Five former Brownwood Lions who distinguished themselves not only as high school athletes but also in the years since graduation will be inducted into the Gordon Wood Hall of Champions at a luncheon Friday, May 3.
Gary George, Jerry Loyd, Scottye Ratliff, Edward Robinson and Doug Young are the men selected for this year’s class.
Spike Dykes, who was Texas Tech University’s head football coach from 1986 to 1999, will be the keynote speaker. The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the First United Methodist Church Christian Life Center, across 10th Street from Brownwood High School.
Tickets cost $30 each, and are available at KOXE, Smith and Sharpe Insurance Agency and from Hall of Champions board members.
Gordon Wood, who coached the Brownwood Lions to seven state championships between 1960 and 1985, founded the Hall of Champions to honor outstanding athletes in his programs. Members have been inducted each year since 2000. The Hall of Champions Museum on the second floor of the Harvey House is nearing completion, and several rooms are currently open to groups by appointment.
Wood continued to live in Brownwood after his retirement, and died in 2003.
Biographies of the inductees follow.
Gary George
Gary George played running back and linebacker for the Brownwood Lions in the 1973-74 season, and was named to the All-District and All-West Texas teams as a fullback. He was also named a Blue-Chip running back. His linebacker honors included All-District, All-West Texas, First Team All-State and Prep All-American. He lettered in football for three years, track for two years and basketball for one year.
In 1973, George and others on the Lions team were named in Carlton Stowers’ book “Spirit,” the inside story of Texas high school football. Two movie film crews shot “Spirit,” with one covering Brownwood and another following Iowa Park, leading up to that year’s game. Brownwood film director Jeff King said their motive was to “produce a first-rate documentary movie, but things changed” as they became caught up in Texas football fever.
Gary was assigned to the Brownwood High junior varsity as a sophomore, but that lasted for only two games, and he played on the varsity for the rest of the 1971-72 season. This team pursued the Lions’ third state title, but was defeated in the semifinals 10-8. He and his teammates played in the first football game held at what is now Gordon Wood Stadium.
Gary attended Howard Payne University. He was married to the former Vicki Rhoades in 1975, and they have one son and a granddaughter. Gary has been employed with the 3M Company for the past 37 years.
Several years after graduation, Gary received a handwritten note from Coach Wood, which he counts as a personal treasure. It says, “Gary, you were a fine, complete player on as good or maybe the best team we ever had. It was a complete fluke that caused us to not win state. Gary, your whole family means a lot to me. Thanks for being a great Lion and friend.”
Jerry Loyd
Jerry Loyd was a nose tackle for Brownwood Lions teams that went a combined 20-2-1 in the 1973 and 1974 seasons.
In 1974, Jerry led the team in tackles with 80 solo and 60 assists, a total of 140. He was named first team All-District and first team All Area.
Jerry also led the team in tackles in 1973, with 110 solo and 65 assists, a total of 175. He was named first team All-District, All-Area and All-State. He was named second team Associated Press All-State and first team Fort Worth Star-Telegram All-State. Jerry was included in the 1974 Prep All-American Yearbook, and was a five-time defensive player of the week at the Lions Booster Club meetings. He received the Best Defensive Player Award at the football banquet, and made Coach Wood’s All-Time Football Team as defensive guard as well as Brownwood High’s All-Time Football Team at that position. Coach Wood nicknamed him “Fire Plug” when he was a junior.
Lion fans felt both seasons ended prematurely. The 1973 team (9-1) scored 333 points while allowing only 59, with six shutouts. The only loss came on a controversial safety against Wichita Falls Hirschi. The 1974 season (11-1-1) saw the Lions score 376 points and allow only 74 with seven shutouts, but Gainesville scored on the last play of the semifinal game to tie and advanced to the finals on first-downs.
