Salisburians Jerry Barger and Bill Peeler remember when it was a big deal to play in a stadium under the lights, because they were two of the Boyden High players who played in the first game at what is now William S. Ludwig Stadium 50 years ago.

The strong 1949 Boyden Yellow Jackets, coached by the late BillLudwig, defeated a state power, Charlotte Central, by a 6-0 score in the first game played at the new stadium the night of Oct. 7.

“We had played the first two games (victories over Lexington and Gastonia) away from home, because the stadium wasn’t complete,” said Peeler, a senior all-state offensive and defensive guard that season.

“It was raining, but I can remember the stadium was jam packed,” said Peeler, who went on to play four years at Catawba College, where he made the all-North State Conference team. He also was a head or assistant football coach 36 years at Davie County and old Mocksville high schools.

The Post’s account of the game and dedication of the stadium reported the attendance at approximately 5,500, calling it the largest crowd ever to see a local high school game.

“It was something else, particularly to christen the stadium and be playing Charlotte Central,” said Barger. “They were the Notre Dame of high school football in those days.”

“We were playing on our own field and had the lights, and it was a tremendous crowd,” said Peeler.

Boyden had used Catawba College’s Shuford Stadium for home games the previous four years in order to play night games.

“Charlotte Central came over strutting pretty well as being one of the top teams in the whole state — not the whole state, but the southeast. They played out-of-state teams,” Barger recalled.

Barger was a junior fullback on that single-wing team and an all-state and all-Southern tailback his senior season. The tailback usually handled the ball more in that offensive system, ran wide and occasionally passed. The fullback did most of the running up the middle and off guard.

Barger, owner of Corbin Hills Golf Club, later became a star quarterback at Duke University, where he was named Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year in 1954.

Favored Charlotte Central and Boyden were tied 0-0 in the rain that night 50 years ago, but the fourth quarter belonged to the Yellow Jackets.

“We blocked a punt (late in the third quarter), and we scored,” said Peeler. “Jerry Kincaid and I blocked the punt, and we recovered and drove. Barger scored the first touchdown.” Kincaid, a tackle, made all-state in 1948.

Paige Lyerly actually fell on the blocked punt at the Charlotte 44, then, in the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets’ running game couldn’t be stopped.

“I don’t think we threw a pass the whole time. ... We just kept grinding it out. I got the touchdown from about 1 yard out,” said Barger.

Boyden was 3-0 at that point, then had an open date. The next contest resulted in the only regular-season loss by a 26-0 score to High Point Central.

“High Point just romped us,” recalled Peeler. “We ended up tying Burlington (0-0 in seventh game). We had one loss and a tie, and Burlington had one tie. They went to the state playoffs.”

The Yellow Jackets earned a berth in the Piedmont Bowl in Winston-Salem, losing 7-6 to Children’s Home, to finish with a 7-2-1 record. That was a typical record for Ludwig’s teams of that era. The Jackets lost only 13 games over six years from 1947 through 1952. Ludwig later had 3A state championship teams in 1955 and 1957.

This week’s guesses:

Salisbury won’t be playing in Ludwig Stadium tonight. The Hornets travel to take on tough High Point Central, which could be the best 2A team in the state — High Point 49, Salisbury 8.

North Rowan’s Cavaliers take on Ledford in an important Central Carolina Conference contest. Ledford’s ground game could be a problem for North’s defense — Ledford 21, North Rowan 14.

West Rowan has a talented team, despite last week’s loss to Northwest Cabarrus, but the Falcons will have to be at their best against Kannapolis A.L. Brown, the No. 1 3A team in the state — Kannapolis 35, West Rowan 22.

North Stanly’s Comets will be trying to snap a six-game losing streak against East Davidson, which played well in last week’s loss to High Point — East Davidson 35, North Stanly 26.

Davie County meets West Forsyth in an important 4A Central Piedmont Conference contest — West Forsyth 14, Davie County 10.

Other choices:

Concord over Northwest Cabarrus, Central Cabarrus over Piedmont, Sun Valley over Harding, Mount Tabor over R.J. Reynolds, Albemarle over West Davidson and Mooresville over South Iredell.

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