Thank you KM fans for joining us during the football matchup with Auburn. Both teams are now tied for number of victories with 48 per team which includes 6 ties. Stay with us during the 2012 season, and again root on the Royals to bring home the Taylor Trophy. We had the good fortune to enjoy two evening events of action packed foodball for the Kentridge and Auburn games this season. Thank you Kent Historical Museum for welcoming us and setting up the big screen for viewing the Taylor Trophy game filmed and shown live from Auburn stadium.

The Taylor trophy is given to and kept by the winner of the yearly football rivalry between Auburn High School and Kent-Meridian dating back to 1908. Dr. Owen Taylor created the trophy presentation in 1929. Dr. Taylor owned the Kent hospital that was on Second Avenue and Gowe Street and he had a home on Scenic Hill. The rivalry is the second oldest football rivalry in Washington. Kent-Meridian has the greatest number of victories over Auburn for the all-time record. The trophy was last won by Auburn in 2010 and is currently on display in Auburn’s Gym Lobby. Kent-Meridian all-star DB/RB Kyle Reeves still holds the record for most tackles and interceptions in a Taylor Trophy championship match. In the Taylor museum is the Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket of Badgro, one of the highlights of the exhibit. Badgro was born in Kent and graduated in 1921 from Kent High. He retired in Kent and died in 1998 at the age of 95. They called him Red because of his red hair hair, Kent-Meridian has the greatest number of victories over Auburn for the all-time record.

 We are once again joining for celebration of 25 – years since we left our beloved Kent – Meridian High School. Take this opportunity to visit old friends for a friday night classy event of fond memories and KM Royals spirit.

The Museum is just down the hill from French Field at 855 E. Smith St. and the event starts at 7:00 pm friday, October 21. The football game will begin at 7:00 pm and we will watch it over the web stream from the Museum. Root on the Royals to bring home the Taylor Trophy. Spread the word and let us know of any email changes or new contact information for this event. Thank you and see you there.  

The place: http://kenthistoricalmuseum.org/contact-us/  Kent Historical Museum 7pm tailgate party inside and outside of the Museum.  If you have questions send your inquiry here at kmclassof86 or Facebook.

Regis@kmclassof86.com

 KM at Auburn October 21, 2011 at 7pm.

Tailgate at Kent Historical Museum

By STEVE HUNTER
Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter
May 14 2010

Claude French, Owen Taylor and Morris “Red” Badgro are not household names to most Kent residents.

But the names soon become familiar after a tour of the Kent football history exhibit at the Kent Historical Museum. The exhibit is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday through June 18.

French Field at Kent-Meridian High School was named for French, a longtime coach and graduate of the original Kent High School that was located where the Farrington Court Senior Apartments now sit on the far east end of down town, just south of Earthworks Park.

“Claude French was a 1913 Kent graduate and coached more than 30 years inKent,” said Linda Wagner, curator at the Kent Museum, during a recent tour. “He coached football, but he also coached wrestling and basketball.”

The display includes a 1913 photo of French in his football uniform outside of the high school.

Taylor is the man behind the annual Taylor Trophy awarded each year to the winner of the high school football game between Auburn and Kent-Meridian. The two schools have played each other since 1908.

Taylor designed and donated a trophy in 1929 to be given each year to the winning school. The museum has the 3-foot high wooden trophy on loan from Auburn High School.

“Dr. Taylor owned the Kent hospital that was on Second Avenue and Gowe Street and he had a home on Scenic Hill,” Wagner said.

Museum visitors can see a photo of Taylor as well as a copy of the letter he sent to the two schools when he decided to award the trophy to honor the winning team.

Kent-Meridian leads the all-time series with 48 wins to 46 for Auburn, according to a list of the results posted at the museum. There has been six ties. Kent-Meridian has not beaten Auburn since a 14-3 victory in 1998.

“The trophy has been in the Auburn display case the last 12 years,” Wagner said.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket of  Badgro is one of the highlights of the exhibit. Badgro was born in Kent and graduated in 1921 from Kent High. He retired in Kent and died in 1998 at the age of 95.

“They called him Red because of his red hair,” Wagner said.

Badgro played offensive and defensive end for the New York Giants from 1930-34.  He earned all-pro honors four years. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Badgro, who stood 6 feet and weighed 190 pounds, attended the University of Southern California on a basketball scholarship and won four letters each in basketball, football and baseball. He was a teammate on the USC football team with fullback Marion“Duke” Morrison, who later became the actor John Wayne, according to the New York Times obituary about Badgro.

In addition to playing in the NFL, Badgro played major league baseball in 1929 and 1930 with the St. Louis Browns. He later worked as an assistant football coach at Columbia University in New York and at the University of Washington.

Wagner said the museum decided to display a football exhibit after the Kent Predators came to town earlier this season as a member of the professional Indoor Football League.

“We knew we had plenty of  items to tell the story of French Field, the Taylor Trophy and we had the Hall of Fame jacket of Badgro,” she said.

The exhibit also includes a few Kent letterman sweaters and jackets from the 1940’s, ‘50s and ‘60s as well as current football helmets, shoes and shoulder pads from Kent-Meridian.

Thank you for joining our latest party on September 16. We look forward to doing this again for a final gathering during the Auburn game and challenge for the Taylor Trophy. It will be on October 21st. Watch the game live on the internet while we stream it to this website or assemble at the Kent Historical Museum and see it on a big screen

Photos from our 20th class reunion.