Up, Down, Up, Down, and Up to Stay
 

The late seventies were not especially memorable years for the Lipscomb Football Program, but the eighties would provide different memories.

 The 1980 team carried an impressive 8-2 record into the Boyce Smith Bowl.  The ’80 team defeated Celina High School on the way to an 8-3 final record and the best record under Coach Keith Earle.

 1981 was not a banner year for the program.  The team suffered through one of the worst defeats in school history.  There were only three wins, but 7 losses.

 1982 brought another new coach and a renewed enthusiasm with the beginning of the football complex at Maplehurst.  It seems unbelievable to think that our teams played all away games up to this year.  Coach McCadams lead an undermanned 6-5 squad to the Lions Bowl in Watertown against Trousdale County.  It was obvious that something new was happening.

 1983 was the first season for the Mustangs to play in AA.  The team played in the Industrial Bowl in Lafayette against the host team.  The Mustangs defeated the Tigers and ended the season with an impressive 9-2 record.

 1984 saw the Mustangs continue rebuilding the program.  The team ended the season in Pulaski with a Butter Bowl win over Franklin Road Academy to cap off an 8-3 season.  The question still remains – Why did the two teams drive 100 miles to play a game when they are only separated by 3 miles?

 1985 found the team struggling again.  After 3 consecutive years of improvements, questions began to arise.  Was it just a fluke, a great group of athletes, or poor competition that caused the former three years to be so good?  The team finished with a dismal 2-8 record.  Is AA this much different than A?

 1986  was not much better when you consider the 3-7 record, but the program was improving.  The players and coaches were making the adjustments to AA and began an active campaign to get every boy in the school to consider if they could play football.

 1987 would not end any better on the scoreboard that 1986 did, still a 3-7 record.  The coaches, players, and supporters remained convinced that Lipscomb could play in AA and be competitive.  Despite the records of the past three seasons, Lipscomb was laying some impressive groundwork, only visible by a handful of  “close to the program” individuals.

 1988 was the ‘breakout’year.  Lipscomb made the Football map in Tennessee.  With a 10-3 year, the first berth into the State Playoffs in AA, and advancing to host the Quarterfinal game with Milan, Lipscomb began to be associated with football.  If you are into Lipscomb Football history, you know this year to be the pivotal year for the program.  It’s all up from here.

 1989 saw the Mustangs continue to make advances and win impressively.  Narrowly missing the playoffs, with an 8-2 record, the Mustangs traveled to Union City to play the host Tornadoes in the Civitan Bowl.  After multiple game stoppages due to lightning, power outages, and high winds, the Lipscomb came home with a 9-2 record and a bowl victory.

 Even though the 80’s will be remembered by their ups and downs by most, the individual players, their families, the coaches, and supporters will remember the 80’s through private victories and small, seemingly insignificant ways.  They will remember the growing pains, the physical work involved with building a field, stadium, locker rooms, the friendships made and shared throughout the years.  They also take great pride in knowing that they played a major role in building the Lipscomb Football program to its current position.

 Thank You to the Mustangs of the 80’s for your contribution to the heritage of Lipscomb High School Football!

Compiled by David Lipscomb High School Principal Mark Pugh.  Mr.  Pugh spent numerous seasons from the 1980’s thru the 1998 season as one of the assistants on Coach McCadams’ staff.