Tri-Captains of 1959-60 Cubs Football Team Meet in San Angelo

In “Get Your Paws Up” by Carroll & Christopher Wilson, [Copyright Christopher Wilson, 2025, pg 20-21] The 1959 season was a grand and glorious one. Not too much was expected of this Cub edition, as defending district champion Bowie was ranked No. 2 in the state. But after two fairly close early games, the Cubs exploded on a favored Burkburnett team, 60-0, and never looked back. Now came the dream game matchup -- final game of the season, No. 2 Bowie hosts No. 10 Olney on Friday the 13th of November. On this memorable, bitterly cold night, the Cubs froze the Jackrabbits, 15-6, in one of the classic games in Olney football history.

Senior fullback Harold Philipp scored a touchdown, kicked a field goal and went on to earn first team All-State, All-Southern and high school All-America --the only Olney player to compile these honors.

In the playoffs, the Cubs ripped Azle (34-8) and Bonham (27-8), as Philipp reeled off two of the greatest runs on record. Those two contests also had one other special point of interest: Coach Riley told The Enterprise that after junior Jim Grisham’s “strong showing at the halfback slot in the last quarter of the Azle game,” fans could expect a change in the starting lineup against Bonham. It was the first game in which Philipp and Grisham (arguably Olney’s two best players ever) started in the same backfield (Grisham was previously used at end).

Olney then crushed Dangerfield, 34-14, in the quarterfinals. It marked the first time a Cub team had earned a spot in the state semifinals.

The Semifinal game was played in Wichita Falls against defending state champion Stamford. Locked in a desperate struggle and trailing by two touchdowns, Olney cut the deficit to 12-7 with a fourth quarter touchdown, then narrowly missed recovering a fumble on the following kickoff. The Bulldogs then drove close enough for a clinching field goal in the final minute to win, 15-7, and then repeated as state champions with a 19-14 victory over Brady the following week. However, a few weeks later, Stamford was forced to forfeit the title (to Brady, of course), as the Bulldogs All-State center was declared ineligible. Had this been determined prior to the Brady game, Olney would have played Brady for the state championship. A matter of bad timing for the Cubs!

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