The First Ever Win for Tiger Football

On November 20th, 1925, the Worth County Tigers won their first ever football game, 12-6 over New Hampton at Kelso Park. The Tigers had been hammered the first four games, getting beaten 59-0 by King City and 50-0 by Albany in their first two games. This was their first ever year playing football, while they were playing teams much more experienced. 

But their struggles did little to quell the enthusiasm from their pep club, known as the “Pepper Shakers Club.” They got better every single game, and on noon of the 20th, the Pepper Shakers Club gave an elaborate pep rally at noon to send off the football team on their way. The girls sang the football songs, while another group impersonated an excited group of radio listeners hearing the football game.

For a long time, the game remained a scoreless tie, but then T.H. Rowen scored to put Worth County on top. New Hampton tied it in the third, only for Rowen to score again late to give Worth County the win. 

Unlike the eight man track meets of the present day, points were hard to come by, with 18 points being a lot. Defense was the name of the game in those days.

Kelso Park went absolutely nuts after the win, and the correspondent to the Worth County Tribune wrote, “As this football season closes, the thought, ‘What has football meant to Grant City High School” presents itself. Looking back over the past games, Grant City has been defeated four times and won only the last game, but this was the first year and many of the opposing teams had years of experience. The boys have held their opponents score down to a lower mark each game than the one previous. This is very good – defeats, but each time, not so great as the one before, and then victory. Something greater, and of a more lasting quality, however, has been gained by football. The high school spirit it has brought has been worth more than thousands of victories. The school has backed the boys through all discouraging moments and when victory came – everyone went wild. Football has created a new feeling in the school standing back of them, all being brought closer under one great battle and a common cause. The boys have battled together, and why can’t they do it again in the basketball season with the school standing back of them?”