The Phil Ruffin of Mayfield High

Even at a young age, Bob Castle could tell that Kenny Riggins was going to be success in life..Riggins had a 'knack' for the dollar bill, and Bob Castle noticed that right away.."Riggins can you loan me some money, I got a date with Lila tonight" Castle was asking Kenny Riggins to extend him a short term loan, Castle had just started seeing his new girlfriend Lila, and was experiencing the effects of a recessionary period..Riggins had been known to 'shark' money out to some of his friends..Kenny Riggins was not an easy man to please, that didn't really matter too Castle, he had promised Lila that he would take her to NYC for the weekend,,One problem stood in the way of that promise..Castle was broke:<

"Why would I loan you money to take your new girlfriend to NYC? You still have not paid me for the trip to Vegas! I want to know how you intend to pay me back..Remember the money I loan you is not free!" Castle still owed Riggins some money, but not that much..Castle had borrowed money from Riggins on a number of occasions and had always paid it back..Riggins was starting to get a little antsy about Castle.."Castle how are you planning on paying me back?" The recessionary climate that Bob Castle lived in had taken it's toll on him, but he was working on a couple of ideas that he deemed profitable in the future. He decided it was time to share one with Mr. Riggins.

"Riggins have you ever heard of a process called Collective Buying Power?" Castle had talked with Riggins about it a few times, but now he wanted to see if he could leverage his idea as collateral.."You have been talking about that for quite some time, I saw your post on Face Book..I am still trying to figure out how you make money..Castle had given his "spill" to a number of people, and decided that he was going to make this one very simple.

"Think about this Riggins? If we can get enough volume to a business, or group of businesses, Maybe? We could turn a tidy profit for ourselves, the trick will be in getting people too a site..I promise! I can get BUSINESSES to participate..The recession has forced a number of businesses to spend their advertising dollars differently, look at what Groupon & other sites are doing..This idea is in the infancy stage, tons of room for it..I just need an investor!" Castle stated firmly but cautiously too Riggins. Castle had given his 'pitch' about CBP to Riggins a few times, and Riggins had never said much..Riggins was scratching his head "I still don't get it, but I believe you have something, I know your broke and you have a new girlfriend that looks like Salma Hayek. Just because of that fact! I am going to loan you the money..If she knew how broke you were..She would be history." Riggins told Castle..Castle agreed wholeheartedly with Riggins..Lila was way out of Castle's league and he did not want to lose her.."When you get back from NYC, let's talk about your idea!' Riggins stated.

Castle was Sooo happy that Riggins loaned him the money and agreed too listen to his idea! He tried to hug him "Whoa..buddy I am not that kind of guy, go hug Lila." Riggins said.."Thanks Riggins I gotta get Lila  and head to the airport..Were going to the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy, she has never been to NYC." Castle stated.."Just remember your going to be having a good time on my money, the money is not free" Riggins than handed Castle a roll of bills.."I understand that, I have never been so confident about something in my entire life..I will talk with you when I get back from NYC," Castle stated..Castle was so relieved that he had the money for his and Lila's trip, he really didn't want to think about anything else..

Bob Castle & the border town beauty..

 "Quiero besar a algunas chicas!"-(I want to kiss some girls)... Bob Castle yelled as he was crossing the U.S/Mexico border. Bob Castle was in McAllen, Texas visiting his friend Jim Buckner. This was the first time Castle had ever been to a border town, and he wanted to make sure he enjoyed it. "Where do all the senorita's hang out at?" Castle asked Buckner.."Don't worry, I know just the place." Buckner replied.

Jim Buckner was a 'Texas boy' who moved to Mayfield when he was in the 6th grade. His family left Houston after the oil market crashed. They had relatives in the Mayfield area, so they decided to call Mayfield home.. Buckner and Castle became inseparable friends during his time in Mayfield. Like all good things, it had to come to an end. Buckner's parents got divorced, his dad found a job back in Texas, and Jimmy was sent to live with him. "I'm gonna miss ya buddy" Castle told Buckner the day before he was getting ready to leave. "Don't worry you can come visit me in Texas, I will be living in a border town, I hear they are lots of fun." Buckner stated with a smile on his face.

"Look at all these chica's" Buckner told Castle. At the time both of them were at a nightclub called the La Rosa Roja..aka..The Rose..The Rose was one of the hottest nightclubs in Reynosa..Reynosa was the Mexican border town adjacent to McAllen. Back in the day, Reynosa was a hot-spot for young party-goers  "Let's ask these girls to dance" Buckner told Castle..The two of them spent the rest of the night dancing and partying with a bevy of nice looking women..

"You want to go back to my place?" Martina asked Bob Castle..She lived across the border in McAllen..Castle had been getting a great vibe from her all night and gladly accepted her offer. The plan was for Castle to ride with Martina and her friends back across the border and Buckner would follow in his car. The problem? Buckner got held-up crossing the border back into McAllen and lost track of  Martina's car. This was before cellphones, so calling was not an option. "Shall we look for your friend" Martina asked Castle.."Naaa..He is a big boy..We can find him later..let's go back to your place." Castle stated. The truth of the matter? Castle didn't like the idea of looking for Buckner all night when he had a beautiful senorita sitting on his lap.. 

"Where you at boy?" Ed Buckner was Jimmy's father. He had been affectionately nicknamed 'Mexico Ed' by Castle ..It was 5 in the morning and Castle was calling Jimmy's house trying to find directions on how to get home. Remember! Castle was in a foreign town for the first time and had no idea where he was or how to get back to Jimmy's..On top of that! Martina's boyfriend had just shown up ..Fortunately, their was a group of girls at Martina's place, Castle pretended he was with one of the single ones.."I have no idea how to get back to your place" Castle told Ed Buckner. Castle than gave the phone to Martina and she got the proper directions on how to find the Buckner homestead. Martina and her boyfriend ended up giving Castle a ride back to Buckner's place.."Bye..it was nice meeting you" Martina told Castle as her boyfriend and her dropped Castle off at Buckner's place. "Uhhh..Thanks for the ride" Castle told Martina and her boyfriend..Castle watched the car drive away and said to himself.."That was really awkward."....

The serial casino robber of Las Vegas..

No Mayfield today..I want to tell everyone a Vegas story instead..Some guy in Vegas has robbed two casino's in the last week..(Sun Coast & Bellagio)..He parks a "crotch rocket" in valet parking, runs into the casino with a mask and gloves on, brandishing a weapon..In the case of the Sun Coast, he got 20k in cash..20k in cash is a pretty good day's pay for two minutes of work..This guy seems to be fearless..Heisting a major casino is not the easiest thing in the world to do..Security is somewhat tight..The casino's are very large complexes..He has to run through them with his disguise on, commit the crime, then get back out to his motorcycle and make his escape..All in a matter of minutes..So far the guy is two for two on his robbery attempts..The thing that strikes me about the whole thing? Robbing a 7-11 is one thing, but going into a large casino and robbing it all by your lonesome seems a very daunting task. This guy has robbed two of the biggest casino's in town with relative ease.

