A too-late Warning to Boise Braves: Beware of Underrated Cadys
1963 1968
I went to or played in every Boise-Borah game from 1958-1968. The ’58 game, as I recently wrote, was memorable,
but to me the 1963 game was epic.
Borah and Boise were playing for the SIC championship for the fourth time in the six-year rivalry. For the first time since 1958, Boise was the favorite. Nearly 15,000 people attended the game, which was also televised for the first time. The Braves were 9-0, including a 25-0 win over defending Oregon state champion Medford, and the Lions were 8-1, having fumbled away a 26-14 loss to Missoula, Montana.
Dale Cady, Borah running back, was “in really top condition for the first time this season,” according to Coach Troxel. He was the star of the game, scoring all three touchdowns in the game for the Lions. Because of nagging injuries all year, Dale, arguably the fastest sprinter to ever wear the green and gold, was not expected him to shine like he did. Those who thought that were wrong.
Borah 21-Boise 20.
Flash forward to Boise-Borah 1968. Don Minter was coming off a 200+ yard game
against Klamath Falls and Craig Estell was among the rushing leaders in the
conference. Shoot, I had even had 100
yards rushing against Meridian. You see, there was this other guy in the backfield.
Most of the time he was called on to be a blocker in order to make his
comrades in the backfield look good. But
this guy wanted the ball a lot more than I ever gave it to him. Whenever I think of Bill Cady I think of
three words: “Gimme the ball.”
In those days, quarterbacks got to call their own plays. Unfortunately for Bill, who loved to run the ball, there were only 3 or 4 plays that were meant for the wing back, which was his position. Yet in the third quarter when we were nursing a 10-7 lead, I made the right decision. I handed the ball to Bill and he ran 46 yards for a touchdown, and we left the Braves in the dust. It was the turning point of the game and, in my mind, the biggest play of the year.
Borah 33-Boise 7.
I can't turn back the clock. Well, I guess I can in one sense since daylight savings time ends tonight. But I can't go back in time and give Bill the ball more often, which would have been a smart thing to do.
Nevertheless, thanks for the big one against Boise. You just couldn't keep the Cadys down when it mattered most.
