Best Lossschool Poems
Coach Bob Savage
was one of the greatest
coaches in Des Moines
High School History.
During his stay
at East High School,
he coached football,
baseball and softball.
Coach Savage led
East to 477 victories
in softball, 198 in baseball
and 102 in football.
He may never have won
a state championship,but
he did win a bunch of big six
conference championships
and a number of city championships.
He was inducted into
the National High School
Athletic Coaches Association's
Hall in 2001, The Iowa Football
Coaches Associations Hall Of Fame
in 1969 and was the Des Moines
Sunday Register Coach Of The Year
for the 1999-00 School Year.
In 1951 he led East to an 8-0
record, first unbeaten team in 31
years.
The years I went there 1960-61.
1961 was the best year they went
into the last game 7-0, and
they were playing their rival
Roosevelt HIgh School who
was 3-4. East was picked to win
big. They had out scored everyone all
season 240-21.
I was at this game and what a game it was.
The final score was Roosevelt 14- and East 7.
They lost their bid
to be undefeated.
While I was in Des Moines
in July of this year to see
my brother Dave, I read in
the paper that Coach Bob Savage
had passed on at age
86.
It was funny he died at
the very same hospital that
I had been born in.
The picture of him
in the paper is the
same one that was in
my 1961 year book.
Another memory
has passed on,
another great
person that I knew,
so I say farewell
coach, farewell.
In Memory of my teacher and coach Bob Savage 1921- July 2, 2008
At East High School Des Moines Iowa 1960-61
SOW
Sow he was an athlete good,
and an Murray so dark too.
He cleared 7 feet where the high jump stood,
yes at school he had a clue.
A teacher jammed poor Sowboy's head,
right through a glass paned door.
His only crime was as he said,
you will not talk no more.
He delivered mail around the town,
till the boss gave him the sack.
He lingered at the school was found,
some dobber knifed his back.
Sow tried to die he took the pills,
sucked OP rum as well.
They pumped his gut some of those dills,
as yet he lived to tell.
He told me mate yes he was sad,
he hated being black.
Old Jimmy Doble was his dad,
they lived in a tin walled shack.
Big brother Podge often flogged poor Sow,
it really wasn`t cricket.
When he turned on Podge and flogged the cow,
he used a steel star picket .
Big Podge had gone a bit too far,
he`d bottled some old cheese.
She`d gone off in the ambulance car,
Sow took revenge with ease.
Just seven fractures of the skull,
big Podge was surely dead.
poor Podge he`d left this world so dull,
Dancy`s paddock made his bed.
Of Jimmy Doble`s death I`ll tell,
The undertaker put him a coffin short.
When he broke his legs to fit real well,
said tall Jimmy was a sport.
At State Prison Sow time did spend,
and when they sent him home .
No mates he had not one good friend,
he wandered so alone.
Sow he`d done his fifteen years,
now he planned a funeral pyre.
His spirit gone so choked with tears,
he killed himself with fire.
Of my mate Sow.... by D H Johnson.