WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Three weeks before the official Homecoming at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, another reunion will be taking place on the SWOSU campus. Returning to Weatherford this Saturday (Oct. 14) will be members of the 1977 SWOSU Football team, which earned a berth in the Apple Bowl and finished as the NAIA National Runner-Up.
The 1977 SWOSU Football team finished the year with a record of 11-1 after sweeping through the regular season and earning a home playoff game against Kearney State College. The Bulldogs ran past Kearney 21-7, setting up a showdown with Abilene Christian in the Seattle Kingdome for the NAIA National Championship. The title was not meant for the Bulldogs on that fateful day in December, but the fine seniors on that team – which included current SWOSU Head Football Coach
Dan Cocannouer – left SWOSU being able to look back with pride at their achievements during the season.
"It's hard to believe that it's been 40 years since that Apple Bowl season," Cocannouer said. "There are some of these guys that I haven't seen in many years and I'm very excited about that. I always tell our players that your teammates will become some of the best friends of your lives and a lot of these guys coming back this weekend are some of my very best friends. Getting these guys back to Weatherford and seeing them will be thrilling and exciting for myself personally and for our team."
SWOSU was picked to finish last in the conference heading into the 1977 season coming off a record of 4-7 during the previous season. The Bulldogs had 16 seniors who really put it all together for the 1977 season, including: David Ream, Scott Funk, Lewis Blanton, Gary Calip, Mike Sekul, Mike Whaley, Roy Ellison, Mike Brown, Gerald Nipp, David Armstrong, Pat Vaverka, Fred Bangs, David Denning,
Dan Cocannouer, H.L. Washmon and Doug Brown, who all played a big part in the Bulldogs' success.
"We are really looking forward to getting the team back, some of the guys we have only seen at the 10-year reunions we have had," said City of Weatherford Mayor Mike Brown, a two-time All-Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference selection who played Wing Back for the Bulldogs during the 1977 season. "We are expecting between 25-30 guys along with their families so that should be a good group and with Coach Cocannouer finishing up this year, it makes it a little more special too. A lot of places around Weatherford and on campus have changed quite a bit over the years and I think they'll be pleasantly surprised with how the city has grown and the campus has improved. I think it will make them proud of where they came from. Once a Bulldog, Always a Bulldog!"
A full weekend is planned for the members of the Apple Bowl team, who will be honored at halftime of SWOSU's contest against Arkansas Tech on Saturday afternoon. The team also plans to tour the city and campus before tailgating in the Milam Stadium kickoff prior to kickoff and watching the game from the Skyview Suite of the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