I'm not going to call him the brightest guy in the world. The Bellagio robbery consisted of him stealing a million and a half in gaming chips. He targeted a craps table and took all of the high dollar chips (1000 & up)..The one thing this genius did not take into consideration? In order for any financial gain to come out of his deed, he is going to have to redeem those chips at the Bellagio. If your not familiar with how gaming chips are handled in Nevada casino's? Here is a brief rundown..For the most part the casino does not care about any chip that is $100 face value or less..Any chip with a face value of a $1000 or more is tracked by the casino..Anyone who tries to redeem a chip for that much, had better be able to explain where they got it from..If the casino recognizes you as a player, they won't hassle you..Very few patrons of the casino carry chips much larger than a $100, thus making it much easier for the casino's to keep track of the bigger chips..The robber took a couple racks of 25k chips.

Everyone is talking about the million and a half in chips that he stole. The truth of the matter? My roommate told me that it cost the casino 25 cents to have a chip made, the robber made off with 50 chips, Maybe? 50 x 25 cents= 20 bucks give or take a little..Too me, that seems like a lot of risk for a very paltry sum, OR? The guy is a complete moron..I am going with my second assumption..I will have to give this guy something..He sure has a ton of bravado..My guess? He will strike again..

The James Dean of Mayfield High

Every town has one, that guy with an "edge." The person who is not afraid to do anything, Mayfield was no exception..Grover McGuiness was the "bad boy" of Mayfield High. Grover was not scared of a thing, and eventually that attitude would catch up with him..Bob Castle and Grover McGuiness got to be pretty good friends while they were in school. Castle could not help but notice the effect that Grover "the bad boy" had on girls, one day during Shop class; Castle finally decided to ask Grover what made him so popular with the opposite sex.

"Grover I gotta ask you a question? What is your secret with women? How do you keep so many of them interested in you?" Grover and Castle were standing in the middle of the Shop working on a 57 Chevy engine that Grover had found in a junk-yard. Basically, Grover was working on it. Castle was handing him the tools. "Castle, I am going to give you some advice that I think will help you out tremendously. Women like to see a guy with a little dirt & grease under their fingernails." Grover was a helluva mechanic, whenever Castle was having trouble with his car, he would always take it to Grover and have him fix it. "They also love to see a guy get crazy every once in a while..Most of the girls that I date get bored of there boyfriends." Grover loved to do things that were risky. Grover was legendary for his partying and fighting. He had no FEAR. "Do you ever get worried that some of your escapades might get you in trouble?" Castle asked Grover.."Castle, I don't plan on living past 30 anyways, so I might as well have fun while I am here" Grover replied.

Unfortunately, Grover's prediction about his life span became a reality. Grover was with some of his friends one night, they were partying and having a good time. Grover made the mistake of getting into a car with a drunk driver. He was only 24 when he perished. When I think about Grover it always makes me smile. He was a lot different than me, but in some ways we were a lot alike. Please think twice about drinking and driving. Grover left behind a couple of infant children who grew up without a father..:(...RIP Grover...

The Sandra Bullock of Mayfield High

FBLA stands for Future Business Leaders of America, lots of different schools have or should have a chapter like this. The FBLA was created to ensure that are schools were putting out "quality" youngsters with "quality" ideas. Bob Castle realized fairly quick that if he was going to have a girl like Lila, he was going to have to figure out a way to significantly increase his cash flow, his father Mick Castle told him that he should consider joining the FBLA..The younger Castle always thought that he was "to cool" for the FBLA, one day he finally decided to listen to his "old man" and check it out..The FBLA was a very select group at Mayfield High, they were lead by one of the most charming and pretty girl's in Mayfield, her name was Jill Rogan..

Jill Rogan was the valedictorian of Bob Castle's class..Ms. Rogan was one of the most intelligent girl's that Castle ever met. He was a little bit intimidated by her, but he had to share some of his ideas with her..He thought that someone of her intelligence might "get it." Jill Rogan moved to Mayfield at the start of her high school days. Castle noticed that she was a lot different from the people that he was used to hanging out with. She kept to a circle that Castle wasn't in..Mayfield had a number of different groups, and Bob Castle and Jill Rogan were in two separate ones. But still, Bob Castle had to overcome that stereotype and tell Jill exactly what he was thinking.

"Hi Jill" Castle said as he was entering the room..Castle had just said his first words to Jill.."How are you today?" Jill told Castle..Jill Rogan looked like a young Sandra Bullock..She was a size 4 with dark brown eyes..Castle had often thought about asking Jill out, but she was already taken by a good friend of Castle's. Her beauty was undeniable, but that wasn't what was on Castle's mind, he wanted to pick her mind about an idea he was having.

"Jill, I have to ask you a question? Have you ever heard of a process called Collective Buying Power?" "Yeah, a little, why do you ask?" Gulp..Jill was looking at Castle with those dark brown eyes, Castle was having a little bit of a problem concentrating on his "spill" Jill was wearing a pant-suit that hugged every inch of her frame.."Get it together, Jill might be someone who is interested in your idea." Castle told himself. "Come on lets hear your idea, i'm waiting" Jill told Castle..Jill Rogan was a "no-nonsense" kind of girl. Castle did not want to look like a fool, so he decided to keep his "speel" short.

"Here is how CBP works! A website is created that actively promotes Volume Creation for small businesses, think about this? With the rise of the internet and the oncoming avalanche of Social Network business, maybe doing something collectively could benefit a number of people?" Castle had a 100 pages of ideas that he wanted to share with someone, he was having a hard-time finding people who would listen..He knew that if Jill liked the idea, maybe, someone else would as well? "I have been paying a little attention to the CBP process, some of the numbers that a few of the sites are putting up are IMPRESSIVE!!" Jill replied..Castle and Jill looked and smiled at each other.."Have you drawn-up a business plan for this idea?" Jill stated firmly to Castle.."Yes, but I need someone else's ideas as well!" Castle was looking very curiously at Jill, she had her hand on her chin thinking..Castle was taking that as a good sign, maybe the two of them could become better friends? Break down some barrier? "I tell you what Mr. Castle, let me do a little further research on the CBP process..Figure out if it is something I think might be viable..I have a few of my own ideas that I would like to share with you sometime, right now I have to attend my Advanced Calculus class." Jill stated.

Castle watched Jill and her sleek, petite, body walk out the door. He was beginning to realize that he had just made friends with a very creative person. Castle was stuck on the idea of CBP..If that didn't work out? Maybe Jill could share some of her ideas with him? "Two minds are always better than one" Castle thought to himself.
..

The Kate Upton of Mayfield High...Part 2

"Where is Lila?" Worthington asked Bob Castle..Bob Castle was starting to sweat things a little. He had already spent the $100 that he had won on his long-shot. Sam Worthington told Castle that "it wasn't official until the rest of the WOM saw her "show-up" at the meet.."That's not fair, the original bet was that I ask her out, she will be at the Quiz Bowl meet, I sent her a text with all the information, besides I already spent your $100 on this new suit I am wearing..I wanted to look good for my date with Lila." "Tough shit Castle! The rest of the WOM decided that victory was declared to soon..We want to see Lila actually show-up..If she doesn't show up by the championship round..You owe me 200 bucks..The hundred I gave you prematurely and the original 100 for losing the bet..Gulp!! Castle thought that he was getting "bent over the barrel." The WOM was a "majority rules" society, and Castle was out-voted 3-1.

