THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170351
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: GATESVILLE LENGTH: 41 lines
The most heralded football team in the history of Gates County High School will return Friday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the school's only state championship.
The festivities will take place during the game between Gates County and Northampton East at 7:30 p.m. in Gatesville. Pete Smoak, a 26-year head coach at the high school, will be the honorary captain for the coin flip, along with fathers from the 1971 team and their sons from the 1996 squad.
At halftime, the school will recognize each member of the 1971 team and the coaching staff. After the game, the players will gather at Smoak's home.
The Gates County Red Barons from that era were one of the most dominating teams in Eastern North Carolina. Playing in the 2A Albemarle Conference, Gates County barely lost a game from 1969-1971.
``There were 16 seniors on the 1971 team,'' recalled Donnie Umphlett, the quarterback for the state championship team. ``During those three years they played varsity ball, they were 30-3.''
As sophomores, those players went 8-2 and lost to Williamston and Edenton. Edenton went on to win the state championship. The next year, the Barons were 9-1, with their lone loss going to Ahoskie. Ahoskie also went on to win the state championship.
In 1971, the Barons had to overcome a hurricane to stay undefeated.
``We were supposed to play Edenton on a Friday night, but a hurricane hit and we couldn't even play them the following Monday,'' Umphlett said. ``Later in the season, we had to play a game on Friday night, one on Monday night, and one on the next Friday night. We played three games in eight days and won all of them, including Edenton on the Monday night.''
The Gates powerhouse outscored its opponents 124-33 in three playoff games and went on to beat Southern Guilford 34-8 in Greensboro for the 2A title.
Umphlett gave most of the credit for the team's success to Smoak.
``He deserves the credit for that state championship and for what he's done for the school,'' Umphlett said.
Thirty-five of the 43 players from the 1971 team are expected to participate Friday night. by CNB