What makes Reitz Football special to you?

from anonymous: My stepfather was a bookmaker here in Evansville. He was a tremendous guy, loved the sport. He and Mr. Stone always seemed to know where to peg the line to make it interesting. And in those days, betting on local games was part of the excitement. It was one of the things that kept the old guys interested in their schools.

He entered our life in 1957-58 and I benefited by getting to tag along to just about every Aces basketball game and every big High school game in town. Of course, Reitz had the biggest games and the biggest crowds.

My most memorable moment at a Reitz game? I must have been ten or eleven years old or so. It was half time and I had wandered down to open endzone to watch the kick off. Reitz was kicking off to Rex Mundi. "The Kickoff" was deep and the returner took it on the 4 or 5 yard line, returning it right up the middle, then pointing to his blockers as he veered right, juked and went all the way down the sideline. It was the most beautifully executed kickoff return I had ever seen. Pure football, you know what I mean? I saw the ref pull the flag out of his belt just before the returner - a cocky kid named Bob Greise - crossed the far goal line and drop it on the Monarchs 42 yard line. Very late, but it preserved the Panthers unscored upon streak (and probably cost my stepfather a bundle). I became a Rex Mundi fan at that moment, instant conversion, religious I guess. What a game that was!

I don't know if you were around in those days, but Reitz had some tremendous talent, but won with discipline and winning attitude. Great teams.