“We caught wind afterwards they had parties set – not sure if a state championship get-together, a class reunion – we just know we spoiled the party,” Callaway said.

So many things went Chesterton’s way that night. Former players and coaches will tell you being down 17-0 was a death sentence to Hobart – especially at the
Brickie Bowl. The field conditions were a disaster.

“It was messy, muddy — that was the historic Brickie Bowl,” recalled standout Keith Davison, a two-way end for Chesterton. “I just remember it was slippery and extremely hard to get your footing.”

Some say the turning point of the game was Callaway’s scramble and desperation
heave to Tom Moodie in the second quarter. Callaway scrambled during the play, hit Moodie at the 11-yard line and he outraced the Hobart defensive back for the 89-yard score.

It was a busted play from the get-go – a potential sack – but it changed the momentum of the game.

“In all honesty, my true intention was to throw the ball out of bounds,” Callaway
admitted. “I didn’t really see (Moodie) all the way down there; I just chucked it. It
just so happened he was there, I overthrew the defender, he got it and just took off.”

Even more amazing is Chesterton rallied to take a 21-17 lead into halftime. It
ended up being the final score.

So many things went the Trojans’ way that night. They say a Hobart receiver was
wide open on a play – the Chesterton safety slipped and fell down – but the receiver dropped the pass. Others – like the boys on the Chesterton sideline – will
tell you it all came down to assistant coach Dennis Evans’ fiery speech at halftime

Evans, believe it or not, didn’t even know he was speaking to the team until the squad was walking to the locker room.

“Coach Peterson said he couldn’t do the halftime speech, so I figured I’d better
come up with something,” Evans recalled. “All I could think about was this legendary speech by Illinois football coach Ray Eliot. It’s called ‘The Proper State of Mind.’”

The last-second heroic speech was a game-changer.

Chesterton didn’t allow a point the rest of the way and held on for dear life for the historic victory.

In a nutshell Evans summarized “The Proper State of Mind” to the players.

It goes back to Wisconsin fullback Alan Ameche, the 1954 Heisman Trophy
winner. Ameche and the Badgers were going in for the go-ahead touchdown
against Illinois. The 1953 Illinois-Wisconsin game is remembered for a legendary
goal-line stand by the Illinois defense. The story goes that Illinois linebacker Chuck Boerio was asked during the week about facing Ameche — one of the most formidable backs of the era. His four words: “Send Ameche at me” weren’t just words, they were backed up by his stellar play in Illinois’ 41-20 victory. In that goal-line stand Ameche was stopped at the 1-yard line – as Boerio and the defense rose to the occasion – when nobody thought Ameche could be tackled. It added to Boerio’s reputation as being a fearless leader and became one of the legendary moments in Illinois football history.

“To be honest, that speech could have been totally fictionized – but Coach Evans
looked like Hulk Hogan so it worked,” Callaway said. “He could have made the whole thing up as he walked in, but it worked. It just inspired us that night.”

Added Davison: “Coach Evans was a fantastic motivator and we just loved him. He was passionate, caring – just an intense dude – and he had that bar mustache to boot.

“I don’t even remember the speech, but I know we would have run through a wall
of bricks. It was a fire and brimstone type of thing.”

Evans was a teacher and coach at Chesterton for 35 years. All the players remember that night from him was his fists pounding the lockers and chalkboard at halftime and motivating them with his speech.

“I just remember they had tears in their eyes when I got done,” Evans said. “Looking back it was just a fantastic night for us.”

Ironically, it was Chesterton’s only Duneland Athletic Conference victory that
season besides a forfeit win against Michigan City Rogers. The Trojans went 0-12 in DAC play over the next two seasons.

Hobart went on to win state in three of the next five seasons.

Most at Chesterton don’t remember anything from that time besides the Hobart
upset. Nobody wants to talk about losing.

They only remember the Hobart victory. Chesterton players had bricks made after
the win. Some will tell you they took a chunk or two from the Brickie Bowl that night. It was a piece of history.

It was one for the ages.