Valiant Pond Dive
What started as a joyride turned into a mud-splattered rescue mission when our car high-centered in a pond—just an hour before kickoff. With our football jerseys soaked, our jeans stuck with tadpole slime, and the starting offensive line still missing from the bus, we had to claw our way out of Lawyers Pond, beat the clock, and prove once again that in Picher, survival was half the game.
Dirt Daubers
What started as a simple backyard ballgame turned into an all-out aerial assault after one perfect swing clanged off an old metal fence post—home to a very angry swarm of dirt daubers. Dennis ran. I hesitated. Bad call. Ten seconds later, I was shirtless, screaming, and getting lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler. The aftermath involved a makeshift ER, a can of Prince Albert tobacco, and a peanut gallery of laughing neighborhood boys. And when the swelling finally went down… I brought the kerosene.