"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 $100 bucks on them. He was supposed to be at basketball practice in the morning but never showed. "Where were you at" Rob Castle asked him later. "I was busy" Nussell replied. "You had the Thrushmobile" out didn't you? If that car could talk" Castle quipped...Nussell just smiled and walked away.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
The greatest play in Mayfield High history..
It was the sub-state championship against Mayfield Highs heated rival Victoria. The winner was on its way to the state championship. Mayfield High was trailing by four points with less than 5 seconds to go. Coach Frost was becoming very desperate, the powerful running game that had enabled the Mayfield Wildcats to ramble through the season was in trouble. Victoria was stacking eight men in the box and Mayfield could not find an answer to the situation. This is the moment when the legend was officially born.
In desperation Coach Frost looked up and down the sideline. He was looking for that future play-maker..NOW..His eyes transfixed on Steve Nichols. "Nichols get your ass over here!" Coach Frost yelled. "Yes sir!" Nichols yelled.."Get your ass in there and win this f#$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.
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.
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