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The History of the
Crown Point Panthers/ Jr Bulldog Football League
1953- Panthers were founded by James Clarke, Lesie Lumbiner
and Jack Bixeman with 35 players and one team. The first coaches were Jack Bixeman, Vince Loosemore and Herman Knesek.
1954- John Mecklenburg joins the League. 1955- League is incorporated in Indiana as a Non-Profit and as a Tax- Exempt Corporation. President Lesie Lumbiner with 60 players and 2 teams. 1961- John Mecklenburg is elected President. Now 80 players with 2 teams. 1972- Ted Byrd joins the Panthers and there is now 185 players with 6 teams. With the Little teams playing only 1 quarter. The current teams are the Red Raiders, White Rebles, Black Knights, Green Hornets, Golden Eagles. 1974- The league moves to its current location from where Little League Baseball is at the present. The league expands to 2 more teams the Orange Blazers & the Silver Chargers. 1980- Scott Shahbaz starts coaching with the Golden Eagles. 1984- The league looses a good friend John "Mack" Mecklenburg passes away. Scott Shahbaz rejoins the league to coach the Green Hornets after coming back from the Military and being a former player. 1986- The league has grown to a point to where it moves to it's present format of 3 age groups Little 7,8&9 playing 8 man football, Middle10 &11 and Big Division 12,13,& 14 with all the teams playing a full game. The teams at the present were White Rebles, Black Knights, Green Hornets, Blue Devils. 1991- Ted Byrd & Scott Shahbaz signed a personal note for $52,000.00 to buy new equipment for the league. The current teams are now the Red Raiders, Black Knights, Blue Devils & Green Hornets. 1993- Dave Bush joins the league. 2000- Ted Wells Sr, Jim Shrewsbury, George Julius & Rick Dravet join the league. 2001- The league expands to 2 more teams the Maroon Wolves & the Purple Vikings to make a total of 8 teams. 2002- Ed Wilbourn joins the league. 2003- The league suffers another loss, Ted "The Old Man" Byrd passes away. He is greatly missed. 2005- Ron Goodman Joins the league. 2007- Ron Goodman gets our New Field & Practice Lights Donated. THANK YOU RON!!! 2009- The league expands to 2 more teams, the Golden Eagles & the Light Blue Chargers with 580 players signed up this year. The league now has 10 teams in both the Little & Middle age group. There are 8 teams in the Big age group. |
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