The Southern Massacre

Throughout my interview process for The Southern Massacre, player after player and person after person had specific memories of the 1979 Presbyterian College football team. Bruce Ollis, 1979 PC OG and Co-Captain, told how he had a banner in his high school gym. Bruce, like many other Presbyterian College graduates, was part of PC’s legendary Coach Cally Gault’s coaching tree. The banner stated, ＂Football lasts 48 minutes. Memories are for a lifetime!＂

In years to come, the Presbyterian College record books would include the 1979 Blue Hose football team with an overall record of 11-2. Many would look at the record and think ＂That was pretty good!＂ Success for the 1979 Blue Hose certainly did not come overnight. The blueprint for success began in the mid 1970’s. I was afraid the significance and achievements of the 1979 Presbyterian College Blue Hose football team would be lost forever. I decided to document the season and The Southern Massacre was written.

Narratives of the games are captured by newspaper articles. The book reflects and reminds us of social, political and economic issues of 1979. Portions of the layout will be nostalgic to many. The format is different as I have emphasized the reflections from my interviews of the players, coaches and others associated with the team looking back years later. I have concentrated on the performance on the field in what I call ＂In between the lines.＂

The inspiration to document this story began in the spring of 2022. While searching Presbyterian College on eBay, I came across an auction for a football. Closer examination of the auction revealed that the football, which somehow got in the marketplace, was the most historical football in Presbyterian College football history. It was the game ball from the 1979 Bronze Derby game, signed by the team. I was a sophomore at PC in 1979. I witnessed this historical team. They were my classmates and friends. I was afraid that the ball would fall in the hands of a football autograph collector and the ball would never be seen again. I purchased and rescued the ball!