may have overemphasized how important that game was having had such a personal attachment to the game. Guys like W.A. Cline, Richard Thompson, Sonny Pruette and even Glen Padgett who were not from Concord I don’t think they felt the same pressure as much as it was for guys like me or Gerald Cook, Ick Alley, Charlie Rimer, Harry Hollingsworth, Frank Austin or Jack Sparks who all played at Concord.
(FIK) Take us through what an average week of bell game hype was like at Concord High School?
(EZS) I’m going to take you back just a little bit further to the sixties before we went to the new high school over on Burrage Road that is now almost fifty years old and I can remember this because I went to a couple of these events back then. They use to have a march where they carried torches and they would go down through the streets of Concord to a big pep rally downtown. Now during the pep rally everybody was cheering and excited about the game and really working it up. Afterwards they would come back to Mcallister Field and they would burn the Wonder in a bonfire to get everybody all ready for the game.
Now later on usually on Monday would be the first day the cheerleaders had the school decorated with the victory links (which we called them) which we called them all through the halls with good luck signs or footballs just to emphasize this was bell week. Now on Monday we would arrest “The Little Wonder” Now you have to understand before Bob Boswell got there and changed their name to just Wonders that was what we called them. It wasn’t derogatory or disrespectful to their size or anything that was their nickname “The Little Wonders” you know it and I know it. Now on Wednesday the Little Wonder who was arrested would be tried and convicted. Then on Thursday (which we don’t do anymore) we had the hanging. We had a little gallows built and the Little Wonder would hang there all day. (Laughing) Then on Thursday night we would have the burning. We had a big bonfire and we would throw the Little Wonder into the fire. After the fire we would take the ashes of the Little Wonder and we would put it in the coffin and they would stay there until the pep rally in the stadium on Friday morning. At the pep rally we would have the funeral for the assumed to be dead Little Wonder. All of a sudden the coffin would break open and the Little Wonder, as if being reincarnated, would jump out and try to get away. We would have a person posing as a police officer who would pull out a gun (which we don’t do anymore) (Laughing) and he would fire blanks from a rifle at the Little Wonder as he was trying to escape. Everybody would cheer. (Laughing)
About 2:10 we would have another pep rally in the gym we got out of school around 3:10 back then and then we would go home. Now when I became a coach I didn’t allow my players to go home because we fed them and we wanted them here with us. When I played we would go home and eat and relax. If it was a home game we would get back to the school around 6:00 pm and if it was an away game we would come back around 5:30 pm. Then around 7:00 pm we would have pre game and then 8:00 pm was kickoff. I remember we use to have cannons back then. Widenhouse movers would bring in about six or eight of these civil war style cannons on flatbeds and they would fire the cannons before the game started. I remember the haze that would be out over the field and how cold it was. I remember how excited I was to run out on the field back then. Me and Andy Troxler and Punchy Whittaker were the only sophomores in 1969 and we would hang back to be some of the last to run down the hill behind the pressbox. It was such an exciting time and I get chills on my arm just thinking about it now. When I started coaching I would let the cheerleaders decorate the field house and they would decorate each players locker
(FIK) Not having experienced defeat at the hands of Kannapolis as a player in 1969 and 1970 describe how difficult the 1971 loss was to you personally?
(EZS) As I stated earlier I think we had just become so accustom to winning the bell game that losing never entered our minds back then. We had been on the longest winning streak in the rivalry’s history. The thought of losing that game just didn’t seem like a possibility. As a matter of fact back in the early sixties they use to practice the exchanging of the bell just in case it happened so everyone would know how to conduct themselves, but to be honest with you I don’t think that was done after 1965 because it was just accepted that we would win that game. I don’t like to call it complacency because if you will remember also the winner of that game was going to the playoffs that year so we knew what was riding on that game. Everyone who dressed out that night share in the responsibility of that loss and I was part of that. I think when it comes right down to it they were hungrier for that win because it had been so long. Kannapolis played a great game in 1971 and looking back I think they were playing to win and we were playing not to lose.
Anybody who has ever played this game will tell you when you play not to lose you usually lose it’s just the nature of football or any sport for that matter. I can remember we played that game really safe and didn’t take too many chances which is really what prompts me to say that. I think the biggest factor for Kannapolis in that game was their new head coach Will Campagna. Campagna came in and brought a new dimension of excitement to that 1971 Kannapolis team that I don’t think was there in 1969 and 1970. There just seemed to be that added level of intensity with that team that year. Anytime a new head coach comes to town whether it be me or Bob Boswell, or Bruce Hardin, or Ron Massey there is just a new level of excitement that comes with that and I believe Campagna had those guys sold on winning and they just brought that attitude with them to Concord that night. I remember it being a tough, physical contest that night. Everyone laid it all out that night and it hurt really bad to come up short.
I remember the week prior to the Kannapolis game I had kicked the winning field goal to beat Lexington and that gave us a lot of confidence going into the game with Kannapolis. I think if anything history has proven that you better come to play every time these two schools meet because the unexpected can happen without warning when you are least expecting it. I remember we had a chance to win later on in that game and ended up fumbling the ball which iced the game for Kannapolis, but I knew if we could just get into field goal range I could kick the field goal to at least tie the game and force it into overtime because they couldn’t let that game end in a tie because of the playoffs. So we had our opportunities, but couldn’t capitalize when we needed to and Kannapolis took advantage of that. I have told people this in the past that second only to the death of my father it was the most devastating loss I have ever experienced, and I’m not sure that the graduating seniors of the class of 1972 ever recovered from that. It’s like I said earlier that when you lose that game you feel like you are letting everyone down not just your teammates, but the school, your family and the entire city of Concord. It’s a devastating experience, but you move on and try not to repeat that the following year. I will tell you in all honesty that I learned more as a player and a coach in defeat then I ever did in victory especially when it comes to humility. That’s a tough game to lose and it’s a feeling you never seem to shake. Just look around my house at all the pictures I have with that bell and you can tell that it’s a big deal to me. I’ll tell you a funny story real quick. When we moved here in 1980 my wife Pat had a Green Catalina and when I got the job I told her honey we got to sell the car and she asked why? I told her we couldn’t have anything Green in the house and we never have. (laughing) You are the only person I’ve allowed in this house wearing Green. (Laughing)
(FIK) Were you a designated captain in that game.
(EZS) No I was not, but if I had of been I would have been right there to hand that bell over to Kannapolis just like it would have been expected. I think a lot of people may have thought I was suppose to be one of the captains to walk the bell over to Kannapolis, but at the beginning of the year I was not selected as one of the captains.
(FIK) ** I intended on asking coach Smith for his input on the infamous picture taken in 1971 of the bell exchange by Charles Foster, but speculating on the intent or lack of intent on the part of the young lady in the picture and out of respect to the young lady in the photo coach Smith declined comment on the issue**
"A Tough Way to End a Senior Season"
(FIK) Do you feel that given the history of this rivalry over the years that there is a mutual level of respect shown between both schools?
(EZS) I need to back up a little and give you two different perspectives on this. Back in the sixties school bands were egged, Schools and buses were painted to be quite honest there were a lot of derogatory things that took place during those years now I’m not admitting to any of this (Laughing) but we did ride through what they use to call the circle in uptown Kannapolis with the bell which in Hine sight was probably not the best thing to do at the time, but you do dumb thing when you are a teenager (Laughing) I know we’ve had things spray painted at our school and things burned on our field in the past. Our scoreboard was painted one year and you know typical things like that have occurred in the past. I know at one point we started turning all the lights on at the school and hired police officers to work at the school during bell week to kind of ward off those things, but it has been pretty heated on occasion. Now it was very rarely players involved in this type of activity it was more over zealous students and fans who the bulk of the blame goes to for this sort of thing. I remember coach Boswell had a rock put out front at the school to try to keep people from painting the school, but yes both sides have engaged in these activities. I remember a group telling me one time that they tried to go up to Kannapolis and hook up the rock and try to pull it back to Concord. (Laughing) They probably didn’t realize how heavy that thing was and it was probably two or three feet under ground so that didn’t work obviously. (Laughing)
Today I’m not going to say it’s not as intense because it is on the field, but I do think the extracurricular activities are less prevalent today. I remember going up to Kannapolis one year when we won and some things got a little out of hand after the game on the field that the police department had to handle to protect me and some of my players. I want to say it was in 1986 or around that time when we were trading victories back and forth. Today I think the added security we have at the games have taken care of most of the things that use to take place at the games in years past so I don’t think it’s as bad. Now you can research the history of this game on the field and you will find that Kannapolis and Concord have the least yardage in penalties when they play. We could play Piedmont, Sun Valley, Lexington in the regular season and come away with 150 yards in penalties, but Kannapolis and Concord we might each come away with twenty five or thirty yards a piece in penalties and you can’t tell me that game wasn’t played hard and physical. I know there was holding and clipping and late hits, but I think for the most part the officials just let the guys play. I can tell you in the twenty nine seasons I coached I don’t remember a fight on the field after the game between players we shook hands and congratulated each other there was sportsmanship shown between us all. I remember one year and I want to say it was in 2005 when Ron was there, Kannapolis had beaten us for the bell and we didn’t have a chance to exchange the bell the way we normally did. Ron’s kids and the fans were so excited that there was just this mass exodus to get the bell and we couldn’t exchange it in the traditional way. I had Booster Club Representatives, Coaches and Administrators from Kannapolis calling me that week apologizing for the action. My response was hey those kids were so excited about winning, nobody got hurt and it was just a spur of the moment thing. The following year in 2006 when we won it back at Bailey Stadium I made my players stay on the sideline for the bell to be exchanged. I did not want to be accused of not doing it properly and everything went according to tradition.
So to answer your question yes I do feel there is a mutual show of respect between the two schools especially on the field. Sometimes you can’t control what students and fans might take it upon themselves to do, but for the two communities as a whole I think there is a tremendous amount of respect for each other. I don’t think the shenanigans that use to play such a big part in this rivalry are as heated as they once were. You know as well as I do that we are living in an age where you have to be very careful what you do and everything is looked at under a microscope so I think both sides have been more thoughtful about how they support their schools during this game and the week leading up to it.
(FIK) Did you ever feel as either a player or coach that the Victory Bell was ever a distraction where the game was concerned?
(EZS) It was never that for me and I don’t know too many people from Concord especially the older people who grew up with the bell feeling that way. I think it may be viewed differently today by the younger people then the way we viewed it in the sixties, seventies and eighties and I would say the same for the people in Kannapolis. I can remember Bob Boswell telling me one time “You know, I wish we didn’t have to play this game for that bell” Now this is strictly my opinion and observation from those early days of coaching against Bob. I don’t think the bell game was as significant to him at first because it wasn’t a conference game. If you will remember when Boswell came to Kannapolis after his first year they went into the AAAA conference and we were a non conference game. So I don’t think it was as significant to Bob’s master plan in the early days and I will elaborate on that a little later, but for us at Concord the bell was never a distraction.
At Concord we always kept the bell on display at the school in the main lobby where all the students passed by it everyday. When I became the coach I kept the bell in the field house during the season and then moved it up to the school in the off season and during basketball season we kept it in the lobby so everybody got to see it. I can recall having a visual of that bell at the school whenever we had it. I took it to both state championship games in 2004 and 2006. It was a big deal to me and I tried to make a big deal for everyone else that’s why it was always prominently displayed. It was never a distraction. To me it epitomized what the rivalry between Kannapolis and Concord was all about. I will also tell you this. That bell sounds so much different when it’s ringing on your side then when it’s ringing on the other side. I can remember hearing the bell ringing from our sideline when Kannapolis had it thinking it just doesn’t sound the same. When it’s on our sideline it sounds like a beautiful church bell and off in the distance it was just different and dull.
Now I can’t speak for the people of Kannapolis and I would only be speculating if I did, but going back to what I was saying about coach Boswell in the early days and this is strictly my opinion, but I think that coach Boswell in the early years of his career at A.L. Brown had specific goals in mind for Kannapolis football and he had a plan for getting there. I think Bob decided early on that a state championship was more important to him than winning the bell. You remember that in 1977-1980 Kannapolis was in the AAAA conference and Concord and South Rowan were all non conference games that meant absolutely nothing other than “victory” and state ranking to coach Boswell at that time. Winning the conference, being seeded #1 in the playoffs and playing at home in the first round was Bob Boswell’s objective. (That is my opinion) Now we’ve talked about the bell Bob and I have and later on when Kannapolis went back into the South Piedmont Conference I think Bob saw the emphasis I was putting on the bell and it sort of rejuvenated his way of thinking about Concord. In 1981-1984 not only were we playing for the bell, but the stakes went higher because now we are playing for the conference title and playoff position so the bell game had more meaning to him.
(EZS) I need to back up a little and give you two different perspectives on this. Back in the sixties school bands were egged, Schools and buses were painted to be quite honest there were a lot of derogatory things that took place during those years now I’m not admitting to any of this (Laughing) but we did ride through what they use to call the circle in uptown Kannapolis with the bell which in Hine sight was probably not the best thing to do at the time, but you do dumb thing when you are a teenager (Laughing) I know we’ve had things spray painted at our school and things burned on our field in the past. Our scoreboard was painted one year and you know typical things like that have occurred in the past. I know at one point we started turning all the lights on at the school and hired police officers to work at the school during bell week to kind of ward off those things, but it has been pretty heated on occasion. Now it was very rarely players involved in this type of activity it was more over zealous students and fans who the bulk of the blame goes to for this sort of thing. I remember coach Boswell had a rock put out front at the school to try to keep people from painting the school, but yes both sides have engaged in these activities. I remember a group telling me one time that they tried to go up to Kannapolis and hook up the rock and try to pull it back to Concord. (Laughing) They probably didn’t realize how heavy that thing was and it was probably two or three feet under ground so that didn’t work obviously. (Laughing)
Today I’m not going to say it’s not as intense because it is on the field, but I do think the extracurricular activities are less prevalent today. I remember going up to Kannapolis one year when we won and some things got a little out of hand after the game on the field that the police department had to handle to protect me and some of my players. I want to say it was in 1986 or around that time when we were trading victories back and forth. Today I think the added security we have at the games have taken care of most of the things that use to take place at the games in years past so I don’t think it’s as bad. Now you can research the history of this game on the field and you will find that Kannapolis and Concord have the least yardage in penalties when they play. We could play Piedmont, Sun Valley, Lexington in the regular season and come away with 150 yards in penalties, but Kannapolis and Concord we might each come away with twenty five or thirty yards a piece in penalties and you can’t tell me that game wasn’t played hard and physical. I know there was holding and clipping and late hits, but I think for the most part the officials just let the guys play. I can tell you in the twenty nine seasons I coached I don’t remember a fight on the field after the game between players we shook hands and congratulated each other there was sportsmanship shown between us all. I remember one year and I want to say it was in 2005 when Ron was there, Kannapolis had beaten us for the bell and we didn’t have a chance to exchange the bell the way we normally did. Ron’s kids and the fans were so excited that there was just this mass exodus to get the bell and we couldn’t exchange it in the traditional way. I had Booster Club Representatives, Coaches and Administrators from Kannapolis calling me that week apologizing for the action. My response was hey those kids were so excited about winning, nobody got hurt and it was just a spur of the moment thing. The following year in 2006 when we won it back at Bailey Stadium I made my players stay on the sideline for the bell to be exchanged. I did not want to be accused of not doing it properly and everything went according to tradition.
So to answer your question yes I do feel there is a mutual show of respect between the two schools especially on the field. Sometimes you can’t control what students and fans might take it upon themselves to do, but for the two communities as a whole I think there is a tremendous amount of respect for each other. I don’t think the shenanigans that use to play such a big part in this rivalry are as heated as they once were. You know as well as I do that we are living in an age where you have to be very careful what you do and everything is looked at under a microscope so I think both sides have been more thoughtful about how they support their schools during this game and the week leading up to it.
(FIK) Did you ever feel as either a player or coach that the Victory Bell was ever a distraction where the game was concerned?
(EZS) It was never that for me and I don’t know too many people from Concord especially the older people who grew up with the bell feeling that way. I think it may be viewed differently today by the younger people then the way we viewed it in the sixties, seventies and eighties and I would say the same for the people in Kannapolis. I can remember Bob Boswell telling me one time “You know, I wish we didn’t have to play this game for that bell” Now this is strictly my opinion and observation from those early days of coaching against Bob. I don’t think the bell game was as significant to him at first because it wasn’t a conference game. If you will remember when Boswell came to Kannapolis after his first year they went into the AAAA conference and we were a non conference game. So I don’t think it was as significant to Bob’s master plan in the early days and I will elaborate on that a little later, but for us at Concord the bell was never a distraction.
At Concord we always kept the bell on display at the school in the main lobby where all the students passed by it everyday. When I became the coach I kept the bell in the field house during the season and then moved it up to the school in the off season and during basketball season we kept it in the lobby so everybody got to see it. I can recall having a visual of that bell at the school whenever we had it. I took it to both state championship games in 2004 and 2006. It was a big deal to me and I tried to make a big deal for everyone else that’s why it was always prominently displayed. It was never a distraction. To me it epitomized what the rivalry between Kannapolis and Concord was all about. I will also tell you this. That bell sounds so much different when it’s ringing on your side then when it’s ringing on the other side. I can remember hearing the bell ringing from our sideline when Kannapolis had it thinking it just doesn’t sound the same. When it’s on our sideline it sounds like a beautiful church bell and off in the distance it was just different and dull.
Now I can’t speak for the people of Kannapolis and I would only be speculating if I did, but going back to what I was saying about coach Boswell in the early days and this is strictly my opinion, but I think that coach Boswell in the early years of his career at A.L. Brown had specific goals in mind for Kannapolis football and he had a plan for getting there. I think Bob decided early on that a state championship was more important to him than winning the bell. You remember that in 1977-1980 Kannapolis was in the AAAA conference and Concord and South Rowan were all non conference games that meant absolutely nothing other than “victory” and state ranking to coach Boswell at that time. Winning the conference, being seeded #1 in the playoffs and playing at home in the first round was Bob Boswell’s objective. (That is my opinion) Now we’ve talked about the bell Bob and I have and later on when Kannapolis went back into the South Piedmont Conference I think Bob saw the emphasis I was putting on the bell and it sort of rejuvenated his way of thinking about Concord. In 1981-1984 not only were we playing for the bell, but the stakes went higher because now we are playing for the conference title and playoff position so the bell game had more meaning to him.
"E.Z. Smith III The Spider Tri Athlete"
(FIK) Describe the level of emotion that was displayed during this rivalry game?
(EZS) I’ll be honest with you, win or lose the week following the bell game was horrible. I mean win or lose because there was such a release of emotion during that game and then the following week you had to prepare for a playoff game. It was a nightmare for coaches because there was such a letdown afterwards. You had to find a way to rejuvenate your players to the level that you felt confident that they could put that game away and concentrate on the game at hand. It was tough and I’m sure it was the same for Kannapolis. It could work for you or against you.
(FIK) After graduating college did you have any long term aspirations of coming to Concord to coach?
(EZS) No sir. I didn’t even want to coach. I attended the University of South Carolina my freshman year I majored in Business Administration. My plan was to play football four years at USC, get a business degree, play ten years in the NFL, invest my money and by the age of thirty five I was going to be a millionaire. I had already decided that was going to be my goal in life. I already made the decision that I was going to emphasize business make connections as a college and professional athlete and go from there. I ended up breaking my arm my freshman year, but I never missed a game. It caused me to have some difficulties in my class studies and at the end of my freshman year my coach and I sat down and had a long conversation about the importance of academics and how important it was for me to be in class everyday and then I met my future wife Pat. I met Pat the summer after my freshman year and she was a teacher. The injury actually opened my eyes and made me realize that my football career could end at any time so at the conclusion of my freshman year I decided to look at my major and I started thinking about exploring something in the education field. I thought if I don’t make it as a professional athlete then maybe I could coach at the college level or teach at the college or high school level.
So I started my education studies and ended up after three years having enough hours to get my teaching certificate. I married my wife Pat during my senior year and after the Tangerine Bowl that year I came in and talked with coach Jim Carlen which was right before the 1976 draft. I had obtained some interest from Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys. The USFL was up here in Charlotte at that time and we already had the merger with the NFL and the AFL so I had some opportunities and I was going to go to what they now call the combine where they do all kinds of tests in agility and so forth. After I did all this I sat down with coach Carlen and I told him “Coach I need some advice. I’m getting ready to be at the end of my college career and if I don’t get drafted where do you think the best place is for me to be a free agent?” Now back then the most a free agent was making was about fifty thousand dollars a year which was good money for 1976. Most were between about twenty five and fifty thousand. Quarterbacks might be making about a hundred to a hundred and fifty thousand. So coach said “E.Z., what if you are in Seattle or Cincinnati and Pat is back here teaching and can’t go, will your marriage last? He threw out all of these what if’s that really got me thinking about my future. So I told him “Coach I’ve trained, I’ve done my student teaching and I would like to possibly coach at the college level if I’m not going to play in the NFL. If you think I shouldn’t play then I would at least like to come back as a graduate assistant and get my masters.” Now he had already promised that spot to our quarterback who also played baseball so that didn’t look very promising. He then asked me if I had any interest in coaching in high school and I said yes that was a possibility. Coach said he hoped I didn’t do that because he thought I would be wasting a lot of my talent.
I said “Coach, I’ve gone to college for four years, I’ve played college football, I’ve studied hard and graduated and now you are telling me don’t play pro football and don’t become a teacher or a coach. (Laughing) I said “What else can I do?” (laughing) So he got me some interviews and I ended up going to Florida. I knew Florida and Texas had the best football and I also thought about Kentucky. I always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby and I thought if I went there I could probably get tickets to go. (Laughing)
(EZS) I’ll be honest with you, win or lose the week following the bell game was horrible. I mean win or lose because there was such a release of emotion during that game and then the following week you had to prepare for a playoff game. It was a nightmare for coaches because there was such a letdown afterwards. You had to find a way to rejuvenate your players to the level that you felt confident that they could put that game away and concentrate on the game at hand. It was tough and I’m sure it was the same for Kannapolis. It could work for you or against you.
(FIK) After graduating college did you have any long term aspirations of coming to Concord to coach?
(EZS) No sir. I didn’t even want to coach. I attended the University of South Carolina my freshman year I majored in Business Administration. My plan was to play football four years at USC, get a business degree, play ten years in the NFL, invest my money and by the age of thirty five I was going to be a millionaire. I had already decided that was going to be my goal in life. I already made the decision that I was going to emphasize business make connections as a college and professional athlete and go from there. I ended up breaking my arm my freshman year, but I never missed a game. It caused me to have some difficulties in my class studies and at the end of my freshman year my coach and I sat down and had a long conversation about the importance of academics and how important it was for me to be in class everyday and then I met my future wife Pat. I met Pat the summer after my freshman year and she was a teacher. The injury actually opened my eyes and made me realize that my football career could end at any time so at the conclusion of my freshman year I decided to look at my major and I started thinking about exploring something in the education field. I thought if I don’t make it as a professional athlete then maybe I could coach at the college level or teach at the college or high school level.
So I started my education studies and ended up after three years having enough hours to get my teaching certificate. I married my wife Pat during my senior year and after the Tangerine Bowl that year I came in and talked with coach Jim Carlen which was right before the 1976 draft. I had obtained some interest from Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys. The USFL was up here in Charlotte at that time and we already had the merger with the NFL and the AFL so I had some opportunities and I was going to go to what they now call the combine where they do all kinds of tests in agility and so forth. After I did all this I sat down with coach Carlen and I told him “Coach I need some advice. I’m getting ready to be at the end of my college career and if I don’t get drafted where do you think the best place is for me to be a free agent?” Now back then the most a free agent was making was about fifty thousand dollars a year which was good money for 1976. Most were between about twenty five and fifty thousand. Quarterbacks might be making about a hundred to a hundred and fifty thousand. So coach said “E.Z., what if you are in Seattle or Cincinnati and Pat is back here teaching and can’t go, will your marriage last? He threw out all of these what if’s that really got me thinking about my future. So I told him “Coach I’ve trained, I’ve done my student teaching and I would like to possibly coach at the college level if I’m not going to play in the NFL. If you think I shouldn’t play then I would at least like to come back as a graduate assistant and get my masters.” Now he had already promised that spot to our quarterback who also played baseball so that didn’t look very promising. He then asked me if I had any interest in coaching in high school and I said yes that was a possibility. Coach said he hoped I didn’t do that because he thought I would be wasting a lot of my talent.
I said “Coach, I’ve gone to college for four years, I’ve played college football, I’ve studied hard and graduated and now you are telling me don’t play pro football and don’t become a teacher or a coach. (Laughing) I said “What else can I do?” (laughing) So he got me some interviews and I ended up going to Florida. I knew Florida and Texas had the best football and I also thought about Kentucky. I always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby and I thought if I went there I could probably get tickets to go. (Laughing)
"E.Z. Smith III The South Carolina Gamecock"
After graduating from Concord High School in the spring of 1972 Mr E.Z. Smith III attended the University of South Carolina on a full athletic scholarship from 1972-1976 and lettered three years. 1st team 1974-1975. Coach Smith played in the 1975 Tangerine Bowl in Orlando Florida. Coach Smith graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. Coach Smith would take his first assistant football coaching position at Baker County High School in MacClenny Florida. Coach Smith also served as the head golf, and baseball coach at Baker County High before accepting the head coaches position at Concord High School in 1980
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The Die is Cast and There's Blood in the Water
"Spiders Get a New Coach, and A Rival Coach Makes a Grave Error"
(FIK) How were you approached regarding the head coaches position at Concord in 1980?
