Lots of those Page High School Football All-Stars from back around 1970-1972 are still around

Ran into one of the former Page Pirates from back in that era today and that was Dennis Williamson…

Many of those stars prior to the arrival of Coach Marion Kirby at Page are still around and people still talk about how tough it was back when Steve Yates has at the helm of the Pirate Ship..

Things were tight and they were very tough back in the time when Coach Steve Yates steered the Pirates’ ship….

But you had those All-Star type players in:
Dennis Williamson
Vince Evans
Ron Smith
Ray/Raynard Harrison
David Blue
Donald Moore Sr.
Garson Rice Jr.
The Malloy Brothers
Ervin Ford Jr.
Tim Harris
Frank Grezycek
Phil Wise(now deceased) and this is a pretty strong list of the guys from back then and you have more on the table that we need to add….

Dennis Williamson said he made the move to Dudley High School for his senior year and even to this day, football fans still Dennis Williamson is a part of the Carolina Panthers football team….

7 thoughts on “Lots of those Page High School Football All-Stars from back around 1970-1972 are still around

  1. I believe Vince Evans played at Smith High School. His father substituted for us in school and would tell stories of his son. Vince Evans played at Page? Here we go with this…Next, Charlies Sanders of Dudley will play at Page too…revisionist history is a serious issue in the Western World.

  2. From what we were told the story goes Vince was at Page and was not happy with Coach Yates, so Vince left Page and went over to Ben L. Smith and played for Claude Manzi there…Vince left Page early in his career…Must have been in the 19th grade…

  3. A lot of those guys from those old teams over Page have told me they could still go today, if they had the right stretching equipment….

  4. Andy,
    I was in no way shape or form near being an all star for Page football in 1972. I gradually worked my way up to being a SECOND TEAM receiver my senior year. In no way do I desire to disrespect any and all of those that played for Coach Yates that were indeed much better players than I was. I enjoyed my time on those teams. Yes, the conditioning was tough and I feel like I became better for it both as a high school athlete and later in life.I was committed to the program. Several of my friends and teammates from the Page track team tried to convince me to switch to cross country and perhaps I should have, but I stuck with Coach Yates and his staff. I did indeed learn many useful life lessons out there. What small amount of athletic ability I had was better suited to distance running than to playing a speed intense game such as football. There was something about the difficulty required to play for the Pirates of that era that made me want to see if I could be a part of it.Personally, I liked Coach Yates because he was both tough but fair. Other guys that chose not to remain in the program would trash him and his methods, but I would always defend both him and the program.Several former players,(most in classes ahead of me)posted today on Facebook about how much of a bond we have later in life due to surviving a tough system.

  5. How do you do your research? Come to our Page High Class of 1971 Reunion on 9/24/16 at Sherwood Racquet and Swim Club and talk to some former players under Coach Yates…

  6. ” Vince left Page and went over to Ben L. Smith and played for Claude Manzi there…Vince left Page early in his career…” True Vince did not leave Page because Of Coach Yates , Ok lets correct that Lie. Rezoning was the true reason why Vince ended up at Smith. Vince lived in Bembow park which do to the rezoning put him in the Smith High school area, That is the true reason Vince ended up at Smith.

  7. Freedom of Choice school selection ended after our sophomore year at Page, and forced busing sent Vince to Smith. The change was totally due to where we lived that year, and not a desire to leave Page.

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