One hundred years ago, the news title above took up the front page of The Review Republican. One hundred years later, the small town of Pine Village is reviving it.
After nineteen years of game-winning success, the Pine Village football frenzy came to a startling halt in 1918 due to World War I.
In the fall of 1919, Claire Rhode, the football manager who made the team famous, announced the Pine Village team would once again be back on the gridiron. The community went crazy.
Rhode claimed it would be the best team yet, with the homegrown boys that everyone counted on and loved, and new players hired to complete the team. Leading up to the first game in over a year, Rhode travelled around Warren County, building up hype and selling tickets for $1 apiece.
The excitement built and Pine Village defeated South Bend 8 to 0. There was even more hype before their next game against the Rock Island Independents, where the Rock Island Argus printed a headline everyday across their sports page. My favorite headline says, “Pine Village Is Daffy About Football Team… An ex-Pine Villager wrote in that Pine Village might aptly be termed the nut house of football. Every man, woman, and child in the town old enough to take an interest in the great sport, eat, sleep, and talk football.” (Rock Island Argus, Oct. 29, 1919)
When Pine Village finally met Rock Island on the field, they battled it out to a scoreless tie.
Now, one hundred years later, Pine Village will be meeting Rock Island again, this time on home turf. Not only are we coming up on the one hundred year anniversary of the game against Rock Island, but it’s also the one hundred year anniversary of the NFL.
Both teams will be fielded by local men, and just like the good ol’ days of Pine Village football, these are men that are counted on and loved by the community. There will also be players coming in from Nashville, TN and around the Midwest. The players will be outfitted in vintage leather helmets and replica jerseys designed by Simon Herrera of Vintage American Football. The game won’t be quite as bloody and brutal as it was in the early days, as they will be playing flag football, however, they will be playing by the 1920’s rules.
Along with the game, which will be held at 5:30PM on Saturday, August 10th at Pine Village Elementary School, there will be a parade at 2:00PM, a Model T show, a tailgate supper cooked by the Pine Village Fire Department, free rides given by the Boilermaker Express, old fashioned concessions, and a raffle for a Jeff Brohm signed football. Admission is free and everyone is invited! Bring your best lawn chairs and picnic blankets to come watch the game and take part of this wonderful community event!
Giving credit where credit is due- Information taken from Pine Village Football "The Inside Dope" by Doris Cottingham
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