"Where you at?" Castle text Lila "the championship match is about to start.".Castle was starting to get really nervous about things!! He had text her a few times to remind her and had not heard anything back. He couldn't tell her that he was going to be out $200 bucks if she didn't show-up..That was something a Salma Hayek look-a-like would probably not like to hear. Castle didn't really care about the 200 he was more interested in seeing if she was going to show..She was in a different league than Castle and he was starting to doubt himself a little.."Maybe the rest of the WOM is right" Castle thought to himself.

"Mr. Castle can you please take your seat?" The narrator for the championship match was starting to get a little agitated..Castle was using every stall tactic he could think of.."Just one more minute, I almost got it. "Castle was on the floor "stretching" he had complained that his quads were hurting. "Your quads will have no part in this match, Now take your seat!." The narrator stated firmly to Castle..The rest of the WOM played along for a little while..They wanted to give Castle every chance he had. Time was officially up and Bob Castle realized that.."Buzz" "Buzz" "Buzz" "Hold On" Castle yelled in desperation. Castle than reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his phone..He had a text message from Lila..When he checked it, all it had was a :)...

"I'm sorry that I am running late..I had to work, and then I had to go buy a new dress." Lila had just entered the auditorium where the Quiz championship was being held and everyone was looking at her..Lila Barlona was a feisty girl, who loved to have a good time "Is this the championship match" Lila yelled as she was trying to find her seat..Everyone was staring at Lila! and rightfully so..She was wearing a designer Jacquard dress. Quiz Bowl meets were not used to such sites, even the narrator was having a hard time with it.."Young lady please take a seat, this is turning into a circus!" the narrator replied.."Sorry" Lila said as he was getting  ready to start the championship match..Castle looked at the narrator and he was blushing..That was the first time he realized that Lila was special..Not only did she look like Salma Hayek! Lila had the charm and charisma to match her beauty. 

The WOM crushed another opponent in the championship match, Bob Castle was having an "off-night" with his Quiz Bowl duties, it didn't matter, the rest of the WOM picked up the slack. Castle was far to busy staring at Lila to concentrate on anything else. "Do you want to get some Italian food?" Castle asked Lila after the meet was over."That sounds cool" Lila replied.. "Thump,Thump,Thump,Thump" For a moment, Castle thought that his heart was going to jump out of his throat "I know this new Italian place that is opening, they make the best chicken marsala in Mayfield.."That sounds like a plan" Lila said..Castle was opening the car door for Lila, all week long he had been practicing his "chivalry" moves, and was going to show them off.."You are so sweet!" Lila than gave Castle a peck on the cheek..Castle's knees almost gave out on him..As Castle was closing the car door he took another look at Lila..It was that very moment, Castle realized that he had met his first "great one."

The Kate Upton of Mayfield High.

After every Quiz Bowl meet, Bob Castle and the rest of the Well Oiled Machine - aka the WOM - would head down to their favorite watering hole. The WOM dominated the area Quiz Bowl scene, and they loved to celebrate that fact! They always went to the same place for their victory libations, 'The Pepper Club." The Pepper, as Castle always referred it, was the WOM's favorite hang-out. The drinks were cold, the food was awesome and the eye-candy was second to none! Now, the thing that Bob Castle liked most about the The Pepper -  Sheila Clandesky - Sheila was the most beautiful girl in Mayfield.

"I think Sheila and I have a connection," Castle stated. At the time, the WOM were bellied up celebrating another Quiz Bowl triumph. "Come on Castle, you have been saying that every time we come in here. Both of us know that Sheila is a mile out of your league!" Sam Worthington replied. Worthington - aka the Worth - was co-captain of the WOM. He was a good, but geeky friend of Bob Castle. The two of them would always talk about how smart and beautiful Sheila was. Neither could work up enough guts to ask her out, until today. "Screw it Worth, I am going to ask Sheila out! What's the worst thing that could happen?" The Worth immediately looked at Castle after his statement and said, "I got a Benjamin that says you don't have a chance." The WOM was an eclectic group that loved to wager on a number of things. Castle and Sheila had been trading looks at each other for some time and no one would believe him. "You're on Worth, I am going to ask her out and she'll say yes, hopefully." Castle made that statement with more than a tinge of nervousness in his voice.

"Hi Sheila, how are you today?" Sheila Clandesky was an absolute ten and Bob Castle was starting to get really nervous about his game plan. "Did you guys win another Quiz Bowl meet?" she asked Castle. Sheila was a cocktail waitress at the Pepper Club and she had just approached the WOM's table. The rest of the WOM was eyeballing Castle intently. If he didn't have some digits by the time she left, he was out a hundred bucks. Castle did not like the sounds of that and decided his charm-o-meter had better be working at full tilt if he was to have any chance.

"We just won our third straight tournament." Castle told Sheila. She had once told him that she found intelligent men attractive. "I find that so sexy that you guys like to celebrate your intelligence," she stated. Castle was starting to feel a big time vibe between the two of them. It was now or never, "Do you want to come to our Quiz Bowl meet next week? We will be defending our league title! Afterwards we can go see a movie." In what seemed like an eternity, Sheila turned to Castle and said, "I would like that! What time should I be ready? I tell you what, here is my number, call me and we can make arrangements. I have to go back to work now." Sheila turned and smiled at Castle as she was leaving. Bob Castle thought he was going to melt.

"Mucho Gracias!" Castle quipped as he snatched the Benjamin from Worth's hand. Worth and the rest of the WOM could not believe what they had just witnessed. Bob Castle had just scored the number of a Kate Upton look-a-like and he was still trying to soak it in when Worth asked, "What is your secret? No one in the world would have thought you had a chance." Castle then looked at all of his comrades and told them this. "I don't how I got Sheila to agree to go out with me. Maybe it's this karma thing that everyone talks about nowadays?"

The Mayfield Mafia

Cristoffo Artinelli..aka..Stoffo had a distinct trait that set him apart from everyone else in Mayfield, Stoffo was the only Italian guy in  town, actually the whole area..Stoffo had been nicknamed the "Italian Flash" for his exploits on the grid iron and a few of his exploits off..:) But the thing that intrigued Bob Castle the most about Stoffo? He was the only Italian guy in town, Castle could not let go of that fact, so one day he decided to ask Stoffo how in the world he ended up in Mayfield?

"Stoffo, don't take this the wrong way, but how did you end up in Mayfield? Your the only Italian in Mayfield, doesn't that seem awkward to you?" Castle had heard all the rumors about Stoffo's connections, after all, Mayfield was a small town and Castle wasn't the only guy who was noticing Stoffo. Stoffo looked at Castle and said "Castle, you think that I am in the Mob? Don't you?" Stoffo seemed a little angered by Castle's question, Stoffo was not a guy to mess with, most of his fights were over pretty quick.."No problem i'm just curious, forget I asked?" Castle was not going to push Stoffo, the two of them were close friends and he did not want to put that friendship in jeopardy. Still, he had to know the truth about Stoffo's past. Why was he the only Italian in Mayfield? It was time for Stoffo to finally come clean.

