Photo by Kirk Hirota Senior tight end Michael Allan, who recently broke Sam Adams' career-touchdown record and was invited to the 2007 Hula Bowl, shrugs off a Lewis & Clark defender on his way to paydirt at Whitworth's 2006 Homecoming game.

Bucball Celebrates a Century of Excitement

In the midst of one of Whitworth¹s best and most exciting football seasons ever ­ a season in which the Bucs went 11-1 and won their first NCAA Div. III playoff game ­ coaches, players and fans gathered during Homecoming Weekend to celebrate 100 years of Pirate football. The weekend featured a banquet attended by current head coach John Tully and many former Whitworth coaches, including Sam Adams, Bruce Grambo, Daryl Squires and Blaine ³Shorty² Bennett. The late coach Jim Lounsberry, who guided the Bucs through their 20-game winning streak in the ¹50s, was represented by his widow, Rita.

This vintage photo, from the era of the late '40s-early '50s, needs your keen eye and razor-sharp memory. Who are these Bucs? Let us know at tmitchell@whitworth.edu.

In the Pine Bowl on Homecoming afternoon, the 2006 Pirates rewarded the former Buc stars and coaches, and the rest of a Pirate-mad crowd of nearly 4,000 people, with a decisive victory over Lewis & Clark to remain undefeated on the season. During halftime ceremonies, the 1960 team, which had a season record of 9-1 and made it to the national quarterfinals, was inducted into Whitworth's Heritage Gallery Hall
of Fame.