In 1930, the J.W. Cannon High School in Kannapolis put out a yearbook called “The Cannon Ball,” despite the Depression that had started about two years earlier and was deepening as time passed.

The result: It was thin, says Norris Dearmon, well known Kannapolis historian. But thin or fat, they had it, and that’s what counted most.

And it had plenty of pictures to trigger their memories in years to come, like the football team, shown here. Notice they aren’t all in uniform. The coach is wearing a suit, and some of the boys were wearing everyday clothes, possibly because they had to buy their own uniforms or at least help pay for them, and nobody had any money. So they did without.

What’s more, they had to get their own transportation whenever they went to play out of town. Some of them bummed rides from the fans. For Looking Back information or to submit a picture, contact Rose Post at 704-797-4251 or rpost@salisburypost.com.