"Castle this has been weighing on me for a long time, I know I look out of place in Mayfield, but this is where they sent me until the "heat" dies down in NYC," Gulp, Castle was starting to believe his suspicions about Stoffo.."Heat? What do you mean heat?" Castle replied..Stoffo looked at Castle and said "When your from the city like I am..You are bound to run into some "heat".. I got tired of that heat, so I decided to move to the mid west. I was looking for a place to call home and I found Mayfield." Castle had the answer that he was looking for, it didn't matter about Stoffo's past to Castle, Mayfield was his new beginning. "Stoffo your not gonna have me whacked? Are you?" Castle was sensing that things were cool and decided to lighten the mood. "Only if you ask me again about the "old days." Stoffo replied..

It turns out Stoffo and his clan were the first of many Italian families that decided to call Mayfield home. Stoffo had 10 brothers and sisters..All of them were tired of the heat..They decided to move to Mayfield with their families..Some of Stoffo's friends from the "neighborhood" decided to call Mayfield home. The next thing you know, Mayfield has a thriving Italian community. Just to give everyone a better idea of how much Stoffo and his Italian buddies mean to Mayfield, after Stoffo was chosen to play in the Shrine Bowl his Senior year, the town council renamed  a stretch of highway after him..Stoffo Artinelli Parkway is the largest thoroughfare in Mayfield..:)

Shorty Sanders and the "exotic" map..

"Heah Castle, I have a new game that I play down at the Butter Cup" Shorty Sanders stated. The Butter Cup was the best "gentlemen's club" in the area, and Shorty Sanders was about to tell Bob Castle another one of his "stripper stories."  Every time Shorty had a new story to tell, Bob Castle was all ears..Shorty had passed legend territory in "exoticville" a long time ago.

"Shorty, what is this new game that you are talking about?" Castle asked curiously "We are going to have the first ever Shorty Sanders Olympics tomorrow night at the 'Cup" Shorty told Castle. "What in the world are the Shorty Sanders Olympics?" Castle was starting to get very curious.

"The Shorty Sanders Olympics will be very simple" Shorty went on to add "The Cup is a very diverse place when it comes to females, you have Italians, Asians, Brazilians, Europeans..The place is loaded with a smorgasbord of women from around the world. Well the goal of the Shorty Sanders Olympics is to get a lap dance from a different girl each time..I will then be able to check them off my map!" "I lost you Shorty, what map are you talking about?" Castle replied. "The map I keep on my ceiling above my bed..Here's how it works Castle..The Cup has so many different girls, from so many different places! I want to get to know them a little better, so I always ask the girls where they are from originally. Once they give me the answer, I put a peg on my map."

Castle was starting to think about what Shorty was telling him. Shorty had always told Castle that the Butter Cup was the best strip joint in the area because their were so many girls from different places and Castle knew that Shorty had scene them all.."Shorty what happens when the map gets full?" Castle could tell that Shorty was on a mission and would soon have to address that question..Shorty looked at Castle and said "No worries! Once the first map becomes full? I will start a new one."...:)

Shorty Sanders & his prom dates.

"Shorty who are you gonna ask to prom?" Prom was just a few weeks away and Bob Castle had not heard anything from Shorty about who he was planning to take. "I am still deciding between Fantasy & Paradise" Shorty said..Fantasy and Paradise were the stage names for a couple of Shorty's "stripper girlfriends." Shorty Sanders always had a thing for "exotic" dancers and it was obvious that deciding between his two favorites was starting to take its toll on him."I have a suggestion for you Shorty! Why don't you ask both of them." Castle replied.."Hmm, I never really thought of that. That would save me a tremendous headache, both of them are expecting me to ask, so if I took them both? Everyone wins, I am going to ask them both..Thanks for the advice Castle." "Glad to be of help Shorty" Castle stated.

I will never forget the night Shorty showed up at prom with his "two" dates. Paradise was a stunning 6' ft. blonde, she was "stripping" to pay her way through medical school, Fantasy was a petite Asian girl who was "stripping" to pay her way through Vet school. They were two of the hottest chicks that Bob Castle had ever seen, and Shorty had one on each arm. "Damn Shorty, it looks like you got your hands full tonight, do you need any help?" Bob Castle said. Castle had been stood-up by his date and was forced to attend the prom "stag." Shorty looked at Castle and said "No, I got this!" The next week at school I asked Shorty how things turned out for him prom night?

"Castle" Shorty replied, "It turns out the two girls I asked were roommates. They were super cool with the idea of sharing me." "Sharing you, what do you mean?" Castle replied. "After the prom I wasn't sure which one was going to the "after-party" with me, so I decided  I would ask them both." GULP..Castle knew where this story was headed and wanted to know more details. "So what happened Shorty." Castle quipped anxiously. "They both decided that they wanted to be part of the "after-party" and we headed back to their apartment." "What happened when the three of you were alone?" Castle was pressing Shorty for a description of the night's activities..Shorty looked at Castle and said "A Gentlemen never tells!"

The ticket king of Mayfield

"Tickets!! I got two tickets for sale..Who wants em?" Kenny Riggins was standing outside Williams auditorium in Pretoria..Mayfield was playing their arch-rival Dopeyville in the finals of the league tournament, and tickets to the championship game were selling at a premium. Kenny Riggins was the man to see if you wanted to find a "hard to get" event ticket..By the time Bob Castle and Shorty Sanders arrived at Williams auditorium to watch the championship game..All the tickets were long gone..The only way the two of them were going to watch one of the biggest games in Mayfield High history..Kenny Riggins..And it was going to cost..

"Riggins how much you want for those tickets" Castle only had 50 bucks on him and was worried that he was going to get priced out real quick..A van load of Mayfield alumni had just pulled in and they did not have tickets either..Riggins was a master at selling tickets, he always knew when to get top dollar..His plan was to start a bidding war with some of the Mayfield and Dopey alumni that were arriving late..If that happened Bob Castle and Shorty Sanders were going to miss one of the biggest games in Mayfield history, and that was not an option.

"Since you and I are friends Castle, I will sell you a pair for 80 bucks." "I only got 50 can I hit you later with the rest?" Castle replied..Riggins was not accustomed to extending credit for his services, he had spotted a group of alumni looking for tickets and would probably have gotten  4x more than the 50 dollars Castle had to offer.."You know how hot these tickets are? but since were friends and I don't want to see you cry..Castle was starting to "tear-up" a little thinking that he was going to miss the game. I will take your 50 and you can pay me the difference later..Castle gave Riggins the 50 and Shorty and him made a v-line for their seats.

The game was a classic..Crisstoffo Artinelli..aka.."The Italian Flash" hit a 30 footer at the buzzer to give Mayfield it's first league title in 20 years.. The best surprise of all, the tickets that Riggins sold us ended up being VIP..I like to refer to them as "Jack Nicholson" seats..At the time Castle wondered why Riggins gave him such a "sweet-heart" deal when it was obvious he could have fetched a lot more for them..Years later Riggins and Castle became excellent friends. Castle and him were reminiscing about the first time they met each other..I asked Riggins "Why did you give me such a sweet deal on those tickets, at the time we weren't really friends?" Riggins just smiled and said "when I saw you were starting to "tear-up" because you thought you were going to miss the game, I said to myself "This guy is pathetic, but he has the passion, so I decided to cut you a break..Besides I still had ten other tickets to sell..I turned a nice profit."...:)

The Ping-Pong champ of Mayfield High

Garren Yoder was a man of many skills, not only was he the best 9-ball player in Mayfield..He was also the defending Linn County League Ping-Pong champion..Yoder was recovering from a knee injury and had just recouped enough stamina to play Ping-Pong again..Repeating as Linn County League champ was going to be very difficult for Garren, but he was determined none the less.

