Laramie High Football Games When Kenny Sailors Played
Where Were They Played? What Was It Like?
1938

In Kenny’s days, Laramie High School was located south of Grand Avenue.
It was bounded by 7th and 8th Streets and Garfield and Custer Streets. Today
the same building is the Laramie Civic Center

Kenny says football was probably his favorite sport in high school. At first,
he didn’t know anything about playing football, but his coach, Floyd
Foreman, encouraged him and taught him how to play left end - at just 138
pounds – on both offense and defense. By the time he was a senior, Kenny
was All-State in football – just as he was in basketball

On offense, his job was to run under long passes thrown by QB Gene Jones.
He lined up next to a huge left tackle – Jack Radical - who tipped the scales
at 240 pounds. On defense, Kenny’s assignment was to turn in end runs
and to get the opposing team’s quarterback. Despite his small size, Kenny
proved to be proficient at this because of his speed. He was hard to block.
He ran around the blockers. Nailing the quarterback was lots of fun

Home games and practices were held on a field eight blocks from the high
school on the site currently occupied by Spring Creek Elementary School

Home games were played in the afternoon at 1:30 or 2:00 p.m. on Fridays
or Saturdays, Kenny recalls. Players would dress at the school and jog to
the field in tennis shoes and carry their spikes. Coach Foreman would drive
and meet them there. They would stay at the field during half-time

In those days, players wore leather helmets without face masks. They had
shoulder, hip, and knee pads. They wore high-top shoes. Spikes on the
shoes could be replaced, if necessary

Laramie High had cheerleaders. The field was grass. Kenny remembers
they played in some games in cold weather, as might be expected. Their big
opponents were Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan and Rock Springs

Kenny says about 500 people would show up for the games. Lights from
automobiles parked on two sides of the field would be turned on if it
became too dark before the game was over. That would give enough light to
keep playing