The Airline Vikings were playing for the state football championship in 1972 against Neville on a bad night for football in Monroe.
But after the team had gathered itself, head coach Jack Gray called his seniors together.
Gray, who coached the 1967 Airline team to the state title, passed away Thursday and services are set for Saturday at 3 p.m. in Marshall, Texas, where he lived. Visitation is Friday from 5 to 7 p.m.
Gray’s niece, Becky Gray, is the assistant principal at Parkway and his brother lives in Bossier City. He is survived by his wife, Mimi, and a son, Gary who lives in Farmerville.
Slack said Gray was the kind of coach any teenager would love to have.
“He was caring, loving and gentle, but he always expected the best out of you,” Slack said.
In 1971, Slack said it was well known that Gray, a native of Shelbyville, Texas, went to Marshall to interview for the head coaching job there.
When the Vikings played at Texarkana, Arkansas, as juniors, the team had a huge defensive end named Ronald Johnson, the brother of NFL All-Pro Gary “Big Hands” Johnson.
“Ronald had a forearm that would knock you out and he injured a couple of the Texarkana players. They were the top team in Arkansas and we beat them,” Slack said. “The next year when we play them, they’re out to get Ronald and it started a huge fight at the end of the game, which was never finished. They were chasing Ronald all over the field, so he finally ran to our sideline and picked up one of the downs markers and started swinging it at them.
Gray was originally hired at Airline by John Ropp not long after Airline opened in 1964. He also coached at Ruston High and then later at Marshall, where he was also athletic director and an administrator.
After retirement, Gray and his wife were active in delivering “Meals on Wheels” and working with the Humane Society. He was a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Marshall, where his service will be held.