"How are you feeling today?" Bob Castle asked Garren .Castle was Yoder's unofficial Ping-Pong trainer/manager..They were both in Pretoria for the league Ping-Pong tournament and Castle was looking to gauge how Yoder would perform.."I feel good..I am going to win a second title..bet on it!!!" Castle had been watching Yoder's odds drop on the board and he was getting a little nervous. The year before Yoder won the tournament with relative ease, but this year he was recovering from his knee injury and had slid on a few extra pounds. "You gonna bring this title home? Are you sure? Because I have some guys from Dopeyville who think you are "washed-up" They want to bet a $100 spot on it." "Take the action" Yoder replied sternly..At that moment, Castle looked at Yoder and realized that he meant business..

The rules are fairly simple with Ping-Pong tournaments. Each game went to 21..The series was a best of 3 games. Whomever won 2 games first won the match..Yoder was on fire the first couple rounds. He easily advanced to the championship, the final match for all the marbles was about to begin and Bob Castle was getting excited.."How you feeling champ? One more game and the title is yours!! Remember I got a $100 spot bet on you winning this thing.." "No worries I am going to win this and you and I are going to spend the $100 on our girlfriend's." Yoder replied

Yoder was dominant in the final match..He won both games handily..I still remember the final point of the match..Garren won the game on a "table caver" shot..A table caver is when someone leaps for the ball and ends up on top of the table, causing the table to collapse.."I got this!!" Yoder was yelling at the ping-pong ball as he was watching it barely make its way over the net..His opponent had hit a lazy but playable return and Garren was "smelling blood." Garren had backed away from the table anticipating a harder return from his opponent..He had to move quickly..This was his chance to end the match and grab his title. "Mayfield Pride" were the last words I heard before Garren leaped across the table and returned the shot past his opponent for the win. The crowd erupted!! Garren Yoder had just repeated as champion and Bob Castle and him were $100 richer..

The victory was "bittersweet" for Garren..As he was hitting the "table caver" to secure his spot in Mayfield lore, the subsequent collapse of the table with Garren on top of it re-injured his knee. He had to be carried up to the victory stand by Bob Castle.."Table caving" at the league tournament was subsequently banned after Garren's incident..If you look in the league Ping-Pong tournament handbook..It is listed as rule #52..Around the Linn County League, it is affectionately called "The Garren Yoder rule."..:)

The Queen of Quiz bowl.

WOM is an acronym that stands for - Well Oiled Machine - It was the moniker the senior laden Quiz bowl team at Madison High coined themselves going into their final year of competition. The nickname was well deserved. The quartet consisted of the four brightest minds Madison High had to offer. Bob Castle, Sam Worthington, Curt Cringle and Nathaniel Frader. The WOM, as expected, dominated the regular season of their Quiz bowl schedule. The only thing standing between them and a third straight league championship was their arch rival Dopeyville.

Quiz bowl rules are fairly simple, each match consists of ten questions. Two each in mathematics, history, literature, science and current events. The squad with the most correct answers at the end of the match wins. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation, the orator will ask an eleventh question - The dreaded hodgepodge category - Fortunately for the WOM, their dominance of the area Quiz bowl scene guaranteed they never ventured into the hodgepodge category. Well, that is, until they met Renee Higgins and her Dopeyville mates in the league championship finals.

"Hey Renee, why don't you guys go pick up your second place trophy? They already have your names engraved on it. We all know the WOM is going to win." Renee Higgins was Bob Castle's Quiz bowl crush. She was the smartest girl in the league and captain of the Dopeyville squad. He couldn't help but spout off a little before the championship match was about to begin. Renee wasn't a girl who took flak. So after Castle's quip. She decided to let him have it. "The WOM, you guys have got to the coolest boys in the league...Not! I tell you what Castle. Someone needs to teach you clowns a lesson and I am just the person to do that." You know how they say it's never a good idea to poke a sleeping bear with a stick? Well, Bob Castle and the rest of the WOM were about to learn that lesson the hard way.

Earlier in the post I made light of how the rules of Quiz bowl were structured and in the event of a tie at the end of regulation a hodgepodge question was asked. Well, the WOM had yet to be tested to that limit and Renee was about to give them a lesson they would never forget. "Timeout!" Bob Castle decided to rally the troops before the final question of the match. "Come on guys! This question is for all the marbles. We're the WOM! We never lose! Now break!" After the huddle, Castle and the rest of the WOM retook their seats. He then glanced over at Renee right before the orator asked the hodgepodge question. She was smiling at him.

Bob Castle can still remember the orator's final question like it was yesterday. "The hodgepodge question is women's literature." Right then and there - He knew the WOM's goose was cooked - "For the league championship, which team can tell me first. Who was the author of Sense and Sensibility?" Before anyone on the WOM could blink, Renee buzzed in. "Yes," the orator replied. She then leaned backed in her seat, stretched her neck a bit as to gloat and said, "I believe the correct answer to that question would be Jane Austen." The orator wasted little time in his response, "That is correct, congratulations, Dopeyville is the new league champion."

Castle and rest of the WOM felt like digging a hole in the auditorium floor when the trophies were being handed out. "Second place this year. Come on up guys." The WOM found it difficult to accept anything but the championship trophy, but the orator was having none of it. So they made their way to the stage. "Second place this year goes to the Madison High Bulldogs, congratulations." The WOM begrudgingly accepted their runner-up trophy and then began their solemn walk off stage. Much to his dismay, Castle wasn't going to get off easy from his earlier boast to Renee about how the second place trophy already had Dopeyville's name engraved on it. "Hey Castle," Renee quipped as she and the rest of the Dopeyville squad were passing him on their way to the stage to accept the championship trophy. "It looks like they are going to have to change the engraving on the WOM's trophy."

The head cat of Mayfield High

Donny Rodel is a Mayfield institution, he was born and raised in Mayfield. Both of his parents worked for the Mayfield High School district, he was the point guard on the state championship basketball team..He bleed Wildcat Black&Gold. Donny holds one of the most distinguished titles in Mayfield lore. "Head Cat" of the infamous Mayfield High "Cat House."

The "Cat House" was a collection of both past and present Mayfield High students. They would attend the games together and show their support for the Mayfield High Wildcats. Donny was the leader of the pack and he was cool..Donny was so dedicated to the Mayfield High spirit that he would often show up in his old letter jacket from high school. The jacket had grown a little snug on Donny, but he still looked good in it. Donny solidified his legend on a cold February night in Dopeyville. It was the last league game and the championship was at stake..Whomever won this game was going to be crowned Linn County League champs..Mayfield was trailing at half-time and then it happened..

"Where's Donny?" Bob Castle asked Bert Cringle. Cringle was the #2 cat in the "Cat House" and he was responsible for making sure Donny was at the game.."Shit, I don't know where he is at..Maybe he stopped off at the tavern and lost track of time." "The second half is about to start and the Cat House needs the head cat..where is he." Castle had grown frantic and was thinking about sending out a search party to find Donny..Some one yelled "Donny" and low and behold the head cat had finally arrived.

