Sicily Island Football ~ The Beginning

On December 2, 1947 the Sicily Island Rotary Club met and unanimously adopted a resolution regarding the establishment of a football program at Sicily Island High School.  The Rotary Club's resolution was based on their willingness to "undertake and guarantee to furnish a playing field and full equipment for 25 high school boys". 

Below are copies of the Sicily Island Rotary Club's letter to the Catahoula Parish School Board, the School Board's response to the Rotary Club, and a sketch of the school property with the football field included. 

Transcription of the Sicily Island Rotary Club letter, dated December 3, 1947:

Dear Sir:

The School Board members and Superintendent Aubrey Brooks brought to the attention of the Rotary Club in Sicily Island the fact that the School Board had voted and appropriated funds to place an additional teacher in the Sicily Island School and that the teacher could be a football coach.  As you know, the Rotary Club is interested in getting a football team started in the Sicily Island High School.


The Club is willing to undertake and guarantee to furnish a playing field and full equipment for 25 high school boys.  This is in order to get the team on its feet and financially independent.  We figure that football should support itself from then on through gate receipts.  Mr. C. B. Coney, the principal, has made a survey at the high school and found 25 or 30 boys large enough and willing to play football.  The Rotary Club is also willing to help solve the problem of getting these boys home after football practice in the afternoon if some of them live in the country.

Since the School Board must provide the coach and he must also be a teacher, we do not want to take an active part in the selection of the coach or dictate any of the policies of the school or his work.  We believe that the School Board and Mr. Coney would do a much better job of selecting a teacher and coach, and, if the right man is chosen, he will not need the advice of any outsiders on how to conduct his football program.

After considerable discussion, the Club has decided that since the money is available and has been appropriated for the Sicily Island High School, it would be an advantage for us to start early and try to have this coach here on midterm of the 1947-48 school year.  There are several reasons for this decision.  First, if the money is not used by our community, it will probably be spent elsewhere.  Second, we believe that having the coach here will help spark the campaign for raising the money to equip the football team.  Third, this will give ample time for a new man in a new community to meet the boys who are going to play football under him and possibly conduct a six weeks spring training program.  We feel that, since there has been no football played in Sicily Island before, this spring training will be necessary to teach these youngsters the fundamentals of the game.

If at all possible, in selecting a coach, we would like to have a man who could also coach basketball and possibly track or boxing in the off-season for football.

We would like to go on record as favoring these suggestions without in any way interfering with commitments you have already made to teachers, coaches, etc., for the 1947-48 term.  We understand that certain commitments in salary have been promised for a ten month period for coaching basketball, etc., to various teachers throughout Catahoula Parish.  We do not want you to cut anyone's salary or lay anyone off to provide this coach.  If, in order to provide a coach at midterm, you would have to terminate someone or reduce anyone's pay, we would rather wait until September 1, 1948 to get our coach.

If these suggestions meet with your approval, we would appreciate your advising us by return mail and we will start immediately raising funds to equip the team.

This letter unanimously adopted as a resolution by the entire Rotary Club at their regular meeting Tuesday night, December 2, 1947.

Sincerely yours,
SICILY ISLAND ROTARY CLUB
C. K. (Keith) MOORE, President

CC:  Aubrey Brooks, A. H. Garner

Transcription of excerpt from minutes of Catahoula Parish School Board, dated December 10, 1947:  

EXCERPT FROM MINUTES OF CATAHOULA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD:

Upon motion of R. P. Wilkinson, seconded by A. H. Garner, employment of an athletic coach for the Sicily Island High School for the session of 1948-49, effective July 1, 1948, was provided, such employment being in consideration of and in accordance with provisions of offers made by SICILY ISLAND ROTARY CLUB as outlined in their letter to Mr. Price Wilkinson dated December 3, 1947 and on file in the office of Catahoula Parish School Board at Jonesville, Louisiana.

I, the undersigned Secretary of the Catahoula Parish School Board, hereby certify that the above foregoing excerpt from the minutes of the Catahoula Parish School Board is true and correct and that said action was taken by said Board at a special meeting held in its office at Jonesville, Louisiana, on Dec. 9, 1947.

In faith whereof witness my official signature and the seal of the office of the Catahoula Parish School Board this 10th day of December, 1947, at Jonesville, Louisiana. Secretary, Catahoula Parish School Board

Sicily Island High School Sketch:

J. R. Peace Field in 2010

Coach Joe Raymond Peace

The Catahoula Parish School Board hired Joe Raymond Peace to be the first coach of the Sicily Island High School football team.  Coach Peace continued in this position for 27* amazing years; winning games and changing the lives of untold numbers of people. His last year to coach was 1975.

Statistics show that the Catahoula Parish School Board made the right decision in hiring Joe Raymond Peace as the first football coach at Sicily Island High School. 

Won: 288 
Lost:  58
Tied:  5
Win per Season:  8.8
*Statistics based on 26 years of coaching