John Shearer's article on the Baylor-McCallie football series of the last half-century brought back a lot of good memories of what is still the most important sports rivalry to me. Being in the Baylor class of 1971 (Has it really been 50 years?), ours was the last class not to play McCallie in football.
John is correct when he says that the M-B rivalry in other sports took on a special intensity. I would say that I never have attended a better sports event than one of the many Baylor-McCallie wrestling matches that we had. While I never was on the wrestling team, opting for cross-country and track, instead, I cannot recall anything more intense than the wrestling contests in which the gyms of both schools were SRO and where the cheering went on non-stop for the duration of the match.
The article also brought back the names of great athletes from both schools, including David Dick from Baylor and David Anderson from McCallie, who enjoyed a very successful career in the 400 intermediate hurdles at Furman University. (Track & Field News even featured him as an up-and-coming star in an article on the event.) In the time since, both schools have produced nationally-ranked teams and superb athletes that have gone on to become college All-Americans and some even have Olympic medals.
While I will not be present at the game, planning, instead, to watch it with other members of the Baylor Class of 1971, I know it will be a contest that athletes from both schools will do everyone proud. Thanks for reminding us of one of the country's great prep school rivalries.
Bill Anderson, Baylor 1971