Friday night, September 13th, the San SabaArmadillos will play the Homecoming game against rival Goldthwaite, and the Dilloettes will not only perform at half time but will also celebrate their 65th anniversary. Everyone come out and support the Dillos!
On Saturday, September 14th, there will be a brunch to honor Dilloette Alumni and current Dilloettes. The event will occur at the home of Martha Leigh Whitten from 10:00 a.m. until noon. If you were ever a Dilloette, please come and share your memories!
The Dilloettes have had some mishaps and harsh conditions with which to deal through the years, but Friday night and Saturday will be a time to reminisce about those. As Marsha Smart pointed out, the Dilloettes have experienced their fair share of failures: costume malfunctions, broken props, hats falling off, and boots flying through the air.
Polly Patterson and Marsha Behrens were close friends who had been members of the drill team since their freshman year. One memorable evening, the Dillos were playing in Coleman when a cold front arrived in the second quarter of the game. Weather forecasting was not as sophisticated as it is now, so the blustery West Texas winds came as a surprise to those attending the game. The Dilloettes were to perform a routine with capes that were white, lined with purple, and the choreography mimicked the steps a matador might display in a bullfight. On an ordinary night, the capes were twirled in smooth, fluid movements.
However, that was impossible to do in the wind that was howling across the field. One step required the cape twirled above the head. That’s when the routine became interesting for Polly Patterson. The wind blew the cape into her face, and the cape became plastered to her head! She fought the wind and tried to gain control of the cape. Alas, it was impossible! All of the Dilloettes were facing battles with the capes, but Marsha stood by Polly, and the more Polly fought to remove the cape from her head, the harder Marsha laughed.
On another cold, windy night, November 8, 1968, the S.S. Armadillos found themselves playing Brownwood High School in Brownwood. Coach John Baskin and Coach Gibson believed in their team although these seniors had never even won a district championship. Brownwood was a 3A school near the top of the state rankings. It snowed all day, but there was no way any coach was calling this game.
The game was full of fumbles. The ball was slick. San Saba’s Joe Wiley could not hold on to the first pass of the game from Phil Letbetter; nevertheless, the first half appeared to be San Saba’s ball game! Then, Brownwood threw a successful 89-yard pass, and the half ended with a score of 7-0 in Brownwood’s favor. Now, it was time for the Dilloettes to perform.
The weather was below freezing, and the Dilloettes had no such clothing as warm-ups or leggings and were required to wear their matching leather jackets while sitting in the stands. A low fog had moved in, but the half-time show went on without jackets and the Dilloettes performed in the ice and snow. The cold and frostbitten feet caused laughter and complaining afterwards.
The football boys came back out and played the second half in the below freezing weather, and even though the Dillos gave it their best effort, they were defeated 26 to 0. The end of the football story is much more important. The Dillos of 1968 advanced to the State Quarter-Finals for the first time in the history of the school!
Come out Friday night and watch the Dillos and Dilloettes of 2024!