(EZS) I was getting ready to go to church with Pat one Sunday morning in November of 1979 right before thanksgiving. The phone rang and it was my dad. He told me “Son I just wanted to let you know it was in the paper today that coach W.A. Cline has resigned as head football coach at Concord and Charley Rimer wants to talk to me about you this morning at church.” Now, Charlie Rimer was the principle at Concord back then and we all attended the same church so daddy asked me “Son are you interested in the job?” I replied “Tell Mr. Rimer I am interested, but only as the head coach I won’t apply as an assistant.” I had a great job coaching down in Florida so I didn’t want to pick up roots unless it was going to be advantageous for me and my wife. So I applied and of course many others did as well. I met with Charlie Rimer on December 28, 1979 and submitted my application. I went home and me and Pat knelt down in my grandmother’s bedroom and prayed for God’s will to be done in my life where this opportunity was concerned. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be a head coach, but I felt like I could do it inside my heart.
On February 28, 1980 Mr Rimer called me and said he wanted to talk with me about the job. So here is how it went. Thirty four applicants applied for the job and they had narrowed it down to about sixteen and then they interviewed about eight. I won’t tell you who these coaches were, but there were some really prominent head coaches that had better winning records than me who were among this final sixteen. Some had recently retired while some had moved out of state and some who were in private schools who applied for this position. After the interview process was over they gave the position to me. The board unanimously approved me to be the new head coach and I never looked back. I always thought once I did the interview that I could be the head coach, but I never sat back while I was in college thinking I wanted to go back home and be the head coach at Concord and I’ll tell you why. Both Mr Rimer and Coach Ick Alley had coached at Concord and talked to me about how tough it was to be a hometown person coaching your hometown team. They told me it was not an easy proposition and that there would be pressures on me that would not necessarily be on someone who had not attended Concord let alone played at Concord.
My junior and senior year Gerald Cook coached at Concord after he had played on the 1963 and 64 teams and then played at The Citadel. He came back and coached the JVs when we went 9-1 in 1969 and then he was the head coach in 1970 and 71. I saw first hand what kind of pressure was on him so I knew coming back to my Alma Mater was not going to be all fun and games and that I was going to be expected to take the program further than maybe the last two head coaches had done. I was now twenty six years old, been married for five years and had a newborn baby (Audrey Lee). Had I come back when I was twenty two I would never have lasted. I remember I grew a mustache so I would look older. (Laughing) I was only eight years older than the seniors who were playing for me so there wasn’t that much difference really looking back now at it. Everybody knew me as “EZ” and I can’t tell you how many players I had doing up, downs, push ups, and sprints for calling me by my first name. (Laughing) That just flew all over me when they would do that. I came from a time when you showed respect for your elders and called them sir or coach and I had to stop that foolishness in a hurry. (Laughing) So in a nutshell I was not sitting back in the wings thinking it would be my ultimate dream job to come back to Concord and coach. I had a minister tell me one day “When Jesus returned home it was tough on him” and I don’t mean that to be sacrilegious, but it’s tough to come back home. You have people who played with you who may have children that are playing for you or grand children who are playing for you and they think just because they were a great player that their kids are going to be great as well and that is not necessarily the case. I had some tough moments early on and then during the end of my career, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
(FIK) Who influenced you early on in your coaching career?
I will tell you right now that Bob Boswell did more for me in becoming the coach I might have become for whatever that is than anybody. I will tell you a quick story, When Bill Irvin hired me as the head football coach at Concord High School in 1980 he told me “You are going to teach this and do that and we expect you to win and all the things you expect to hear from your boss when you get hired and he evaluated me every year. Bill Irvin sat me down and told me the good, the bad, and the indifferent. I asked him right there in his office “Who has the best program that I need to be as good as or better to keep my job?” Bill replied “A.L. Brown” I laughed and I’m going to tell you why. When I was at Concord we didn’t see A.L. Brown as the super power program at that time. We saw Thomasville, Lexington and Asheboro from our conference and then you had Watauga, Pisgah, and Shelby you had to contend with not A.L. Brown. So I asked him “what makes them so special?” Bill told me “They have this coach named Bob Boswell and he has one of the best programs in the state of North Carolina. They are nationally ranked this year and they have become a powerhouse.”
Now I knew of Bob Boswell from being an assistant at NC State so I was aware of his reputation. So one day I called coach Boswell on the phone and I introduced myself just like this. “Hello coach, I’m E.Z. Smith the new head football coach at Concord and if you have the time I would like to come down and visit with you.” He said sure that was no problem. So one day I got in the truck and I drove up to Kannapolis went in the Bullock Gym and we sat down and talked. Coach Boswell said “What can I do for you?” I said “Coach, my superintendent tells me you got the best program in the state and in order for me to keep my job I got to be able to compete with you.” So he got up and said let me show you what I’ve got here. We went to the weight room and let me tell you the weight rooms they have today are a lot different from what they had back then, but it was still top notch. He said to me “Let me tell you what we do here.” So I started taking notes and he said “We have travel shirts for our players that has a big “K” on the front with Wonder Football and everybody dresses nice on game day. We have travel bags for our equipment, we feed em steak, baked potato, rolls, green beans and salad on game day. We don’t ride school buses when we travel. We will get on a Kannapolis Transit Bus and we will come to Concord first class. and then he told me “The decision you have to make as a young coach is this. Do you want to do those things to compete with me or do you want to be like everybody else in Cabarrus County and Rowan County and say well, they’ve got money and they’ve got this and that cause if you are then I’m going to beat you every year.” I said “Coach I’m going to leave you with this thought today. Before too much longer the word Kannapolis will never be mentioned without Concord right beside it. I will promise you that. I don’t know if I will ever beat you, but you better buckle up because I will be bringing everything I‘ve got each Friday night."
(FIK) When you first arrived at Concord as head coach what did you see as being first order of business to bring Concord to national recognition?
(EZS) Going back to what I stated earlier about Bob Boswell, I asked my superintendent (Dr. Bill Irvin) “What do I have to do to keep my job?” He said you need to at least win six games. We are not going to be 2-8, 3-7, 4-6 year after year. We want a winning program just as Kannapolis is experiencing with coach Boswell. Everybody thinks that winning is just about schemes, offense and defense and special teams, but There are so many other peripheral things that go with it to being successful. Pre game meals, equipment and weight training just as coach Boswell explained to me when I met with him later on. I remember I got all the kids nice White shirts with a big letter “C” on the front with Concord Football on the chest. I never had Concord Spiders put on anything because that could mean any one of the athletic programs we had at the school. I wanted people to know we were about Concord Football by golly and that was number one always has been always will be. It didn’t matter how many other teams had state titles and conference championships Concord Football was the deal and I was the top dog leading the charge. (Laughing)
So coming in I don’t want to say I wanted to become the poster boy for Concord Football, but I think through time I did become that you know. I became synonymous with wearing shorts in the winter time and a windbreaker in the summer time and it wasn’t to call attention to myself, but people would always ask me about that and it became sort of a paradox. That was just to get your mind on me while you took your focus off that guy out there on the field that was getting ready to do a number on you. (Laughing) Honestly after talking with coach Boswell and finding out who had the best program and what he did I said we are not going to be outdone. So we started having pre game meals and riding Kannapolis Transit Buses to our away games. We played our first game at Albemarle in 1981 and this is an honest true story. We opened up with Albemarle at Albemarle when coach Dave Holcomb was coaching there. Gene Sweatt my good friend came down on a Kannapolis Transit bus and picked us up after our pre game meal of Steak, Baked Potato, and Grecian Toast. We had our nice travel shirts and slacks on and our Concord Football equipment bags just like A.L. Brown had. I saw Bob’s bags and went down to Dales Sporting Goods and ordered some for us. I told our boys no blue jeans or shorts we were going to look first class when we arrived down there at Albemarle.
So we ride down to Albemarle and we pull up to the gate at their new stadium and blow the horn for them to let us in. Coach Holcomb comes running out and he’s looking at this Kannapolis Transit bus looking kind of bewildered and he opens up the door and hops up on the bus. I’m sitting up at the front of the bus and I said “Hello coach Holcomb I’m coach E.Z. Smith of Concord.” The first words out of his mouth and this is a true statement he says “Oh my God, I thought A.L. Brown had pulled up here.” Honest to God he said that. I said “No coach it’s just us from Concord.” (Laughing) So he takes me off the bus to show us where we needed to go and I’ll tell you right now my blood was boiling after he said that. My blood pressure has gone from ninety six to two hundred ten. (Laughing) so I got back on the bus after he showed me where to get out and dress and where to warm up and I shut the door to the bus and our players were sitting there looking at me and I said “Boys did you hear what that man said? HE SAID HE THOUGHT WE WERE A.L. BROWN and WHEN THIS GAME IS OVER HE WAS GOING TO WISH IT WAS A.L. BROWN!! (Yelling) We had them down 32-0 at halftime and I sort of backed off them a little bit in the third. (Laughing) I told Bob that story later and he laughed. (Laughing) What’s funny is I wanted to be compared to Kannapolis and I wanted them to think we had just as good a program as Kannapolis. So to answer your question I think I needed to change the overall attitude of the players towards the program and every new coach needs to make changes. That’s just part of having new leadership and I felt the pre game menu had to changed, the appearance had to be changed and little things like that. I remember they use to go home before when I played, but not after I got there. That’s what Kannapolis did so I just figured if we want to be the best then we have got to be like the best and that was Kannapolis.
(EZS) I was getting ready to go to church with Pat one Sunday morning in November of 1979 right before thanksgiving. The phone rang and it was my dad. He told me “Son I just wanted to let you know it was in the paper today that coach W.A. Cline has resigned as head football coach at Concord and Charley Rimer wants to talk to me about you this morning at church.” Now, Charlie Rimer was the principle at Concord back then and we all attended the same church so daddy asked me “Son are you interested in the job?” I replied “Tell Mr. Rimer I am interested, but only as the head coach I won’t apply as an assistant.” I had a great job coaching down in Florida so I didn’t want to pick up roots unless it was going to be advantageous for me and my wife. So I applied and of course many others did as well. I met with Charlie Rimer on December 28, 1979 and submitted my application. I went home and me and Pat knelt down in my grandmother’s bedroom and prayed for God’s will to be done in my life where this opportunity was concerned. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be a head coach, but I felt like I could do it inside my heart.
On February 28, 1980 Mr Rimer called me and said he wanted to talk with me about the job. So here is how it went. Thirty four applicants applied for the job and they had narrowed it down to about sixteen and then they interviewed about eight. I won’t tell you who these coaches were, but there were some really prominent head coaches that had better winning records than me who were among this final sixteen. Some had recently retired while some had moved out of state and some who were in private schools who applied for this position. After the interview process was over they gave the position to me. The board unanimously approved me to be the new head coach and I never looked back. I always thought once I did the interview that I could be the head coach, but I never sat back while I was in college thinking I wanted to go back home and be the head coach at Concord and I’ll tell you why. Both Mr Rimer and Coach Ick Alley had coached at Concord and talked to me about how tough it was to be a hometown person coaching your hometown team. They told me it was not an easy proposition and that there would be pressures on me that would not necessarily be on someone who had not attended Concord let alone played at Concord.
My junior and senior year Gerald Cook coached at Concord after he had played on the 1963 and 64 teams and then played at The Citadel. He came back and coached the JVs when we went 9-1 in 1969 and then he was the head coach in 1970 and 71. I saw first hand what kind of pressure was on him so I knew coming back to my Alma Mater was not going to be all fun and games and that I was going to be expected to take the program further than maybe the last two head coaches had done. I was now twenty six years old, been married for five years and had a newborn baby (Audrey Lee). Had I come back when I was twenty two I would never have lasted. I remember I grew a mustache so I would look older. (Laughing) I was only eight years older than the seniors who were playing for me so there wasn’t that much difference really looking back now at it. Everybody knew me as “EZ” and I can’t tell you how many players I had doing up, downs, push ups, and sprints for calling me by my first name. (Laughing) That just flew all over me when they would do that. I came from a time when you showed respect for your elders and called them sir or coach and I had to stop that foolishness in a hurry. (Laughing) So in a nutshell I was not sitting back in the wings thinking it would be my ultimate dream job to come back to Concord and coach. I had a minister tell me one day “When Jesus returned home it was tough on him” and I don’t mean that to be sacrilegious, but it’s tough to come back home. You have people who played with you who may have children that are playing for you or grand children who are playing for you and they think just because they were a great player that their kids are going to be great as well and that is not necessarily the case. I had some tough moments early on and then during the end of my career, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
(FIK) Who influenced you early on in your coaching career?
I will tell you right now that Bob Boswell did more for me in becoming the coach I might have become for whatever that is than anybody. I will tell you a quick story, When Bill Irvin hired me as the head football coach at Concord High School in 1980 he told me “You are going to teach this and do that and we expect you to win and all the things you expect to hear from your boss when you get hired and he evaluated me every year. Bill Irvin sat me down and told me the good, the bad, and the indifferent. I asked him right there in his office “Who has the best program that I need to be as good as or better to keep my job?” Bill replied “A.L. Brown” I laughed and I’m going to tell you why. When I was at Concord we didn’t see A.L. Brown as the super power program at that time. We saw Thomasville, Lexington and Asheboro from our conference and then you had Watauga, Pisgah, and Shelby you had to contend with not A.L. Brown. So I asked him “what makes them so special?” Bill told me “They have this coach named Bob Boswell and he has one of the best programs in the state of North Carolina. They are nationally ranked this year and they have become a powerhouse.”
Now I knew of Bob Boswell from being an assistant at NC State so I was aware of his reputation. So one day I called coach Boswell on the phone and I introduced myself just like this. “Hello coach, I’m E.Z. Smith the new head football coach at Concord and if you have the time I would like to come down and visit with you.” He said sure that was no problem. So one day I got in the truck and I drove up to Kannapolis went in the Bullock Gym and we sat down and talked. Coach Boswell said “What can I do for you?” I said “Coach, my superintendent tells me you got the best program in the state and in order for me to keep my job I got to be able to compete with you.” So he got up and said let me show you what I’ve got here. We went to the weight room and let me tell you the weight rooms they have today are a lot different from what they had back then, but it was still top notch. He said to me “Let me tell you what we do here.” So I started taking notes and he said “We have travel shirts for our players that has a big “K” on the front with Wonder Football and everybody dresses nice on game day. We have travel bags for our equipment, we feed em steak, baked potato, rolls, green beans and salad on game day. We don’t ride school buses when we travel. We will get on a Kannapolis Transit Bus and we will come to Concord first class. and then he told me “The decision you have to make as a young coach is this. Do you want to do those things to compete with me or do you want to be like everybody else in Cabarrus County and Rowan County and say well, they’ve got money and they’ve got this and that cause if you are then I’m going to beat you every year.” I said “Coach I’m going to leave you with this thought today. Before too much longer the word Kannapolis will never be mentioned without Concord right beside it. I will promise you that. I don’t know if I will ever beat you, but you better buckle up because I will be bringing everything I‘ve got each Friday night."
(FIK) When you first arrived at Concord as head coach what did you see as being first order of business to bring Concord to national recognition?
(EZS) Going back to what I stated earlier about Bob Boswell, I asked my superintendent (Dr. Bill Irvin) “What do I have to do to keep my job?” He said you need to at least win six games. We are not going to be 2-8, 3-7, 4-6 year after year. We want a winning program just as Kannapolis is experiencing with coach Boswell. Everybody thinks that winning is just about schemes, offense and defense and special teams, but There are so many other peripheral things that go with it to being successful. Pre game meals, equipment and weight training just as coach Boswell explained to me when I met with him later on. I remember I got all the kids nice White shirts with a big letter “C” on the front with Concord Football on the chest. I never had Concord Spiders put on anything because that could mean any one of the athletic programs we had at the school. I wanted people to know we were about Concord Football by golly and that was number one always has been always will be. It didn’t matter how many other teams had state titles and conference championships Concord Football was the deal and I was the top dog leading the charge. (Laughing)
So coming in I don’t want to say I wanted to become the poster boy for Concord Football, but I think through time I did become that you know. I became synonymous with wearing shorts in the winter time and a windbreaker in the summer time and it wasn’t to call attention to myself, but people would always ask me about that and it became sort of a paradox. That was just to get your mind on me while you took your focus off that guy out there on the field that was getting ready to do a number on you. (Laughing) Honestly after talking with coach Boswell and finding out who had the best program and what he did I said we are not going to be outdone. So we started having pre game meals and riding Kannapolis Transit Buses to our away games. We played our first game at Albemarle in 1981 and this is an honest true story. We opened up with Albemarle at Albemarle when coach Dave Holcomb was coaching there. Gene Sweatt my good friend came down on a Kannapolis Transit bus and picked us up after our pre game meal of Steak, Baked Potato, and Grecian Toast. We had our nice travel shirts and slacks on and our Concord Football equipment bags just like A.L. Brown had. I saw Bob’s bags and went down to Dales Sporting Goods and ordered some for us. I told our boys no blue jeans or shorts we were going to look first class when we arrived down there at Albemarle.
So we ride down to Albemarle and we pull up to the gate at their new stadium and blow the horn for them to let us in. Coach Holcomb comes running out and he’s looking at this Kannapolis Transit bus looking kind of bewildered and he opens up the door and hops up on the bus. I’m sitting up at the front of the bus and I said “Hello coach Holcomb I’m coach E.Z. Smith of Concord.” The first words out of his mouth and this is a true statement he says “Oh my God, I thought A.L. Brown had pulled up here.” Honest to God he said that. I said “No coach it’s just us from Concord.” (Laughing) So he takes me off the bus to show us where we needed to go and I’ll tell you right now my blood was boiling after he said that. My blood pressure has gone from ninety six to two hundred ten. (Laughing) so I got back on the bus after he showed me where to get out and dress and where to warm up and I shut the door to the bus and our players were sitting there looking at me and I said “Boys did you hear what that man said? HE SAID HE THOUGHT WE WERE A.L. BROWN and WHEN THIS GAME IS OVER HE WAS GOING TO WISH IT WAS A.L. BROWN!! (Yelling) We had them down 32-0 at halftime and I sort of backed off them a little bit in the third. (Laughing) I told Bob that story later and he laughed. (Laughing) What’s funny is I wanted to be compared to Kannapolis and I wanted them to think we had just as good a program as Kannapolis. So to answer your question I think I needed to change the overall attitude of the players towards the program and every new coach needs to make changes. That’s just part of having new leadership and I felt the pre game menu had to changed, the appearance had to be changed and little things like that. I remember they use to go home before when I played, but not after I got there. That’s what Kannapolis did so I just figured if we want to be the best then we have got to be like the best and that was Kannapolis.
"A New Day in Concord"
(Article Above) From the Concord Tribune in 1980
Accepting the head coaches position in 1980 Head Coach E.Z. Smith III wanted to bring a new attitude to the Concord Football Program. After a short sit down with veteran A.L. Brown Head Coach Bob Boswell, Coach Smith begins the process of turning Concord Football into a program as good or better than that of his adversary. "I told Coach Boswell before I left his office to mark this down. They will not be able to mention Kannapolis Football without Concord Football being mentioned in the near future" Smith took charge of the program and in three short years made good on his vow to bring Concord Football into the national spotlight. The South Piedmont Conference Championship and the right to move on to the State Championship would eventually have to travel through Kannapolis and Concord at some point in the high school football thanks to both E.Z. Smith III and Robert "Bob" Boswell. -The editor
(FIK) Describe your first victory over Kannapolis in 1981 and how significant that victory was for you and your program?
(EZS) I’m going to have to take you back to 1980 to give you a little more history as to how significant that victory in 1981 was for me. At the beginning of the season In 1980 we go to “The Crying Towel” "The Crying Towel" was a pre season banquet put on by the local newspaper for all the area high school football coaches. They would feed you a meal and at the end of the meal all the coaches would get up and give a little preview for the paper about their team going into the season. Now this was the first time I was ever in the same room with all these head coaches so I was curious as to what was going to transpire. When it's coach Boswell's turn to speak he gets up in front of the all these coaches and looks us all straight in the face and proceeds to say, and I quote “I’m going to tell all of you in this room one thing tonight. If you plan on beating me this year then you need to beat me as bad as you possibly can because that's what I'm going to do to you. I will not call the dogs off this year for any reason so I’m giving you fair warning tonight.” Now I’m listening to this and I’m thinking how bad can that be you know. How bad can he really beat me?
So we go up to Kannapolis that year and we kick off. We stop them about the thirty five yard line and they start on their side of the field. First play they give the ball to Winston Johnson and we stuff him on the line and it’s second and eight. I’m thinking hmmm, this is going to be different this year. Next play Terry Baxter takes it fifty six yards for a touchdown and they kick the PAT and it’s 7-0. I’m thinking it’s only seven points we will be alright. We get the ball and they shut us down pretty much the rest of the game. Our guys to their credit played as hard as they could, but Kannapolis was just so fast and deep with the talent that year. So they are up 41-0 in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter and we start moving the ball. They have their replacements in and we start moving the ball. We are atriculating the ball down field as Hank Stram would say. (Laughing) Gordon Brown and Darrell Ware my two backs are running that inside veer and we’re doing pretty good. We get a first and goal inside the Wonders ten yard line and coach Boswell calls a time out. Now he swears that Pete Stone called this time out (Laughing) They put the first string defense back in and put Ethan Horton in as a free safety or middle linebacker and I don’t think he had played defense all year long. We go four plays and they stop us. So they get the ball back on our one and In comes their first string offense. They go down the field boom, boom, boom. No passes just sticking it in with their running game. I’ve got my subs in with seniors who have never had the chance to play in a Concord/Kannapolis game prior to me getting there and Bob's guys are just running roughshod on them. They get the ball down inside our territory and they call a timeout. I’m thinking “What’s up with this you know” and Reggie Andrews one of our players comes up to me and says “Coach they are going to kick a field goal what do we do?” Now my guys are wanting to block it. I told them “just stand and watch. Seniors, I’m sorry bout this, but Juniors and Sophomores this will be the reason we beat Kannapolis next year. We will beat Kannapolis next year because of this field goal right here.”
So they kick the field goal and they miss it. Game is over and we go out to shake hands. Now I’m twenty six years old still and I’m still fighting mad and trying to be a good sport. I stick my hand out and I grab Bob’s right hand and grab hold of his left elbow because Bob wants to shake your hand and go without a lot of conversation. I’m holding onto him and he’s trying to pull away and I tell him “Coach, great game and you have a great team, but one thing I want to ask you is why did you go for a field goal and you are up 41-0?” he said if you let go of me I’ll tell you. So I let go, but I told him I would still like an answer. Now the players are seeing this and some of the fans and a crowd starts gathering. So finally he said to me “We are going to the playoffs next week against Greensboro Page while you guys are taking up equipment and we may need a field goal like that to win the game.” Honest that is what he said I remember it like it was yesterday. I said well I hope you’re not up or behind 41-0, but mark this down tonight and you tell all your players and coaches this. I’m gonna beat you next year at Concord because of that field goal. You go ahead and mark that down. Now it’s starting to get a little heated so coach Alley and some of my players start pulling me out of there because he knows I don’t need to get fired and some of coach Boswell’s coaches and players are doing the same thing with him. I finally said "I’m not going to forget this so mark it down we will beat you at Concord next year.” So we leave to go back to Concord.
Now the following week Kannapolis has Greensboro Page in the first round. I go out of town with my wife for the first round and you know the story of that game. Brown is down by three I think near the end of the game. Kannapolis has the ball fourth and goal down by three. Kick the field goal. You got the best team in the state that year 9-0-1. Coach Boswell decides to go for it and they stop him. Page wins and Marion Kirby goes on to win the state championship. I don’t see coach Boswell again until the following year at the coaches clinic in July in Greensboro. I see him there and I say “Hi coach how are you?” and he says I’m fine. I say “Coach, I believe If I were you I would have kicked that field goal and went into overtime against Page.” That got him. (Laughing) his face just lit up. “I told you I’m gonna beat you this year at Concord you mark it down.” (Laughing) I was doing my best Joe Nammath impersonation guaranteeing victory (Laughing)
That year we go to “The Crying Towel” and I’m not able to attend. Ick Alley is there in my place and he gets up and says “We will beat Kannapolis this year mark it down because coach Smith has proclaimed it because of that field goal.” (Laughing) I’m telling you the truth Scott, Every day that year and you can ask all my 1981 players about this. I made them go out back of the field house and watch me go down to the field with a holder and a long snapper and I made them watch me kick a field goal from the same spot Kannapolis attempted their field goal in 1980. I did that before we started practice Monday through Thursday for eleven weeks. Ten weeks and the open date. My players got so sick of watching this, but I told them “You forget this and you are doomed to repeat the past. Do not forget this day I’m telling you.” The 1981 game rolls around Kannapolis scores first and misses the PAT to go up 6-0. We score and go up 7-6. We are winning the game with less than two minutes to go. We line up to punt and I remember Randy Whitley was announcing for the Wonder network and he calls it just like this “Here comes the Wonder rush and it’s blocked. It rolls down to the Spider fifteen yard line with an opportunity to win the game.” Bob calls Isolation right, Isolation left, Time out. Third down, I call my guys over and I tell them they are going to try to score a touchdown to beat us and if they don’t they will kick a field goal and we’ll block it so just get back in the end zone. I put Jamie Blount in and I told him “Jamie just get back there and try to make a play big daddy. Bob calls a counter bootleg play action pass where you fake left, fake right and throw it to the corner of the end zone. Todd Propst blitzes off the edge and gets Mark Smith by the legs and he doesn’t get anything on the ball and we intercept it. They bring it out to the twenty and Bob calls his last two timeouts and we run the clock out and win the game.