I will never forget his entrance. He was dressed in full Wildcat regalia..Donny was sporting his letter jacket, a "Wildcat Pride" t-shirt, black&gold shoes, and a Wildcat stocking cap..The second half was about to tip-off and everyone in the auditorium was staring at the "head cat" as he made his entrance..Donny than stood in front of the "Cat House" and yelled these two words "Mayfield Pride!!" The entire "Cat House" let out a roar and you could feel the energy intensify.. The Mayfield Wildcats and their raucous crowd picked up the intensity in the second half and ended up winning the title. Donny Rodel was elected into the Mayfield High hall of fame a number of years later. Just to show you how much the "Head Cat" means to Mayfield, there is a life size statue of him in the town square...:)

The Galaga champ of Mayfield

Grouby's aka..the pool hall..Was a place that catered to everyone, you had jocks, motor-heads, geeks, and every other mix that Mayfield High had to offer..It was a safe haven for kids and Mr. Grouby made sure that everyone could enjoy his place without being hassled. Mayfield had a special kid, who I believe should have been the town mascot, his name was Jack Motts, and he could play Galaga like their was no tomorrow.

What made Jack so unique? Jack was born with Down Syndrome, but he never let that get in his way. He was the most happy, go-lucky, person that I ever met. Looking back, I never really felt sorry for him because he always seemed so happy. Nothing satisfied Jack more than playing Galaga.

"High score again..Me good" Jack said. Jack had just broken his previous record in Galaga and was gloating the best he knew how. "Me play money you" Jack said to Bob Castle. Castle was the second best Galaga player in Mayfield and he was getting tired of being beat by Jack all the time. "I will play you for a Fanta" Castle replied to Jack. This was the first time Jack had made a wager and Castle thought it might shake him a little bit. Boy was he wrong.

Jack played that single Galaga game for nearly 3 hours, he ended up< flipping the machine-(whenever some one scores a million points the counter automatically resets to zero)..Jack was the only guy in Mayfield who could pull off this feat. It was a very impressive performance by Mr. Motts. "You pay me Fanta, Buddy." Jack called everyone Buddy and he was looking to collect on his wager. "We again play money" Jack replied. "I think I have had enough. I gotta leave." Castle replied. At that moment, Castle realized that his dreams of being the Galaga champ of Mayfield were not too be.

Years later I saw Jack. He had been sent to live in a special care facility in a neighboring town. I was playing in a soft-ball tournament and he was on a day pass from the facility. He came up behind me and poked me in the back, when I turned around he said "Hi Buddy." One of my favorite songs of all-time is Pinball Wizard by the Who. The reason I like that song so much? It reminds me of Jack Motts.. :)

The last State Title..

Mayfield Pride was everywhere!! The scene was Walker stadium in nearby Pretoria..Pretoria was  hosting the state title game that year, and the Mayfield Wildcats were painting the town Black&Gold. The Wildcats had won a "heart-stopper" a week earlier and now it was time too "finish it." The Wildcats were pretty "banged-up" by the time they got to the state championship, it didn't matter this was Mayfield's year and nothing was going to get in the way of a championship..

"It has been a long year! We have been tested! Look at me! There is no way the Wildcat's are going to lose this bleeping game." Coach Frost was giving his last pep talk before kick-off and the Wildcat's were listening. "Now get in here" Frost yelled.."This is our time..we have come close too many times..We are going to take that state title trophy home..Anyone got anything to say before we break?" Coach Frost quipped.."Coach we are going to FIND!! a way to win, now BREAK!!!!"  G.L. Tanner yelled..

Mayfield High had a bunch of good football players and GL Tanner was at the top of the list. G.L. rushed for nearly 1500 yards in the "bruising" LCL (Linn County League) and was a unanimous first team selection. G.L. Tanner was powerful and elusive when he had a football in his hands, if Mayfield was going to win this game?G.L. and his powerful linemen were going to have to play like they did all year.

I remember that game like it was yesterday, The weather was terrible and whomever could run the ball most effectively was going to win..Mayfield's opponent that year was Linnood.. The game was knotted 0-0 midway through the fourth quarter when GL Tanner and the PIGS (PIGS aka..the Mayfield High offensive line) took over. The Mayfield defense was rock solid that year..They had shut-down Linwood all day long and knew that sooner or later someone would "make a play on offense".

"Come on offense, get that ball in the end zone one-time and the title is ours" Coach Frost was watching his Mayfield Wildcats put on a clinic in the fourth quarter, all the rigors of a long season was coming down to this last drive. The Mayfield strategy for winning this battle was simple..Run..Run..Run.."One more first down" GL told himself as the Mayfield marched into the red zone.."One more time" GL would say as he was following the blocks of his PIGS.."State title how bad do you want this" GL was trying to pump-up his team mates and it was working..I still remember the exact play that sealed a state title for the Wildcats

GL broke off tackle from the 4 yard line. He ran straight into Linwood's linebacker and wrestled free..GL was at the two yard line when another guy hit him, as he was staggering forward he leaped over a third defender and "out-stretched" the football into the end zone. It was Mayfield's day and nothing was going to get in the way. One of my favorite photo's? The pool hall in Mayfield sports a "blown-up" and framed picture of GL stretching across the goal line and sealing the title for the Wildcats..Great picture.. :)

Go Bulldogs..Woof..Woof..Woof...

Slow Death & the "money ball."

Every town has one, a place that means more to the community than anything..A place where kids can be kids..Where they can forget about all their problems and just have fun..Mayfield had that place and it was called  "Grouby's". Grouby's was named after the late Donald Grouby. Mr. Grouby worked hard his whole life and when he decided to retire, he built a "pool hall" for kids..Little did Mr. Grouby realize that it would turn into the "gaming" mecca of Mayfield High..

"When are you going to learn Yoder? I can whip your ass anytime!" Joe Liker yelled. Liker and Garren Yoder had just played a 9-ball set and Liker won 3-0. "Where is my money" Liker yelled. Yoder handed over a crisp $20 dollar bill to Liker and told him that he had to leave.."What's the matter Yoder don't you have any balls, let's go again or are you scared?" Liker replied..Joe Liker was not the brightest guy in Mayfield, but he was fearless, often too his detriment. "I tell you what Liker, if your so good, why don't we play again for $100 dollars." Yoder quipped.."Let me see the money" Liker replied..Yoder flashed a crisp $100 dollar bill in Liker's face.."Loser's rack." was Liker's response.

Some one yelled "Yoder & Liker are playing for a $100 bucks" and the next thing you know everyone was watching.. The object of 9-ball is to work your way through the first 8 balls and then make the 9-ball (9-ball is the money shot). I can still remember it to this day, Yoder & Liker were tied 2 games a piece, and Yoder was taking a difficult bank shot on the 9-ball for the win..You could hear a pin drop as Yoder took the last shot.."Crack" Yoder hit a solid but soft shot off the far rail and it was heading for it's destination..He had hit the shot very softly in order to control the cue ball..I thought he had no chance, but the 9-ball just kept creeping&creeping toward the intended pocket.

