The 1980’s were the definition of up and down for the East Texas State football program.

In the first 4 seasons, the Lions went 29-13 with a top 3 finish in 1980, where they finished as national semifinalists, Winning Records in 1981 and 1982, their first season after moving from the NAIA to NCAA Division II, and a conference championship in 1983.

Hawkins final two seasons were hard as the coach was getting used to this brave new world in the NCAA as well as injuries, transfers, and a changing college football landscape. Finishing 10-10 in the past two seasons was a far cry from what the previous two seasons had been.

Then, in 1986, a 38 year old Eddie Vowell, who had been the defensive coordinator and head track coach took over as Hawkins’ hand picked sucessor. Vowell’s first two seasons were very rough, going 2-9 in back to back seasons. It was the first time since 1964-1965 that East Texas had back to back losing seasons. (Ironically, it those were Hawkins’ first two seasons).

Heading into the 1988 season, the Lone Star Conference coaches picked the Lions as next to last, however Vowell had spent the past two seasons building a new program that was not Hawkins’ program, but his program. New offense, new defense, and new players. Vowell had recruited future stars like Gary Compton and Bob Bounds, and Hawkins holdovers like Mike Trigg and Allen Roulette who were seniors and had led the Lions through the rough patches of the previous two years and knew what it took to get back to winning ways.

In the first 6 weeks of the season, the Lions won more games than they had won in the previous two seasons. The opened the year by defeating Livingston 25-14 on the road, and then opened the home season by taking down East Central Oklahoma 22-19. The Lions again defended their home turf by defeating a tough Southern Arkansas team 17-11. Then for the first time since 1985, The Lions were ranked in the NCAA Division II Poll, coming in at # 10 as they faced off against Division I Northwestern State. The Lions dropped their first loss of the season to the Demons and dropped to # 16 in the polls, but then rebounded against Central Oklahoma 35-21 to get back into the top 10.

Then, “The Little Piggies” came to town. (Credit that moniker to Billy Minor).

The Texas A&I Javelinas were 5th in the country. Undefeated, and picked to knock off Old ET as they had the previous 4 times. The Lions had not had Javelina for dinner since the 1983 season.

Then, the Lions had them some hoggie stew in front of 5,000 fans as they took down a very good Javelina team 42-35 and moved up to 5th in the country, their best ranking in the NCAA era. Only for two weeks in the 1972 season had the LIons been ranked higher. That would not last long.

ET headed to the South Plains to take on West Texas A&M, and it looked like the Lions season and any chance of a conference title was going to be blown away like a tumbleweed from Canyon to the New Mexico border, but after falling behind 30-6, the Lion offense awoke and kicked into overdrive and scored 34 second half points, while the defense held the Buffs to 7 points and ET escaped Canyon, 41-37.

That huge win impressed the voters in the polls to take the Lions to # 2 ranked spot in the country, and the entire nation was in awe that a team that had won 4 games in the two previous seasons combined, was now 6-1 and had defeated a top 5 team and undefeated in conference play. The good times rolled as 8,000 fans packed into Memorial Stadium to see the Lions drop Eastern New Mexico 28-13, and then rolled out to the Big Country to knock off Abilene Christian 39-24. The Lions had two games left and were 8-1, undefeated in conference, undefeated in Division II, and ranked higher than any team in school history at that point in the season. All the Lions needed to do was defeat either Angelo State or Cameron and clinch their first LSC title since 1983. Even with one loss, the Lions would have the tie breaker over A&I because of head to head.

Then, the wheels came off the Lion express.

The Lions were suffering injuries with both key players, starters, and even backups deep on the bench. It was one beat up team and few knew except the team and the coaches how beaten up the Lions were, and on November 5, 1988 in San Angelo, that was exposed as the Angelo State Rams hammered the Lions 56-23. Gone was their top 5 ranking at they dropped to 10th, but all they had to do was beat Cameron in Commerce and they would have the LSC title and also likely make the NCAA playoffs for the first time in program history.

Cameron had moved to the Lone Star Conference in 1988 and joined NCAA Division II that same year, but was not eligible for the playoffs due to coming from the NAIA. The Aggies had a very good team. They were defending NAIA National Champions and had won 11 games the previous year. They did not appear to be nearly as strong in the NCAA as they were 4-3-1 overall and 3-3 in conference play. The Seniors of 1988, after having overcome so much and gone through two awful seasons, it ended with a 40-6 hammering as the Aggies showed no mercy and the Lions dreams lifting a conference championship trophy turned into a surrealistic nightmare. No title, no undefeated conference title, and no playoffs.

The next day, the Lions had to watch at their blood rivals Texas A&I were crowned LSC Champions and selected to go to the playoffs. The Javelinas ran all the way to the Division II Semifinals, where they lost to 35-27 to Portland State, who lost in the NCAA Championship Game to North Dakota State, 35-21.

If you ask anybody who played or coached on that team, it was very rough way to end the season, but that Lions squad of 1988 set the standard for what would happen from that season all the way through 1996, as East Texas State would become the second most successful program in the entire State of Texas, and it all started in the year 1988.

1988 East Texas State Lions

8-3 overall, 5-2 in conference, # 15 final ranking.

All-Americans

• Kit Morton, First Team Defensive End
• Gary Compton, Honorable Mention Receiver

All-Lone Star Conference

LSC First Team

• Mike Ciszewski, Linebacker
• Gary Compton, Tight End/Receiver
• Kerry Shelton, Free Safety

LSC Second Team

• Jeff Dotie, Receiver
• Kit Morton, Defensive End
• Jarrod Owens, Running Back
• Allen Roulette, Offensive Tackle
• Steve Sellers, Offensive Lineman
• Mike Trigg, Quarterback

LSC Honorable Mention

• Gary DeVaughn, Defensive Line
• Kevin Hedges, Offensive Tackle
• Lee Hucklebridge, Defensive Line
• Jeff Manuel, Safety
• Aaron Muehlstein, Defensive Back
• Ronnie Prater, Wide Receiver
• Shane Summers, Punter
• John Varnell, Center