I come across the field to shake hands very humble I said “coach, great job, great game” then I yelled “ You should have kicked a field goal this time” (laughing) and it’s was on again. He was so mad. I said “Gotta go” and we grabbed the bell and went around the field a few times with it. (Laughing) True story. Bob will deny it, but it’s a true story. (laughing)
(EZS) I’m going to have to take you back to 1980 to give you a little more history as to how significant that victory in 1981 was for me. At the beginning of the season In 1980 we go to “The Crying Towel” "The Crying Towel" was a pre season banquet put on by the local newspaper for all the area high school football coaches. They would feed you a meal and at the end of the meal all the coaches would get up and give a little preview for the paper about their team going into the season. Now this was the first time I was ever in the same room with all these head coaches so I was curious as to what was going to transpire. When it's coach Boswell's turn to speak he gets up in front of the all these coaches and looks us all straight in the face and proceeds to say, and I quote “I’m going to tell all of you in this room one thing tonight. If you plan on beating me this year then you need to beat me as bad as you possibly can because that's what I'm going to do to you. I will not call the dogs off this year for any reason so I’m giving you fair warning tonight.” Now I’m listening to this and I’m thinking how bad can that be you know. How bad can he really beat me?
So we go up to Kannapolis that year and we kick off. We stop them about the thirty five yard line and they start on their side of the field. First play they give the ball to Winston Johnson and we stuff him on the line and it’s second and eight. I’m thinking hmmm, this is going to be different this year. Next play Terry Baxter takes it fifty six yards for a touchdown and they kick the PAT and it’s 7-0. I’m thinking it’s only seven points we will be alright. We get the ball and they shut us down pretty much the rest of the game. Our guys to their credit played as hard as they could, but Kannapolis was just so fast and deep with the talent that year. So they are up 41-0 in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter and we start moving the ball. They have their replacements in and we start moving the ball. We are atriculating the ball down field as Hank Stram would say. (Laughing) Gordon Brown and Darrell Ware my two backs are running that inside veer and we’re doing pretty good. We get a first and goal inside the Wonders ten yard line and coach Boswell calls a time out. Now he swears that Pete Stone called this time out (Laughing) They put the first string defense back in and put Ethan Horton in as a free safety or middle linebacker and I don’t think he had played defense all year long. We go four plays and they stop us. So they get the ball back on our one and In comes their first string offense. They go down the field boom, boom, boom. No passes just sticking it in with their running game. I’ve got my subs in with seniors who have never had the chance to play in a Concord/Kannapolis game prior to me getting there and Bob's guys are just running roughshod on them. They get the ball down inside our territory and they call a timeout. I’m thinking “What’s up with this you know” and Reggie Andrews one of our players comes up to me and says “Coach they are going to kick a field goal what do we do?” Now my guys are wanting to block it. I told them “just stand and watch. Seniors, I’m sorry bout this, but Juniors and Sophomores this will be the reason we beat Kannapolis next year. We will beat Kannapolis next year because of this field goal right here.”
So they kick the field goal and they miss it. Game is over and we go out to shake hands. Now I’m twenty six years old still and I’m still fighting mad and trying to be a good sport. I stick my hand out and I grab Bob’s right hand and grab hold of his left elbow because Bob wants to shake your hand and go without a lot of conversation. I’m holding onto him and he’s trying to pull away and I tell him “Coach, great game and you have a great team, but one thing I want to ask you is why did you go for a field goal and you are up 41-0?” he said if you let go of me I’ll tell you. So I let go, but I told him I would still like an answer. Now the players are seeing this and some of the fans and a crowd starts gathering. So finally he said to me “We are going to the playoffs next week against Greensboro Page while you guys are taking up equipment and we may need a field goal like that to win the game.” Honest that is what he said I remember it like it was yesterday. I said well I hope you’re not up or behind 41-0, but mark this down tonight and you tell all your players and coaches this. I’m gonna beat you next year at Concord because of that field goal. You go ahead and mark that down. Now it’s starting to get a little heated so coach Alley and some of my players start pulling me out of there because he knows I don’t need to get fired and some of coach Boswell’s coaches and players are doing the same thing with him. I finally said "I’m not going to forget this so mark it down we will beat you at Concord next year.” So we leave to go back to Concord.
Now the following week Kannapolis has Greensboro Page in the first round. I go out of town with my wife for the first round and you know the story of that game. Brown is down by three I think near the end of the game. Kannapolis has the ball fourth and goal down by three. Kick the field goal. You got the best team in the state that year 9-0-1. Coach Boswell decides to go for it and they stop him. Page wins and Marion Kirby goes on to win the state championship. I don’t see coach Boswell again until the following year at the coaches clinic in July in Greensboro. I see him there and I say “Hi coach how are you?” and he says I’m fine. I say “Coach, I believe If I were you I would have kicked that field goal and went into overtime against Page.” That got him. (Laughing) his face just lit up. “I told you I’m gonna beat you this year at Concord you mark it down.” (Laughing) I was doing my best Joe Nammath impersonation guaranteeing victory (Laughing)
That year we go to “The Crying Towel” and I’m not able to attend. Ick Alley is there in my place and he gets up and says “We will beat Kannapolis this year mark it down because coach Smith has proclaimed it because of that field goal.” (Laughing) I’m telling you the truth Scott, Every day that year and you can ask all my 1981 players about this. I made them go out back of the field house and watch me go down to the field with a holder and a long snapper and I made them watch me kick a field goal from the same spot Kannapolis attempted their field goal in 1980. I did that before we started practice Monday through Thursday for eleven weeks. Ten weeks and the open date. My players got so sick of watching this, but I told them “You forget this and you are doomed to repeat the past. Do not forget this day I’m telling you.” The 1981 game rolls around Kannapolis scores first and misses the PAT to go up 6-0. We score and go up 7-6. We are winning the game with less than two minutes to go. We line up to punt and I remember Randy Whitley was announcing for the Wonder network and he calls it just like this “Here comes the Wonder rush and it’s blocked. It rolls down to the Spider fifteen yard line with an opportunity to win the game.” Bob calls Isolation right, Isolation left, Time out. Third down, I call my guys over and I tell them they are going to try to score a touchdown to beat us and if they don’t they will kick a field goal and we’ll block it so just get back in the end zone. I put Jamie Blount in and I told him “Jamie just get back there and try to make a play big daddy. Bob calls a counter bootleg play action pass where you fake left, fake right and throw it to the corner of the end zone. Todd Propst blitzes off the edge and gets Mark Smith by the legs and he doesn’t get anything on the ball and we intercept it. They bring it out to the twenty and Bob calls his last two timeouts and we run the clock out and win the game.
I come across the field to shake hands very humble I said “coach, great job, great game” then I yelled “ You should have kicked a field goal this time” (laughing) and it’s was on again. He was so mad. I said “Gotta go” and we grabbed the bell and went around the field a few times with it. (Laughing) True story. Bob will deny it, but it’s a true story. (laughing)
"The Crying Towel"
"Coach Smith's Spiders Make Good on a Promise in 1981"
Taking particular exception to an attempted field goal by Coach Bob Boswell's Wonders in the closing seconds of the 1980 Battle for the Bell game in Kannapolis, Coach Smith proclaims Spiders will score retribution in 1981. Coach Smith gets his first win over Bob Boswell when a field goal could have made the difference for the Wonders.
(Newspaper clippings from the Concord Tribune and Daily Independent in 1981) |
(FIK) Do you think the rivalry took on more meaning for you as a coach?
(EZS) Yes much more. I’ll tell you as a player I could make a block or make a tackle or kick a field goal or kick an extra point to try to win the game, but as a coach it was my responsibility to put my kids in a position to be able to have that opportunity for success. I can tell you every play I ever called or drew up was a play for success. I never called a play that was an interception, a fumble or a penalty or one that wouldn’t gain at least four yards. It ate at me more as a player when I lost that one year in 1971 than all my losses put together as a coach. As a player my senior year I knew going in I would never do this again in this way and I was right, but when I started coaching if I lost I could always say I have next year to make this right again so I had twenty eight more chances than all the other players on that 1971 team had so that was the difference for me. That loss in 1971 hurt more than any other loss I ever experienced including the games in 1990, 1991, and 1997. Those were all good close games where we had an opportunity to win and just didn’t do enough to make it happen. I felt worse for my players and for the seniors on those teams because I knew they were in the same position I was back in 1971. As a coach I knew those Juniors and Sophomores coming up had another chance.
(FIK) Did you experience the same level of excitement during rivalry week as a coach?
(EZS) Absolutely, maybe more. You see I taught weight lifting and we would do something special in the weight room or in the gym to try and channel the anticipation because just sitting around from seven in the morning to seven in the evening waiting for that game was a long day.
(FIK) At what point in the season would you begin to focus your attention towards Kannapolis?
(EZS) The Saturday or Sunday leading up to the bell game for most part. Unless they were playing on Vision Cable. A lot of times we played them right after they played South Rowan towards the end of the regular season during the early eighties so there were usually two games that Vision Cable had televised prior to this. If they were on I would look at them and I may jot down on a piece of paper a tendency or something like that. Now I didn’t game plan like that because I knew I needed to concentrate on the game of the week, but we would look at their games some if they were being televised. Now we would get game films from other schools for instance if we were playing Sun Valley they would send us three tapes and one of the tapes would be them against Kannapolis and the same would happen with Piedmont, so I guess in that aspect it was a disadvantage to them, but that’s just how it worked. It wasn’t planned it’s just how it turned out at the time. (Laughing)
(FIK) Do you think Vision Cables broadcasts of the games was a good thing?
(EZS) Yes it was great for the community, but like I said before and a lot of people think I’m not telling the truth when I say this, but we didn’t focus on Kannapolis until we got ready to play them. There were six other teams in SPC who would sure take advantage of you looking ahead if you didn’t prepare for them instead of looking ahead to Kannapolis. Vision Cable’s broadcasts were great for people who couldn’t get out to the games on Friday nights because they were working or had something come up that kept them from the game. It was a great service for both communities and not just for Concord or Kannapolis, but South Rowan, Northwest Cabarrus, Central Cabarrus and Mt Pleasant.
(FIK) What are your first thoughts in regards to this statement? “E.Z. Smith the man you love to hate”
(EZS) Scott, I think because I played at Concord and so many people knew who I was before I came back to Concord to coach, and my name was so recognizable that I became the bad guy in the eyes of the Kannapolis people simply because of my prior success at Concord. I think if you took a poll amongst the people of Kannapolis every person you spoke to would have a particular feeling about me one way or the other. If you took a poll with the people from Concord and mentioned the names Bob Boswell, Bruce Hardin, or Ron Massey that type of response won’t be there for whatever reason I don’t know. With me I think it all comes down to prior knowledge and my affiliation with Concord football, Basketball or Baseball as a player. I think that added a little extra desire or incentive among the people of Kannapolis to beat me. To be perfectly honest I felt sometimes that it was more important for them to be me than it was to beat the Concord Spiders as a team. What a lot of people don’t realize is that Bob Boswell, Bruce Hardin, and Ron Massey were all friends of mine then. There was never any ill will projected towards any of them for any reason. If they beat me or if I beat them we always shook hands and had the greatest admiration for each other and the their programs. Now of course Bob did try to kick that field goal against me in 1980. (Laughing) but there was always mutual respect on my part for each of those three coaches and for the fans in Kannapolis and I would like to think they felt the same about me and our program. I’ll tell you a quick story (Laughing) you know there is no such thing as a quick story from me. (Laughing) Seriously, I was speaking at Midway Methodist Church in Kannapolis and after the service I had a lady come up to me and she said “Coach, I want to tell you something. I’ve watched you coach since you came here and I don’t want to use the word hate because I’m a church going person, but I want you to know I totally despised you and everything you stood for until I heard you speak this morning”
Scott, until you sit down with a person and talk to them or have a meal with them or you see how they work with kids you don’t really know them. What the fans in Kannapolis and Concord saw out there on that field on Friday nights was no more of a accurate representation of who E.Z. Smith III was on Saturday and Sunday. I will use this analogy to describe myself so that you get a better understanding of who the two E.Z. Smiths were in those days. I’ll use the Superman and Clark Kent characters as an example. On Monday through Friday I was Superman who wanted to bring victory to Concord either through my skill as a player or that of a coach. On Saturday and Sunday I was Clark Kent who was the average Joe who had a family and went to church. Two totally different personas, but that was what I wanted to be. I’ve had people come up to me and tell me how much they missed my whistling. (Laughing) Nobody could whistle louder on the field than coach Smith. (Laughing) I remember back in 1991 Bruce Hardin called a timeout to get me off the field. (Laughing) I think some of the antics I use to do with the shorts, the running out onto the field in the huddle were just things to take the attention off my players so that all the negatives could fall back on me. I’ll tell you another quick story and this sounds terrible on tape I know, but it’s the truth.
In 1999 we played Kannapolis at Concord and my son “Z” was playing for me then. Z would run up the sideline and do his warm ups on the side closest to the Kannapolis sideline. This particular time all of the Kannapolis students in mass all stood up as Z was running up the sideline and began yelling “Z $uck, Z $uck$ Well, Z makes the turn and comes up to me where I’m standing under the goal post because I would always stand there and have my players do sprints from the end zone to the fifty yard line and back. Z comes up and has this grin on his face and I didn’t say anything to him. I walk over just a few minutes later where Z was doing his stretches and I said “hey hoss how did that make you feel?” Z replied “Coach I’ve never had anybody do that to me personally before” I said “watch this” and I proceeded to walk out to the fifty yard line and I turned in front of the whole Kannapolis sideline and I raised my arms up just slightly over my head and the whole side erupted “E.Z. $%^@$, E.Z. $%^@$. I acknowledged them and walked back over to where Z was still stretching and I said “when you get five hundred people to do that it’s one thing, but when you can get five thousand people to do that you’re the man” (Laughing) Now I will admit I egged it on and I enjoyed it. It didn’t bother me because I knew it was the persona they were yelling at not the person.
I’ve had people tell me in the past coach the rivalry just doesn’t seem the same without you there because we don’t have anybody to hate. (Laughing) and you could take that as an insult, but I took it as a compliment that I actually made that much of an impact on the game. (Laughing) There have been so many people that were disliked for whatever reason who made a positive impact on people’s lives, and I’m not comparing myself to any of those people, but when people say that to me it makes feel good that I was able to provide a certain something to the rivalry that people actually miss today.
(FIK) Did you ever feel like they were serious about their dislike of you during those times?
(EZS) No I didn’t to be honest. I think it was just the persona of the coach they thought they knew at the time, but it wasn’t the true reflection of who I really was as a person Scott. I’ll give you a good for instance. When me and Mike Morton, and Ethan Horton were at the Cabarrus County Hall of Fame they all came up to me and hugged me and we stood around and talked about football and about life in general. Ethan and I have done some shows together and I just think the world of Mike and his family and we are all friends. You have to understand that most of my players didn’t know who Bob Boswell, Bruce Hardin or Ron Massey was, but I guarantee you everybody at A.L. Brown knew who E.Z. Smith was and that was fine I actually liked it that way. Did it hurt me personally? When people don’t really know who I am and maybe they don’t know how many students I helped get into college or when Delano Johnson’s house burned down when we were playing Central Cabarrus and all the help we got him or when any of the things that went on behind the scenes took place that people don’t know about and probably shouldn’t know about to be honest. If they knew that then I guess maybe their outlook would have been different. To most of those people I was just that coach from their biggest rival who was out there in those shorts acting crazy trying to beat their boys.
I will tell you this, and I start to get a little emotional when I think about it, but they wrote an article about me a while back in the North Carolina Coaches publication and the title of it was “They still call me coach” that is the greatest compliment anyone could give me cause that was a part of my life I took very seriously and still do. It’s hard to be a public figure and please the masses because you never will. People in Kannapolis saw me as the coach because that was the part of my life that was on public display, but they never got the opportunity to see who I was behind the scenes and I think if they had they might have a different opinion of me today. I would hope that the contingency of A.L. Brown football fans would look at me and say hey, when we played Concord we had to be on our “A” game. He brought something to the rivalry that made our players better and when it was all over he was the first out on that field to shake our hands. This first and foremost is a game it’s not war it’s a game. Now I flaunted Black and Gold everyday of the week Monday through Saturday. I wore Concord football attire wherever I went and on Sundays when I went to church I wore a Black suit with an Black and Gold tie. (Laughing)
(EZS) Yes much more. I’ll tell you as a player I could make a block or make a tackle or kick a field goal or kick an extra point to try to win the game, but as a coach it was my responsibility to put my kids in a position to be able to have that opportunity for success. I can tell you every play I ever called or drew up was a play for success. I never called a play that was an interception, a fumble or a penalty or one that wouldn’t gain at least four yards. It ate at me more as a player when I lost that one year in 1971 than all my losses put together as a coach. As a player my senior year I knew going in I would never do this again in this way and I was right, but when I started coaching if I lost I could always say I have next year to make this right again so I had twenty eight more chances than all the other players on that 1971 team had so that was the difference for me. That loss in 1971 hurt more than any other loss I ever experienced including the games in 1990, 1991, and 1997. Those were all good close games where we had an opportunity to win and just didn’t do enough to make it happen. I felt worse for my players and for the seniors on those teams because I knew they were in the same position I was back in 1971. As a coach I knew those Juniors and Sophomores coming up had another chance.
(FIK) Did you experience the same level of excitement during rivalry week as a coach?
(EZS) Absolutely, maybe more. You see I taught weight lifting and we would do something special in the weight room or in the gym to try and channel the anticipation because just sitting around from seven in the morning to seven in the evening waiting for that game was a long day.
(FIK) At what point in the season would you begin to focus your attention towards Kannapolis?
(EZS) The Saturday or Sunday leading up to the bell game for most part. Unless they were playing on Vision Cable. A lot of times we played them right after they played South Rowan towards the end of the regular season during the early eighties so there were usually two games that Vision Cable had televised prior to this. If they were on I would look at them and I may jot down on a piece of paper a tendency or something like that. Now I didn’t game plan like that because I knew I needed to concentrate on the game of the week, but we would look at their games some if they were being televised. Now we would get game films from other schools for instance if we were playing Sun Valley they would send us three tapes and one of the tapes would be them against Kannapolis and the same would happen with Piedmont, so I guess in that aspect it was a disadvantage to them, but that’s just how it worked. It wasn’t planned it’s just how it turned out at the time. (Laughing)
(FIK) Do you think Vision Cables broadcasts of the games was a good thing?
(EZS) Yes it was great for the community, but like I said before and a lot of people think I’m not telling the truth when I say this, but we didn’t focus on Kannapolis until we got ready to play them. There were six other teams in SPC who would sure take advantage of you looking ahead if you didn’t prepare for them instead of looking ahead to Kannapolis. Vision Cable’s broadcasts were great for people who couldn’t get out to the games on Friday nights because they were working or had something come up that kept them from the game. It was a great service for both communities and not just for Concord or Kannapolis, but South Rowan, Northwest Cabarrus, Central Cabarrus and Mt Pleasant.
(FIK) What are your first thoughts in regards to this statement? “E.Z. Smith the man you love to hate”
(EZS) Scott, I think because I played at Concord and so many people knew who I was before I came back to Concord to coach, and my name was so recognizable that I became the bad guy in the eyes of the Kannapolis people simply because of my prior success at Concord. I think if you took a poll amongst the people of Kannapolis every person you spoke to would have a particular feeling about me one way or the other. If you took a poll with the people from Concord and mentioned the names Bob Boswell, Bruce Hardin, or Ron Massey that type of response won’t be there for whatever reason I don’t know. With me I think it all comes down to prior knowledge and my affiliation with Concord football, Basketball or Baseball as a player. I think that added a little extra desire or incentive among the people of Kannapolis to beat me. To be perfectly honest I felt sometimes that it was more important for them to be me than it was to beat the Concord Spiders as a team. What a lot of people don’t realize is that Bob Boswell, Bruce Hardin, and Ron Massey were all friends of mine then. There was never any ill will projected towards any of them for any reason. If they beat me or if I beat them we always shook hands and had the greatest admiration for each other and the their programs. Now of course Bob did try to kick that field goal against me in 1980. (Laughing) but there was always mutual respect on my part for each of those three coaches and for the fans in Kannapolis and I would like to think they felt the same about me and our program. I’ll tell you a quick story (Laughing) you know there is no such thing as a quick story from me. (Laughing) Seriously, I was speaking at Midway Methodist Church in Kannapolis and after the service I had a lady come up to me and she said “Coach, I want to tell you something. I’ve watched you coach since you came here and I don’t want to use the word hate because I’m a church going person, but I want you to know I totally despised you and everything you stood for until I heard you speak this morning”
Scott, until you sit down with a person and talk to them or have a meal with them or you see how they work with kids you don’t really know them. What the fans in Kannapolis and Concord saw out there on that field on Friday nights was no more of a accurate representation of who E.Z. Smith III was on Saturday and Sunday. I will use this analogy to describe myself so that you get a better understanding of who the two E.Z. Smiths were in those days. I’ll use the Superman and Clark Kent characters as an example. On Monday through Friday I was Superman who wanted to bring victory to Concord either through my skill as a player or that of a coach. On Saturday and Sunday I was Clark Kent who was the average Joe who had a family and went to church. Two totally different personas, but that was what I wanted to be. I’ve had people come up to me and tell me how much they missed my whistling. (Laughing) Nobody could whistle louder on the field than coach Smith. (Laughing) I remember back in 1991 Bruce Hardin called a timeout to get me off the field. (Laughing) I think some of the antics I use to do with the shorts, the running out onto the field in the huddle were just things to take the attention off my players so that all the negatives could fall back on me. I’ll tell you another quick story and this sounds terrible on tape I know, but it’s the truth.
In 1999 we played Kannapolis at Concord and my son “Z” was playing for me then. Z would run up the sideline and do his warm ups on the side closest to the Kannapolis sideline. This particular time all of the Kannapolis students in mass all stood up as Z was running up the sideline and began yelling “Z $uck, Z $uck$ Well, Z makes the turn and comes up to me where I’m standing under the goal post because I would always stand there and have my players do sprints from the end zone to the fifty yard line and back. Z comes up and has this grin on his face and I didn’t say anything to him. I walk over just a few minutes later where Z was doing his stretches and I said “hey hoss how did that make you feel?” Z replied “Coach I’ve never had anybody do that to me personally before” I said “watch this” and I proceeded to walk out to the fifty yard line and I turned in front of the whole Kannapolis sideline and I raised my arms up just slightly over my head and the whole side erupted “E.Z. $%^@$, E.Z. $%^@$. I acknowledged them and walked back over to where Z was still stretching and I said “when you get five hundred people to do that it’s one thing, but when you can get five thousand people to do that you’re the man” (Laughing) Now I will admit I egged it on and I enjoyed it. It didn’t bother me because I knew it was the persona they were yelling at not the person.
I’ve had people tell me in the past coach the rivalry just doesn’t seem the same without you there because we don’t have anybody to hate. (Laughing) and you could take that as an insult, but I took it as a compliment that I actually made that much of an impact on the game. (Laughing) There have been so many people that were disliked for whatever reason who made a positive impact on people’s lives, and I’m not comparing myself to any of those people, but when people say that to me it makes feel good that I was able to provide a certain something to the rivalry that people actually miss today.
(FIK) Did you ever feel like they were serious about their dislike of you during those times?
(EZS) No I didn’t to be honest. I think it was just the persona of the coach they thought they knew at the time, but it wasn’t the true reflection of who I really was as a person Scott. I’ll give you a good for instance. When me and Mike Morton, and Ethan Horton were at the Cabarrus County Hall of Fame they all came up to me and hugged me and we stood around and talked about football and about life in general. Ethan and I have done some shows together and I just think the world of Mike and his family and we are all friends. You have to understand that most of my players didn’t know who Bob Boswell, Bruce Hardin or Ron Massey was, but I guarantee you everybody at A.L. Brown knew who E.Z. Smith was and that was fine I actually liked it that way. Did it hurt me personally? When people don’t really know who I am and maybe they don’t know how many students I helped get into college or when Delano Johnson’s house burned down when we were playing Central Cabarrus and all the help we got him or when any of the things that went on behind the scenes took place that people don’t know about and probably shouldn’t know about to be honest. If they knew that then I guess maybe their outlook would have been different. To most of those people I was just that coach from their biggest rival who was out there in those shorts acting crazy trying to beat their boys.
I will tell you this, and I start to get a little emotional when I think about it, but they wrote an article about me a while back in the North Carolina Coaches publication and the title of it was “They still call me coach” that is the greatest compliment anyone could give me cause that was a part of my life I took very seriously and still do. It’s hard to be a public figure and please the masses because you never will. People in Kannapolis saw me as the coach because that was the part of my life that was on public display, but they never got the opportunity to see who I was behind the scenes and I think if they had they might have a different opinion of me today. I would hope that the contingency of A.L. Brown football fans would look at me and say hey, when we played Concord we had to be on our “A” game. He brought something to the rivalry that made our players better and when it was all over he was the first out on that field to shake our hands. This first and foremost is a game it’s not war it’s a game. Now I flaunted Black and Gold everyday of the week Monday through Saturday. I wore Concord football attire wherever I went and on Sundays when I went to church I wore a Black suit with an Black and Gold tie. (Laughing)
(FIK) Describe the feeling you had walking down the steps at Robert C Bailey Stadium or Kannapolis Memorial Stadium for this game?
(EZS) I will have to back up just a little because as a player we didn’t come down the steps at home. When I played we dressed out behind the gym and would come out from behind the press box. Back when we played at home in 1969 and 1971 we would walk down from behind where the band sits and enter the field from scoreboard side. We would actually do our warm ups on the scoreboard end of the field unlike what we did when I started coaching. I remember when we played Kannapolis in 1969 making the turn there at the press box and the first thing you would see would be the Kannapolis fans. It was wall to wall, bank to bank full of people. We would be on the field doing our pre game and I was just in awe. I never saw that many people at a high school football game in my life. That was really the first time I formed an actual appreciation as to how big this game was.
