Bob Barlow remembers favorite game at stadium

SANDPOINT — With the old wooden bleachers of Barlow Stadium scheduled to be torn down starting on Sept. 19, the Bee is asking readers to send in their favorite memories of the 65 year old stadium for publication on the sports page.

Today’s submission comes from someone who is well-versed in the early history of War Memorial Field. Bob Barlow, the son of stadium namesake Cotton Barlow, no doubt has a wealth of memories to choose from.

Bob Barlow, 70, now lives in Oregon City, but he grew up in Sandpoint and had a front row seat as a player for his father at both Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene High School.

n Bob Barlow shares his favorite memory of playing at the stadium:

There are so many great football games that were played in Barlow Stadium that it’s difficult to pinpoint one game, but if I would pick one it would be a game played in the fall of 1964.

My dad was a year removed from coaching at Sandpoint High School and had moved to Coeur d’ Alene. Sanpoint had defeated Coeur d’ Alene by a big margin the previous year. Coeur d’ Alene came into the stadium three touchdown underdogs. Sandpoint had some tremendous talent that year, many of whom played at the next level.

The game became a battle of the ages and was discussed among football fans of that era for many years. The teams went up and down the field throughout the game, the hitting was ferocious, both teams played their hearts out and left everything on the field. The game ended in a 0-0 tie.

What made the game such a classic was players from both sides had been coached by my dad and the teams on that one night were mirror images of each other. This is the one game out of all of the great games I had watched played at the stadium from the time I was a small boy until I played for Coeur d’ Alene High School and went into that stadium that night.

Do you have a favorite memory from the past 65 years at Barlow Stadium? Email it to “eplummer@bonnercountydailybee.com” for publication in the Bee sports page.