Jerry, who worked after school and on Saturdays at the athletic department, decided to work after high school graduation to help support his family. His parents, both of whom were disabled, raised five children. Jerry has worked at the Brown County Water Improvement District No. 1 for 32 years, and serves as head assistant in the Field Operations Department. He and his wife, Cora, were married in 1983, and they have three grown children, all BHS graduates, and four grandchildren.
Scottye Ratliff
Scottye Ratliff graduated in 1975 from Brownwood High, where he played football for Coach Gordon Wood, lettering in ’72, ’73 and 1974. During his senior year he was voted as a Co-Captain on the 1974 team, which reached the semifinals. Scottye ended his high school career as 1st team All-district, 1st team All-West Texas, and Honorable Mention All-State. The team voted him as Most Valuable Player for the 1974 football season. Scottye also competed in track where he competed at the Texas Relays, and placed 5th at the UIL State Meet in the 4 x 100.
In 1975, Scottye walked on at Abilene Christian University to play running back and return kickoffs. During his junior year, in 1977, the ACU Wildcats won the NAIA National Championship. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Education, Scottye moved to Amarillo where he served as youth minister at The Central Church of Christ from 1980 to 1990. In 1990 Scottye moved back to Brownwood, serving as youth and family minister at Austin Avenue Church of Christ from 1990 to 1993.
From 1993 to 2003, Scottye became a financial advisor in Brownwood. In 2004 he moved his investment practice to Midland Texas, joining Van Pearcy Wealth Services. He and his partner, Van Pearcy, built their investment practice as one of the top investment firms in the United States, managing over a billion dollars in assets. Their practice has become the number 1 office in the nation with Raymond James and is ranked by Barron’s in the top 100 offices in Texas.
Scottye is married to Renae Ratliff, and he and his wife enjoy a blended family of 8 children and 6 grandchildren. He is the son of the late Jesse Ratliff, and Robbie Ratliff, who still resides in Brownwood.
Edward Robinson
Edward Robinson excelled in several sports at Brownwood High. In football, he was a member of both the 1965 and 1967 Brownwood High state championship teams. He led the district in interceptions in 1967 with seven. Three of those were considered game-savers. He was selected to the 1967 Second-Team All-State squad as a defensive back.
In track, Edward was a three-year letterman, and was a 1966 district finalist in the 440-yard dash; 1967 district champion in the 440-yard dash and a member of the 1967 district champion in the mile relay. He was also a 1967 regional qualifier in the 440-yard dash, and 1967 state finalist as a member of the mile relay team. He was also a two-year letterman on the 1966 and 1967 BHS basketball teams.
Edward attended Howard Payne College (now University), where he was a four-year starter who earned All-Lone Star Conference honors and was a member of the 1971 Lone Star Conference championship football team.
He retired from his career with 3M in 1998.
Doug Young
Doug Young (1944-2005) was an All-State and All-American selection as a member of Brownwood High School’s 1960 Class 3A state championship football team, the overachieving squad that stunned all of Texas during Coach Gordon Wood’s first year with the Lions. Doug weighed only 178 pounds as a senior, but his quickness and strength were exceptional. He bench-pressed 315-320 pounds in high school. Doug started three years at Texas Tech University despite three different injuries that required surgery, including a broken leg and two knee injuries. He was small for a college lineman at 5-11 and 205 pounds, but he had moved his bench press up to 400 pounds. Injuries and size kept him out of professional ball, but he competed in several rodeos.
He worked for the railroad, but his powerlifting success won him worldwide acclaim. Doug won American national and world power-lifting championship titles multiple times from 1975 to 1977 while competing the 242-pound and the 275-pound weight classes. In the 1977 International Powerlifting Federation world championship, he posted a 1,954-pound total (699-pound squat, 545-pound bench press, and 710-pound deadlift) while sustaining three broken ribs. Doug was credited with a bench press of 612 pounds in 1978 while wearing just a T-shirt. He was the strength coach for the world powerlifting team of 1980.
He died in Abilene in 2005.
