Howe's Treasured RecoVery

Isn't if funny how one little florescent light can symbolize something and bring such great feelings to one community?  The victory light in Howe is merely just a florescent light bulb hidden beneath a panel tied to just a simple breaker box in the old rickety press box of Bulldog Stadium.  It didn't cost that much to install, and it doesn't cost that much to maintain.  But the smiles that it creates as the August sun turns to the cold November rains is priceless.

The victory light was introduced to Howe in the fall of 1977 by Howe's new head coach James "Blackie" Wade.  The original light was eight simple light bulbs up and one at the bottom (seventeen in all) pieced together to form a V.  It was simple, much like our little town.  But it was extremely bright, much like our little town.


The tradition of the victory light is to turn it on immediately after the Howe Bulldogs varsity football team wins a football game on Friday night.  The light stays on all week until the Freshman/J.V. games start the following Thursday.  It's a simple tradition.  In a good year, the light burns for seven weeks.  In a great year, such as 2010, it burns for nine.

When I was a little kid, I grew up near the elementary school and the victory light served as my internet.  I couldn't ride my bike to Whitewright and see the Dogs play on Friday night, but I could sure ride my bike across town to see if that light was on Saturday morning or not.  Fortunately, back then it was on a lot.  The victory light was in it's most used stage from 1984-1991.  During that seven year period, the light was on a total of 64 times.  Howe was 62-28-3 (and of the three ties, two were playoff advances).

I became a Howe Bulldogs fan about 1984.  I remember Randy Geer and his amazing speed and superb long TD runs.  But in 1985, everything changed.  Howe went to the Regional finals and were led by a short running back with a rocket on his back named Stephen Ogle.  I rode my bike across town and saw that victory light on Saturday morning 9 times that year.  This 6th grader would never be the same.  Winning programs feed the younger kids that are watching and becoming fans.  It was then, that the game changed.  My classmates and the classes ahead of us had the bar set for us.  We knew how much excitement the town shared during that 1985 run.  We wanted the same thing and we didn't just want to be good.  We wanted to be great.

Thankfully, I was able to be a part of that great seven year ride.  I was able to play in 7 playoff games (more than anyone in school history apart from my teammate Jon Norwood who also played in 7).   I was a part of the 1989 District, Bi-District, Area Champions, 1990 Bi-District, Area Champions, and 1991 District Champions.

When we beat Bells by 5 points in the last game of the season to become District Champions in 1991, no one thought about the victory light being turned on for the last time.  The light had taken 15 seasons of wear and tear and needed to be replaced.  Instead of replacing the V, Howe chose to replace it with a boxed panel with the picture of the Bulldog logo inside it.  The tradition was lost.  The light in the panel would stay on even after losses.  It was a bit sad to drive by and see something that used to be such a community bonding mechanism mishandled.  The original V that was in place for 15 seasons was lit up 98 times for Howe to see and be proud of (6.5 wins per year).  Without the V, Howe played as if it didn't exist either.  They went 16 years without the V and during that time, Howe won 66 games (4.13 wins per year).

After noticeable wear and tear of 16 years, the panel with the Bulldog logo had become old and decrepit.  It was about to fall down.  It was needing to be replaced as the panel itself had a crack in it and was broken.  I kept a keen eye on it hoping that it would eventually just fall down and we could reinstall the victory light in our town.  And when I got word it was coming down, I made a phone call to the superintendent Kevin Wilson.

I stated my case to have a V on the back of the press box and I remember him asking me, "a V ?  Why a V? Why not an H?"  I went on to tell him the significance to what the V stood for around Howe for many years as a symbol of community pride, a symbol that people actually care about.  I told him of my friends that shared the same sentiments as I did that the great tradition had been lost.  I even offered to pay for it.

I thank Mr. Wilson a great deal for having an open mind and seeing that through.  It was remarkable to be able to have that V put back in place.  I was there taking pictures when it was being installed.  I felt like I had just ridden my bike from all away cross town to see if it were on.  It was just cool to see.

On August 29, 2008 Howe defeated Blue Ridge 49-14 and were set to turn on the victory light for the first time since that 1991 game vs. Bells.  In true fashion, Howe chose two legendary former players to flip the switch.  L.B. Kirby was a player on the 1942 District Champions that had to play without a head coach due to war time.  Mac Davis also played in the 1940's and has had numerous family members be standout football players for Howe over the years including son and grandson.  Coach Steve Simmons guided all fans back behind the stands and have a celebratory countdown to flipping that switch.  In a small Texas town's version of the ball dropping at Time's Square, after a 10 to 1 countdown, the two gentlemen flipped that switch and a giant roar came from the crowd and the team.

At homecoming this year of 2010, being the president of the Howe Ex-Students Association, I was allowed to flip the switch in that old breaker box if Howe won.  It was a great feeling for me to in a sense of coming full circle with that old V.  I put many blood, sweat and tears on that field just to light that thing after a win on Friday night.  And 16 years later, I was still putting sweat in to get that V back up there and get it turned on again.

I've been so proud of watching these 2010 Howe Bulldogs turn that light on.  Their deep playoff run galvanized this community like it hadn't been in quite some time.  It's a very special thing.  And somewhere, I guarantee you, a 6th grader will never be the same.