When the ball stopped at the cusp of the pocket, everyone in the crowd let out a big "sigh' of disappointment..They  thought he had missed. Yoder then yelled "Slow Death, Slow Death" at the top of his lungs and "some how", "some way", the 9-ball found a little bit of extra energy and fell into the pocket." Liker threw the $100 on the table and Yoder snatched it..After that moment, Garren Yoder made it a habit of yelling "Slow Death" every time he would sink the "money-ball."  :)

Shorty Sanders and his million dollar tongue: Part 2

"Shorty what the hell are you doing? How come you were not at school today?" Bob Castle quipped..Castle and  Shorty had a couple of classes together at Mayfield High.."I was busy, if you know what I mean?" Shorty replied. It turns out Shorty had a new girlfriend  and he was trying to keep it a secret from all his buddies..Castle had wondered what the deal was, Shorty had been acting very strange the last few weeks and Castle could tell something was amiss.

"Shorty what the hell is going on? You have been acting really strange lately..What gives?" Shorty looked-up then looked around, he wanted to make sure that know one else could hear his response.."Castle, I have a new girl friend and I am trying to keep it "hush-hush." She is a dancer at the Butterfly Gentlemen's Club." "Bullshit Shorty!!, your lying..No way in hell you could score a dancer." Castle quipped.."I am going to see her tonight." The Butter Cup was a Gentlemen's Club located about twenty miles from Mayfield, some of the women who worked there were nice..some were not.."I will pick you up at 8, it is time you met my new girlfriend" Shorty told Castle.

"Which one is she?" Castle asked Shorty upon arrival at the ButterCup. "Right over there" Shorty then pointed to a 6'0 voluptuous blonde with legs that reached the ceiling..I thought it kind of weird that Shorty who was only 5'ft tall would hook-up with a 6'0 blonde..It was a very unlikely pairing.."How did you meet her Shorty?" I asked.."She heard about my million dollar tongue from one of her friends, and she became curious." Shorty replied. "What is her name?" Castle quipped.."Paradise" Shorty replied. Shorty had always been a big fan of "exotic" dancers and he was loving every bit of his fling with Paradise


"Paradise is not her real name, that is her stage name.. Do you know what her real name is?" Castle yelled at Shorty as he was heading to the VIP room with his new girlfriend..Shorty looked back and said "Paradise, smaradise, who gives a shit? She is just another admirer of the million dollar tongue. I am telling you Castle, one of these days I am going to get a million dollar insurance policy on my tongue..It is by far and away my best feature." The door to the VIP room closed and I didn't see Shorty the rest of the night. :)

Fonz #1 moves "across the pond"

"Ron is what I am hearing true? Are you really leaving Mayfield?" Bob Castle could not believe what he had heard. Nussell was moving to Europe and things were about to change. Castle could not imagine a Mayfield without Ron Nussell. Ron Nussell was a living legend in Mayfield, i'm not just talking about all of his female admirer's..He was a good guy and Castle had learned a lot from him, he was sorta sad to see thing's change.."It is time to spread my wings, I am going to explore Europe for a little while, I have always wanted to do that..might as well do it while I am young." Nussell replied

I gave Nussell a ride to the airport and I can still remember the exact words he said too me as he was exiting my car.."Don't worry buddy..I am just going to "cool my heels" in Europe for a little while..We will meet up again..Besides I hear Europe has plenty of different sites." Castle could tell that Nussell was happy, so he had to let him go.."Nussell" Castle yelled as he was walking into the terminal, "if you are leaving, who is going to the next Fonz of Mayfield High?" Nussell just turned around and shrugged?

The Right amount of whiskey...

"Heah Castle, I gotta let you in on one of my secrets" Jaworski blurted. Steve Jaworsky was a living legend in Mayfield, and whenever he had a tip for his buddies? They listened.."What's that Jaworsky?" Castle replied "No women will ever admit this, they love to go home with a guy who has a little whiskey on his breath."

Jaworsky went on to add "The trick is to have just enough whiskey in your system, not to much, when a guy has to much whiskey in his system? That's the last thing a women wants to see! You have to learn how to ration your intake."  "Ration my intake, what do you mean?" Castle replied. "Remember a lot of action with the women happens late at night! By closing time most guys are way to drunk, no chicks are going to want to be with that guy....They want to attend the after party with a guy who is still functioning." Jaws stated. Castle stopped and thought about that for a moment. Jaws was telling him that most women basically like a guy who drinks whiskey but not to much whiskey. He was then stating most of his competition would fall by the waist side because they were to drunk and turning off the women.

Castle was starting to realize that he was getting some information that might benefit him in the future..Remember it was Steve Jaworsky & he was the E.F. Hutton of Mayfield High, ."How many women have you tested this theory on Jaworsky?" Castle was curious and wanted to make sure that he wasn't being fed a line of bullshit. "Come on Jaws don't be shy give me a number?" Jaws wasn't much into bragging, unlike a number of his Mayfield buddies, Jaws kept his mouth shut..He just smiled and said.."More than you can count on all your fingers and toes."

Shorty Sanders and his million dollar tongue

When I say "Shorty", I am not talking about a girlfriend (One of my buddies calls his girlfriend "his Shorty"- urban slang for a women). I am referring too my buddy from Mayfield. Tracey..aka..Shorty..Sanders. Shorty Sanders was a guy I graduated from high school with.

Shorty Sanders stood about 5 ft/100lbs. He was the smallest guy at Mayfield High. Shorty loved to "run his mouth" all day long about any bullshit he could think of, often times angering a number of people in the process. For all the times that Shorty was going to get his ass-kicked..He some how figured a way to "talk his way out of it". One of the things that a lot of people never realized about Shorty? What made Shorty so intriguing? It was the prowess that he had on women. I had taken many a showers with Shorty in gym class (you know what I mean) and quite frankly he looked very unimpressive. It couldn't be that, I decided to ask Shorty what his secret was.

"What's your secret Shorty, how do you manage not getting your ass-kicked all the time? and in the mean time, all these women keep calling you and driving by your house? You got the smallest unit at Mayfield High." Shorty just smirked and said " I may have a small unit, but I have a million dollar tongue, it keeps me out of trouble with the dudes and popular with the women. One of these days, I am going to get a million dollar insurance policy on my tongue.. It's my best feature!" Shorty stated emphatically. :)

The "loaf" at Home Coming..

"Keep pushing..it's almost there..almost..got it.. there she go's..now get in!"

The above sentence is not referring to anything dirty. Bob Castle had just bought his first car. She was a 1960 Ford Falcon station wagon that he paid $100 dollars for. The starter had to be replaced and in order to get the car out of the junk-yard lot, he had to recruit a couple of his friends to give him a "push-start'.

"This car looks like a loaf of bread" his friend said. He was referring to the fact that it was painted with light brown house paint that gave it a distinctive "loaf of bread" look. "The loaf, I have a name for my baby" Castle thought to himself. Castle has always been a very superstitious person and believed that naming his car would bring him good luck. In a way the "loaf" was the first girlfriend that Bob Castle ever had. This was Bob Castle's first car and he was going to have some fun with it.

