When Lions Were Kings IV

  Borah vs. Klamath Falls, Homecoming 1968

Entering Borah and going to the first pep assembly was impressive in September – or was it late August? – of 1966..  I didn’t think anything could be as loud as the Borah gym was that day.  Measuring decibels at rock concerts was not spoken of in those days, at least that I can remember, but my ears were hurting.    I remember guys on the team just staring at each other, half smiling in amazement.

After that, it became the norm.  We weren’t in awe anymore.

In late summer of 1967, the Borah Lions, with a few of us fortunate juniors, traveled to Sandpoint for our opening game.  The score was 34 to 0 before the “Junior” offense was given a chance.  With just a couple of minutes to go in the game, we had the ball near mid-field.  Craig Estell ran for about 5 yards on first down.  On second down, Don Minter took the ball into the Sandpoint secondary, faked out a Bulldog defender (as we would have described it back then ‘the poor guy’s jock was hangin on the goalpost’) and ran for a touchdown.  We only played 2 plays, but we scored a touchdown.  When the game ended and we were running off the field, I felt like I could have jumped up on the goalpost and grabbed that guy's, well, I think you get the picture.  Only two plays and we had scored a touchdown in a varsity foot ball game for the Borah Lions.  It was a natural high.

The Borah machine, the “Green Wave” was a remarkable force in Idaho high school sports.  Yet, the tradition was strong and it was expected.  What was awesome and extraordinary became ordinary. 

But there was one player’s abilities that could inspire awe in me.  His number was 24, and he was the same guy who scored that touchdown against Sandpoint.  Don Minter.  The Borah teams for the three years we had together at Borah were impressive.  Twenty-nine wins in thirty outings.  Numerous players made all-city, all-conference and all-state.  Many went on to play in college and at least two had tryouts with the NFL.  But Don could do something that nobody else could.  He could suddenly change from whatever gear he was in to high speed.  There were a few times when what looked like a sure tackle by a defender turned out to be the poor guy just grabbing air.

Homecoming 1968 was Don’s greatest effort.  We played Klamath Falls, Oregon, a team ranked in the top 5 of in that state.  While most teams in Idaho would set their defenses to stop Minter, apparently K. Falls didn’t think it was necessary.  It was not a good idea.  Don scored three touchdowns and rushed for over 200 yards in that game.  There were Pelican feathers left scattered all over the field, the result of failing to chase him down.

The Idaho Statesman sports writers were impressed.  They named him player of the week.  Notice the coaches in the background

Lots of good memories.  I miss you, old friend.

When Lions Were Kings III

It was Tuesday, November 11, 1958.  If you rode in a car toward Bronco Stadium with your parents, like I did, maybe the radio was on playing "It's All in the Game" by Tommy Edwards, or "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day.  If the news was on -- maybe Paul Harvey if it was around noon -- you may have heard that Nikita Khrushchev (did you fear that name like I did back then?) delivered a speech demanding that the United States, France and Great Britain pull their forces out of Berlin.  Three years later the Berlin wall was built.

Here is the official program.  From left to right, Dawn Fannin, the Braves’ running back who would be named a high school All-American a few weeks after the game; his teammate Tom Swindell, who would coach Capital High School to a Veterans day victory against his alma mater exactly 10 years later; John Ahlin, the Borah fullback whose brother Jerry would quarterback who lead the Lions to a Veterans Day victory four years later; and Wanek Stein, who had been the quarterback at Boise high the year before and, in this game, scored the winning touchdown as a running back for the Lions..

So what was going on in late summer of1958? A new high school opened in the capital city, Borah High School, home of the Borah – actually the mascot wasn’t named until late September after school had already started – Lions.

Two of the top-selling books at the Book Shop down were Dear Abby and Kids Say the Darndest Things by Art Linkletter.  President Dwight Eisenhower had a 57% approval rating – ah, yes, such nonsense was thought to be important back then, too.  At the Pinney Theater, Walt Disney’s “The Light in the Forest” starring James MacArthur was playing, while “Vertigo” starring Jimmy Stewart was at the Vista.  Looking through the funnies in Idaho Sunday Statesman one could be entertained with “Moon Mullins”, “Terry and the Pirates”, “Little Orphan Annie”, “Gasoline Alley”, “ Dick Tracy”, “Joe Palooka”, “Pogo”, and the very politically incorrect “Uncle Remus”.

If you wanted to watch television on Sunday, you had to be patient.  KBOI channel 2 didn’t come on until 11:15 A.M. and KTVB channel 7 didn’t begin broadcasting until 3:15 P.M.  At 8:00 P.M. one had to choose between “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Steve Allen Show”. 

A new subdivision, Franklin Park, was being built next to the new high school, with houses starting at $15,000 – probably with only one bathroom.  I mean, who needs more than one bathroom.  Boys dress slacks were $4.95, women’s seamless nylons were $1.95 for three pair, a mink stole would set you back $850 at Falks ID Store, while a black and white television might cost you $370.  A combination washer/dryer at Warehouse Furniture on South 9^th Street cost $450.

In sports, the Milwaukee Braves would soon meet the New York Yankees in the World Series, Satchel Paige (in his 50’s) was still pitching, the Cubs’ Ernie Banks had 37 home runs and 99 RBI’s, and the Borah Lions would not get their first Southern Idaho Conference win until October.  Fans were waiting for the first intra-city game ever scheduled for November 11.  After Boise upset defending champion Pocatello late in the season, the table was set for the Veterans Day game to decide the SIC championship.  Sportswriter and later mayor of Boise Dick Eardley wrote excitedly that as many as 8000 people may show up for the game.  It turned out to be over 11,000 in a stadium with a capacity of 10,000.  Both high school bands and choirs, as well as those from the four junior highs, performed a Veterans Day tribute at half time.

The game itself?  It couldn’t have been much more exciting. Borah score first, then Boise took the lead, and then the Lions got a touchdown on a pass by Larry Jeffries just before half.  The Braves took the lead in the third quarter, but Borah won it with Stein’s touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.  For the Lions it was the beginning of a dynasty that would carry into the 70’s.  Here is the Headline form The Idaho Statesman.