What's in a name? The Maroon Braves

In small town America, high school football is king. Without the options of big city activities and large populations that make it impossible to know everyone, small communities areinherently more closely knit, and that means high school football plays a big role in bringing everyone together.

Also, small towns in and of themselves are not usually very transient. That is, people who grow up in small towns tend to stay there, and this then builds a large alumni base, which further increases the importance of high school football.

For many adults, their fondest memories are of Friday nights at the stadium watching their team. They remember the pep rallies, the homecoming festivities, the parades and the road trips. They remember the times wheneveryonecametogether for a common cause.

In the climate of today, where everyone is divided by politics, religion, race, gender, and whatever else divides communities, football brings people together. Regardless of their differences, everyone sits in the same bleachers, they give each other high fives and they all cheer for the same team.

Small town football brings everyone together, regardless of the things that divide them. Small town football is in many cases, the heart and soul of a town.

Nowhere in Oklahoma is football more important than in Marshall County. In the smallest county in Oklahoma land wise, football makes Marshall County big time. Football goes back well over 100 years in Marshall County.

To small town football fans, nothing better represents the pride and love they have for their team than the school mascot. The name is on every shirt, sweatshirt, jacket or sweater. The name is on bumper stickers and yard sign and lapel pins.

Fans have watches, bracelets and necklaces bearing theirteam’sname.Theyhave hats and stocking caps too.

The name is written on store windows and car windows, and billboards and signs in and around town. Driving through Madill, one sees “Madill Wildcats” everywhere they look. One cannot drive through Kingston without seeing numerous “Kingston Redskin” signs. Thosenamesareeverywhere.

For as long as anyone remembers, Madill has been the Wildcats, and Kingston has been the Redskins. Those names mean everything to both towns. In Marshall County, one is either a Wildcat or a Redskin. From the earliest days of football, the Madill mascot has always been the Wildcat. However, in Kingston, the Redskin name was not the first mascot.

After the founding of Helen (which became Kingston) in 1900, the first school was opened in 1901. It was a two-story wooden building and was only an elementary school. In 1908, the town built a large two-story brick building on the land where the current elementary school is located.

The first superintendent of the Helen/Kingston school was John Vaughn. Vaughn came to Kingston in 1907 from Sherman, Texas. Vaughn was instrumental in starting the high school classes in the fall of 1907. In 1907, he added the 9th grade. The 10th grade was added in 1908, the 11th grade in 1909 and the 12th grade in 1910. In addition to creating the high school, Vaughn introduced the school to sports, starting with football. Vaughn coached the football team; he played quarterback ontheteamandtaughtallthe high school classes. Yes, in early day high school football, adults school staff members were allowed to play on the team with the students.

The first year for football inKingstonwas1910.During that year, the team played six games. Not much exists in the public record regarding that first year, but in the December 2, 1910, edition of the Kingston Messenger newspaper, there is a poem about that first season, written by Rat Buck. The poem was titled “The Kingston Football Games,” and it stated the following: The Kingston boys played six games of football, Of which they were successful in nearly all.

The first game was played with a distant town, Where both teams went around and around.

The second game was played with ease, Where our boys did them just as they pleased.

The third game was a rough and tumble game, Andsomeofourmencame out lame.

The fourth game was played with Durant, And best them, they think we can’t.

The fifth game was played with Denison, In which neither side won. They were men hardheaded and tough, Butourboyshandledthem rough.

The sixth game was with our near-by town, We thought that game would be easily won, But they were badly beaten when we got done.

They were wearing fearful frowns and long faces, And were concealed in all kinds of places.

Before they found that we were fearful, They played their famous fleet footed McNaughton, But when he came out, he was a snortin’ They also made many attempts to cheat. Butthese,ourpeople,were ready to meet.

We look forward to this with a good reason, As it was the closing game of the season.

Andatlast,whenthegame was done, We found that by a large majority we had won.

TheoldMud-dillboyswere puffin, When the result was sixteen to nothing.

