PERFECTION REVISITED, Part 11: '64 Copan gridders found way to keep winning

(Note: This is the second of a two-part feature on Copan High’s unbeaten regular season football season in 1964.

During the past several years, Copan High Hornet football has struggled with low numbers, a cancelled season (2017), two co-op campaigns (Wesleyan Christian, 2018; South Coffeyville, 2019), and few wins.

But, that rugged stretch is far removed from Copan’s grid tradition of excellence and competitiveness.

Up until the mid-2000s, one could almost set their November calendar by Copan going to the playoffs.

As soon ago as 2008, the Hornets surged through the regular season with a 9-1 mark — romping to a 9-0 mark before losing the regular-season ender to Welch, 40-34 — and advanced two rounds deep into the playoffs.

In 2009, Copan again returned to the postseason.

But, beginning in 2010, the grid program fell on hard times, mainly due to diminished numbers as more and more students decided they had something better to do with their Friday nights than representing the school’s honor, as had had so many of the past generations.

The 1964 Hornet squad — which competed in 11-man football — might have been the strongest.

Guided by coach Haskell Jennings — who would lead Copan after this season after he carved out a 49-9 career record — the ’64 crew displayed the heart, talent and ruggedness inherent with champions of moxie.

Seniors Danny Edwards and Dean Price wore the captains’ mantles for the ’64 campaign, which began with back-to-back shutout wins against Fairland, 26-0, and Beggs, 38-0.

Some other key warriors fueling that year’s Hornet crew included Bruce Hinkle hunkering down at quarterback, Gary Babbs as the halfback opposite Price and Don Mackey at fullback. Eddie Curtis moved out to end. The team’s heaviest starter was Jack Long (185 pounds) — making Copan a lightweight unit even 60 years ago.

But, Jennings motivated the Hornets to play like giants.

In the opening game, Hinkle delivered a pass to Curtis for an 18-yard touchdown and Price rushed for another. Meanwhile, the Copan defense limited Fairland to 54 yards rushing.

A week later, Copan residents traveled en masse to Beggs, to help fill their stadium with 2,500 spectators. Price broke loose for four touchdowns and Hinkle found Bill Cook for a scoring aerial. A Babbs interception set up one of the Hornet tallies.

Next up, Copan smothered Chelsea, 48-20. Price ran wild again with four touchdowns — and flung a 20-yard touchdown pass to Hinkle. Hinkle delivered a seeing-eye throw to Curtis on a touchdown play that covered 36 yards. Hinkle had recorded a scoring toss in each of the first three games.

In the first contest of October, Copan crumbled Shidler, 28-6, Price racked up a pick-six, found Curtis for a 45-yard touchdown pass play and ran for two more scores.

Yale next felt the crushing tidal wave of the Hornets, 34-6. On the contest’s first play, Price whipped a pass to Babbs, who stretched it into a 49-yard gain — setting up a 17-yard scoring burst by Hinkle.Price would tally his second defensive touchdown of the season when he picked off a lateral and scampered 51 yards for the six-pointer. Price added three offensive scores.

Sitting at 5-0, Copan climbed to No. 2 in the poll for Northeastern Oklahoma.

To this point, Copan had outscored opponents, 174-32; the defense had given up only 64 yards rushing per game.

Game Six turned out to be a grinder. Copan would trail on the scoreboard for the first time all season but rally to quash Quapaw, 16-6.

Hinkle dropped a pass in Price’s hands for a 36-yard scoring play and then ran in the two-pointer to put Copan ahead, 8-6. The defense did the rest.

Copan added an insurance score when Hinkle fumbled the ball into the Quapaw end zone, but Terry Clifford was there to fall on it. This victory also seal Copan’s 16-C Conference championship.

In Week 7, the Hornets planked their opponent, 32-0. Price scored the first three touchdowns. Curtis set up one of them with an interception.

The Hornets stormed into November by crushing Howard (Kan.), 57-2.

Price piled up three touchdowns. Dan Cook popped free for a 55-yard scoring jaunt and Hinkle took a punt 70 yards to the house. Clifford scored on a 52-yard pick-six. Jennings started subbing early, but Copan continued to ride a wave of momentum.

The next week, Copan buried Barnsdall, 50-0, for its fourth shutout victory. Price tallied 20 points, six of them on a punt return. The Copan defense held Barnsdall to 14 total yards — including minus-11 on the ground.

Mackey, Stan Warren, Cook, Fred Durst, Long, Edwards, Gene Klutts, Curtis, Jim Clifford and Jim Medlin starred on defense in the game. Mackey added another pick-six to Copan’s total.

Ralph Brown made 12 tackles and a fumble recovery for Barnsdall.

In Week 10, Copan firestormed past Locust Grove, 50-0.

Price accumulated 18 more points to add to his state-leading total of 182. Price streaked 55 yards on a scoring run and Curtis notched a 28-yard pick six.

Copan put together a 10-0 regular season record to match the 1956-57 team for the best showing in program history.

Copan started the 1964 Class C playoffs with plenty of firepower, rampaging past Oaks, 74-0. The Hornets scored on 10 possessions, led by the running of Cook (11-121, and Price, 11-73).Guy Deckard add ed eight yards.

Next up, Copan faced Tulsa Union in the quarterfinals.

As mentioned, the game ended 6-6 in regulation, but Union was declared winner on the penetration rule, having moved into Copan’s red zone three times while Copan got inside the Union 20 only twice.

Copan had scored first, which Hinkle finding Price for a pass play that covered 50 yards. But, Copan failed on the two-point try.

Union didn’t score until the fourth quarter — and also came up short on the conversion.

Copan threw a late interception after it failed to get a timeout called.

Price finished with 188 points for the season and had scored in 20-straight games.

“It’s all because of Old Hack (Jennings),” Price told the E-E during an interview several years ago about Copan’s success on the gridiron.

“He treated the kids right,” former Copan football player Toby Moreland said several years ago. “How Hank Iba was to his Oklahoma State players was how Haskell was to the Copan boys.”

It was a Golden Era for Hornet football — one whose glow would shine through many other great seasons during the next 40-plus seasons.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Copan football put together unbeaten regular season in 1964