Now in 1970 down to Memorial Stadium from the Bullock Gym was totally different because the first thing we would see would be the Concord fans and that would put us a little more at ease. The response we would get from the Kannapolis side would just knock your socks off. So it put us a little more at ease when we saw our fans, but the reaction from Kannapolis and (I get goose bumps) still from just talking about it would send chills up your spine. It was almost like playing for the National Championship in college or what I would imaging playing in the Super bowl would feel like. Now when we came out in the 1980 game at Kannapolis we were 6-3 coming into that game, and I really thought we could beat Kannapolis. I knew they were good, but we had lost 14-7 to South Rowan and Sonny Pruette’s Northwest Cabarrus Trojans really whooped up on us and we lost to an undefeated Forest Hills team. We were improving every game and I really thought we were peaking at the right moment for that game. Now the big difference in this game was coming down the hill at Brown I was leading the team. When I played I would hold back a little towards the middle or the back of the line coming out, but when I started coaching I was leading the charge right to the goal post and then I would stop. The experience of it is something hard to explain, but I will tell you this. I always said the minute the hair stopped standing up on the back of my neck or on my arms for this game I knew then it would be time to stop. When that game would become just a game or the week leading up to it would become just another week or any of the enthusiasm or anticipation began to wain I would know either the game is changing or you are changing or something was changing and something had to give.
The last bell game for me in 2008, I knew in August of that season that this was probably going to be it for me as the coach for Concord. I told Pat in August, before we started, I had several coaches who had left and (my son) Z had gone on to be a college coach. I had players who decided not to play that last year and there were all kinds of internal turmoil going on with players and coaches. The kids were changing, I had so many young coaches who I was going to have to take a lot of time getting them acclimated to the way I did things, I was just so use to doing things the way I had done them for so many years and had experienced a lot of success at that it was going to be more of a burden on me than I wanted at that point in my life. I had to hire seven brand new coaches in 2008. So Pat told me “Why don’t you think about it over the season and then make your decision” I said It doesn’t matter whether we go 0-11 or 16-0 I’ve made up my mind this is it. Now we are not going to tell a soul about it and we will let them know when the time is right. I will coach this last season in 2008 resign as head coach at the end of the season and stay on to teach one more year and then retire with thirty years. There was no need for me to do anymore than that. I consider myself to be a creature of habit. I’ve done things a certain way for as long as I can remember and you know as well as I do that the times are changing and most of it not for the good. I knew I was not going to change and it would be too much of a struggle for me to try to adapt.
I remember walking down the steps for that game at Concord in 2008. I knew going down the hill it was my last time, but I did not dwell on that at that particular moment. I knew before the game even started we were at a definite disadvantage because Kannapolis was more physical than we were and they were just having a super season that year, and it was going to be tough to pull this one out. I think they ended up going all the way to the State Championship that year losing to Dudley. I thought going into that game if we could just keep it close and not let it get away from us that the underdog has won this game on several occasions. But as you know that didn’t happen and we ended up losing that game 56-6. It would have hurt more had the game been 10-7 or 14-13, but I don’t have any hard feelings about that and I never accused Coach Massey of running the score up. We couldn’t stop them and we couldn’t score it was just one of those nights. I remember walking back up the steps was when it really hit me that hey, this is it you will never do this again. I remember it being a walk of reflection and thanksgiving, but one of sadness because I knew my life was going to change. I remember when I got to the top of the steps turning around and just looking back at the field as the fans were piling out and thinking how grateful I was to God for allowing me the opportunity to coach at Concord High School.
Now I thought I would be at Concord the next year in 2009, but after thinking about it and praying about it, I knew Coach Padgett didn’t need me there. It would be like Coach Massey still being at Kannapolis as an AD with Coach Newsome coaching, it would have been a little awkward. So I ended up going out to Harris Road and teaching out there for two years and then retiring when Principal Dr. Jim Williams went out. I think a lot of people may have been under the impression because of what happened that last year in 2008 that I may have been forced out, but that simply wasn’t true. I’ll tell you this right now if I would have wanted to remain the head coach at Concord High School I would still be there TODAY. On January 25, 2009 I knew the time was right. I called my daughter Audrey Lee at 3:00pm and I told her honey we are having a banquet tonight and I’m going to be resigning as the head football coach. She replied to me “Are you alright with this decision?” and I said yes that I had made the decision a long time ago and she was fine with it. I call my son Z up at 4:00 and tell him. I told my mother at 5:00 pm and Principle Black at 6:00 pm and George Walker at 7:00 and then my coaches about 7:15 and then we sat down and had dinner and at 8:30 I told my team so nobody knew it until that day and that’s what I think took people off guard. I just wanted to look at life a little bit different and experience life in a manner I had not in years.
There is always what ifs. What if you could have won another state title and what if you could have beaten Kannapolis one more time or put another kid into college, but you know as well as I do that it will never end. People will always want one more and I was at the point I wanted to look at life a little differently. I knew Pat was going to be retiring in 2011 and just thought the time was right. Thirty three years coaching and thirty five teaching is a good life I think. I don’t have any regrets. To go down the hill at either Concord or Kannapolis is an experience that only the players and coaches will ever understand. The support staff experiences it too, but for the players who play and the coaches who coach in it, it is an experience you will never forget. Now I played at the University of South Carolina in front of fifty to seventy thousand people and that was a great experience too. I played at Georgia, LSU, Florida State and in the Houston Astro Dome, but nothing compares to the feeling I got playing and coaching in the bell game. South Carolina and Clemson might be close, but not too much compares with the feeling of coming down that hill to play Kannapolis. Not much can compare. You can ask B.J. Schwedo who is a General now in the U.S. Air force who played in numerous bowl games or Reggie Andrews if he was still alive and they would tell you the same thing.
(FIK) Would you say there was a different level of excitement or emotion playing Kannapolis in the bell game compared to playing Kannapolis in the playoffs?
(EZS) I would have to echo some of the statements you told me about Kannapolis players you have interviewed. I would have lost to Kannapolis every year in the bell game to have beaten them in the playoffs. Looking back at it in retrospect the ultimate prize is a state championship and it took me a little while to figure this out because I never got there until later.
When I came to Concord it was all about beating Kannapolis, winning the conference championship, and making a deep run into the playoffs. Those were our goals plain and simple. As I got older it became beat Kannapolis, Win the conference championship and win a state championship. The stakes got higher. The last year I coached I knew we wouldn’t be making the playoffs and it was the first time in several years we had not been in the playoffs. You look at it today and you see teams going to the playoffs with four or five wins under their belt and it’s just not the same. My 1995 team was ranked number one in the state before we got beat by Kannapolis 5-0 that year and it knocked us out of the playoffs and we were 9-1. Looking at it now what was great during that time was that we all knew to earn the right to go to Chapel Hill you were going to have to beat either Concord or Kannapolis to do it. It is extremely difficult to beat someone twice in the same year especially if you just played them the week or two prior to your playoff game. The biggest difference is the Victory Bell is out of the picture. You know you either win or go home and that can be a totally different type of pressure because of the finality of the scenario.
When we won the bell game in 1991 I’m not sure if that was a bad thing because we knew going in that the Kannapolis team we faced in the bell game would not be the same Kannapolis team we would play in the semi finals. Bruce Hardin prepared his teams so well that we knew it would be a battle to the end that night. I can remember going into the locker room at halftime being ahead and thinking this thing is far from over. I remember Michael Barnes and Keenan Lott were on the verge of breaking big runs almost every time they touched the ball. We were just fortunate enough to have stopped them or could have been totally different going into the half. That second half belonged to Kannapolis. Michael Barnes, Andy Smith, Keenan Lott and Hut Smith were just having exceptional games and they just took it to us. I was actually surprised they lost to Andrews in the state that next week, they were just so talented.
I have always felt that playing a great program like Kannapolis will either set you up for success or it will set you up for failure. We always looked to Kannapolis as the barometer of how good we were in any given season that is how much we respected their team, staff and tradition. If we could compete with them and either win or keep the game close then we felt like we could make a good run in the playoffs. Fortunately we only had to play Kannapolis twice in the season three times, in 1991, 1997 and 1999. That game takes a lot out of you and to prepare your team for a playoff game after such an intense game is difficult. I can remember in 1999 Kannapolis barely beat us that year in the bell game and I thought we could have won that game or at least taken it in to overtime. Rush Rollins kicked that field goal through after missing one or two in the game and that beat us. We were so upset we let that one get away from us I remember telling my son “Z” we can beat this team if it comes down to another game in the playoffs. We will just need to throw in a few wrinkles in the game plan.
I remember that game I told “Z” when we start I’m going to put Jamel Jackson at tailback and I’m going to put you in as fullback. They had this great defensive end, Desmond Williams who played in the Shrine Bowl that year that nobody could block. I put John Rary in a quarterback and our biggest concern with this was making sure we got the snap. We kicked a pooch kick to start the game and Andy Boyd recovered it so we ended up getting the ball first. I put “Z” in at fullback and I told John we are going to run ten, eleven iso, but I’m going to run fifteen lead and we’re going to block down and “Z” Desmond is yours. We are going to find out who the man is tonight (Laughing) So Jamel gets the ball and “Z” gets a good block and he breaks off a good run and we start driving down the field. We didn’t score on that first drive, but we set the tone for the rest of the game. We were going to be on the offensive this time and Kannapolis were going to have to find a way to stop us. That was the mindset going into that game. We moved a lot of people around in the backfield that night with Jamel Jackson, Desmond Thomas, and Josh Lott and I think it really confused them. We didn’t do that in the bell game and I think in the end it paid off for us to throw those wrinkles in. That pooch kick to start the game set the tone. I wanted to send a statement that we were going to be the aggressors this time and you better have your mind right or it’s going to be a long night. I know that loss was hard for Bruce that night because they were ranked number one and undefeated going into that game. They really were the best team in the state that year and it was going to be Bruce’s last game with Justin and Blair. We ended up beating Northwest Cabarrus in a very physical third round game the following week and then went up to Asheville and lost in the semi final round which really hurt us. We lost back to back semi final rounds in 1998 and 1999 and that really hurts to be that close to the state championship game.
(FIK) Give us your take on the way the 1990 Battle for the Bell game ended?
(EZS) (Laughing) We had the game won. We dominated that fourth quarter and they couldn’t move the ball on our defense. We started six sophomores that year and they were young to be playing in such an intense game, but they stepped up to the challenge and we were in control. Looking back I know people think that it was the worse loss I ever experienced, but looking back it really wasn’t. Any of the semi final rounds I lost which gave us the opportunity to play for a state title hurt much worse than that game I can tell you truthfully. That doesn’t mean the 1990 bell game wasn’t disappointing on the contrary it was like losing the game in 1971. Anytime you lose that game you are going to carry it with you the rest of your life, but that game was played great by both teams and ultimately we just didn’t finish it off.
Looking back at it if I could replay any part of that game over or called any part of that game different it would be this. On the last series of downs when we had the ball and could have run the clock out I had Kenny Robinson run an inside trap play with Jay Graham that got stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Now earlier before the half ended Kenny Robinson scored that long touchdown run on an inside bootleg when Kannapolis pinched their defensive line. Kenny read the defense correctly and made a great athletic run. Just before the ball was snapped on that run later in the final minute Kannapolis pinched their defensive line again and had I got Kenny to audible out of that play to that same bootleg he could have run another touchdown on them or at least picked up another first down to run the clock out. I wish I could have had that one play back. The loss in 1995 when we were ranked number one in the state and lost 5-0 at home hurt much worse than the 1990 game. We hadn’t been tested all year long and to lose the game by a safety and a field goal was just hard to swallow. The field was in terrible condition and we just couldn’t keep our footing good enough to establish a consistent running game. I didn’t want to play the game that night, but I was over ruled on that and hine sight being 20/20 who knows we might would have played that game on a Saturday or a Monday and got beat worse.
The 1990 bell game hurt. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to downplay it’s significance to our team and that of the history, but look at the 1982 game. We were up 10-7 that game near the conclusion and Kannapolis runs a reverse and scores a touchdown and they win it 14-10. That was a tough loss. I think the sensational manner in which the 1990 game ended is what people remember most and rightfully they should. Maurice Blakeney, Scott Jordan and Zra Lipscomb came up big in that game and put their team in a position to make that win happen. The Kannapolis defense stepped up big on our last possession which made it possible for them to get the ball back. If they don’t stop us on that final possession the game is over. I’m proud of the way our guys played that game. They were ahead of the defending state champions by two scores under two minutes to play in the game and had played like a conference champion throughout the game. We just didn’t finish it off. I wish we could have shaken hands after the game, but there was such a celebration happening on the field we couldn’t get in line to do it. I remember taking my team back to the locker room and they were upset sure. They saw it through the eyes of young teenage kids who felt they had won the game. I hurt for them just like I hurt after that loss in 1971. I told them “look we have an opportunity to play next week and to advance to possibly play for a state title and that our season was not over.” We ended up making a great run that year losing to Statesville in the semi finals. Some people will say we got vindication for that loss in our two sensational playoff victories in 2004 over Winston Salem Carver and then Asheville in the semi final so turn around is fun sometimes. (Laughing)
(FIK) Describe the “Mud Bowl” in 1995?
(EZS) The field was in terrible shape. it was probably the worse conditions I can remember at our stadium. I didn’t want to play the game that night, but I got over ruled by the Principle and the Athletic Director over concerns about the gate draw. I wanted to play it on Saturday or even Monday which turned out to be great weather. The field would have had time to dry out, but hine sight being 20/20 who knows. (Laughing) My way of thinking was you risk not playing the following Friday night if you get beat so the gate draw would have more than likely balanced out in the end if we had not played the game as scheduled.
We were ranked number one in the state and hadn’t been tested all year long. They came in with a great game plan designed to keep our runners contained. They lined up in a four man front with like four or five linebackers and Mike Lambeth told me this later that they used the same defensive scheme they used against Burlington Cummings back in the 1989 state championship game against us that night. We were pretty good passing the ball that game, but without a consistent running game the passing game just couldn’t get off the ground. It was a classic defensive battle and eluding to what you said earlier about Coach Hardin stating that “Defense wins championships” that couldn’t have held more true on that night. We missed the playoffs that year with one loss and that was tough. To go that entire season ranked number one and then lose due to bad field conditions, but on the other side of the coin Kannapolis played in the same conditions so I’m not making excuses. They made the plays to get the victory and we didn’t.
(EZS) I will have to back up just a little because as a player we didn’t come down the steps at home. When I played we dressed out behind the gym and would come out from behind the press box. Back when we played at home in 1969 and 1971 we would walk down from behind where the band sits and enter the field from scoreboard side. We would actually do our warm ups on the scoreboard end of the field unlike what we did when I started coaching. I remember when we played Kannapolis in 1969 making the turn there at the press box and the first thing you would see would be the Kannapolis fans. It was wall to wall, bank to bank full of people. We would be on the field doing our pre game and I was just in awe. I never saw that many people at a high school football game in my life. That was really the first time I formed an actual appreciation as to how big this game was.
Now in 1970 down to Memorial Stadium from the Bullock Gym was totally different because the first thing we would see would be the Concord fans and that would put us a little more at ease. The response we would get from the Kannapolis side would just knock your socks off. So it put us a little more at ease when we saw our fans, but the reaction from Kannapolis and (I get goose bumps) still from just talking about it would send chills up your spine. It was almost like playing for the National Championship in college or what I would imaging playing in the Super bowl would feel like. Now when we came out in the 1980 game at Kannapolis we were 6-3 coming into that game, and I really thought we could beat Kannapolis. I knew they were good, but we had lost 14-7 to South Rowan and Sonny Pruette’s Northwest Cabarrus Trojans really whooped up on us and we lost to an undefeated Forest Hills team. We were improving every game and I really thought we were peaking at the right moment for that game. Now the big difference in this game was coming down the hill at Brown I was leading the team. When I played I would hold back a little towards the middle or the back of the line coming out, but when I started coaching I was leading the charge right to the goal post and then I would stop. The experience of it is something hard to explain, but I will tell you this. I always said the minute the hair stopped standing up on the back of my neck or on my arms for this game I knew then it would be time to stop. When that game would become just a game or the week leading up to it would become just another week or any of the enthusiasm or anticipation began to wain I would know either the game is changing or you are changing or something was changing and something had to give.
The last bell game for me in 2008, I knew in August of that season that this was probably going to be it for me as the coach for Concord. I told Pat in August, before we started, I had several coaches who had left and (my son) Z had gone on to be a college coach. I had players who decided not to play that last year and there were all kinds of internal turmoil going on with players and coaches. The kids were changing, I had so many young coaches who I was going to have to take a lot of time getting them acclimated to the way I did things, I was just so use to doing things the way I had done them for so many years and had experienced a lot of success at that it was going to be more of a burden on me than I wanted at that point in my life. I had to hire seven brand new coaches in 2008. So Pat told me “Why don’t you think about it over the season and then make your decision” I said It doesn’t matter whether we go 0-11 or 16-0 I’ve made up my mind this is it. Now we are not going to tell a soul about it and we will let them know when the time is right. I will coach this last season in 2008 resign as head coach at the end of the season and stay on to teach one more year and then retire with thirty years. There was no need for me to do anymore than that. I consider myself to be a creature of habit. I’ve done things a certain way for as long as I can remember and you know as well as I do that the times are changing and most of it not for the good. I knew I was not going to change and it would be too much of a struggle for me to try to adapt.
I remember walking down the steps for that game at Concord in 2008. I knew going down the hill it was my last time, but I did not dwell on that at that particular moment. I knew before the game even started we were at a definite disadvantage because Kannapolis was more physical than we were and they were just having a super season that year, and it was going to be tough to pull this one out. I think they ended up going all the way to the State Championship that year losing to Dudley. I thought going into that game if we could just keep it close and not let it get away from us that the underdog has won this game on several occasions. But as you know that didn’t happen and we ended up losing that game 56-6. It would have hurt more had the game been 10-7 or 14-13, but I don’t have any hard feelings about that and I never accused Coach Massey of running the score up. We couldn’t stop them and we couldn’t score it was just one of those nights. I remember walking back up the steps was when it really hit me that hey, this is it you will never do this again. I remember it being a walk of reflection and thanksgiving, but one of sadness because I knew my life was going to change. I remember when I got to the top of the steps turning around and just looking back at the field as the fans were piling out and thinking how grateful I was to God for allowing me the opportunity to coach at Concord High School.
Now I thought I would be at Concord the next year in 2009, but after thinking about it and praying about it, I knew Coach Padgett didn’t need me there. It would be like Coach Massey still being at Kannapolis as an AD with Coach Newsome coaching, it would have been a little awkward. So I ended up going out to Harris Road and teaching out there for two years and then retiring when Principal Dr. Jim Williams went out. I think a lot of people may have been under the impression because of what happened that last year in 2008 that I may have been forced out, but that simply wasn’t true. I’ll tell you this right now if I would have wanted to remain the head coach at Concord High School I would still be there TODAY. On January 25, 2009 I knew the time was right. I called my daughter Audrey Lee at 3:00pm and I told her honey we are having a banquet tonight and I’m going to be resigning as the head football coach. She replied to me “Are you alright with this decision?” and I said yes that I had made the decision a long time ago and she was fine with it. I call my son Z up at 4:00 and tell him. I told my mother at 5:00 pm and Principle Black at 6:00 pm and George Walker at 7:00 and then my coaches about 7:15 and then we sat down and had dinner and at 8:30 I told my team so nobody knew it until that day and that’s what I think took people off guard. I just wanted to look at life a little bit different and experience life in a manner I had not in years.
There is always what ifs. What if you could have won another state title and what if you could have beaten Kannapolis one more time or put another kid into college, but you know as well as I do that it will never end. People will always want one more and I was at the point I wanted to look at life a little differently. I knew Pat was going to be retiring in 2011 and just thought the time was right. Thirty three years coaching and thirty five teaching is a good life I think. I don’t have any regrets. To go down the hill at either Concord or Kannapolis is an experience that only the players and coaches will ever understand. The support staff experiences it too, but for the players who play and the coaches who coach in it, it is an experience you will never forget. Now I played at the University of South Carolina in front of fifty to seventy thousand people and that was a great experience too. I played at Georgia, LSU, Florida State and in the Houston Astro Dome, but nothing compares to the feeling I got playing and coaching in the bell game. South Carolina and Clemson might be close, but not too much compares with the feeling of coming down that hill to play Kannapolis. Not much can compare. You can ask B.J. Schwedo who is a General now in the U.S. Air force who played in numerous bowl games or Reggie Andrews if he was still alive and they would tell you the same thing.
(FIK) Would you say there was a different level of excitement or emotion playing Kannapolis in the bell game compared to playing Kannapolis in the playoffs?
(EZS) I would have to echo some of the statements you told me about Kannapolis players you have interviewed. I would have lost to Kannapolis every year in the bell game to have beaten them in the playoffs. Looking back at it in retrospect the ultimate prize is a state championship and it took me a little while to figure this out because I never got there until later.
When I came to Concord it was all about beating Kannapolis, winning the conference championship, and making a deep run into the playoffs. Those were our goals plain and simple. As I got older it became beat Kannapolis, Win the conference championship and win a state championship. The stakes got higher. The last year I coached I knew we wouldn’t be making the playoffs and it was the first time in several years we had not been in the playoffs. You look at it today and you see teams going to the playoffs with four or five wins under their belt and it’s just not the same. My 1995 team was ranked number one in the state before we got beat by Kannapolis 5-0 that year and it knocked us out of the playoffs and we were 9-1. Looking at it now what was great during that time was that we all knew to earn the right to go to Chapel Hill you were going to have to beat either Concord or Kannapolis to do it. It is extremely difficult to beat someone twice in the same year especially if you just played them the week or two prior to your playoff game. The biggest difference is the Victory Bell is out of the picture. You know you either win or go home and that can be a totally different type of pressure because of the finality of the scenario.
When we won the bell game in 1991 I’m not sure if that was a bad thing because we knew going in that the Kannapolis team we faced in the bell game would not be the same Kannapolis team we would play in the semi finals. Bruce Hardin prepared his teams so well that we knew it would be a battle to the end that night. I can remember going into the locker room at halftime being ahead and thinking this thing is far from over. I remember Michael Barnes and Keenan Lott were on the verge of breaking big runs almost every time they touched the ball. We were just fortunate enough to have stopped them or could have been totally different going into the half. That second half belonged to Kannapolis. Michael Barnes, Andy Smith, Keenan Lott and Hut Smith were just having exceptional games and they just took it to us. I was actually surprised they lost to Andrews in the state that next week, they were just so talented.
I have always felt that playing a great program like Kannapolis will either set you up for success or it will set you up for failure. We always looked to Kannapolis as the barometer of how good we were in any given season that is how much we respected their team, staff and tradition. If we could compete with them and either win or keep the game close then we felt like we could make a good run in the playoffs. Fortunately we only had to play Kannapolis twice in the season three times, in 1991, 1997 and 1999. That game takes a lot out of you and to prepare your team for a playoff game after such an intense game is difficult. I can remember in 1999 Kannapolis barely beat us that year in the bell game and I thought we could have won that game or at least taken it in to overtime. Rush Rollins kicked that field goal through after missing one or two in the game and that beat us. We were so upset we let that one get away from us I remember telling my son “Z” we can beat this team if it comes down to another game in the playoffs. We will just need to throw in a few wrinkles in the game plan.
I remember that game I told “Z” when we start I’m going to put Jamel Jackson at tailback and I’m going to put you in as fullback. They had this great defensive end, Desmond Williams who played in the Shrine Bowl that year that nobody could block. I put John Rary in a quarterback and our biggest concern with this was making sure we got the snap. We kicked a pooch kick to start the game and Andy Boyd recovered it so we ended up getting the ball first. I put “Z” in at fullback and I told John we are going to run ten, eleven iso, but I’m going to run fifteen lead and we’re going to block down and “Z” Desmond is yours. We are going to find out who the man is tonight (Laughing) So Jamel gets the ball and “Z” gets a good block and he breaks off a good run and we start driving down the field. We didn’t score on that first drive, but we set the tone for the rest of the game. We were going to be on the offensive this time and Kannapolis were going to have to find a way to stop us. That was the mindset going into that game. We moved a lot of people around in the backfield that night with Jamel Jackson, Desmond Thomas, and Josh Lott and I think it really confused them. We didn’t do that in the bell game and I think in the end it paid off for us to throw those wrinkles in. That pooch kick to start the game set the tone. I wanted to send a statement that we were going to be the aggressors this time and you better have your mind right or it’s going to be a long night. I know that loss was hard for Bruce that night because they were ranked number one and undefeated going into that game. They really were the best team in the state that year and it was going to be Bruce’s last game with Justin and Blair. We ended up beating Northwest Cabarrus in a very physical third round game the following week and then went up to Asheville and lost in the semi final round which really hurt us. We lost back to back semi final rounds in 1998 and 1999 and that really hurts to be that close to the state championship game.
(FIK) Give us your take on the way the 1990 Battle for the Bell game ended?
(EZS) (Laughing) We had the game won. We dominated that fourth quarter and they couldn’t move the ball on our defense. We started six sophomores that year and they were young to be playing in such an intense game, but they stepped up to the challenge and we were in control. Looking back I know people think that it was the worse loss I ever experienced, but looking back it really wasn’t. Any of the semi final rounds I lost which gave us the opportunity to play for a state title hurt much worse than that game I can tell you truthfully. That doesn’t mean the 1990 bell game wasn’t disappointing on the contrary it was like losing the game in 1971. Anytime you lose that game you are going to carry it with you the rest of your life, but that game was played great by both teams and ultimately we just didn’t finish it off.
