STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

For want of a nail, etc., a kingdom was lost.

For want of some extra points a league championship was lost — well, not really lost but it wasn’t won either.

Last season, Holtville and Calipatria tied, 12-12, in the Mountain Desert League championship game, and as a result, both teams shared the MDL championship. Calipatria won a coin toss for the right to enter the California Interscholastic Federation, Southern Section, Small Schools playoffs as the No. 1 MDL team. The Hornets went on to win the CIF, SS championship.

The Vikings entered the playoffs as the No. 2 team and missed extra points resulted in a 21-18 first round defeat by Aquinas. Holtville ended with a 6-3-1 record.

This season, the Vikings return nine of their 11 starters and are ready to take the CIF, SS title from Calipatria, as well as the MDL championship. The Vikings seem to have everything needed: size, speed and experience.

Needless to say, the Vikings are putting an extra amount of practice into the kicking game this season.

40 years ago

When motorists zoom along the thin ribbon of highway that is Interstate 8, what appears to be a vast desert wasteland greets them on either side of the road.

What is now shifting sand and isolation was once the scene of lakes, waterways and thriving human occupation.

That was the case from about 25,000 years ago up to 100 years ago.

The water dried up as the last ice age retreated and the Indian natives disappeared, but the traces they left of their cultures are a fascinating study for Jay von Werlhof, senior archeologist at the Imperial Valley College Museum in El Centro, and his students.

Von Werlhof is currently working with the county and the Bureau of Land Management in doing surveys of archeological sites in Imperial County. He has been working on the project five years.

30 years ago

HOLTVILLE — The Holtville Vikings took advantage of six Antelope Rams turnovers and blocked a punt in route to a 35-0 trouncing of the club from Arizona here Friday. The Vikings pass combination of quarterback Alex Wells to wideout Tom Provencio had its best game ever. Wells found Provencio nine times for 202 yards and three touchdowns.

Holtville head coach Sam Faulk said of the passing success, “They were blitzing and covering Tommy one on one.”

Wells had 15 completions on 32 attempts for 265 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Wells also ran in one of the Viking touchdowns.

Things didn’t go well for the Rams right from the outset. On the first play from scrimmage, Holtville lineman David Erwin sacked Antelope quarterback Jason Simpson for 6-yard loss.

The Vikings defensive captain, David Rodgers, picked off two of Simpson’s passes and blocked his second punt in as many games. “David is a real solid kid, we couldn’t ask much more from him,” Faulk said of the junior defensive back.