Yet in those early days, the Kingston team name was not called the Redskins. The original team’s name was the Maroon Braves, and the school color was maroon.

The first public mention of the team’s name appeared in the October 17, 1914, edition of the Kingston Messenger. In that edition of the paper was a story about the team’s game against the Woodville Owls. That article stated the following: “Kingston Football Team Takes the First Game...

The Maroon Braves from the highlands of the Helen Hills, were engaged in the first battle of the season this last Friday, (Oct 9) when they invaded the country of a new tribe, upon a grid-iron that they had never fought before. After the first round of firing the Highlanders were able to secure the ground that the Lowlanders had endeavored to maintain, and thereafter the Braves' territory was never in danger, but there was fierce fighting on the defender's part.

Capt. Lewis maneuvered his troops well, just to be a youthful officer, and of only two years service. It is probably due to Dawson's fierce attacking at center that broughtgainateachtimeand Douglasgainingattackonthe right wing caused Vaughan to take the enemy's ground on their default in trying to advance into the Braves' territory. The first round resulted in favor of the Braves, having 7 to 0.

The second round began with a gaining attack by Vaughan, Dawson, Douglas and Capt. Lewis. Dawson was injured in one of his fierce attacks, but continued attacking until he was seriously wounded and had to retire from the field of battle. Riggs was called off the battle line to take his old place on the signal charging line. Vaughan took Dawson's place. The second ended as the first with Vaughan having a slight injury.

The third opened with the enemy attacking on all sides and playing a good game. But this was soon changed and Riggs began his diving and plunging assault like that of Daniel and Simmons of the University of Texas in the conflict between T.U. and Notre Dame last season. The battle line was composed of the following members; Parker and Chestnut did good fighting at center wing guard, while Massey and McDuffee made good in breaking up the interference oftheenemywhen they would try to advance. Lindsey played a good game at center battalion, handling the pigskin bomb with great skill. The third ended as the first and second, seven to nothing.

The fourth began with fierce fighting in the territory of the enemy. The left wing advance guard Seeley madeoneattackaroundright wing, at the same time giving Hatcher a good rebound in his assail of the defense. Seeley twice was under the Holy Cross on the enemy but he failed to hold the pig skin bomb, which if he had would have bewildered the Lowlanders.

Ray played a good game at right advance guard. Vaughan was injured for the second time in this part of the battle but remained on duty to the end. The battle ended with a hard fight in the Lowlanders territory near the Holy Cross of the defender. This battle was won by the Maroon Braves. Ah! This was just a football game between Kingston and Woodville which resulted in a score of 7 to 0 in favor of Kingston. Woodville played a good game, but we won.”

From this article it is clear that for the first several years of Kingston football, the team was known as the Maroon Braves. It was not until 1927 that the name Kingston Redskins appeared.

From that point forward, the Kingston mascot was the Indian in a war bonnet. In 1928, the Kingston Messenger introduced a near full page section in the newspaper called the Redskin, that was written and produced by the students at Kingston High School. During those early years of the Kingston Redskins, the school pep squad was called the Kingston Red Peppers.

An article in the September 21, 1928, edition of the Kingston Messenger announced the formation of the Kingston Red Pepper pep squad. The leader of the Red Peppers that first year was Floy Willis. The sponsor was Frankie Cooney.

The pep squad consisted of students, teachers, and townsfolk and the article stated that the “peppiest of our Red Peppers” was then Superintendent George Henry. The first game for the Red Peppers was on September 21, 1928, against Bennington.

So, the next time Kingston fans cheer for their Redskins, cheer like the Red Peppers and let out a cheer for the Maroon Braves. Cheer in honorofthoseyoungmenwho started a tradition 113 years ago that is stronger today than has ever been.

Those boys built a legacy that lives on today, 113 years later. They were the Maroon Braves. A young, scrappy group of boys who introduced a small town to the fun and excitement of the greatest game in the world. Football. Maroon Brave Football. Kingston Redskin football.