Grumble Jones September Scenario GJ164 They Held Their Line

With August past us, we move into September and the start of the new NFL Season. As a huge NFL fan, I always look forward to Fall and the start of the new season. Been a Dallas Cowboys fan since 1972 and am still with them, despite their difficulties these many years (decades). As a child, I read everything I could get my hands on regarding the NFL. And I grew up reading about Y.A. Tittle, Bart Starr, Ken Dawson, Gayle Sayers, Roger Staubach, Craig Morton, Johnny Unitas, Otto Graham, Joe Theismann and so many other greats of the '60's and '70's. Personally...my two favorite Super Bowls were Super Bowls 10 and 13...Cowboys vs Steelers. My Cowboys didn't win...but man were those fun games to watch. And Jackie Smith...nearly won it for us in Super Bowl 13. Moving to St. Louis familiarized me more with Jackie Smith who had been a long-time Cardinal and who is still much loved in St. Louis along with Jim Hart and Conrad Dobler to name a few.

Growing up the 1960's and 1970's the NFL had just made the transition to Super Bowl games beginning in 1966. I started playing school team football in Bristol, Tennessee in 1974 as 9 year old. I played for the Haynesfield Redskins (now the Hurricanes...go figure). 

My grandparents came up from Florida to watch to my first game under the lights. I was a safety, so was on the sideline watching our offense. One of my neighbors, Todd Walton was our quarterback. He went on a sweep and was tackled right in front of me..and screaming in agony as his leg was broken. Todd was taken away in an ambulance...you can imagine the effect this had on the parents of fourth graders witnessing this.

My exploits as a fourth-grade football player consisted of fielding a punt before being creamed and recovering a fumble when they put me in at left tackle. I was a scrawny kid...completely unsuited for the position of left tackle. 52 years later I can still remember the face the kid playing defensive tackle who repeatedly knocked me on my butt play after play.

Going into 5th Grade...I found my rhythm as an end. I discovered that I loved catching footballs. I would score twice that year on 2 point conversions and have a total of 4 points to my football career.

In 6th grade I was a split-end and did absolutely nothing. We got crushed that year...but I had some fantastic coaches from East Tennessee State University and a policeman named "Bear" who we all loved.

In 7th grade, I attended Vance Jr. High...home of the Jr. Vikings. August practices started at 2:30 PM and ended around 5:00 PM. I would walk home after showering in our field house. There was a high embankment at one end of our practice field and I became very familiar with running up and down it. I was one of 4 Wing Backs. We each played a down in every sequence. We would carry the plan into the huddle. As a result, we had to know every play and were always standing next to our coaches during offensive. We had our play, 440 Out, which was basically a juke and then a streak down the sideline. Our quarterback didn't have an arm, so on the 440 Out...he pitched the ball to our fullback (we had those in the '70's) and he would throw the ball towards the endzone...and we had run under it. 

We had the best tailback in the conference and so the wingbacks were responsible for cracking back on linebackers and opening the end for our tailback. My one and only Clipping Penalty came from trying to execute a crackback and it cost us a touchdown. Coach was unhappy with me as I recall. 

We were undefeated going into a game against Independence in Johnson City, TN. It was the only game where my play was called...I streaked down the right sideline and had slipped by the cornerback. Ball was thrown high and I had to dive for it...I landed fully stretched out and the ball hit my hands and bounced out. Our coaches had the best tailback in the conference so never threw another pass the rest of the season. Didn't need to pass anyway. But that particular game went to two overtimes before we lost. 

 

We would meet Independence again for the conference championship game, which was played at the "Stone Castle"...Bristol, Tennessee's High School football stadium and home of the 1972 National Champion Tennessee High Vikings. Yep...NATIONAL Champs baby!

I only got to play that one game in the stadium...but we won and were the conference champions at the 7th Grade Level.

There was something special about being connected with the program that produced a National Championship level team.

Many of our coaches and assistant coaches were part of that program and drilled us from 7th and 8th grade level  to continue that legacy of winning.

I was signed up to play for the 8th grade team, but my father was transferred to St. Louis (Webster Groves, MO) and I never played team football again...I had a destiny with a board game...called Squad Leader.

The 1972 National Champion - Tennessee High Vikings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyZ3aT_JMvc

The 1976 Haynesfield Redskins 6th Grade Football Team...not quite champions...but good times had by all.

My best friend in those days was #77 (Bill Martin)...we played miniatures together and would also play Squad Leader and had a very memorable game at a Holiday Inn in Kansas City...when we spent a weekend together at Worlds of Fun. Got my first ever Panzerfaust kill against a T-34/76...you know what they say...you never forget your first Panzerfaust Kill!!!

Bill's older brother played for the Philadelphia Eagles if memory serves. Bill's football career was ended by a severe staph infection from a boil on his leg. After a lengthy hospital stay, he recovered and thankfully didn't lose the leg.

In this picture, Bill celebrates a victory in a 1/76 Airfix Napoleonic Battle. In 1979, Bill and I wrote a set of Napoleonic Rules that I use to this day. Super simple and fun.

Bill Martin and I remained friends through college...he at Virginia Tech and me at Valparaiso. Then we lost contact and have not communicated since 1984.

It's funny how strong the memories of your early wargaming experiences are after so many years. Our Napoleonic Games were a riot to play and our WWII Angriff game on the Russian Front was hugely entertaining. 

In the late 1970's and early 1980's miniature gaming still was the dominant kind of wargaming that I indulged in. I absolutely loved it. I still enjoy dabbling with miniatures...but mainly enjoy that by myself. 

I tried to solo ASL many times...but for me it's not fun without a live opponent.

Ok...this post was supposed to be all about the latest Grumble Jones Scenario...but sometimes...I kinda like to see where my thoughts take me. I really loved football and wish I had been big enough to play more of it...but it wasn't in the cards for me. 

And looking back...I would much rather have played wargames and D&D than played football. Neither one hurts your knees!!

This month's scenario is courtesy of Osprey Publishing's outstanding Romania 1944. As always, I highly recommend grabbing a copy. This book covers that point in time where the Romanians had to rethink their friendship with Nazi Germany.

The scenario I put together involves one of the final times the Romanians stood against the Russians before switching sides. 

The Romanians were capable soldiers and their cavalry, and mountain troops were quite good in action. Like many of Germany's Eastern Front Allies, they lacked the quality of weapons and anti-tank elements that the German possessed. 

At Stalingrad the Romanians would receive a great deal of blame for the fall of the northern shoulder...but it should be remembered that the lackluster 22nd Panzer Division constituted their primary armor division and performed very poorly in the campaign.

At any rate, this scenario redresses some of that unfounded criticism of Romanian combat performance. In this particular instance, the Romanians would successfully stymy the Russian assault as they held their hilltop trenches. The Russians would punch a hole in the line...but through a sector on the left flank of the Romanians that had been exited by the Germans, who pulled back. As always, I hope this scenario will capture the flavor of that engagement.

As always, these monthly "Basement Quality" Scenarios are offered for fun only and as a thank you to the readers of this blog.

Remember to open pictures in a new window in order to maximize the size. 

All Grumble Jones scenarios are available from the ASL Archive website. 

               (Just search on Grumble Jones)