Looking back at it if I could replay any part of that game over or called any part of that game different it would be this. On the last series of downs when we had the ball and could have run the clock out I had Kenny Robinson run an inside trap play with Jay Graham that got stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Now earlier before the half ended Kenny Robinson scored that long touchdown run on an inside bootleg when Kannapolis pinched their defensive line. Kenny read the defense correctly and made a great athletic run. Just before the ball was snapped on that run later in the final minute Kannapolis pinched their defensive line again and had I got Kenny to audible out of that play to that same bootleg he could have run another touchdown on them or at least picked up another first down to run the clock out. I wish I could have had that one play back. The loss in 1995 when we were ranked number one in the state and lost 5-0 at home hurt much worse than the 1990 game. We hadn’t been tested all year long and to lose the game by a safety and a field goal was just hard to swallow. The field was in terrible condition and we just couldn’t keep our footing good enough to establish a consistent running game. I didn’t want to play the game that night, but I was over ruled on that and hine sight being 20/20 who knows we might would have played that game on a Saturday or a Monday and got beat worse.
The 1990 bell game hurt. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to downplay it’s significance to our team and that of the history, but look at the 1982 game. We were up 10-7 that game near the conclusion and Kannapolis runs a reverse and scores a touchdown and they win it 14-10. That was a tough loss. I think the sensational manner in which the 1990 game ended is what people remember most and rightfully they should. Maurice Blakeney, Scott Jordan and Zra Lipscomb came up big in that game and put their team in a position to make that win happen. The Kannapolis defense stepped up big on our last possession which made it possible for them to get the ball back. If they don’t stop us on that final possession the game is over. I’m proud of the way our guys played that game. They were ahead of the defending state champions by two scores under two minutes to play in the game and had played like a conference champion throughout the game. We just didn’t finish it off. I wish we could have shaken hands after the game, but there was such a celebration happening on the field we couldn’t get in line to do it. I remember taking my team back to the locker room and they were upset sure. They saw it through the eyes of young teenage kids who felt they had won the game. I hurt for them just like I hurt after that loss in 1971. I told them “look we have an opportunity to play next week and to advance to possibly play for a state title and that our season was not over.” We ended up making a great run that year losing to Statesville in the semi finals. Some people will say we got vindication for that loss in our two sensational playoff victories in 2004 over Winston Salem Carver and then Asheville in the semi final so turn around is fun sometimes. (Laughing)
(FIK) Describe the “Mud Bowl” in 1995?
(EZS) The field was in terrible shape. it was probably the worse conditions I can remember at our stadium. I didn’t want to play the game that night, but I got over ruled by the Principle and the Athletic Director over concerns about the gate draw. I wanted to play it on Saturday or even Monday which turned out to be great weather. The field would have had time to dry out, but hine sight being 20/20 who knows. (Laughing) My way of thinking was you risk not playing the following Friday night if you get beat so the gate draw would have more than likely balanced out in the end if we had not played the game as scheduled.
We were ranked number one in the state and hadn’t been tested all year long. They came in with a great game plan designed to keep our runners contained. They lined up in a four man front with like four or five linebackers and Mike Lambeth told me this later that they used the same defensive scheme they used against Burlington Cummings back in the 1989 state championship game against us that night. We were pretty good passing the ball that game, but without a consistent running game the passing game just couldn’t get off the ground. It was a classic defensive battle and eluding to what you said earlier about Coach Hardin stating that “Defense wins championships” that couldn’t have held more true on that night. We missed the playoffs that year with one loss and that was tough. To go that entire season ranked number one and then lose due to bad field conditions, but on the other side of the coin Kannapolis played in the same conditions so I’m not making excuses. They made the plays to get the victory and we didn’t.
"3rd Time's the Charm"
Coach Smith Finds the Winning Formula in 3rd Playoff Meeting in 1999
(FIK) What were some of the big differences playing a Bob Boswell coached Wonder team opposed to a Bruce Hardin coached Wonder team?
(EZS) Coach Boswell wanted to intimidate you. He wanted to punch you in the mouth, get you on the mat and just gore you. I don’t think Ethan Horton threw but two out patterns in that 1980 game where they drilled us 41-0. He would get in that wishbone or in the I formation and just pound you. He wanted to wear you down till you couldn’t stand up. He would run a few playaction passes, but Coach Boswell first and foremost wanted to control the tempo of the game with a consistent pounding with his backs. Coach Boswell was blessed to have some great backs play for him that could deliver what he wanted. Terry Baxter, Terry Williams and Greg Bost were some tough physical runners and they would play smash mouth and you would have to either stop it or get beat and I didn’t like getting beat so I learned that real quick. (Laughing)
Coach Hardin brought in a spread offense a lot like what they are doing today which was a little more balanced. Coach Hardin would make you defend the entire field. I use this analogy about those two coaches. Coach Boswell would make you defend what I called numbers to numbers not hash to hash. Coach Boswell would run a lot of sweeps and he liked to run between the tackles then cut up in there to break one off. Coach Hardin made you defend from sideline to sideline and would incorporate the pass on first down or fourth down. Whatever it took to win Coach Hardin would try it. With Coach Boswell it was real vanilla. Not a lot of trickery or finesse just hard smash mouth in your face style football. Coach Boswell would have a tightend, splitend, three in the backfield and boom right at ya. It was very successful then. I was more of a splitback veer, option, playaction pass type offense and we sort of off set the other. Nothing flamboyant or complicated. That’s the way it was back in the eighties. You didn’t have a lot of primarily passing offenses. Passing was more of an necessity than a part of your regular offensive scheme. Coach Hardin’s defensive schemes were very similar to Coach Boswell’s so we had an idea of what to expect from him defensively, but on the other side of the ball Coach Hardin opened the door up. Coach Hardin would lull you to sleep if you weren’t careful and hit you with something you were not prepared for.
Coach Ron Massey on the other hand incorporated the shotgun zone look offense with a three, four or five man front defense which made us have to approach Kannapolis with a totally different mindset. They all had three different personalities and they fit so well for the people they had. I will say this again. The Kannapolis coaches were lucky they only had to prepare for me. I had to prepare for three different styles of coaches over twenty nine years all of which are Hall of Fame caliber coaches. That’s why my hair is as grey as it is now. (Laughing)
With loving respect to all of those coaches whom I have a great relationship with I will make this comparison in styles. I’m going to use four different types of serpents to make this comparison starting with myself. I considered myself to be like a Boa Constrictor. I like to get my hands on you and then slowly wrap you up and squeeze the life out of you until you succumb. Coach Boswell was more like a Rattle Snake. Coach Boswell wanted to strike you fast and would coil up and lay in wait for you to make the wrong move. Coach Boswell was straight forward and in your face. He stared you down and tried to intimidate you and you knew exactly what to expect from him. If you made the wrong move Coach Hardin was like a Cobra. Coach Hardin would sit back quietly and mesmerize you and lull you into a false sense of security and when you least expected it he would strike you quickly and it was all over. Coach Massey was like a Water Moccasin. He would grab a hold of you and wouldn’t let go. If he found you in a bad habit he would exploit that and hang on to that till he beat you. I will say again that Kannapolis had three Hall of Fame coaches that I’m not sure the fans realize they have. I was very fortunate to have been able to match my skills against theirs during my coaching career.
I think me and Coach Hardin were more alike politically because we would never stand up in public and say how good our teams were. We would always make the other guy think that they were better when in reality we knew we were better. (Laughing) Coach Boswell was straight from the shoulder about how he felt about his team and about A.L. Brown Football. There was nothing better to Bob Boswell than A.L. Brown Football and you wouldn’t make him believe any different. That’s what I loved about him was his confidence. He made no bones that A.L. Brown Football was the class of the state and because of that confidence he built that program to what it is today. I say this with the most sincerity I credit all my success and all of the success that Cabarrus County has experienced over the years to the foundation that Bob Boswell built. Cabarrus County Football would not be what it is today if Bob Boswell had not brought what he did to the table. Special Teams and Defense and a physical offense was Coach Boswell’s forte. I was more Defense, Offense and then Special Teams. Bob wanted to have great special teams that could beat you with nothing else and a defense that was going to stop you and an offense that was not going to beat themselves.
If you look back at me and Coach Boswell’s styles in the early days we were both very predictable. You didn’t get a lot of gadgets or tricks in our philosophies. Coach Hardin would run reverses and halfback passes and just opened things up a bit more so to prepare for him you had to be more open minded and ready to think outside the box. You never knew what was going to come next from a Bruce Hardin coached team. If Bob Boswell was coaching today he would line up just like he did in the eighties and he would stare you down and say “Come on big boy lets see what you got.” and still win at least eighty percent of his games. Bob Boswell was the ultimate street fighter. With Coach Massey you never knew what he was going to do until it happened. Coach Massey was very meticulous at game planning. Coach Boswell was more defensive minded while Bruce Hardin was more offensive minded. Ron Massey was a mixture of both. He had such a good concept of both aspects of the game he was hard to prepare for. So to say that one coach gave me more trouble to prepare for than the other I really can’t say that because you had to prepare to play all three of them or you would get beat.
In summary I will say this. I cut my teeth so to speak with Coach Boswell. Coach Hardin made me study more, and Coach Massey made me study even more. Coach Massey really took Kannapolis to that next level beyond what Coach Hardin did the only difference is they didn’t win a state championship and I think he might be unfairly criticized for that, but that’s what people expect when you play football at Concord or Kannapolis. The bar has been set so high and unfortunately in our society you are only as good as your last victory. I think coach Newsome will feel that as well. Coach Newsome will end up being a hall of fame coach, but like Ron Massey and Bob Boswell the measure of success is a state championship and until you reach that point you will always be shadowed by the one who did. Bob Boswell had several teams that could have won state championships and didn’t, Ron Massey had several teams that could have won state championships and didn’t, I had at least ten that could have won state championships and didn’t so it just goes to show how hard those are to obtain. We have all been blessed with what we have accomplished in our past and it is something that has sustained our programs to this day.
(FIK) What are some of your reflections on the 1991 Battle for the Bell game?
(EZS) Kannapolis came in ranked number one in the state at 9-0 and I believe we were ranked number three at 8-1 after losing to 4A East Mecklenburg earlier in the season 14-7. If I’m being perfectly honest those were two of the best Concord/Kannapolis football teams in Cabarrus County History. Those two teams had more star athletes than any I can remember before 1997. Out of the eleven starters I had on offense nine of them went on to play college football and six on defense. Kannapolis was loaded to with Andy Smith, Keenan Lott, Michael Barnes and just a ton of super athletes. We honestly felt like that game was a state championship caliber game. We knew if we could beat Kannapolis then Statesville would probably beat Kannapolis in the playoffs and we would have to play Statesville in the quarter finals or semi finals. I remember there was a lot of build up for that game and I don’t think people thought we were as good as we were, but I knew we had something special with this group and that they could take us to the state championship if we stayed focused.
We thought if we could contain the Kannapolis running backs and force them to have to pass the ball we could win. Our defense played a super game and our offense exceeded our expectations that night. Jay Graham had a career night and when we went into the half winning I told the guys we just keep pouring it on and playing the way we did in the first half then we would be at home for all of our playoff games. Kannapolis came to life in the second half if I remember correctly, but they never really threatened and we ended up with a 30-20 victory. Now we drew the number one seed out of the West and got a first round game with Brevard. Kannapolis got the number two seed and ended up with Lincolnton at Lincolnton. As fate would have it Statesville was beaten by East Rowan in the first round and I began to think we might just meet up with Kannapolis again. The playoffs go on and we win our games and Kannapolis wins theirs and here we are looking at the semi final round against them. Now this is what I think cost us that game and to be frank it was me. It was a decision I made about our defense and how we should approach Kannapolis defensively. Now we played a great defensive game against Kannapolis in the bell game and knowing that you wouldn’t consider changing anything, but I sat down with our coaching staff on a Sunday night and said “guys let me tell you something I think. I think Kannapolis is going to come back and they are going to attack our defense differently than they did in the bell game and this is why. I think Bruce is smart enough to figure out what we did to contain him and I don’t think we can stay in what we have been running all year for this game. They know it now, they have played against it and we probably need to throw in a new wrinkle or two to be successful. I didn’t think for one minute we could stay in the same game plan and beat them twice. I stated this earlier to beat the same team twice in the same year is difficult because you learn from your mistakes what to do and most importantly you learn what not to do. I knew Bruce and his staff were smart and were not going to fall for the same thing twice.
In 1991 our defense rarely blitzed we ran what I like to call back then K-Town Right, K-Town Left which is what Bob Boswell ran at NC State otherwise known as the Shade fifty Defense out of respect for Coach Boswell starting around 1984. It was a nose guard offset from the center a five technique with a 3, 7, 9 with two A and B Gap linebackers I told the coaches if we stay in that then they are going to find the counter where they can trap the “3” block down on the “1” and wrap around then they are going to have a free shot at the linebacker so I think I want to put this in. I called it “Gator” The university of Florida put in a defense against Georgia to win the game at the Gator Bowl that year and I saw it and I thought we could use that in our scheme. It is kind of like the Bears 46 defense. You have a nose guard head up on the center which we never did and you get two guards on the guards and put your ends out and move your linebackers outside. Now your linebacker are cross keying backs and so when they get into the I formation they read in a triangular configuration from the center to the quarterback to the fullback which is called a triangle read. Now coach Hardin’s favorite play out of the I was the quick pitch and trap up under it. If we had someone on the nose guard then the center couldn’t block back meaning they couldn’t trap as well so we put that in and put two blitzes off of it. I called it “Gator Black and Gator Gold”
We’re up 7-0 in the first quarter. They have the ball just inside the fifty on our side of the field. They line up in the “I” and I called “Gator Gold” and the linebacker hit the wrong gap. He was suppose to hit the A gap instead he hit the B gap and Keenan Lott broke off a long run and the game is tied 7-7. I’m thinking that’s ok we are still in this thing lets not get away from the plan. We end up having to punt and they get the ball back so once again I call “Gator Black” and wouldn’t you know it Michael Barnes busts one for a touchdown now it’s 14-7 they score again later on and we just never recovered. We come out of the locker room and I told the guys just stay in it. Now I need to back pedal just a minute because when I tell you it was because of me that we lost that semi final game it was for two reasons. First reason is what we just discussed about changing the defense and the second reason is something that happened before we even took the field that night one week earlier with East Rowan. Plain and simple it was my pride that got in the way when we played East Rowan in the District Championship. We played East Rowan the ninth game of the season in 1991 and were up 35-0 at the half W.A. Cline was the head coach. East Rowan was playing for a playoff spot. The next week if they won they would be in the playoffs and if we beat Kannapolis we would be number one Kannapolis would be number two and East Rowan would be number three. So after the half I pull all the starters out of the lineup. I put Chad Sloop in at quarterback and he was a freshman and I put two kids in at running back who never got to play and I just changed up the whole group. Towards the end of the game we have the ball on our own five yard line Chad Sloop takes the snap and the guard pushes the center into Chad as the ball is being snapped and we fumble the ball. They finally go in and score on fourth and one and game ends 35-6. We shake hands and W.A. Cline says “Coach great game I hope you beat Kannapolis. in the bell game.” Coach Cline having coached at Concord he said he hoped we beat Kannapolis. We beat Kannapolis in the bell game and then we beat Brevard in the first round then North Davidson in the second round. Now Statesville had beaten us the year before in 1990 in the semi final so we thought for sure we would end up playing Statesville again probably in the third round. As you know East Rowan shocked Statesville in the second round in a comeback win 35-34 so we end up playing East Rowan again in the Sectional Championship. At this point Kannapolis is really looking like a semi final round game for us if we can put East Rowan behind us.
Saturday morning after our victory over North Davidson in the second round one of my assistants who lives in Salisbury calls me on the phone and says “EZ, You need to get a copy of the Salisbury Post” I told him I was meeting W.A. Cline to trade film with him at Mikey’s One Stop. Coach said “After you meet with him pick up a copy of the Salisbury Post, but don’t read it till after you exchange film with him.” I said ok and went to meet Coach Cline. After we traded film he left and I walked inside and got a copy of the Post and a cup of coffee and went out to my truck to read it. I open up the sports page and I start reading the account of East Rowan’s victory over Statesville.
(EZS) Coach Boswell wanted to intimidate you. He wanted to punch you in the mouth, get you on the mat and just gore you. I don’t think Ethan Horton threw but two out patterns in that 1980 game where they drilled us 41-0. He would get in that wishbone or in the I formation and just pound you. He wanted to wear you down till you couldn’t stand up. He would run a few playaction passes, but Coach Boswell first and foremost wanted to control the tempo of the game with a consistent pounding with his backs. Coach Boswell was blessed to have some great backs play for him that could deliver what he wanted. Terry Baxter, Terry Williams and Greg Bost were some tough physical runners and they would play smash mouth and you would have to either stop it or get beat and I didn’t like getting beat so I learned that real quick. (Laughing)
Coach Hardin brought in a spread offense a lot like what they are doing today which was a little more balanced. Coach Hardin would make you defend the entire field. I use this analogy about those two coaches. Coach Boswell would make you defend what I called numbers to numbers not hash to hash. Coach Boswell would run a lot of sweeps and he liked to run between the tackles then cut up in there to break one off. Coach Hardin made you defend from sideline to sideline and would incorporate the pass on first down or fourth down. Whatever it took to win Coach Hardin would try it. With Coach Boswell it was real vanilla. Not a lot of trickery or finesse just hard smash mouth in your face style football. Coach Boswell would have a tightend, splitend, three in the backfield and boom right at ya. It was very successful then. I was more of a splitback veer, option, playaction pass type offense and we sort of off set the other. Nothing flamboyant or complicated. That’s the way it was back in the eighties. You didn’t have a lot of primarily passing offenses. Passing was more of an necessity than a part of your regular offensive scheme. Coach Hardin’s defensive schemes were very similar to Coach Boswell’s so we had an idea of what to expect from him defensively, but on the other side of the ball Coach Hardin opened the door up. Coach Hardin would lull you to sleep if you weren’t careful and hit you with something you were not prepared for.
Coach Ron Massey on the other hand incorporated the shotgun zone look offense with a three, four or five man front defense which made us have to approach Kannapolis with a totally different mindset. They all had three different personalities and they fit so well for the people they had. I will say this again. The Kannapolis coaches were lucky they only had to prepare for me. I had to prepare for three different styles of coaches over twenty nine years all of which are Hall of Fame caliber coaches. That’s why my hair is as grey as it is now. (Laughing)
With loving respect to all of those coaches whom I have a great relationship with I will make this comparison in styles. I’m going to use four different types of serpents to make this comparison starting with myself. I considered myself to be like a Boa Constrictor. I like to get my hands on you and then slowly wrap you up and squeeze the life out of you until you succumb. Coach Boswell was more like a Rattle Snake. Coach Boswell wanted to strike you fast and would coil up and lay in wait for you to make the wrong move. Coach Boswell was straight forward and in your face. He stared you down and tried to intimidate you and you knew exactly what to expect from him. If you made the wrong move Coach Hardin was like a Cobra. Coach Hardin would sit back quietly and mesmerize you and lull you into a false sense of security and when you least expected it he would strike you quickly and it was all over. Coach Massey was like a Water Moccasin. He would grab a hold of you and wouldn’t let go. If he found you in a bad habit he would exploit that and hang on to that till he beat you. I will say again that Kannapolis had three Hall of Fame coaches that I’m not sure the fans realize they have. I was very fortunate to have been able to match my skills against theirs during my coaching career.
I think me and Coach Hardin were more alike politically because we would never stand up in public and say how good our teams were. We would always make the other guy think that they were better when in reality we knew we were better. (Laughing) Coach Boswell was straight from the shoulder about how he felt about his team and about A.L. Brown Football. There was nothing better to Bob Boswell than A.L. Brown Football and you wouldn’t make him believe any different. That’s what I loved about him was his confidence. He made no bones that A.L. Brown Football was the class of the state and because of that confidence he built that program to what it is today. I say this with the most sincerity I credit all my success and all of the success that Cabarrus County has experienced over the years to the foundation that Bob Boswell built. Cabarrus County Football would not be what it is today if Bob Boswell had not brought what he did to the table. Special Teams and Defense and a physical offense was Coach Boswell’s forte. I was more Defense, Offense and then Special Teams. Bob wanted to have great special teams that could beat you with nothing else and a defense that was going to stop you and an offense that was not going to beat themselves.
If you look back at me and Coach Boswell’s styles in the early days we were both very predictable. You didn’t get a lot of gadgets or tricks in our philosophies. Coach Hardin would run reverses and halfback passes and just opened things up a bit more so to prepare for him you had to be more open minded and ready to think outside the box. You never knew what was going to come next from a Bruce Hardin coached team. If Bob Boswell was coaching today he would line up just like he did in the eighties and he would stare you down and say “Come on big boy lets see what you got.” and still win at least eighty percent of his games. Bob Boswell was the ultimate street fighter. With Coach Massey you never knew what he was going to do until it happened. Coach Massey was very meticulous at game planning. Coach Boswell was more defensive minded while Bruce Hardin was more offensive minded. Ron Massey was a mixture of both. He had such a good concept of both aspects of the game he was hard to prepare for. So to say that one coach gave me more trouble to prepare for than the other I really can’t say that because you had to prepare to play all three of them or you would get beat.
In summary I will say this. I cut my teeth so to speak with Coach Boswell. Coach Hardin made me study more, and Coach Massey made me study even more. Coach Massey really took Kannapolis to that next level beyond what Coach Hardin did the only difference is they didn’t win a state championship and I think he might be unfairly criticized for that, but that’s what people expect when you play football at Concord or Kannapolis. The bar has been set so high and unfortunately in our society you are only as good as your last victory. I think coach Newsome will feel that as well. Coach Newsome will end up being a hall of fame coach, but like Ron Massey and Bob Boswell the measure of success is a state championship and until you reach that point you will always be shadowed by the one who did. Bob Boswell had several teams that could have won state championships and didn’t, Ron Massey had several teams that could have won state championships and didn’t, I had at least ten that could have won state championships and didn’t so it just goes to show how hard those are to obtain. We have all been blessed with what we have accomplished in our past and it is something that has sustained our programs to this day.
(FIK) What are some of your reflections on the 1991 Battle for the Bell game?
(EZS) Kannapolis came in ranked number one in the state at 9-0 and I believe we were ranked number three at 8-1 after losing to 4A East Mecklenburg earlier in the season 14-7. If I’m being perfectly honest those were two of the best Concord/Kannapolis football teams in Cabarrus County History. Those two teams had more star athletes than any I can remember before 1997. Out of the eleven starters I had on offense nine of them went on to play college football and six on defense. Kannapolis was loaded to with Andy Smith, Keenan Lott, Michael Barnes and just a ton of super athletes. We honestly felt like that game was a state championship caliber game. We knew if we could beat Kannapolis then Statesville would probably beat Kannapolis in the playoffs and we would have to play Statesville in the quarter finals or semi finals. I remember there was a lot of build up for that game and I don’t think people thought we were as good as we were, but I knew we had something special with this group and that they could take us to the state championship if we stayed focused.
We thought if we could contain the Kannapolis running backs and force them to have to pass the ball we could win. Our defense played a super game and our offense exceeded our expectations that night. Jay Graham had a career night and when we went into the half winning I told the guys we just keep pouring it on and playing the way we did in the first half then we would be at home for all of our playoff games. Kannapolis came to life in the second half if I remember correctly, but they never really threatened and we ended up with a 30-20 victory. Now we drew the number one seed out of the West and got a first round game with Brevard. Kannapolis got the number two seed and ended up with Lincolnton at Lincolnton. As fate would have it Statesville was beaten by East Rowan in the first round and I began to think we might just meet up with Kannapolis again. The playoffs go on and we win our games and Kannapolis wins theirs and here we are looking at the semi final round against them. Now this is what I think cost us that game and to be frank it was me. It was a decision I made about our defense and how we should approach Kannapolis defensively. Now we played a great defensive game against Kannapolis in the bell game and knowing that you wouldn’t consider changing anything, but I sat down with our coaching staff on a Sunday night and said “guys let me tell you something I think. I think Kannapolis is going to come back and they are going to attack our defense differently than they did in the bell game and this is why. I think Bruce is smart enough to figure out what we did to contain him and I don’t think we can stay in what we have been running all year for this game. They know it now, they have played against it and we probably need to throw in a new wrinkle or two to be successful. I didn’t think for one minute we could stay in the same game plan and beat them twice. I stated this earlier to beat the same team twice in the same year is difficult because you learn from your mistakes what to do and most importantly you learn what not to do. I knew Bruce and his staff were smart and were not going to fall for the same thing twice.
