Before Freeport had a football program to remember, its players were clearing rocks to make a field.
50 years ago, Freeport High School created its first football team. A team of kids who had never played football before. A team that struggled, a team that had to build its own field, a team that other schools looked down on.
A team that had to fight to make a name for itself.
As the former players and coaches reunited at Freeport High School, it became clear this story was more than just wins and losses. It’s a story about building a program from the ground up and the lessons that stayed with players long after they left the field.
And it all began with Coach Rentz.
Coach Aubrey Rentz was already a legend in Freeport before starting the football team in 1976. He joined Freeport as an assistant basketball coach in 1963, became head coach in 1968, and won a state championship that same year.
The community saw his potential. They saw his passion, and they saw his outstanding performance playing football at Troy State University. That’s when Freeport decided they wanted a football team, and they wanted Coach Rentz to run it.
In 1976, Coach Rentz did just that, and the challenges began immediately.
Building the football field from scratch was one obstacle, but the biggest was that most of the players had never even played before.
Larry Burleson, number 61 and defensive tackle, stood next to his original jersey and helmet. Lightly touching the plaque engraved with his name, he explained that “the first year was challenging. You had to create not only a team but the field. I mean, for most of us, our first experience with football was here under Coach Rentz and under Coach Moore.”
Many players recalled the difficult practices and the strong emphasis on discipline, commitment, and effort.
Larry’s older brother, Mike Burleson, recalled the one time he skipped practice: “Coach Moore says, ‘Burleson, why wouldn’t you practice this bit? I said, ‘Well, sir, I guess I just didn’t care enough.’ And he said, ‘Well, I’m not going to care enough to put you in the game Friday night.’ I was ready to play, but I sat on that bench that whole game, and I have learned that lesson. I’ve thought about that lesson all this time.”
Those lessons extended well beyond football, and continue to impact the players today.
Player Mark Isaacs explained that the discipline the coaches instilled got him through the military, that “it brought [him] into the life of where [he is] today, and [he’s] never forgotten it.”
Steve Melvin commented that “the camaraderie is what I took away from it. You know, the camaraderie with the teammates and everything else playing together, getting to know everybody.”
The players sat around the tables with blue-stained teeth from the cake, sharing stories and memories of games, practices, friendships, and the hard work behind it all. The brothers laughed together, holding pictures of their young selves. Others tried pointing out where they were in the grainy team photo. Some tried to remember their number, but 50 years of life clouded it.
While some are no longer here to share in the reunion, these stories show that the program’s lasting achievement wasn’t only what happened on the scoreboard, but the legacy and friendships it built.
New head football Coach Bobby Johns commented, saying he “wish[ed] the [team] could have been here to see what tradition means. They don’t understand; this is what tradition is.”
On the verge of tears, Coach Moore shakily explained, “I’m gonna tell you, I’ve never been around a team that I’m more impressed with than what you guys did that first two, three years in football with absolute zero background. I hope that y’all realize what a remarkable accomplishment [that is].”
A former player shouted from the back, “Well, Coach Bergen, Moore, Coach Rentz, for better or for worse, we are your legacy.”
