Alumni J-TAC, June 1980 Page: 5 of 8
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IcePence Dacus (1949-1950) is the only four sport
letterman in one year in the history of Tarleton
athletics. Dacus, from Brady, was a backup
quarterback in 1949 in football and co-captain of the
basketball team that year. He was the leading scorer
with 214 points. That spring he lettered in tennis. In
1950, Dacus was the starting quarterback and
all-conference as a defensive back. As the starting
forward in basketball he scored 319 points to help
Tarleton win the Pioneer Conference Championship.
That spring Dacus lettered in both tennis and track,
giving him four letters in one year. He was the
individual tennis champion and the high point man in
track all on the same day that spring as Tarleton won
both championships. Dacus is the Director of
Institutional Development at Southwest Texas State
University and resides in San Marcos.
Webb Bishop (1953-1955), a 6-2, 190 pound center
and linebacker from Hearne, has been called one of
the best defensive players Tarleton has ever had. He
was a two year starter at center and a terror at
linebacker where he earned a reputation as a great
interception artist. In 1953 Bishop was named the
team's Outstanding Lineman and made the All-State
Small College team. In 1954 he was the football
team's co-captain and a first team all-conference
selection at center. A fine all-around athlete, Bishop
was a starter at forward on the 1954 basketball team
and scored 129 points. He also lettered in baseball in
1954 and 1955 playing catcher. Bishop is currently
residing in Porter.
Jerry Flemmons (1954-1956) graduated from
Stephenville High School and went to Tarleton where
he played football and baseball. He was a backup
quarterback in 1954 and lettered in baseball that
spring. In 1955 he quarterbacked the Plowboys to a
5-4 record and was the John Higgs award winner for
Most Valuable Player. In 1956 Flemmons guided his
team to a 7-1-1 record and a tie for the Pioneer
Conference title. He threw for 1006 yards and 9
touchdowns and was only intercepted five times in
112 attempts. He was named all-conference,
All-Texas Junior College, and special mention Junior
College All-American. He closed out his Tarleton
career by playing in the Junior College All-American
Grid Classic in 1958. Flemmons resides in Fort Worth
and writes for the Star-Telegram.
James Pettit (1957-1958) was originally from Gustine
and now resides in Stephenville. He was an
outstanding track athlete at Tarleton and competed
in as many as ten different events while running track
and field. During the 1956 season he competed in the
broad jump, high jump, 440, and sprint relay and
qualified for the broad jump in the Junior College
Track & Field Nationals. He finished second with a
leap of 21-3. In 1958 he was track captain and
nicknamed the "Iron Man" as he was high point man
in the conference meet (23 points), winning the
broad jump, low hurdles, 440 relay, tieing for first in
the high jump and pole vault and was second in the
100 and 220. In the Junior College Nationals he
competed in the 100, 220, broad jump, low hurdles,
and the 440 relay.Roy Menge (1954-1955) made his mark in baseball
at Tarleton and a lasting impression on his coach,
Cecil Ballow, who called him the best outfielder who
ever played for him. Menge was a solidly dependable
player both with the bat and the glove. He was an
outstanding outfielder both years for Tarleton but
was also a fine relief pitcher. During the 1955
baseball season, Menge made four relief appearances
and won all four games for Tarleton. He faced eight
men in those four relief appearances and struck out
all eight. Menge is living in Arlington.
Leon Blakeney (1955-1956) is probably the best
"little" lineman that Tarleton ever had. A 5-7, 175
pound guard from Kermit, Blakeney played in every
game the two years he was at Tarleton. As small as he
was, very few defensive players ever ran over him for
he was a fierce blocker. In 1955 he was a second team
all-conference selection, and in 1956 Blakeney was
selected all-conference and All-Texas Junior College.
He won the John Higgs Award that year as Most
Valuable Player and was a third team Junior College
All-American. Blakeney now lives in Marietta,
Georgia.
