By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
In the summer of 1876 members of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes became disgruntled with life on the reservation and went out on their own, becoming hostiles.
This brought about a campaign by the United States military in the Dakotas Territory to bring the Indians back onto the reservation.
This became known as the Great Sioux War of 1876-77.
The most famous battle of this war was the Battle of the Little Big Horn or the Custer Massacre.
Basically what happened in this battle was that Col. George Armstrong Custer led the 7th Cavalry into the battle expecting to find some 300-400 Indians. Instead of finding just the Lakota Sioux he found them and the Northern Cheyenne and the Arapaho ⦠more like 3,000 than 300.
The result was about as expected as the Indians made short work of the cavalry.
In a sense this year's Calhoun football team has something in common with the 7th Cavalry in that it does not have a lot of numbers.
Unlike the 7th Cavalry, however, Coach Mike Fitzwater and his team has a major advantage of facing one opponent at a time instead of all opponents at once. Despite having only 20 players out for football the ability to play the games one-at-a-time gives the Red Devils the possibility of success.
Fitzwater said he liked where his team was and that good things could happen this season.
And, barring massive injuries and fatigue, he could be right.
On a game-by-game matchup schedule the Red Devils fare pretty well since the bulk of the team is made up of what was a two-year run of an outstanding program at Calhoun Middle School.
Calhoun, which is on a 19-game losing streak, opens the 2014 season Friday night at close rival Gilmer County. Last year the Titans knocked off the Red Devils at Mount Zion ending a 13-year run of Calhoun victories.
Fitzwater said the Titans were "pretty good" and fast and that they would present a challenge in the opener.
Ready to face the challenge is a veteran Red Devil team with a big line and talented members of the backfield plus an all-LKC candidate wide receiver in Ethyn Miller.
The line will feature Nate Hipp (5-9, 182), Connor Ritchie (6-2, 175), Coy Bailey (6-3, 277), Dustin Holcomb (5-11, 266), Cameron Jones (6-0, 176), Jordan Basnett (6-2, 231) and David Marks (6-1, 258).
Casey Ritchie will start at quarterback with Cole Ritchie, Seth Moore and Lucas Wilson doing the majority of the ball carrying.
Other backs and wide receivers include Chis Goad, Houstin McCune, Dakota Jarvis, Soney Wilson, Mickey Carter, Caden Hicks, Noah Allen and Nick Murphy.
After Friday's game the Red Devils will play Sherman in the 2014 Homecoming game.
Following that Calhoun is home to Doddridge, on the road at Tygart's Valley, home to Tyler Consolidated, home to South Harrison at St. Marys, home to Tug Valley before closing out the season on the road at Wirt and Clay.
So how will the Red Devils do?
It depends on injuries and fatigue.
Take those two things out of the equation and Calhoun could become a .500 team or better.
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