"I have an idea why don't we paint everyone's name on the loaf for Home Coming" Castle stated to the Mayfield High Football team. "I don't mind maybe it will bring us good luck against Dopey?" Dopeyville was located 10 miles north of Mayfield and the rivalry between the two dated back 70 years. Mayfield High was struggling a bit that season and Dopey was a solid playoff team, Mayfield was going to need all the help it could get. "Let's do it" some one yelled, and the next thing you know the loaf was being painted Mayfield High black..Castle bought a couple cans of gold spray paint (The Mayfield High colors were Black&Gold). Everyone was given a chance to write their names on the loaf..

It was game time and the mighty Dopeyville Chicken Hawks were entering the field. The loaf was parked at the entrance of the stadium. It was intentionally parked there to let everyone know that the Mayfield High Wildcats were a "team" to be reckoned with. Before the game Castle believed the loaf's presence would some how will the Wildcat's to victory. Castle had lost his virginity in the loaf a week earlier and he was convinced that his good luck would rub off on the rest of team..

Final score: Dopeyville Chicken Hawks 42 Mayfield High Wildcats 0. In the end the loaf wasn't the talisman that Castle had hoped it would be. The Mayfield Wildcats were having a down year and there wasn't anything the loaf could do to prevent it. The loaf lasted for about a year and a half before the engine blew out on it..Too this day, Bob Castle still considers the loaf one of the best "$4$" values he ever purchased.

If this car could talk?

"I wish that I had Jessie's girl! Where can I find a women like that?" Rick Springfield was blaring through the speakers of Ron Nussell's new stereo as he was cruising the main drag of Mayfield. Back in the day, Nussell used to ride around in a souped-up Camaro with a personalized license plate that said "THRUSH". The sound of a stereo blasting and the roaring of a souped-up engine made many a women "weak in the knee's". Nussell was on a mission. He had a date that night with a couple young ladies from Broadmoor prep. He was running short on cash and was looking to find some action. He knew just where to go. Anville's market.

Anvilles was a place where Mayfield High students "hung-out". The market was located on the west end of town and was run by a couple of Mayfield High grads. If you were looking to score some action at Mayfield High, Anville's was a great place to prospect. "Nussell, what the f&%jk are you doing" Buzz Harmon yelled. Buzz was the biggest "motor-head" Mayfield High had. His father owned a body shop and they spent a lot of time re-building engines. Buzz loved to race cars for money and he was not a big fan of Ron Nussell  Nussel had the fastest car in town and Buzz knew it. "I put a new engine in my car.It will blow your piece of shit off the road" Harmon told Nussell.."Dream-on douche bag" Nussell replied. Nussell had never lost a race in the "Thrushmobile" and he had been in many of them. "Heah Buzz, I want to thank-you for the new stereo. You and your other stooges paid for it!" Nussell quipped. At the time, racing cars for money at Mayfield High was a "burgeoning" business, and know one was better at it than Ron Nussell.

"You and me Nussell..right now..let's head out to dead man's road and see if you got what it takes. (Dead man's road was a diverted stretch of highway south of town. It served as the racing "mecca" of Mayfield. It was nicknamed "dead man's" road because a couple of teenagers were killed in a race a number of years ago). "Give me a break Harmon. You can't even carry my jock!" "100 bucks says I can whip your ass" Buzz replied. Nussell had found what he was looking for. He knew that Buzz wanted a re-match. Nussell was running short on cash and he had a big date that night. "Your on Boy"  Nussell replied after seeing Buzz  flash a crisp hundred dollar bill in his face. "Let's go" Nussell yelled as he streamed out of the parking lot. Destination "dead man's" road.

The ROARRR of the engines is all you could hear. Nussell & Buzz lined the cars up..Someone threw a flag and WHOOSH off they went. Dead man's road was a 3 mile strip of abandoned highway that had a number of curves , not many people had the guts to race it. Hence the name "dead man's" road. The rules were the first car down and back wins the race. This was one race that Ron Nussell was not going to lose. Nussell took the lead immediately and never looked back. The "Thrushmobile" was unbeatable at the time. It did not matter what kind of engine Buzz had in his car! Ron Nussell had never lost a race and he sure as hell was not going to lose this one. The "Thrushmobile" won in a land-slide. "When you gonna learn boy" Nussell said as he was snatching the $100 bill out of Buzz's hand. Buzz didn't say much, he knew that he had been beaten "fair & square".

That night Ron picked up a few girls at Broadmoor prep and blew the entire $100 bucks on them. He was supposed to be at basketball practice in the morning but never showed. "Where were you at" Rob Castle asked him later. "I was busy" Nussell replied. "You had the Thrushmobile" out didn't you? If that car could talk" Castle quipped...Nussell just smiled and walked away.

The greatest play in Mayfield High history..

It was the sub-state championship against Mayfield Highs heated rival Victoria. The winner was on its way to the state championship. Mayfield High was trailing by four points with less than 5 seconds to go. Coach Frost was becoming very desperate, the powerful running game that had enabled the Mayfield Wildcats to ramble through the season was in trouble. Victoria was stacking eight men in the box and Mayfield could not find an answer to the situation. This is the moment when the legend was officially born.

In desperation Coach Frost looked up and down the sideline. He was looking for that future play-maker..NOW..His eyes transfixed on Steve Nichols. "Nichols get your ass over here!" Coach Frost yelled. "Yes sir!" Nichols yelled.."Get your ass in there and win this f#$king game for us! 23 slot right half-back pass! Go boy!" "Yes sir!" Nichols yelled as he sprinted on the field. Long story short, the last play of the biggest game in Mayfield High history was now in the hands of Steve Nichols.

Nichols makes his way to the huddle and tells the QB the play. The team lines up and the ball is snapped. Nichols was lined up in the slot position. His job on that play was to hold steady for a second or two then run like hell down-field. "Set! Hut! Hut!!" The ball is snapped. "This is your shot boy! Don't mess it up!" The thoughts going through his head as he was sprinting toward the end zone were almost to much to bare. As he was about to hit the 20 yard line, he was picked up by the Victoria safety. He looks up and sees the ball getting ready to be launched his way.."Get in the end zone. It's now or never." Anything short of a touchdown on this play and Mayfield loses. Nichols looked up just in time to spot the ball coming over his left shoulder. He had a half step on his opponent. "I got this!" Nichols said to himself as he laid out to make the catch. At first he thought that it was going to get away from him, but he stretched out with every fiber of his being, and all of a sudden he felt the cold sting of the football hitting his hands.

"Pull this sonuvabitch to your body! Control it! Pull it to your body!" Everything coach Frost had taught him about being a football player was going through his mind in that split second.."I got you!" Nichols said to himself as he was laid out. As he was about to go down, Nichols cradled the ball in the right side of his arm. It was all so surreal to him at the moment. He couldn't hear a thing. When he got up from the ground with the ball in his hand? He saw what looked like the whole town of Mayfield running down the field at him in celebration, he immediately looked up at the scoreboard to check the time. It read double zero.

Mayfield High went on to win the state title the following week. It was their first title in 25 years. Nichols scored a few more touchdowns in his Mayfield career, but all of those are forgotten. That's alright, the one he scored on that cold November Friday in Victoria was monumental! To this day, it's still considered the greatest play in Mayfield High history.