Navy Nation (Dinwiddie) Celebration

[71ShadesofNavy]

I realize this is not pertinent to everyone, but I thought it was quite neat. On Friday, September 27, 2019, Dinwiddie High School will be honoring the 1965 Football Team which happens to be the first team to play under the Dinwiddie HS name. We have 20 returning players and 2 coaches coming to the game. We plan to have a reception, introductions of the team and the original captains will be going out for the coin toss with the team. Deceased members will also be honored as well. The most interesting part of the ceremony is Coach Rapp (first coach) still has the coin used in the first game Dinwiddie ever scored in and it will be used.

 

[VAHSFootballFan]

I realize this is not pertinent to everyone, but I thought it was quite neat. On Friday, September 27, 2019, Dinwiddie High School will be honoring the 1965 Football Team which happens to be the first team to play under the Dinwiddie HS name. We have 20 returning players and 2 coaches coming to the game. We plan to have a reception, introductions of the team and the original captains will be going out for the coin toss with the team. Deceased members will also be honored as well. The most interesting part of the ceremony is Coach Rapp (first coach) still has the coin used in the first game Dinwiddie ever scored in and it will be used.

That's really neat.

 

[71ShadesofNavy]

That's really neat.

Thanks. I wish I had a clue how to post the darn picture. I tried, but I am certainly not computer savvy!

 

[Clarkefan]

Post it on your facebook or twitter account so there is a URL attached to it. Then copy and paste the URL that displays when you select the IMAGE icon next to the SMILIES icon above. Or, have someone else post it to their website or something and link it using the above directions.

Oh wait, I forgot who I was talking to. Do you have grandchildren or know someone that does? Ask them to do it.

 

[mikesalem]

Post it on your facebook or twitter account so there is a URL attached to it. Then copy and paste the URL that displays when you select the IMAGE icon next to the SMILIES icon above. Or, have someone else post it to their website or something and link it using the above directions.

Oh wait, I forgot who I was talking to. Do you have grandchildren or know someone that does? Ask them to do it.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

I realize this is not pertinent to everyone, but I thought it was quite neat. On Friday, September 27, 2019, Dinwiddie High School will be honoring the 1965 Football Team which happens to be the first team to play under the Dinwiddie HS name. We have 20 returning players and 2 coaches coming to the game. We plan to have a reception, introductions of the team and the original captains will be going out for the coin toss with the team. Deceased members will also be honored as well. The most interesting part of the ceremony is Coach Rapp (first coach) still has the coin used in the first game Dinwiddie ever scored in and it will be used.

Is Dinwiddie a consolidation of other high schools? If not, what was the previous name?

 

[71ShadesofNavy]

Dinwiddie is made up of little villages. Sutherland, Church Road, Ford, McKenney, DeWitt, and Wilson to name a few. I may be a little off, but I believe several of the villages had schools. Midway, McKenney,.. in the same county. So yes they merged, but we are not talking huge numbers here either. I counted 28 in the team picture. DP or a lifetime resident can provide more info or correct me.

 

[mikesalem]

Dinwiddie is made up of little villages. Sutherland, Church Road, Ford, McKenney, DeWitt, and Wilson to name a few. I may be a little off, but I believe several of the villages had schools. Midway, McKenney,.. in the same county. So yes they merged, but we are not talking huge numbers here either. I counted 28 in the team picture. DP or a lifetime resident can provide more info or correct me.

DP could tell you the county schools going back to the early 1900's.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Dinwiddie is made up of little villages. Sutherland, Church Road, Ford, McKenney, DeWitt, and Wilson to name a few. I may be a little off, but I believe several of the villages had schools. Midway, McKenney,.. in the same county. So yes they merged, but we are not talking huge numbers here either. I counted 28 in the team picture. DP or a lifetime resident can provide more info or correct me.

I believe DP was friends with Governor Dinwiddie, wasn’t he?

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Ok Matt, shut this thread down, please. They are exhibiting elder abuse.

Midway, McKenney, and Dinwiddie were stand alone, 1st through 12th grade schools. They were merged and became Dinwiddie County High School.