In 1991 our defense rarely blitzed we ran what I like to call back then K-Town Right, K-Town Left which is what Bob Boswell ran at NC State otherwise known as the Shade fifty Defense out of respect for Coach Boswell starting around 1984. It was a nose guard offset from the center a five technique with a 3, 7, 9 with two A and B Gap linebackers I told the coaches if we stay in that then they are going to find the counter where they can trap the “3” block down on the “1” and wrap around then they are going to have a free shot at the linebacker so I think I want to put this in. I called it “Gator” The university of Florida put in a defense against Georgia to win the game at the Gator Bowl that year and I saw it and I thought we could use that in our scheme. It is kind of like the Bears 46 defense. You have a nose guard head up on the center which we never did and you get two guards on the guards and put your ends out and move your linebackers outside. Now your linebacker are cross keying backs and so when they get into the I formation they read in a triangular configuration from the center to the quarterback to the fullback which is called a triangle read. Now coach Hardin’s favorite play out of the I was the quick pitch and trap up under it. If we had someone on the nose guard then the center couldn’t block back meaning they couldn’t trap as well so we put that in and put two blitzes off of it. I called it “Gator Black and Gator Gold”
We’re up 7-0 in the first quarter. They have the ball just inside the fifty on our side of the field. They line up in the “I” and I called “Gator Gold” and the linebacker hit the wrong gap. He was suppose to hit the A gap instead he hit the B gap and Keenan Lott broke off a long run and the game is tied 7-7. I’m thinking that’s ok we are still in this thing lets not get away from the plan. We end up having to punt and they get the ball back so once again I call “Gator Black” and wouldn’t you know it Michael Barnes busts one for a touchdown now it’s 14-7 they score again later on and we just never recovered. We come out of the locker room and I told the guys just stay in it. Now I need to back pedal just a minute because when I tell you it was because of me that we lost that semi final game it was for two reasons. First reason is what we just discussed about changing the defense and the second reason is something that happened before we even took the field that night one week earlier with East Rowan. Plain and simple it was my pride that got in the way when we played East Rowan in the District Championship. We played East Rowan the ninth game of the season in 1991 and were up 35-0 at the half W.A. Cline was the head coach. East Rowan was playing for a playoff spot. The next week if they won they would be in the playoffs and if we beat Kannapolis we would be number one Kannapolis would be number two and East Rowan would be number three. So after the half I pull all the starters out of the lineup. I put Chad Sloop in at quarterback and he was a freshman and I put two kids in at running back who never got to play and I just changed up the whole group. Towards the end of the game we have the ball on our own five yard line Chad Sloop takes the snap and the guard pushes the center into Chad as the ball is being snapped and we fumble the ball. They finally go in and score on fourth and one and game ends 35-6. We shake hands and W.A. Cline says “Coach great game I hope you beat Kannapolis. in the bell game.” Coach Cline having coached at Concord he said he hoped we beat Kannapolis. We beat Kannapolis in the bell game and then we beat Brevard in the first round then North Davidson in the second round. Now Statesville had beaten us the year before in 1990 in the semi final so we thought for sure we would end up playing Statesville again probably in the third round. As you know East Rowan shocked Statesville in the second round in a comeback win 35-34 so we end up playing East Rowan again in the Sectional Championship. At this point Kannapolis is really looking like a semi final round game for us if we can put East Rowan behind us.
Saturday morning after our victory over North Davidson in the second round one of my assistants who lives in Salisbury calls me on the phone and says “EZ, You need to get a copy of the Salisbury Post” I told him I was meeting W.A. Cline to trade film with him at Mikey’s One Stop. Coach said “After you meet with him pick up a copy of the Salisbury Post, but don’t read it till after you exchange film with him.” I said ok and went to meet Coach Cline. After we traded film he left and I walked inside and got a copy of the Post and a cup of coffee and went out to my truck to read it. I open up the sports page and I start reading the account of East Rowan’s victory over Statesville.
They are asking coach Cline all kinds of questions about the game and then they asked him “Coach is there anything you can do this week to help you get a victory over Concord?” This was coach Cline’s reply in the Post. He said “We totally out played them, and in the second half we outscored them. We shut their offense down to the point they didn’t even have a first down the entire second half. This game will be different.” I read that and my blood pressure went back up to 210. I’m driving home and I’m livid. I go to church Sunday and I pray to God to help me get through this and to keep my cool cause I was mad then and I knew I had practice on Monday. Now this is the third round of the playoffs there should be very limited contact for the guys. I get my first team offense and my first team defense and we go full bore scrimmage. Nothing technical no special teams just full out war. We are running our offense against their defense and vice versa. We do that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday we go in the stadium and go full speed kickoff, kickoff return, punt block, punt return, on side kick, onside return. We go three plays live punt, we go three plays live field goal. We are live the entire time. I told them “This is war boys” and I’ve got the quote from Coach Cline posted up for all to see in the field house “This game will be different”
Halftime we are leading 26-0 and we have missed about four scoring opportunities. I tell the guys “Only my starters are playing this half nobody else.” My coaches were like “Coach we are going to have either Kannapolis or East Henderson in the semi finals do you think we might need to substitute.” I said “I don’t care who we play this is personal.” the first time in my life it has ever been personal, but this was. It got to be 61-0 at the end of the third quarter and my coaches are in shock. Finally I looked around and I thought ok this has probably sent the statement I wanted to send. My people, my family are in the stands and I could tell they were mad at me so we play the rest of the game with our substitutes in. Coach Cline is fit to be tied he comes across the field and he is about ready to go off. I looked at him and I said “You shouldn’t have said what you said in the paper coach. This time it is different. The last time I took it easy and it will never be that easy again I can promise you that.” I get up Saturday morning and I call coach Cline and I apologize for what happened and I asked him to forgive me and I told him I wish I had'nt done that or said what I said to him and would he please forgive me for it. Coach Cline said “EZ, been there done that and I wish you the best.” We got beat the next week by Kannapolis in the semi finals and I’m telling you Scott, I went inside my office shut the door and got on my knees and said “God I know this is happening for what I did last week and I promise you I will never do anything like that again” and I have never done anything like that since 1991 and that is a true story. The 61-0 beating of East Rowan cost me the chance to go to the state championship that year in Chapel Hill and I will always believe that. I believe you learn lessons in life and I believe I lost that game to Kannapolis because God was teaching me humility and it came at the cost of one of the best teams I ever had at Concord hands down. The 1991 Concord Spiders was without a doubt the best team I ever had and they suffered because of me. I was even more disappointed when Kannapolis got beat by High Point Andrews in the state championship game the following week. I could have at least been able to say I lost to the eventual state champion. (Laughing)
Halftime we are leading 26-0 and we have missed about four scoring opportunities. I tell the guys “Only my starters are playing this half nobody else.” My coaches were like “Coach we are going to have either Kannapolis or East Henderson in the semi finals do you think we might need to substitute.” I said “I don’t care who we play this is personal.” the first time in my life it has ever been personal, but this was. It got to be 61-0 at the end of the third quarter and my coaches are in shock. Finally I looked around and I thought ok this has probably sent the statement I wanted to send. My people, my family are in the stands and I could tell they were mad at me so we play the rest of the game with our substitutes in. Coach Cline is fit to be tied he comes across the field and he is about ready to go off. I looked at him and I said “You shouldn’t have said what you said in the paper coach. This time it is different. The last time I took it easy and it will never be that easy again I can promise you that.” I get up Saturday morning and I call coach Cline and I apologize for what happened and I asked him to forgive me and I told him I wish I had'nt done that or said what I said to him and would he please forgive me for it. Coach Cline said “EZ, been there done that and I wish you the best.” We got beat the next week by Kannapolis in the semi finals and I’m telling you Scott, I went inside my office shut the door and got on my knees and said “God I know this is happening for what I did last week and I promise you I will never do anything like that again” and I have never done anything like that since 1991 and that is a true story. The 61-0 beating of East Rowan cost me the chance to go to the state championship that year in Chapel Hill and I will always believe that. I believe you learn lessons in life and I believe I lost that game to Kannapolis because God was teaching me humility and it came at the cost of one of the best teams I ever had at Concord hands down. The 1991 Concord Spiders was without a doubt the best team I ever had and they suffered because of me. I was even more disappointed when Kannapolis got beat by High Point Andrews in the state championship game the following week. I could have at least been able to say I lost to the eventual state champion. (Laughing)
"A Lesson in Humility?"
An Epiphany for Coach Smith in the 1991 Western Regional Final
(FIK) Describe the offensive showcase in the 1992 version of the Battle for the Bell?
(EZS) I had to have oxygen at halftime. (Laughing) That game was an offensive football lovers dream in the first half. I think the combined yardage in that game had to be a record for the game. Between Keenan Lott and Jay Graham I think they had to have had almost three hundred yards between them. I’m sure what you are wondering is what happened in the second half of that game to slow it up so much. One of Bruce Hardin’s staff’s biggest attributes was their ability to make adjustments at the half. Mike Lambeth made some great adjustments and they took Jay Graham out of the equation. The Kannapolis defense was able to keep him from getting any room like he did in the first half. I thought we did good up to a point you know, but it is what it is. What a lot of people forgot about that game was that David Damon hurt his knee and did not play the second half. Robert Staton and Tyson Black two of our wide receivers both got hit on big crunching plays in the first half did not play in the second and Kenny Robinson our quarterback banged up his shoulder and could not throw the ball as well as he had. Kannapolis physically just banged us up and I had six starters going into the first round that following week at Smokey Mountain that couldn’t practice the entire week. That was a physical game with a lot of hard hitting going on both sides. Our problem in 1992 was we didn’t have much depth in the skill positions to replace some of the guys who got banged up in the first half and that hurt us. Once they corralled Jay Graham who was basically our lone bullet we just didn’t have enough bullets left in the chamber. That 27-19 Kannapolis win was a lot closer than the score reflected.
(FIK) You were known sometimes to get very animated on the sidelines. Was this just your passion for the game or something else?
(EZS) That was just the way I played the game and it bled over into my coaching. Football was exciting for me and I loved the competition so much that I would sometimes let it show. If you played my 1975 highlight tape I was always one of the first to get to the running back after a touchdown. It was just my enthusiasm. What you have to understand as a coach is that your players are looking to you for leadership and guidance. If they see you get excited for them whether it be for a touchdown or maybe a bad call from an official they see you care and they become more apt to give you more of themselves in a game than maybe what they think they have in them. It can be motivational or it can hurt depending on what situation you get animated. (Laughing) The way I looked at it was that it’s an emotional game played by violent men and I just felt like if I wanted my players to be excited and emotional then I need to be the example, and after you do that for thirty some years and after a while I saw that I wasn’t as excited as I used to be then I began to re evaluate my station in life. I loved being in the field house with the guys and being with them in practice, but as time goes by and I begin to see that things that use to not bother me are now bothering me then I knew something was not right. It wouldn’t be fair to those players or to the fans or the community if I was unable to continue to give on the level I had been giving for so many years.
Another thing that hurt me is when I won those two state titles I think I began to relax. It was like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders and the desire for that third title was there, but I don’t think the same level of emotion was there to get it done and that wasn’t fair to the program. Till you win that first state title that bear is on you big time. When you win that first one it’s like well, anybody can win one, but when you win that second one you become what I call validated. You get stamped and people start to look at you differently they start wanting that third and that fourth title and it never ends. The expectation increases and you have to deliver and I didn’t want my lack of enthusiasm to hinder the program.
(FIK) What are your thoughts on the way the games transpired in 1997?
(EZS) The bell game was disappointing in 1997 because we were ranked number one and I personally thought we were much better up front than Kannapoils. We had Anthony Gray and Jamie Scott who were both seniors that year. Jamie had rushed for two thousand yards like his counter part Nick Maddox had done and I thought we could match up with them offensively, but we just dropped the egg defensively and got burned on some things that Kannapolis wasn’t really doing for much of that year. I remember William Craft had a great game and threw the ball really well. We knew they were going rely heavily on Nick to carry the ball plus they had another great runner back there with him in Traun Brown so we thought it would be a little more smash mouth than what it was and Bruce like I said before laid back there and got us concentrating on the run which made William Craft able to connect on some passes that really broke the game open for them. I remember right before the half I told them they are going to run this play action pass counter tray play and the receiver is going to do a stop and go or a wheel route and just to sit back there and wait for it. The kid jumped the wheel route and in for a touchdown he went.
That was probably as much a disappointing defeat as any of them because I really thought we were much better than they were going in especially after they lost to East Rowan. We felt like we should have beat them in 1995, and then we did beat them in 1996 at Kannapolis and then in 1997 I thought we were better than the 1996 team plus we were ranked number one in the state so there was a lot of incentive going into that game. Sometimes I’m not so sure going into that game ranked number one is a good thing. (Laughing)
(FIK) Did you feel the loss in the bell game gave you any added incentive for the third round match up against Kannapolis?
(EZS) I’ll tell you a story about that. First round we get North Surry at North Surry and at the end of the game Drew Walters lined up to kick a field goal to win the game. North Surry runs in to block it and they cream Drew I mean his foot is still in the air and they hit him right in the face and get a fifteen yard penalty with no time on the clock. We kick the field goal and win. Shane Berryman comes over and tells me “Hey coach, Hickory won so we got to go to Hickory” Now we are looking at our second travel game at Hickory against the defending state champs. Following week we get on the bus and we ride up to Hickory and when we get there I’m looking for their coach Dave Elder and he’s not there to meet me, but their team is already there waiting. They got maroon sweat suits on that reads “Hickory Red Tornados 1996 State AAA Champions” Scott, they are lined up like a gauntlet for us to go in our locker room and they are heckling us as we are going through. I tell our boys “look, I don’t care what’s said do not say a word till we get in that locker room I mean don’t say nothing.” We get in the locker room and my guys are just seething and just as quiet as they can be. I grab a garbage can and throw it clear across the locker room and tell them in no uncertain terms “We are not St Stephens, Bunker Hill, Fred T Foard or any of those teams they played up here in these Western Foothills that they are use to playing. We are the Concord Spiders and we come here to win.” We got dressed and we went out there and busted that Red Tornado bubble. When the game is over with Danny Massey who is the Principle at Hickory High came up to me and said “Coach we need to help get you off the field.” I told him “Danny, Nobody was there to protect us when we came in and you look up there now.” Scott they had a gauntlet waiting for us to leave mostly fans. I told him “You get some police or Sheriff’s deputies up there cause we are not going through that alone.” They were in shock. They didn’t expect what they got when we came to town I’ll tell you that, and we should have beaten them worse, but we missed some opportunities, and who do we draw next round. Kannapolis (Laughing)
(FIK) Explain how this draw came about in the 1997 playoffs?
(EZS) (Laughing) We go up to the IHOP after the bell game was over and we start drawing numbers us, East Rowan and Kannapolis. Jim Brown is up there to and they had as good a record as any of us and so we draw. The State actually had what I thought was close to reasonable with the Pod system, but now I hear they are doing away with that this year. I think in 1997 their reasoning was all these teams are so close that if Concord and Kannapolis are going to play again it needs to be in the third or fourth round. I was actually surprised in 1999 that we got Kannapolis in the second round the way they had that thing set up I was sure we would probably get Kannapolis in the third round if we continued winning, but we ended up beating Kannapolis and getting Northwest Cabarrus who had beaten us in the regular season at Concord. So I guess it all came out in the wash so to speak.
(FIK) What were your thoughts on the Sectional Final against Kannapolis in 1997?
(EZS) That was the 9-0 game if I’m correct. I think Kannapolis came in thinking they were going to route us and we thought maybe we might get a little payback for the bell game and it just became the exact opposite of what people expected. It went back and forth defensively like two heavy weights getting their punches in where they could. Again I thought William Craft stepped up big in that game for Kannapolis. Neither one of us could run the ball consistently against the other. Nick Maddox didn’t get one hundred yards rushing against us until his senior season in 1998. I think historically Concord defenses have been very quick sideline to sideline and it’s hard to run East and West against us. We have been very fortunate in the past to have some very quick defensive linemen and linebackers that we could pretty much shut down a running game if we maintained our discipline. I think it goes back to what I said earlier about Bruce’s staff being so great about game planning and making adjustments in the second half. Bruce was just smart enough to know you were not going to beat us the same way twice. His staff had a great game plan and they caught us in some bad situations they were able to capitalize on. Much respect goes out to that staff and their ability to make adjustments on the fly.
I think in that game Bruce thought hey, lets use some fullback traps and get our tightends in the picture. He did the same thing in 1989 with Mike Morton, and then Danny Jenkins in 1997 with their play. Bruce was able to find the soft spots in our secondary and was able to get the ball to them with some great quarterbacks in Maurice Blakeney and William Craft. I remembered that years later from watching Bruce and with my two state championship teams in 2004 and 2006 we were able to utilize our tightends with great results. Before that both of us were basically using our tightends as blockers. That was a close game. That was one of those games that really hurt because we did have opportunities to turn it around, but just couldn’t get any breaks to go our way. That was difficult because we honestly thought if we could beat them then we could win the state because those were the two best teams in the 3A that year I thought. I reflect back on what you said earlier about William Craft saying he thought the game with us was the state championship game and that’s how we felt too. I know Kings Mountain was good, but I thought we could have out muscled them if we had to play them. I will tell you this and it goes for the game in 1991 as well. When a team can beat you twice in the same year that team is the better team and Kannapolis was definitely the better teams those years and did what they had to do to win. I think it’s a testament to the football that is played in Cabarrus County that if you are going to the state championship you are going to have to beat Concord or Kannapolis at some point in the playoffs and today you have Hickory Ridge and Cox Mill who are improving year after year. The South Piedmont Conference is a tough conference to run the table in now. There are so many good teams and I think it’s a shame that Kannapolis won’t be there this next four years I really do.
(EZS) I had to have oxygen at halftime. (Laughing) That game was an offensive football lovers dream in the first half. I think the combined yardage in that game had to be a record for the game. Between Keenan Lott and Jay Graham I think they had to have had almost three hundred yards between them. I’m sure what you are wondering is what happened in the second half of that game to slow it up so much. One of Bruce Hardin’s staff’s biggest attributes was their ability to make adjustments at the half. Mike Lambeth made some great adjustments and they took Jay Graham out of the equation. The Kannapolis defense was able to keep him from getting any room like he did in the first half. I thought we did good up to a point you know, but it is what it is. What a lot of people forgot about that game was that David Damon hurt his knee and did not play the second half. Robert Staton and Tyson Black two of our wide receivers both got hit on big crunching plays in the first half did not play in the second and Kenny Robinson our quarterback banged up his shoulder and could not throw the ball as well as he had. Kannapolis physically just banged us up and I had six starters going into the first round that following week at Smokey Mountain that couldn’t practice the entire week. That was a physical game with a lot of hard hitting going on both sides. Our problem in 1992 was we didn’t have much depth in the skill positions to replace some of the guys who got banged up in the first half and that hurt us. Once they corralled Jay Graham who was basically our lone bullet we just didn’t have enough bullets left in the chamber. That 27-19 Kannapolis win was a lot closer than the score reflected.
(FIK) You were known sometimes to get very animated on the sidelines. Was this just your passion for the game or something else?
(EZS) That was just the way I played the game and it bled over into my coaching. Football was exciting for me and I loved the competition so much that I would sometimes let it show. If you played my 1975 highlight tape I was always one of the first to get to the running back after a touchdown. It was just my enthusiasm. What you have to understand as a coach is that your players are looking to you for leadership and guidance. If they see you get excited for them whether it be for a touchdown or maybe a bad call from an official they see you care and they become more apt to give you more of themselves in a game than maybe what they think they have in them. It can be motivational or it can hurt depending on what situation you get animated. (Laughing) The way I looked at it was that it’s an emotional game played by violent men and I just felt like if I wanted my players to be excited and emotional then I need to be the example, and after you do that for thirty some years and after a while I saw that I wasn’t as excited as I used to be then I began to re evaluate my station in life. I loved being in the field house with the guys and being with them in practice, but as time goes by and I begin to see that things that use to not bother me are now bothering me then I knew something was not right. It wouldn’t be fair to those players or to the fans or the community if I was unable to continue to give on the level I had been giving for so many years.
Another thing that hurt me is when I won those two state titles I think I began to relax. It was like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders and the desire for that third title was there, but I don’t think the same level of emotion was there to get it done and that wasn’t fair to the program. Till you win that first state title that bear is on you big time. When you win that first one it’s like well, anybody can win one, but when you win that second one you become what I call validated. You get stamped and people start to look at you differently they start wanting that third and that fourth title and it never ends. The expectation increases and you have to deliver and I didn’t want my lack of enthusiasm to hinder the program.
(FIK) What are your thoughts on the way the games transpired in 1997?
(EZS) The bell game was disappointing in 1997 because we were ranked number one and I personally thought we were much better up front than Kannapoils. We had Anthony Gray and Jamie Scott who were both seniors that year. Jamie had rushed for two thousand yards like his counter part Nick Maddox had done and I thought we could match up with them offensively, but we just dropped the egg defensively and got burned on some things that Kannapolis wasn’t really doing for much of that year. I remember William Craft had a great game and threw the ball really well. We knew they were going rely heavily on Nick to carry the ball plus they had another great runner back there with him in Traun Brown so we thought it would be a little more smash mouth than what it was and Bruce like I said before laid back there and got us concentrating on the run which made William Craft able to connect on some passes that really broke the game open for them. I remember right before the half I told them they are going to run this play action pass counter tray play and the receiver is going to do a stop and go or a wheel route and just to sit back there and wait for it. The kid jumped the wheel route and in for a touchdown he went.
That was probably as much a disappointing defeat as any of them because I really thought we were much better than they were going in especially after they lost to East Rowan. We felt like we should have beat them in 1995, and then we did beat them in 1996 at Kannapolis and then in 1997 I thought we were better than the 1996 team plus we were ranked number one in the state so there was a lot of incentive going into that game. Sometimes I’m not so sure going into that game ranked number one is a good thing. (Laughing)
(FIK) Did you feel the loss in the bell game gave you any added incentive for the third round match up against Kannapolis?
(EZS) I’ll tell you a story about that. First round we get North Surry at North Surry and at the end of the game Drew Walters lined up to kick a field goal to win the game. North Surry runs in to block it and they cream Drew I mean his foot is still in the air and they hit him right in the face and get a fifteen yard penalty with no time on the clock. We kick the field goal and win. Shane Berryman comes over and tells me “Hey coach, Hickory won so we got to go to Hickory” Now we are looking at our second travel game at Hickory against the defending state champs. Following week we get on the bus and we ride up to Hickory and when we get there I’m looking for their coach Dave Elder and he’s not there to meet me, but their team is already there waiting. They got maroon sweat suits on that reads “Hickory Red Tornados 1996 State AAA Champions” Scott, they are lined up like a gauntlet for us to go in our locker room and they are heckling us as we are going through. I tell our boys “look, I don’t care what’s said do not say a word till we get in that locker room I mean don’t say nothing.” We get in the locker room and my guys are just seething and just as quiet as they can be. I grab a garbage can and throw it clear across the locker room and tell them in no uncertain terms “We are not St Stephens, Bunker Hill, Fred T Foard or any of those teams they played up here in these Western Foothills that they are use to playing. We are the Concord Spiders and we come here to win.” We got dressed and we went out there and busted that Red Tornado bubble. When the game is over with Danny Massey who is the Principle at Hickory High came up to me and said “Coach we need to help get you off the field.” I told him “Danny, Nobody was there to protect us when we came in and you look up there now.” Scott they had a gauntlet waiting for us to leave mostly fans. I told him “You get some police or Sheriff’s deputies up there cause we are not going through that alone.” They were in shock. They didn’t expect what they got when we came to town I’ll tell you that, and we should have beaten them worse, but we missed some opportunities, and who do we draw next round. Kannapolis (Laughing)
(FIK) Explain how this draw came about in the 1997 playoffs?
(EZS) (Laughing) We go up to the IHOP after the bell game was over and we start drawing numbers us, East Rowan and Kannapolis. Jim Brown is up there to and they had as good a record as any of us and so we draw. The State actually had what I thought was close to reasonable with the Pod system, but now I hear they are doing away with that this year. I think in 1997 their reasoning was all these teams are so close that if Concord and Kannapolis are going to play again it needs to be in the third or fourth round. I was actually surprised in 1999 that we got Kannapolis in the second round the way they had that thing set up I was sure we would probably get Kannapolis in the third round if we continued winning, but we ended up beating Kannapolis and getting Northwest Cabarrus who had beaten us in the regular season at Concord. So I guess it all came out in the wash so to speak.
(FIK) What were your thoughts on the Sectional Final against Kannapolis in 1997?
(EZS) That was the 9-0 game if I’m correct. I think Kannapolis came in thinking they were going to route us and we thought maybe we might get a little payback for the bell game and it just became the exact opposite of what people expected. It went back and forth defensively like two heavy weights getting their punches in where they could. Again I thought William Craft stepped up big in that game for Kannapolis. Neither one of us could run the ball consistently against the other. Nick Maddox didn’t get one hundred yards rushing against us until his senior season in 1998. I think historically Concord defenses have been very quick sideline to sideline and it’s hard to run East and West against us. We have been very fortunate in the past to have some very quick defensive linemen and linebackers that we could pretty much shut down a running game if we maintained our discipline. I think it goes back to what I said earlier about Bruce’s staff being so great about game planning and making adjustments in the second half. Bruce was just smart enough to know you were not going to beat us the same way twice. His staff had a great game plan and they caught us in some bad situations they were able to capitalize on. Much respect goes out to that staff and their ability to make adjustments on the fly.
I think in that game Bruce thought hey, lets use some fullback traps and get our tightends in the picture. He did the same thing in 1989 with Mike Morton, and then Danny Jenkins in 1997 with their play. Bruce was able to find the soft spots in our secondary and was able to get the ball to them with some great quarterbacks in Maurice Blakeney and William Craft. I remembered that years later from watching Bruce and with my two state championship teams in 2004 and 2006 we were able to utilize our tightends with great results. Before that both of us were basically using our tightends as blockers. That was a close game. That was one of those games that really hurt because we did have opportunities to turn it around, but just couldn’t get any breaks to go our way. That was difficult because we honestly thought if we could beat them then we could win the state because those were the two best teams in the 3A that year I thought. I reflect back on what you said earlier about William Craft saying he thought the game with us was the state championship game and that’s how we felt too. I know Kings Mountain was good, but I thought we could have out muscled them if we had to play them. I will tell you this and it goes for the game in 1991 as well. When a team can beat you twice in the same year that team is the better team and Kannapolis was definitely the better teams those years and did what they had to do to win. I think it’s a testament to the football that is played in Cabarrus County that if you are going to the state championship you are going to have to beat Concord or Kannapolis at some point in the playoffs and today you have Hickory Ridge and Cox Mill who are improving year after year. The South Piedmont Conference is a tough conference to run the table in now. There are so many good teams and I think it’s a shame that Kannapolis won’t be there this next four years I really do.
"Familiar Territory in 1997"
(FIK) Do you think it was any advantage for Kannapolis in the game to have a higher ADM than Concord where the competition was concerned?
