To the Editor:

This Friday past, we lost one of the fiercest Tigers of the 1984 AA Football Championship team.

After defeating White House and Brentwood Academy on the road, the Tigers traveled west to play a favored Milan football team. As the Tigers departed the bus, a player or fan of Milan asked where we got our "pygmy n......." (aka Petey Allen). This racial epithet permeated throughout the entire team. From the very beginning the Tigers absolutely destroyed a good Milan football team.

Starting the second half, if my memory serves me correctly, Petey (as the fullback) carried the ball eight or nine times in a row right down Milan's throat ending in a touchdown. After about the second carry, the Marshall County faithful spontaneously began chanting, "Petey, Petey, Petey." It was one of those special moments in Tiger football lore.

Though short of stature, Petey was big of heart later scoring a touchdown in the Clinic Bowl the following week.

Games, teams, and coaches come and they go but in that moment of time, Petey Allen forever will be remembered. Rest in peace, Petey.

Roy Lambert