A rivalry deep in the heart of Texas

ABILENE, Texas -- More than 100 high school seniors lined the southwest wall of Shotwell Stadium yesterday, watching Abilene Christian and Angelo State prepare for the renewal of their Lone Star Conference rivalry. Most had played the night before and had gotten up to make the drive here for a recruiting visit.

They were here to watch Division 2 teams that enjoy a unique spot in the spectrum of Texas football: the Friday night lights of high schools; the big-time college game played by Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor; and the NFL, where the Dallas Cowboys reign supreme here.

``[Football] is a way of life," says Jerry Vandergriff, who coached for 33 years at Angelo State before retiring in 2004.

It is Homecoming Week for Abilene Christian and there is barely a vacant hotel room to be found in this town of 115,000, some 180 miles west of Dallas. The city's other two colleges -- McMurry and Hardin-Simmons -- are having their homecomings, as well.

``This is a good week to be here," says ACU coach Chris Thomsen, who in his second year has the Wildcats 6-0 for the first time since 1950 after yesterday's 35-7 win over Angelo State before a crowd of 13,268. The victory has some in these parts thinking back to 1973 and 1977, when the school won national titles.

That yesterday's win came over Angelo State made it even better. San Angelo is just 90 miles away and has a school with plenty of football history of its own (a national title in 1978 and NFL alums Clayton Weishuhn , Alvin Garrett, and Pierce Holt).

Thomsen, 36, knows all about the importance of beating the Rams. He is from Vernon, some 150 miles to the north of Abilene. It is part of a football-rich region that has produced players for both schools over the years. He played tight end at ACU after transferring from TCU, where he played football and baseball. Like many high school players in the state, he harbored dreams of playing for the University of Texas, where his parents went to school (``I wasn't that good," he says). He found success down a different path.

It's what many find at ACU and why many stay connected. Jerry Wilson, a defensive line coach, has been involved with the school since the mid-1960s when he made his way to Abilene from Big Spring and was invited to be a walk-on.

``I was in the stands [on the first day of practice] and they had called everyone's name but mine," he recalls. ``I knew my momma was halfway back to Big Spring, so I better do something."

What he did was make the team as an undersized defensive end. He was a redshirt sophomore in 1968 when Wally Bullington took over as head coach.

``There were 81 of us on the team but he would put us through 2 hours and 45 minutes of hard work every day. There were just 35 left," says Wilson. ``But I'm glad I made it."

Now he is the school's recruiting coordinator and a valuable link to the past. He likes standing in the hallway at the athletic office and pointing to players in team photos and proudly telling about how they succeeded after their on-field exploits. One of those in the photo of the 1977 champions was Cle Montgomery, who was in town yesterday. Cle followed his brother Wilbert from Mississippi and made it to the NFL as a wide receiver, earning a Super Bowl ring with the Raiders. But what Wilson likes to remember is Montgomery's donation to an ACU alumnus to help a high school build a weight room. ``That's what's important," Wilson says.

Montgomery was on the sideline yesterday along with Ove Johansson, who 30 years ago this week set a record that still stands with a 69-yard field goal against East Texas State. Montgomery is typical of many of the players who end up at ACU. ``I had an offer from OU [Oklahoma] but because of Wilbert I just liked it here," he says.

The Wildcats don't play their games on campus, so on game day, they meet at the school, have a team meeting, go to a devotional service (yesterday's was led by James Hill, a former player who played with the Seahawks), get taped and dressed, and ride about 10 minutes to Shotwell in a 36-year-old Greyhound Bus, a gift from a former player.

Before getting on the bus for the ride back to campus last night, the players gathered on the field and led the school band in the fight song. It was a little bit like old times. But the celebration would be shorter this week. The Wildcats have a Thursday game at West Texas A&M on national television. As the bus pulled out of the stadium, assistant coaches already were firing up the laptops (a gift from another former player) to begin scouting and start the process all over again.

Reid Laymance can be reached at jrlaymance@globe.com