(EZS) No I really don’t. You go back and look at almost eighty percent of those games and you see how close those games were played. It was rare that you saw any of us putting up astronomical numbers on the other. I know there is a lot of controversy where that is concerned where A.L. Brown should be a 4A school and this and that, but in the end I think both schools develop the talent they have so well that it really doesn’t make a difference. Thomasville High School, Thomasville North Carolina is a program I would put up against anybody and who could compete with just about anybody and I believe they are 2A now. Kannapolis and South Rowan were both AAAA schools and South rarely beat Kannapolis even though they were equal in enrollment. I’ve always thought if you have 1000 to 15000 students you should be able to find eleven kids that can play football. What a lot of people don’t realize is we were a 2A school and had to petition to play up to the 3A. We didn’t really become a 3A school until the late nineties. We were about to go 4A until J.M. Robinson was built and they took three hundred of our students which kept us under the threshold, but do I think it has been and advantage no. I think it all comes down to what you get out of the talent you have and both Concord and Kannapolis have been very fortunate to have great support staff who made sure that talent was developed and developed properly. Where I think it does become an advantage is in your depth chart. If your numbers are a little better you may have twenty two kids who can play football as opposed to eleven and out of that twenty two you may have fifteen who are really good football players. Most of the time we dressed out thirty five to forty players at Concord because I never cut a player. Numbers are more a factor in the depth issue, but not as far as the quality of the player.
(FIK) Did you know what talent you had coming up in the ranks of the Middle School that you would take special notice of early on?
(EZS) I did before the merger with Cabarrus County Schools. We pretty much had the best of the best from our geographical area before the merger and I say the best thing that happened from that merger was maintenance. When the schools merged my salary was frozen, I was limited in the number of coaches I could have and the clinics we could attend and I think that was the big difference in our schools. When Bob Boswell was at A.L. Brown he was pretty much the keeper of the PE programs in the Kannapolis City Schools where I wasn’t. I don’t want it to sound like sour grapes, but Coach Boswell had one person he had to answer to and that was Superintendent Dr Grier Bradshaw. When I was at Concord in the early days I answered to Bill Ford the Athletic Director, Charlie Rimer the Principle and Bill Irvin the Superintendent. When we merged all that changed and to be perfectly honest we never recovered from that. I thought we were on the verge of being right there with Kannapolis and then the merger took place and we hit sort of a plateau.
(FIK) In your assessment what is the one variable that makes this rivalry such a unique experience?
(EZS) More than anything else I think the people of Concord and Kannapolis are all cut from the same cloth. The player, the fans, the coaches, the band, the cheerleaders all come from basically the same background. Very proud communities that lives and breaths football and who support football with their time and and their service to both schools. That’s a rare thing in a lot of communities. They fill those stands on Friday nights to watch teenagers give their best for the town and the school and they support them with a fervor that is just fantastic aside from some of the extracurricular activities that have transpired in the past, but again that’s just a show of their enthusiasm. To be ranked in USA Today for many years as one of the best and oldest rivalries in the country says a lot plus the fact that you are playing for something as symbolic as the Victory Bell just adds that extra dimension. Think about this last game in 2012. I was sitting in the stands watching the game with everyone else and it was just like watching the 1990 game all over again. Concord had pretty much outplayed Kannapolis the entire game and now here they are in the same place we were in 1990. I’m thinking this can’t be happening. They are going to run it on the left side then they are going to run it again score a touchdown then run a two point conversion and win the game. When they fumbled the ball inside the five yard line with four downs left I was in shock. Kannapolis never blows a scoring opportunity inside the five yard line with more downs left. That was probably a first in the rivalry I’ve witnessed, but to answer your question I think the two communities are so similar in their ways of life and it’s not about rich or poor. You could take a kid from Concord and send him to Kannapolis and vice versa and they would fit right in.
(FIK) Do you think as years have passed there has been a drop off in the interest or that some of the intensity has diminished, If so what do you attribute that to?
(EZS) The big thing now and I started to experience this in the final years I coached is that kids today have so many things going on in their personal lives. They work, they have XBOX and other little things that fill their lives that maybe they don’t get out and support their teams as much as they use to. When we were coming up in school there was no question where you and I were going to be on Friday nights. Now they have so many other interests that it may not be as important for them as it was for us. Another thing you have to take into consideration is the cost. Now a family of five will have to pay twenty five to thirty dollars just to get into the game and that doesn’t count concessions so you are looking at spending close to fifty to seventy five dollars in one night for two and half hours worth of entertainment. The economy has hurt us in that aspect, but make no mistake your die hard fans are going to be at the games no matter what the cost. However, you may weed out the ones who would have gone just for something to do on Friday nights.
I think people have taken this rivalry for granted over the years and that they can miss a year or two and come back and it will be just like it was in 1991. That’s just not the case. Another thing you have to consider is what I call the (Clientel) today, and this is a reason I knew in 2008 that it was time for a change at Concord High School. When I can’t get a kid to pull his socks up or wear the T’Shirt I tell him to wear or I have a parent who questions why do we have to do it this way just because coach Smith says so then it’s time for new management. When you have people moving in to town who are not from Concord and don’t know anything about how to coach a football team telling you how it should be then you need someone who is going to be more diplomatic or politically correct. I’m not saying that’s what Glen is doing today, but that wasn’t going to be me. I’m like Coach Boswell and Coach Hardin and probably Coach Massey in that respect. You are going to do it my way or you are not going to be here. I don’t think Coach Massey was as vocal like myself and Coach Boswell and Coach Hardin were.
When Cannon Mills closed down you started to see a change in folks in Kannapolis and Concord because that mill supported just as many people in Concord as it did in Kannapolis and a lot of people seem to forget that. That’s why I say the two communities are so similar in their demographic. We were just as much a part of the textile culture as people from Kannapolis. The demographics in Kannapolis began to change drastically when the mill shut down. There was a lot of pride in that mill whether it was the mill in Kannapolis or the mill in Concord or Kerr Bleachery or Tuscarora Mills in China Grove they were all of the same cloth. They got out and supported their high schools and they loved their teams because that was a special source of pride for them. That’s why those crowds were so big. I can tell you right now that some of the crowds at the Concord/Kannapolis football games of old could rival some colleges. There are colleges who will never experience the crowds that game produced.
(FIK) Apart from the rivalry do you feel your time as head coach at Concord would have been considered as successful had you not won two state championships?
(EZS) That’s a good question. Only people in the public can answer that to be truthful. I look at success as being about the kids, not rings, titles or conference championships, but what did I do to help make a young person’s life a little better or give him a chance to be successful without football. I think about the coaches out there who have won three hundred football games, but never won a state title and there are coaches out there like that. Are they successful? Yes without a doubt, but in the public’s eye they didn’t win the big one. I look back at all the games I could have one in my past and there are seven bell games I could have won. Would that have made me anymore successful? It would have made a lot more people in Kannapolis hate me. (Laughing) and it would have made a lot more people in Concord happy, but like I stated before you are only a great as your last victory. That’s just the way our society perceives success.
(FIK) Looking back at some of the games you have been a part of that have ended in miraculous fashion ie: The 1990 Battle for the Bell, The 2004 sectional final against Winston Salem Carver and the 2004 semi finals against Asheville. Do you feel like destiny or fate ever has anything to do with who wins or loses a football game?
(EZS) That’s a great question and I want to be very specific about this. I remember vividly coach Bob Boswell telling me as a young coach “When preparation and opportunity meet, success is there” I don’t necessarily believe that it is destiny, but rather we get opportunities, and when we get those opportunities it’s totally up to us to make the most of them. I know people talk about (Praying for victory) and everyone who knows me understands that I believe heavily in the power of prayer. I do not for one minute think that God is sitting up there in his infinite wisdom saying “I think I’ll let Kannapolis win tonight or Concord next week or Kannapolis the week after” I think he gives us opportunities to redeem ourselves from certain things that have happened in our lives, and he has given us all certain talents. Ultimately it’s up to us to use those talents the best we can to be successful. I think God put me in a position as the head football coach in 1980 possibly to redeem myself someday for the loss in 1971 I really do. When you quoted Bruce Hardin as saying "It's a players game" I think that is absolutely correct. In the end you are putting your trust in sixteen, seventeen and eighteen year old kids to execute what you planned and it is totally up to you to insure that the right preparations are made. Those kids are going to execute the plays and ultimately decide who wins or loses.
(EZS) No I really don’t. You go back and look at almost eighty percent of those games and you see how close those games were played. It was rare that you saw any of us putting up astronomical numbers on the other. I know there is a lot of controversy where that is concerned where A.L. Brown should be a 4A school and this and that, but in the end I think both schools develop the talent they have so well that it really doesn’t make a difference. Thomasville High School, Thomasville North Carolina is a program I would put up against anybody and who could compete with just about anybody and I believe they are 2A now. Kannapolis and South Rowan were both AAAA schools and South rarely beat Kannapolis even though they were equal in enrollment. I’ve always thought if you have 1000 to 15000 students you should be able to find eleven kids that can play football. What a lot of people don’t realize is we were a 2A school and had to petition to play up to the 3A. We didn’t really become a 3A school until the late nineties. We were about to go 4A until J.M. Robinson was built and they took three hundred of our students which kept us under the threshold, but do I think it has been and advantage no. I think it all comes down to what you get out of the talent you have and both Concord and Kannapolis have been very fortunate to have great support staff who made sure that talent was developed and developed properly. Where I think it does become an advantage is in your depth chart. If your numbers are a little better you may have twenty two kids who can play football as opposed to eleven and out of that twenty two you may have fifteen who are really good football players. Most of the time we dressed out thirty five to forty players at Concord because I never cut a player. Numbers are more a factor in the depth issue, but not as far as the quality of the player.
(FIK) Did you know what talent you had coming up in the ranks of the Middle School that you would take special notice of early on?
(EZS) I did before the merger with Cabarrus County Schools. We pretty much had the best of the best from our geographical area before the merger and I say the best thing that happened from that merger was maintenance. When the schools merged my salary was frozen, I was limited in the number of coaches I could have and the clinics we could attend and I think that was the big difference in our schools. When Bob Boswell was at A.L. Brown he was pretty much the keeper of the PE programs in the Kannapolis City Schools where I wasn’t. I don’t want it to sound like sour grapes, but Coach Boswell had one person he had to answer to and that was Superintendent Dr Grier Bradshaw. When I was at Concord in the early days I answered to Bill Ford the Athletic Director, Charlie Rimer the Principle and Bill Irvin the Superintendent. When we merged all that changed and to be perfectly honest we never recovered from that. I thought we were on the verge of being right there with Kannapolis and then the merger took place and we hit sort of a plateau.
(FIK) In your assessment what is the one variable that makes this rivalry such a unique experience?
(EZS) More than anything else I think the people of Concord and Kannapolis are all cut from the same cloth. The player, the fans, the coaches, the band, the cheerleaders all come from basically the same background. Very proud communities that lives and breaths football and who support football with their time and and their service to both schools. That’s a rare thing in a lot of communities. They fill those stands on Friday nights to watch teenagers give their best for the town and the school and they support them with a fervor that is just fantastic aside from some of the extracurricular activities that have transpired in the past, but again that’s just a show of their enthusiasm. To be ranked in USA Today for many years as one of the best and oldest rivalries in the country says a lot plus the fact that you are playing for something as symbolic as the Victory Bell just adds that extra dimension. Think about this last game in 2012. I was sitting in the stands watching the game with everyone else and it was just like watching the 1990 game all over again. Concord had pretty much outplayed Kannapolis the entire game and now here they are in the same place we were in 1990. I’m thinking this can’t be happening. They are going to run it on the left side then they are going to run it again score a touchdown then run a two point conversion and win the game. When they fumbled the ball inside the five yard line with four downs left I was in shock. Kannapolis never blows a scoring opportunity inside the five yard line with more downs left. That was probably a first in the rivalry I’ve witnessed, but to answer your question I think the two communities are so similar in their ways of life and it’s not about rich or poor. You could take a kid from Concord and send him to Kannapolis and vice versa and they would fit right in.
(FIK) Do you think as years have passed there has been a drop off in the interest or that some of the intensity has diminished, If so what do you attribute that to?
(EZS) The big thing now and I started to experience this in the final years I coached is that kids today have so many things going on in their personal lives. They work, they have XBOX and other little things that fill their lives that maybe they don’t get out and support their teams as much as they use to. When we were coming up in school there was no question where you and I were going to be on Friday nights. Now they have so many other interests that it may not be as important for them as it was for us. Another thing you have to take into consideration is the cost. Now a family of five will have to pay twenty five to thirty dollars just to get into the game and that doesn’t count concessions so you are looking at spending close to fifty to seventy five dollars in one night for two and half hours worth of entertainment. The economy has hurt us in that aspect, but make no mistake your die hard fans are going to be at the games no matter what the cost. However, you may weed out the ones who would have gone just for something to do on Friday nights.
I think people have taken this rivalry for granted over the years and that they can miss a year or two and come back and it will be just like it was in 1991. That’s just not the case. Another thing you have to consider is what I call the (Clientel) today, and this is a reason I knew in 2008 that it was time for a change at Concord High School. When I can’t get a kid to pull his socks up or wear the T’Shirt I tell him to wear or I have a parent who questions why do we have to do it this way just because coach Smith says so then it’s time for new management. When you have people moving in to town who are not from Concord and don’t know anything about how to coach a football team telling you how it should be then you need someone who is going to be more diplomatic or politically correct. I’m not saying that’s what Glen is doing today, but that wasn’t going to be me. I’m like Coach Boswell and Coach Hardin and probably Coach Massey in that respect. You are going to do it my way or you are not going to be here. I don’t think Coach Massey was as vocal like myself and Coach Boswell and Coach Hardin were.
When Cannon Mills closed down you started to see a change in folks in Kannapolis and Concord because that mill supported just as many people in Concord as it did in Kannapolis and a lot of people seem to forget that. That’s why I say the two communities are so similar in their demographic. We were just as much a part of the textile culture as people from Kannapolis. The demographics in Kannapolis began to change drastically when the mill shut down. There was a lot of pride in that mill whether it was the mill in Kannapolis or the mill in Concord or Kerr Bleachery or Tuscarora Mills in China Grove they were all of the same cloth. They got out and supported their high schools and they loved their teams because that was a special source of pride for them. That’s why those crowds were so big. I can tell you right now that some of the crowds at the Concord/Kannapolis football games of old could rival some colleges. There are colleges who will never experience the crowds that game produced.
(FIK) Apart from the rivalry do you feel your time as head coach at Concord would have been considered as successful had you not won two state championships?
(EZS) That’s a good question. Only people in the public can answer that to be truthful. I look at success as being about the kids, not rings, titles or conference championships, but what did I do to help make a young person’s life a little better or give him a chance to be successful without football. I think about the coaches out there who have won three hundred football games, but never won a state title and there are coaches out there like that. Are they successful? Yes without a doubt, but in the public’s eye they didn’t win the big one. I look back at all the games I could have one in my past and there are seven bell games I could have won. Would that have made me anymore successful? It would have made a lot more people in Kannapolis hate me. (Laughing) and it would have made a lot more people in Concord happy, but like I stated before you are only a great as your last victory. That’s just the way our society perceives success.
(FIK) Looking back at some of the games you have been a part of that have ended in miraculous fashion ie: The 1990 Battle for the Bell, The 2004 sectional final against Winston Salem Carver and the 2004 semi finals against Asheville. Do you feel like destiny or fate ever has anything to do with who wins or loses a football game?
(EZS) That’s a great question and I want to be very specific about this. I remember vividly coach Bob Boswell telling me as a young coach “When preparation and opportunity meet, success is there” I don’t necessarily believe that it is destiny, but rather we get opportunities, and when we get those opportunities it’s totally up to us to make the most of them. I know people talk about (Praying for victory) and everyone who knows me understands that I believe heavily in the power of prayer. I do not for one minute think that God is sitting up there in his infinite wisdom saying “I think I’ll let Kannapolis win tonight or Concord next week or Kannapolis the week after” I think he gives us opportunities to redeem ourselves from certain things that have happened in our lives, and he has given us all certain talents. Ultimately it’s up to us to use those talents the best we can to be successful. I think God put me in a position as the head football coach in 1980 possibly to redeem myself someday for the loss in 1971 I really do. When you quoted Bruce Hardin as saying "It's a players game" I think that is absolutely correct. In the end you are putting your trust in sixteen, seventeen and eighteen year old kids to execute what you planned and it is totally up to you to insure that the right preparations are made. Those kids are going to execute the plays and ultimately decide who wins or loses.
"Coach Smith Silences the Doubters"
(FIK) Describe your experiences on Wednesday night Headliners?
(EZS) Tough show. (Laughing) You know Coach Boswell and I were guests in 1982 for the first one hours edition of Headliners. I asked coach I said “What are you going to wear?” Coach Boswell said he was going to wear a coat and tie so I said I’ll wear a coat and tie too. So we go down town and we get set up and they start asking us some of the typical questions about the preparation and our practice routine and so on, and it was good, but then as the years progressed they decided they would let callers call in and ask questions. That was all well and good as long as they were screening the calls, but then they started getting some real winners calling in and getting really personal. Now this is a high school football program and we are sitting there defenseless getting assaulted by people who were behind the television screen and it got uncomfortable. You would always try to sit there and smile and try to handle it the best you can, but it was difficult. Now Bruce, Bob and Ron they never seemed to get the really bad calls if that tells you anything so I always seemed to be in the hot seat every time and it got difficult as time went on to conduct yourself as you should without hurting someone’s feelings. Now they didn’t care about my feelings I can tell you that, but I always tried to be courteous with people and not come off rude.
It goes back to the persona I generated on the field and I think people called in just to see if they could get me excited or angry. What they didn’t realize was it just added more incentive to want to go out and beat my opponent that much worse. It actually worked out well on some occasions. You have to understand it takes two to argue, and that’s what these people wanted. Now it’s totally different if you are walking up that hill and people start cussing you and calling you everything, but a child of God. It takes more control. I told coach Padgett this one time I said “Coach, you know this from coaching as an assistant at Concord and then as a head coach at Salisbury, and North Meck you can’t let people know you are hearing everything they are saying. At some point you have got to let it roll off.” If I wanted to fight everybody that didn’t like the way I coached football we would never get the ball kicked off. We would have to open the gates at one o’clock in the morning and start fighting till pre game warm ups just to get ready for the ball game. (Laughing)
"TV-13 Begins Coverage"
In 1982 Metro Cable 13 would begin airing delayed broadcasts of the Friday Night Game of the Week. All Cabarrus County High Schools including South Rowan would gain exposure through this great media. Folks unable to attend the games could see the Game of the Week from the comfort of their homes on Saturdays. Later during this first season the boys from Metro 13 would begin a Wednesday night preview of the upcoming Game of the Week called "Headliners" Coaches from both schools would get the opportunity to talk about the game coming up on Friday night. Not soon after they would allow call ins to ask the coaches questions about the game and give them the opportunity to make comments. As this progressed the calls would sometimes get pretty personal especially for coach Smith who took the brunt of some of the worst call ins. Later the callers would have to give their names when they called in an effort to try to screen some of the comments. This didn't work very well as some callers slipped through the screening process. After the 2007 season coverage of the games ceased all together.
"In the Hot Seat on Headliners"
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(FIK) What is your fondest Battle for the Bell game memory played on your home field Robert C Bailey Stadium?
(EZS) I will give you my two fondest memories here at Concord and one of them is very paradoxical. The 1971 Battle for the Bell is such a big memory because I was a senior, it was my last Concord/Kannapolis game and we lost. Though we lost it is still a great memory even if I did suffer because of it. That’s why I say it’s paradoxical. My second fondest and most memorable Concord/Kannapolis game ever was here in 1981 when we beat Kannapolis 7-6. My dad was sick and we thought he was dying of cancer. (voice cracking) We were 8-1 and like I told you I never left my team on game day. We ate dinner together and I never left them on their own. This particular instance I told my guys before the pre game meal “Guys I’m going to say the blessing, and then I’ve got to go see my dad at the hospital” (Voice cracking) So I go up to see dad at the hospital before the game. Dad had just been through surgery the week of the East Rowan game that year. Now dad had colon cancer and they had cut him from just below his esophagus to just above his pubic bone. Now when I was a kid my dad was my hero. He was a big man about 6’6 and almost three hundred pounds and he was just a man. We sat and talked for a while and right before I left I said “Pop, is there anything I can do for you before I leave because I’ve got to get back to the team?” he replied “EZ, after you beat em I want you to bring that bell to the hospital and ring it for me.” (voice cracking, tears welling) I grabbed him, hugged him and gave him a kiss, and I said “I’ll see you about eleven o’clock” cause we played at eight o’clock back then as you remember.
I go back to the stadium to be with the team and we go out on the field for pre game, and I’m standing there with our quarterback Luther Huffman and Todd Walker, Reggie Andrews who were all seniors and we had all been through the eighty scenario with the last second attempted field goal as you know. So we are standing out here watching the Kannapolis fans come in cause my guys liked to see that and I will never forget this one man. I didn’t know who he was then and I still don’t know who he was, but after he sees this he may admit who he is. He hollered down at me in front of my players “Hey Smith, we’re gonna beat you worse than we did last year. We’re going to run all over you Smith. You ain’t nothing.” He never used profanity or anything, but boy he was letting me have it right there in front of all my players and they were just listening to every word of it. We go into the field house and I had game plan all ready. I wasn’t going to pass the ball I was just going to run it right down their throats like the old Concord football I remember. So I tell them basically what the plan was and I said “Scott, you, Rico and Jerome are going to have to carry the load tonight. Line you have got to block well and Defense you’ve got to shut them down.” After that I said “Guys, I don’t have a big pre game speech for you, but I’m going to ask you to do me one favor. I started crying. I said “My dad is laying in that hospital probably dying of colon cancer tonight and there is nothing I can do physically for him, but I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said to bring that bell to the hospital and ring it for him after we win and by God that’s what we are going to do.” We run out of the field house and we end up winning the game 7-6 as you know.
After the game Reggie Andrews came up to me and said “Alright lets get it loaded” I said “What Big Guy?” cause that was always what I called Reggie back then. Reggie said “Lets get the bell loaded up” I had a van all ready and so Anthony Bell who has since passed away, Joe Venable, who has since passed away, Reggie Andrews, who has since passed away, and Todd Walker who is still with us today all ride with me in my van with that bell to the hospital. We try to get it through the emergency room, but we can’t do it. We end up rolling it right across the street from room 2-G where Lenny Baker’s office was and the children’s hospital was. I go up stairs to pop’s room and get my dad to the window and Reggie starts ringing it. I’m crying and I’m thinking right there it will never get any better than tonight. I don’t care about the wins and losses, the records or the state championships none of those things mean more than being able to honor my dad’s request that night and nothing has ever compared to that.
(FIK) When all is said and done at the end of the day how do you want people to see E.Z. Smith III in the context of this rivalry and that of your contributions to it?
(EZS) The main thing I want from this is that people from Kannapolis know and understand just how much respect I have for the Kannapolis football program, The City of Kannapolis, The assistant coaches, the Administration, A.L. Brown’s Staff, Students and fans. Coach Boswell, Coach Hardin and Coach Massey, are all great men whom I admire greatly. Their contributions to football in Cabarrus County was just tremendous and high school football is much better by their influence. I spent some long sleepless nights during my career trying to prepare and strategize just so I could compete on the same level. All three of those coaches pushed me to become a better coach. Sometimes I was successful sometimes I wasn’t. I would hope that each of those three coaches if you asked them today would say the same thing about me and about the football program at Concord. It would be nice to know they felt like they had to prepare just as hard to play me as I did for them and I believe they feel that way. I would like to think that fans from both Kannapolis and Concord felt like they got their money’s worth when they came to see us play whether it was at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium or Robert C Bailey Stadium and that they left those stands feeling exhausted.
More than anything I would hope that people would see that I really cared about my players and Concord High School and that they realized I was a family man, a good husband to my wife Pat and father to my children “Z” and Audrey Lee. I’m not a fool and I don’t think I’m naïve, but I know not everybody is going to like me. I’m not comparing myself to Jesus when I say this, but Jesus was despised by many even in his own home town. I know I’m not going to make everybody happy and you yourself will probably catch some heat for this by your own people for even having me on this site, but I believe you are doing this for the right reasons and that you are trying to convey a perspective that is unbiased and truthful. I hope that one day people will look back at what we did and say It was a great time and a great memory and if I had a little something to do with it that makes it that much nicer.
(EZS) I will give you my two fondest memories here at Concord and one of them is very paradoxical. The 1971 Battle for the Bell is such a big memory because I was a senior, it was my last Concord/Kannapolis game and we lost. Though we lost it is still a great memory even if I did suffer because of it. That’s why I say it’s paradoxical. My second fondest and most memorable Concord/Kannapolis game ever was here in 1981 when we beat Kannapolis 7-6. My dad was sick and we thought he was dying of cancer. (voice cracking) We were 8-1 and like I told you I never left my team on game day. We ate dinner together and I never left them on their own. This particular instance I told my guys before the pre game meal “Guys I’m going to say the blessing, and then I’ve got to go see my dad at the hospital” (Voice cracking) So I go up to see dad at the hospital before the game. Dad had just been through surgery the week of the East Rowan game that year. Now dad had colon cancer and they had cut him from just below his esophagus to just above his pubic bone. Now when I was a kid my dad was my hero. He was a big man about 6’6 and almost three hundred pounds and he was just a man. We sat and talked for a while and right before I left I said “Pop, is there anything I can do for you before I leave because I’ve got to get back to the team?” he replied “EZ, after you beat em I want you to bring that bell to the hospital and ring it for me.” (voice cracking, tears welling) I grabbed him, hugged him and gave him a kiss, and I said “I’ll see you about eleven o’clock” cause we played at eight o’clock back then as you remember.