Mickey Lee (1959-1960) of Weatherford played
baseball for Coach Cecil Ballow for two years and
earned praise from the coach as "the best baseball
player that I ever had." Lee played both years at
catcher and was known to be a good defensive player
with a strong arm. In 1960 Tarleton went to the
Junior College National Baseball Tournament and
finished as the second best team in the nation. Lee
was voted the National Tournament Most Valuable
Player for his fine defensive play as well as for batting
.444 through six games. He was named a Junior
College All-American in 1960 after helping the team
post a 16-4 overall record.
John Riggs (1960-1963) played football for Tarleton
during the transition from junior college to senior
college status. He played his high school ball at
Galena Park near Houston. A starter as a freshman, he
played guard and middle linebacker and was an
honorable mention all-conference player his first
year. In both 1961 and 1962 he was named the Most
Valuable Defensive Player at Tarleton and was the
team's leading tackler both years. As co-captain in
1963 he continued to lead the team in tackles and
became the first player from Tarleton to make the
All-Texas College team. He won the John Higgs award
for Most Valuable Player in 1963. Riggs is currently
living in Lubbock.
Pat Ballow (1963-1966), a native of Stephenville and
graduate of Stephenville High School, became a
standout football player for the Texans. In 1963 he
was named Tarleton State College Outstanding Back
after playing both halfback and quarterback and
doing the punting. In 1964 he started at quarterback
and the team had a 3-6 record. In 1965 he started at
wide receiver and made his mark there in 1966. His
senior year, Ballow was named Outstanding Lineman
and was an honorable mention All-American. He set
two records for touchdown receptions (eight in one
season and three in one quarter) and finished the year
with 46 catches for 810 yards. Ballow is currently
living in Wycoff, New Jersey.Judy Gleaton Lacy (1970-1973), currently the head
girl's basketball coach at Comanche High School,
helped to turn the women's athletic program around
at Tarleton. The TexAnn star was a three-year starter
at forward and played 87 games. Coached by the late
Sue Baker, she helped turn the basketball team from
an 8-8 1969 record to a state championship and a
23-5 record in just three years. Lacy scored 1551
points for the TexAnns, an average of 17.8 per game
over three years and averaged 4.5 rebounds a game.
During her career she shot 55% from the field and
76% from the free throw line. The all-time career
scoring leader at Tarleton, she holds five women's
basketball records and was named the team's Most
Valuable Player all three years that she played.Richard Smith (1965-1968) was an outstanding
lineman for the Texans. Largely overlooked because
he played behind all-Texas tackle Randy Winkler his
first two years, Smith came on to become one of the
best guards in Tarleton history. During his last two
years, Smith was named Tarleton's Outstanding
Lineman. In 1966, 1967 and 1968 Smith was an
NAIA All-District 8 selection. In 1967 he was a
second team NAIA All-American and in 1968 was an
NAIA first team All-American guard -- the first
two-time All-American in Tarleton history. In
addition to his NAIA honors, Smith was nominated
for the Eastman Kodak Co. College Division
All-American team. Smith lives in Bracketville.
J.D. McMahon (1966-1968) was the finest passing
quarterback in Tarleton history. In 1966 as a
sophomore starter he threw for 2129 yards and 13
touchdowns to rank as the seventh best passer in the
nation. He earned honorble mention All-American
Status and was the Higgs award winner. In 1967 he
threw for 1476 yards and missed one game with in
injury. He came back in 1968 to throw for 2079
yards and 17 touchdowns and was again an
All-American selection. He was the first two-time
winner of the Higgs award at Tarleton. McMahon still
holds 20 records at TSU including career passing
yardage (5,684) and most touchdown passes (38). He
was killed in a tragic airplane crash in Wichita Falls on
April 3, 1977.He
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Tarleton State University. Alumni J-TAC, June 1980, periodical, June 1980; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1040262/m1/5/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Tarleton State University.