A story made its way to me from Dr. Ron Bullard via his brother, Steve, last week. It is a long ago story about the Allen Mustang (oops, I mean Midgets) back in the fall of 1926. I’ll just reprint the story like the editor wrote it that long ago day when the Allen Advocate was known as the Allen Democrat — 97 years ago.

“The Allen Midgets left Allen early Friday morning for Okemah. Okemah sent out about 30 men for the warming up all dolled up by new suits and pepped up by a pep organization, all dolled up in uniforms. It was a sight to scare the Midgets, not so however. The Midgets paced out on the fi eld in their battle scarred and time worn accoutrements and seemed to snap right into it without being the least afraid of the show of Okemah. And by the way let me tell you that Okemah had about 30 pounds more beef to the man than the little Allen Midgets.

Well, the field was muddy as the main street of Allen on that rainy day. I’ll say that is pretty muddy, too. The first three quarters was misery for the big hulks. The Midgets made them suffer every minute of the game. The last quarter began to tell on the Midgets but they still made Okemah earn every inch she gained. It was a sight good for sore eyes to watch that Allen Midget bunch fi ght.

You would have thought they (Allen) were related to the clam family the way they fought for their mud hole trying to get it. As I said before the score the first three quarters was 0-0, in favor of the Midgets. The last quarter was ruled by the goddess of ill-luck. At the end of it the Midgets were in the hole for 13 points. But say you should have seen (Coach) Johnson, he was as proud of the bunch of tattered muddy bedraggled boys as an old hen is of her little chicks and he says the reason for it that the Midgets fought.

All the boys who fought for the honor of old Allen High School with all their power and that was good too, but Lloyd Crownover deserves mention here for the many losses he forced on the Okemah Eleven. Allen High School is proud of a scrapping, fighting, clean playing gridiron eleven and you can lay to that.

Players for Allen included Clovis Reed, R.T.; Lonnie B. Smith, R.E.; Brice Roberson, I.H.; Orval Leonard, R.H.; Capt. Pat Patterson, F.B.; Buck Gilmore, Q.B.; Otho Butler; Olen Smith, William Culver.”

I’m glad they changed the name from “Midgets” to “Mustangs.” And I’m glad the quarterback, Buck Gilmore lived for 97 years so that many of us were acquainted and remember who he was. But he was no Midget but was a coach. Buck was a giant in 1921 for Allen and always remained one.

QB Buck Gilmore, born May 15, 1908, died in November 2005 at age 97. Buck went from being an Allen Midget to an OU grad. Buck taught school and coached, living out his long life out on his family ranch on the Francis Road.

Player Otho Butler became a pharmacist, owning the Central Drug Store in downtown Allen, and was Company Commander of the National Guard Unit here in Allen. Captain Butler was to die a hero on a hillside in Sicily after being ordered to “take” a German machine gun nest. He received the silver star and HWY-1 is named in his honor.

Be sure and support our present day Mustangs and don’t forget your church this Sunday.

Wayne Bullard DPh

waynebullard@sbcglobal.net