Additionally, Southside High School was eventually merged into the new Dinwiddie HS. Southside was the school for African American kids until the school was merged into DCHS. Here is a link that gives a good overview of the history of Southside High School.
https://www.dinwiddie.k12.va.us/schools/historic-southside-high-school-education-center/

To the best of my knowledge, very little organized football was played at any of these former high schools. I've uncovered a tiny bit of information along the way that some intermural football was played at Southside High School. But I've never heard anyone say that any of the other three had any football at all.

It's important to remember that baseball was truly the king in Dinwiddie in that era. Football held very little interest to kids back then. A large part of that was because Dinwiddie was primarily an agricultural community. Many, if not most of the kids lived on farms. And most of those farms grew tobacco. Tobacco, in fact all farming back then, was very labor intensive. Family members, especially boys, were expected to work on the farm. Before, as well as after school. But most significantly, during the month leading up to school. There was no way that kids could go to daily football practice during the peak tobacco harvesting time.

 

[bowlingref]

Ok Matt, shut this thread down, please. They are exhibiting elder abuse.

Midway, McKenney, and Dinwiddie were stand alone, 1st through 12th grade schools. They were merged and became Dinwiddie County High School.

Additionally, Southside High School was eventually merged into the new Dinwiddie HS. Southside was the school for African American kids until the school was merged into DCHS. Here is a link that gives a good overview of the history of Southside High School.
https://www.dinwiddie.k12.va.us/schools/historic-southside-high-school-education-center/

To the best of my knowledge, very little organized football was played at any of these former high schools. I've uncovered a tiny bit of information along the way that some intermural football was played at Southside High School. But I've never heard anyone say that any of the other three had any football at all.

It's important to remember that baseball was truly the king in Dinwiddie in that era. Football held very little interest to kids back then. A large part of that was because Dinwiddie was primarily an agricultural community. Many, if not most of the kids lived on farms. And most of those farms grew tobacco. Tobacco, in fact all farming back then, was very labor intensive. Family members, especially boys, were expected to work on the farm. Before, as well as after school. But most significantly, during the month leading up to school. There was no way that kids could go to daily football practice during the peak tobacco harvesting time.

Tobacco is some of the hardest and dirty work you could ever do. Used to help my uncle every summer in Charlotte County. That work made sports practice a breeze.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Tobacco is some of the hardest and dirty work you could ever do. Used to help my uncle every summer in Charlotte County. That work made sports practice a breeze.

My sister-in-law grew up on a tobacco farm in Pittsylvania County. She and her three siblings were built-in farm hands, from about the time they turned six. I felt really, really bad for her when she told us about everything they had to do. Hard work is right.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

The head coach of the first team, Coach George Rapp, will be in attendance. He asked if he could have a minute to address his team at some point. That brought tears to my eyes. I'm thinking that Coach Rapp must be 92 or older. Can you imagine the emotion he will feel having the chance to stand before his very first football team, one last time?

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Year Date Opponent Us Them Result W L T OT Where Location Field Coach Notes

1965 9/25 Matoaca 13 41 L 1 Away Ettrick George Rapp
1965 10/8 Kenbridge 0 26 L 1 Away Kenbridge George Rapp
1965 10/15 Cumberland 0 27 L 1 Away Cumberland George Rapp
1965 10/22 Kenbridge 0 52 L 1 Away Kenbridge George Rapp
1965 10/29 Amelia County 19 15 W 1 Away Amelia Court House George Rapp
1965 11/5 Goochland 14 21 L 1 Away Goochland George Rapp
1965 11/12 Cape Charles 0 59 L 1 Away Cape Charles

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Something that adds to this celebration is the fact that this team never had the opportunity to play on this field. It wasn't ready that first year, so all games had to be played away.

As Navy said, the original two co-captains will be honorary captains and join with our regular captains at the pre-game meeting at mid-field. The rest of the first team will also accompany the captains but stop on the hash marks for the pre-game meeting. The first team will then be asked to join with the cheerleaders in the lines past the banner as the current team enters the field.