Terzia/Richwood High School Football History

The Terzia/Richwood football legacy began in the 1953-54 school year, envisioned by Mrs. Mary Francis Goins, the family matriarch. Recognizing the need for a strong foundation, Mrs. Goins selected Mackie Freeze as the program's architect. This proved to be an excellent decision. With a modest budget of $300.00, Coach Freeze and his initial assistants, C.T. Toston and Johnny Wilson, led the team to a successful 5-1 record in their first season. Key players included Lamuel Kelly, Jimmy Williams, Junior Wilson, Robert Hughes, Lonnie Wright, Charles Diggins, John Sims, and Eugene Hughes. They competed in the Louisiana Interscholastic Athletic & Literary Organization (LIALO), the pre-1970 league for Black schools in Louisiana. In the 1954-55 season, the Terzia/Richwood Rams expanded to a nine-game schedule, retaining all original players and adding Floyd Burton, Curtis Cotton, O'Neal Burton, Wilbur Johnson, Willie Seaberry, Alvin Dawson, and Thomas Bailey, the first to turn professional with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team recorded 6 wins and 3 losses. Anticipations were high for 1955-1956 with a seasoned squad, but adversity struck, losing 9 starters. Nonetheless, led by the Hughes brothers, the team managed a 7-3 finish. Adapted from African American High Schools in Louisiana before 1970.