I go back to the stadium to be with the team and we go out on the field for pre game, and I’m standing there with our quarterback Luther Huffman and Todd Walker, Reggie Andrews who were all seniors and we had all been through the eighty scenario with the last second attempted field goal as you know. So we are standing out here watching the Kannapolis fans come in cause my guys liked to see that and I will never forget this one man. I didn’t know who he was then and I still don’t know who he was, but after he sees this he may admit who he is. He hollered down at me in front of my players “Hey Smith, we’re gonna beat you worse than we did last year. We’re going to run all over you Smith. You ain’t nothing.” He never used profanity or anything, but boy he was letting me have it right there in front of all my players and they were just listening to every word of it. We go into the field house and I had game plan all ready. I wasn’t going to pass the ball I was just going to run it right down their throats like the old Concord football I remember. So I tell them basically what the plan was and I said “Scott, you, Rico and Jerome are going to have to carry the load tonight. Line you have got to block well and Defense you’ve got to shut them down.” After that I said “Guys, I don’t have a big pre game speech for you, but I’m going to ask you to do me one favor. I started crying. I said “My dad is laying in that hospital probably dying of colon cancer tonight and there is nothing I can do physically for him, but I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said to bring that bell to the hospital and ring it for him after we win and by God that’s what we are going to do.” We run out of the field house and we end up winning the game 7-6 as you know.
After the game Reggie Andrews came up to me and said “Alright lets get it loaded” I said “What Big Guy?” cause that was always what I called Reggie back then. Reggie said “Lets get the bell loaded up” I had a van all ready and so Anthony Bell who has since passed away, Joe Venable, who has since passed away, Reggie Andrews, who has since passed away, and Todd Walker who is still with us today all ride with me in my van with that bell to the hospital. We try to get it through the emergency room, but we can’t do it. We end up rolling it right across the street from room 2-G where Lenny Baker’s office was and the children’s hospital was. I go up stairs to pop’s room and get my dad to the window and Reggie starts ringing it. I’m crying and I’m thinking right there it will never get any better than tonight. I don’t care about the wins and losses, the records or the state championships none of those things mean more than being able to honor my dad’s request that night and nothing has ever compared to that.
(FIK) When all is said and done at the end of the day how do you want people to see E.Z. Smith III in the context of this rivalry and that of your contributions to it?
(EZS) The main thing I want from this is that people from Kannapolis know and understand just how much respect I have for the Kannapolis football program, The City of Kannapolis, The assistant coaches, the Administration, A.L. Brown’s Staff, Students and fans. Coach Boswell, Coach Hardin and Coach Massey, are all great men whom I admire greatly. Their contributions to football in Cabarrus County was just tremendous and high school football is much better by their influence. I spent some long sleepless nights during my career trying to prepare and strategize just so I could compete on the same level. All three of those coaches pushed me to become a better coach. Sometimes I was successful sometimes I wasn’t. I would hope that each of those three coaches if you asked them today would say the same thing about me and about the football program at Concord. It would be nice to know they felt like they had to prepare just as hard to play me as I did for them and I believe they feel that way. I would like to think that fans from both Kannapolis and Concord felt like they got their money’s worth when they came to see us play whether it was at Kannapolis Memorial Stadium or Robert C Bailey Stadium and that they left those stands feeling exhausted.
More than anything I would hope that people would see that I really cared about my players and Concord High School and that they realized I was a family man, a good husband to my wife Pat and father to my children “Z” and Audrey Lee. I’m not a fool and I don’t think I’m naïve, but I know not everybody is going to like me. I’m not comparing myself to Jesus when I say this, but Jesus was despised by many even in his own home town. I know I’m not going to make everybody happy and you yourself will probably catch some heat for this by your own people for even having me on this site, but I believe you are doing this for the right reasons and that you are trying to convey a perspective that is unbiased and truthful. I hope that one day people will look back at what we did and say It was a great time and a great memory and if I had a little something to do with it that makes it that much nicer.
E.Z. Smith III Statistical Review VS Kannapolis
How Coach Smith Fared Against the Kannapolis Big 3
Robert "Bob" Boswell
Bell Games 1980, K-town 41-0 1981, Concord 7-6 1982, K-town 14-10 1983, Concord 27-7 1984, K-town 26-8 1985, Concord 7-6 1986, Concord 14-0 1987, K-town 19-0 1988, K-town 9-7 Points Scored: 80 Pts Points Allowed: 128 Pts 4-5 |
Bruce G Hardin
Bell Games 1989, K-town 16-14 1990, K-town 20-19 1991, Concord 30-20 1992, K-town 27-19 1993, K-town 28-6 1994, Concord 35-14 1995, K-town 5-0 1996, Concord 27-0 1997, K-town 33-14 1998, K-town 28-10 1999, K-town 10-7 Points Scored: 181 Pts Points Allowed: 188 Pts 3-8 Playoff Meetings 1991, K-Town 21-7 1997, K-Town 9-0 1999, Concord 20-7 Points Scored: 27 Pts Points Allowed: 30 Pts 1-2 Combined Total Record Points Scored: 413 Pts Points Allowed: 579 Pts 10-22 (1 Loss in 2001 by Forfeit) |
Ron Massey
Bell Games 2000, K-town 28-0 2001, K-town 1-0 (F) 2002, K-town 42-6 2003, K-town 13-12(OT) 2004, Concord 20-9 2005, K-town 19-14 2006, Concord 42-20 2007, K-town 45-25 2008, K-town 56-6 Points Scored: 125 Pts Points Allowed: 233 Pts 2-7 (One Loss in 2001 by Forfeit) |
Concord Spiders Under Coach E.Z. Smith III
Season by Season Records and Conference Championships
1980 6-4
1981 9-2 1982 8-2 1983 9-2 SPC Champion 1984 6-3 1985 9-4 SPC Champion 1986 10-3 1987 4-6 1988 9-4 1989 7-4 |
1990 10-4
1991 12-2 SPC Champion 1992 8-3 1993 6-5 1994 10-2 SPC Champion 1995 9-1 1996 11-2 SPC Champion 1997 12-2 SPC Champion 1998 12-3 1999 10-5 Combined Total Record 254-101-1 71.55% Winning Percentage |
2000 8-4
2001 9-3 2002 6-6 2003 11-3 SPC Champion 2004 15-1 SPC Champion 2005 6-6 2006 13-3 SPC Champion 2007 6-5 2008 3-7 |
Playoff Appearances Under Coach E.Z. Smith III
1981
1983 1985 District Champs 1986 District Champs 1988 District Champs 1989 |
1990 Sectional Champs
1991 Sectional Champs 1992 1993 1994 District Champs 1996 District Champs |
1997 District Champs
1998 Sectional Champs 1999 Sectional Champs 2000 2001 2002 |
2003 Sectional Champs
2004 State 3A Champs 2005 2006 State 3A Champs 2007 |
*Head Coach E.Z. Smith III put the Concord Spiders in the State 3A Playoffs 23 of his 29 Seasons at Concord*
Some Landmark Years for Coach E.Z. Smith III
"1981"
The 1981 Concord Spiders grabbed coach E.Z. Smith's first win over Bob Boswell's Wonders 7-6 at Robert C Bailey Stadium in Concord. The 1981 Spiders were also coach Smith's first Spider team to advance to the State AAA Playoffs losing to Salisbury in the first round 17-15.
"1983"
The 1983 Spiders obtained Coach E.Z. Smith's first ever South Piedmont Conference Championship by posting an overall 9-2 record advancing to the State AAA Playoffs where they fell to the Thomasville Bulldogs 28-8.
"1985"
The 1985 Spiders would claim Coach E.Z. Smith's second South Piedmont Conference Championship as well as his first District Championship by defeating the Vikings of South Iredell 21-0. The Spiders would fall the following week in the Sectional Round to Forest Hills 15-6.
"1991"
The 1991 Concord Spiders would claim the South Piedmont Conference Championship and another District Championship while garnering Coach E.Z. Smith's first ever Sectional 3A Championship. The Spiders would fall to Kannapolis 30-20 in the AAA Western Regional Final. The 1991 Concord Spiders by Coach Smith's admission was perhaps the best Concord Spider Football Team he ever coached.
"2004"
The 2004 Concord Spiders would give head coach E.Z. Smith III his first ever Western Regional Championship as well as first ever State AAA Championship at Concord. The 2004 Spiders boasted two miracle comeback victories in the 2004 State AAA Playoffs by beating the Carver Yellow Jackets in the Sectional Final on a final second touchdown pass from QB Tommy Beecher to WR Chris Aldridge at the final whistle to claim a 25-22 victory to advance to the State Semi Finals against the Asheville Cougars.The following week in the State Semi Finals the Spiders came back from a 20 point fourth quarter deficit with five minutes remaining in the contest on a Tommy Beecher areal barrage that gave the Spiders a 21-20 miracle win over the Cougars. The following week in Winston Salem the 2004 Concord Spiders would shut out the Warriors of Wilson Hunt 27-0 for the schools first AAA State Championship in the modern era. The 2004 Concord Spiders were appropriately christened "The Band of Brothers"
"2006"
The 2006 Concord Spiders revisited Winston Salem again gunning for coach E.Z. Smith III second State AAA Title. Though not as miraculous a season as the 2004 Spiders experienced, the 2006 Spiders would go on to defeat the Warriors of Western Alamance in overtime 35-28 to give head coach E.Z. Smith III his second state title in three years.
"2008"
2008 would be head coach E.Z. Smith III final season at Concord High School after twenty nine seasons leading the Concord Spiders. Coach Smith's final season would not be a memorable experience as the Spiders turned in a very disappointing 3-7 season marking the first time since 1987 that coach Smith would fall below a 500% winning percentage. It was also the first time since 1995 that an E.Z. Smith III Spider team would miss the state AAA playoffs. Though the 2008 Spiders were not the playoff caliber team Coach Smith was use to having at CHS, Smith openly stated he loved this team as much as any team he ever coached at Concord High School. "The kids are what is important, not the records" -E.Z. Smith III
"A Sit Down with E.Z. Smith III"
Epilogue
And so the sit down adjourns, and at it’s conclusion the question still stands. Does this sit down with one of the rivalry’s most colorful and controversial figures bring to rest some of the myths and mysteries surrounding this great high school football rivalry? In short no it doesn't. Some things coach Smith just didn’t feel comfortable discussing and out of respect for a friend I didn’t push the issue, but does everything need to be explained? How pertinent would the (Immaculate Reception) in pro football lore be if we knew a definitive answer to all the questions surrounding that miraculous play. Did the ball touch Pittsburg Steeler receiver Frenchy Fuqua before Raider defensive back Jack Tatum made contact? Did the tip of the ball touch the ground before Franco Harris snatched it out of the air? Was Raider linebacker Phil Villipiano clipped trying to make the tackle on Franco Harris that would have prevented a Steeler touchdown that denied Oakland the 1972 AFC Championship game? If all those variables were known, would that game continue to have such a fascination with football fans? Probably not. It would just go down in history as just another miraculous finish to be lost in a sea of miraculous finishes in the NFL’s history. Same can be said for the Battle for the Bell. Is it important to know all there is to know or is it better to have some mysteries that keep us all guessing? I’ll take the latter. It adds to the drama and the mystique surrounding the game.
At the conclusion of the interview coach Smith and I took a few more photos and told a few more war stories (off the record) and soon it was time to make my way home, after all it was a little past eleven thirty and most people our age were in bed anyway. As I got into my car, the evening ended just as it began with coach Smith and I extending a brotherly handshake, and then I proceeded to make my way back to K-Town. As I drove down the steep incline of coach Smith’s driveway I could see coach Smith turn out his porch light in my rear view mirror. I couldn’t help but be taken aback by that gesture. In 2008 when coach Smith retired from coaching the Concord Spiders, the light that illuminated one of the finest chapters in this rivalry’s history was effectively turned out as well. I couldn’t help but speculate if people in the communities of both Kannapolis and Concord fully understood what they were privileged to have witnessed and been a part of for twenty nine years, and just how fortunate we all were that a simple phone call in 1979 set in motion the chain of events that would give way to such an explosive time in this great rivalry’s history. I don’t think we do.
At the conclusion of the interview coach Smith and I took a few more photos and told a few more war stories (off the record) and soon it was time to make my way home, after all it was a little past eleven thirty and most people our age were in bed anyway. As I got into my car, the evening ended just as it began with coach Smith and I extending a brotherly handshake, and then I proceeded to make my way back to K-Town. As I drove down the steep incline of coach Smith’s driveway I could see coach Smith turn out his porch light in my rear view mirror. I couldn’t help but be taken aback by that gesture. In 2008 when coach Smith retired from coaching the Concord Spiders, the light that illuminated one of the finest chapters in this rivalry’s history was effectively turned out as well. I couldn’t help but speculate if people in the communities of both Kannapolis and Concord fully understood what they were privileged to have witnessed and been a part of for twenty nine years, and just how fortunate we all were that a simple phone call in 1979 set in motion the chain of events that would give way to such an explosive time in this great rivalry’s history. I don’t think we do.
As I made the short fifteen minute drive back home to K-Town I couldn’t help but reflect on some of the glorious times I spent watching the great rivalry games of that era play out and of the impact it had on both communities and that of it’s history. As I drove North down Branchview Drive I passed by Robert C Bailey Stadium which sits just off to the right of the roadway shrouded by thick trees. I could clearly envision in my minds eye the glow of the stadium lights illuminating the field and that feeling of excitement my heart felt reflecting back to those moments spent on those cold concrete slabs supporting my beloved Green and White. A certain familiar pride once again began to fill me and as that feeling of pride came over me it was then I realized something which had eluded me all this time. I wasn’t feeling anything any different than what coach Smith and thousands of other Concord Spider supporters felt as they filled those same stands on those cold nights of November so many years before. I could still feel the elation of victory and the utter dejection of defeat that I felt so many times prior driving back to Kannapolis after one of the games. All of the classic battles between coach Smith’s Spiders and the Wonders of Coach Boswell, Coach Hardin, and Coach Massey all came rushing back during that ride home. I also reflected back to those moments on Wednesday night headliners with coach Smith and the Wonder coaches preparing us for the battle that lay ahead on Friday night.
As I reflected on these images I realized how some of these classic moments may not have come to pass in the manner they did had coach Smith not taken that job in 1980 as the head football coach for Concord. Certainly the landscape of high school football in Cabarrus County would not have developed as it did without coach Smith‘s influence. Looking back the story couldn’t have been scripted any better had you written the plot yourself. Coach Smith added such a uniqueness to the rivalry that it’s hard to imagine anyone else scouring the sidelines of the Black and Gold on any given Friday night even today. Coach Smith’s impact on this rivalry was huge, and I would venture to say there is not one single figure that stands out today who embodies the very heart and soul of the Battle for the Bell more than coach E.Z. Smith III.
Now I know some of you may be scratching your head and thinking “Is this coming from the heart of a die hard Kannapolis Football supporter?” and I can understand the logic in your thinking. It seems rather strange that a die hard Wonder supporter would be so complimentary and supportive of anything or anyone wearing Black and Gold, but it is what it is, and there is no partiality on truth‘s color wheel. Since the day the first game was played between the two rival institutions of Kannapolis and Concord the game has been explosive to say the least. The A.L. Brown Wonders and the Concord Spiders are an explosive mixture in their own right when mixed together, but ask any expert in explosives and they will tell you that C4, TNT, Nitro Glycerin, and Dynamite by themselves are all highly volatile mixtures, but none of it blows up without a blasting cap. For twenty nine seasons from 1980 to 2008 head coach E.Z. Smith III of the Concord Spiders was the blasting cap that made it all detonate. Today, we are left only to feel the aftershock of it‘s initial blast.
As I reflected on these images I realized how some of these classic moments may not have come to pass in the manner they did had coach Smith not taken that job in 1980 as the head football coach for Concord. Certainly the landscape of high school football in Cabarrus County would not have developed as it did without coach Smith‘s influence. Looking back the story couldn’t have been scripted any better had you written the plot yourself. Coach Smith added such a uniqueness to the rivalry that it’s hard to imagine anyone else scouring the sidelines of the Black and Gold on any given Friday night even today. Coach Smith’s impact on this rivalry was huge, and I would venture to say there is not one single figure that stands out today who embodies the very heart and soul of the Battle for the Bell more than coach E.Z. Smith III.
Now I know some of you may be scratching your head and thinking “Is this coming from the heart of a die hard Kannapolis Football supporter?” and I can understand the logic in your thinking. It seems rather strange that a die hard Wonder supporter would be so complimentary and supportive of anything or anyone wearing Black and Gold, but it is what it is, and there is no partiality on truth‘s color wheel. Since the day the first game was played between the two rival institutions of Kannapolis and Concord the game has been explosive to say the least. The A.L. Brown Wonders and the Concord Spiders are an explosive mixture in their own right when mixed together, but ask any expert in explosives and they will tell you that C4, TNT, Nitro Glycerin, and Dynamite by themselves are all highly volatile mixtures, but none of it blows up without a blasting cap. For twenty nine seasons from 1980 to 2008 head coach E.Z. Smith III of the Concord Spiders was the blasting cap that made it all detonate. Today, we are left only to feel the aftershock of it‘s initial blast.
"The Closing of a Chapter"
"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." - Vince Lombardi
"A Special Thanks"
Friday Nights in K-Town would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Concord High School Principle Carla Black and Head Football Coach Glen Padgett for allowing Friday Nights in K-Town access to Robert C Bailey Stadium for the proper backdrop for some of the photos of former head football coach E.Z. Smith III. Your hospitality during my visit to Concord High School was exceptional. Lastly, I would like to thank my good friend and former Concord High School head football coach E.Z. Smith III and his lovely wife Patricia for opening their home to me so that these memories could once again come back to life. It is a virtual impossibility for the story of one of the most exciting and colorful eras in this great rivalry’s history to be told without your insight and input. It is because of that input that this historical retrospective is as complete and accurate as it is today. I also want to thank you for the great photos you contributed to this effort from your personal archives. The photos are a great backdrop to this one of a kind Black and Gold perspective. We may wear different colors, but at the end of the day we can both walk to the fifty yard line to shake hands and be friends. At least for 360 days out of the year, until the next installment of the Battle for the Bell unfolds and cements it’s place in rivalry history. -The editor
"In K-Town We Burn the Spider
In Concord Turnabout is Fair play"
K-Town Week or Concord Week, whichever side you stood it was celebrated as a week like no other, and to experience this week is something you would carry the memories of the rest of your life. Every day during this week was a celebration of the long standing rivalry between the Spiders and Wonders at each school and each day featured spirit events that would put students from both schools at a fever pitch. Many of these events and activities by todays standards would be deemed insensitive or in bad tatse as the changing climate of our culture has moved in the wrong direction. Many of these events are now nothing more than a fond memory to those of us who lived them and today's youth will surely miss out on something unique.
"The Little Wonder"
As Seen through the Eyes of Concord Spiders
"The Trial"
"The Hanging"
"Last Rites"
K-Town Week at Concord High School is celebrated no differently than it is celebrated in K-Town. Pep Rallies and student activities commemorating the Battle for the Bell are ongoing during the days leading up to the big game on Friday night. Early on in the week at Concord High School the Little Wonder is given a mock trial where he is convicted of high treason and sentenced to death by hanging. The Little Wonder would hang on the gallows pole during the school day where students and faculty members could pay their respects. The last rites would be typically given during an early morning pep rally in the football stadium on Thursday where the Little Wonder would miraculously come back to life and would be shot attempting to flee the stadium. All of this building up to it's final crescendo on Thursday night when the Little Wonder would be burned at a large pep rally and bon fire prior to the playing of the JV game.
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"The Execution"
The execution is completed and nothing is left but ashes of the Little Wonder. Emotions and energy would be at a fever pitch come Friday morning as the Battle for the Bell that was looming just hours away drew ever closer. Many of these traditions perfectly acceptable in the glory days of the rivalry are nothing but a memory today due to the changing times and political correctness. Many of the long standing traditions of this rivalry during the week would fall by the wayside never to be performed again.
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"Closing Arguments"
The Judge Renders His Decision on "The Battle for the Bell"
For whatever you want to call it, the Battle for the Bell game between Kannapolis and Concord could be considered no different than any other high school's game against it's most heated rival. There is a lot to be said however about the stakes in this game, as the outcome usually determines the South Piedmont Conference Champion in addition to the award of the victory bell. You can't play a football game for ninety four consecutive years without it becoming special or significant in some form or fashion. Kannapolis and Concord have garnered the right to be called unique. fourteen thousand fans in 1998 to view a high school football game in Kannapolis Memorial Stadium only adds weight to that claim of uniqueness where this rivalry is concerned. The wide range of emotion this game evokes runs the full gamut. You have former players who played in this game returning to coach at their alma mater with some even going back to coach at their rival's school if you can believe that. You have parents of children who attended one of these institutions who by marriage or geographical boundaries must support their rivals colors for the sake of their children, but after graduation their loyalties return to that of their alma mater. What parents will do for their children. lol
I know in my years of experiencing this game from either a student's or fan's perspective, the pride one feels in their colors during this rivalry week is one like no other. I would bet the only other place you could experience the same level of intensity would be at the collegiate level. That alone speaks volumes for what this game means to both communities. In recent years with the emergence of political correctness both sides have tried to cultivate a spirit of cooperation and civil harmony between the two schools to circumvent some of the escapades that have transpired between the two school's fan bases over the course of this rivalry's history, and yes that does exist for the most part. I would beg to differ however that to the lifelong residents of either Kannapolis or Concord the feelings of animosity and contempt that die hard Wonder fans or Spider fans actually have for the other in the deep recesses of this rivalry still burns today as hot as it ever did. Anyone who doesn't believe this has never been in the parking lot of Concord High School for pre-game tailgating. For that matter why would it be necessary for both sides to enter Memorial Stadium from opposite gates? I maintain that clearer thinking heads have prevailed and have decided it's is far better to err on the side of caution than to invite a rumble. lol
Growing up in Kannapolis you were taught at a very young age there were two things you didn't tolerate as towel city citizens, Communism and Concord Spiders, and not necessarily in that order. Now we are talking football here let's make sure that point is very clear, but in Kannapolis football is, was, and will always be the universal language among it's residents so you take it for what it's worth. Same could be said for residents of Concord. I'm sure growing up in the Spiders web the Green and White clad Wonders were not exactly the poster boys for everything good and pure in America.
If you haven't noticed by now Friday Nights in K-Town is not a politically correct forum. You will find the truth here folks, and it's a truth that is irrefutable with plenty of history to back it up. Kannapolis and Concord are two human entities divided by a common link, and that link is football. To my knowledge in this rivalries eighty five year history, no one has been killed, no one has been seriously injured either on or off the field, and the game is fought hard and clean. Win or lose both sides seem to find that same level of mutual respect for the other after the game is played. This rivalry possesses some very unique intangibles that many do not.
Three hundred and sixty days out of the year we're all Americans, but for five days during one week of the high school football season the line is drawn, and there is no crossing it. This is Kannapolis and Concord folks. It's Green and White vs Black and Gold and the consensus surrounding this rivalry is Black and White. It's the hottest rivalry in the State of North Carolina and to call it anything else than what it is may simply be your way of denying that the deep rooted feelings of contempt you have for either Kannapolis or Concord still burns within you when it's time to put on the pads and play the game. Those feelings will never die, and to sugar coat it for the sake of universal harmony is just plain and simply unrealistic. "The picture is worth a thousand words" -The editor
I know in my years of experiencing this game from either a student's or fan's perspective, the pride one feels in their colors during this rivalry week is one like no other. I would bet the only other place you could experience the same level of intensity would be at the collegiate level. That alone speaks volumes for what this game means to both communities. In recent years with the emergence of political correctness both sides have tried to cultivate a spirit of cooperation and civil harmony between the two schools to circumvent some of the escapades that have transpired between the two school's fan bases over the course of this rivalry's history, and yes that does exist for the most part. I would beg to differ however that to the lifelong residents of either Kannapolis or Concord the feelings of animosity and contempt that die hard Wonder fans or Spider fans actually have for the other in the deep recesses of this rivalry still burns today as hot as it ever did. Anyone who doesn't believe this has never been in the parking lot of Concord High School for pre-game tailgating. For that matter why would it be necessary for both sides to enter Memorial Stadium from opposite gates? I maintain that clearer thinking heads have prevailed and have decided it's is far better to err on the side of caution than to invite a rumble. lol
Growing up in Kannapolis you were taught at a very young age there were two things you didn't tolerate as towel city citizens, Communism and Concord Spiders, and not necessarily in that order. Now we are talking football here let's make sure that point is very clear, but in Kannapolis football is, was, and will always be the universal language among it's residents so you take it for what it's worth. Same could be said for residents of Concord. I'm sure growing up in the Spiders web the Green and White clad Wonders were not exactly the poster boys for everything good and pure in America.
If you haven't noticed by now Friday Nights in K-Town is not a politically correct forum. You will find the truth here folks, and it's a truth that is irrefutable with plenty of history to back it up. Kannapolis and Concord are two human entities divided by a common link, and that link is football. To my knowledge in this rivalries eighty five year history, no one has been killed, no one has been seriously injured either on or off the field, and the game is fought hard and clean. Win or lose both sides seem to find that same level of mutual respect for the other after the game is played. This rivalry possesses some very unique intangibles that many do not.
Three hundred and sixty days out of the year we're all Americans, but for five days during one week of the high school football season the line is drawn, and there is no crossing it. This is Kannapolis and Concord folks. It's Green and White vs Black and Gold and the consensus surrounding this rivalry is Black and White. It's the hottest rivalry in the State of North Carolina and to call it anything else than what it is may simply be your way of denying that the deep rooted feelings of contempt you have for either Kannapolis or Concord still burns within you when it's time to put on the pads and play the game. Those feelings will never die, and to sugar coat it for the sake of universal harmony is just plain and simply unrealistic. "The picture is worth a thousand words" -The editor