When I returned to live in New Smyrna Beach in 1968, the state of the football program had fallen on hard times. Even the heroics of superstar Harvin Clark could not produce a winning season. The won lost record of the Barracudas was abysmal. This state of affairs caught the eyes of some real doers in who decided that something had to be done.
This group, led by Dick Weaver, decided that the best way do develop a winning team was to start a little league program that was tailored to develop players to feed into the local school system.
The weight groups and ages were tailored to create an optimal development of talent for the Junior High football program.
At that time, the Junior High was completely separate from the high school. That is, no student at the eighth- or ninth-grade level could play high school football.
Dick Weaver pointed out that many New Smyrnans pitched in to help start the program. They included Charles Holmes, Neil Williams, Darrel Case and Joe Knight.
Many were quite skeptical that the program would have any positive effect.
For example, I overheard a discussion between former school principal and former Florida football player Bill Cowen and Dr. Ted Grabiak about the program.
Cowen maintained that there was no way that you could have winning football at New Smyrna Beach.
There were just too many distractions such as the beach and surfing. Dr. Grabiak maintained that when the little league program started to turn out players, the Barracudas would be the powerhouse of the east coast of Florida and they would even go undefeated.
It is too bad that Cowen didn’t live to see what happened.
The little league got into full gear with six junior teams and four major teams. It looked like the whole town was involved as each team had a roster of 25 players and eight cheerleaders and the stands had a good crowd on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Every kid who had any desire, whatsoever, had a chance to play.
Every parent who had coaching ability showed up to coach. These included Stan and Bernie Harper, Milton Wilkins, Jimmy Hives, Victor Stanko, Sid Cohern, Jim Wilson, Charles Holmes, Charles Hartung, William Shiles and still countless others.
One very important fan who was seen in the stands was Bud Asher, the well known and talented football coach and later mayor of Daytona Beach.
Asher was a great believer in little league football and he was evidently impressed with what he saw.
As the first class of little leaguers entered the junior high program, coach Owen Davidson saw his record jump from 1-5 to 5-1.
The rejuvenation was on as the junior high continued to win year after year.
The little leaguers entered the high school at the same time Asher signed on to coach them. The first-year the team was made up of mostly sophomores from the little league with a few upper classmen.
That initial team did not have a winning record, but did win some games and showed tremendous potential. Future stars such as Wes Chandler and Reggie Beverly were starting to catch the eyes of Barracuda fans.
Chandler went on to be an All American at the University of Florida and was an all-pro wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers.
Beverly later starred for Bethune Cookman College.
The next year, they won almost all of their games and went to a bowl game where they beat the life out of some unfortunate opponent.
In their senior year, 1974, the first class of Little Leaguers went undefeated and were a real terror.
For the first time in memory, Cuda fans had to feel sorry for the opposing teams.
In the opening round of the playoffs they soundly whipped Haines City -- a team Bud Asher considered to be the best team they would play. They lost in the second round when they had to travel all the way to Milton.
It was just one of those days. Maybe Asher had gotten them so high for Haines City there wasn’t enough left for Milton or maybe the airplane trip in stormy weather all the way to the Panhandle took it out of them.
For the next few years the little league turned out players and New Smyrna was winning almost all of its games.
Bill Moorman, who had been with Asher as a little league player and a real star at Florida State, took over the reigns as football coach without missing a beat.
The rejuvenation caused by the little league is now well in the past but its effect is still felt here in New Smyrna Beach.
We know New Smyrna can play real football.
As long as we have a principal like Dr. Carol Kelly, who has a talent for bringing in quality people, New Smyrna Beach High School will be winning its fair share of the games and the kids will continue developing into men.