It may have been 100 degrees last Friday night, but to Lake Highlanders it was fall football season. The Wildcats had their first game of the year, and the Bell Boys could be heard clanging the iconic symbol of Wildcat football all around the neighborhood.

That is, until the trailer’s axial broke, the tire flew off, the trailer flipped and the bell went rolling into the street.

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Said former Bell Boy and current Dallas City Councilman Jerry Allen in rare (for him) understatement, “that bell has seen better days.”

If you’re new to LH, the Bell Boys drive around town on Friday afternoons, ringing the bell and calling the community to the game. At the stadium, they celebrate every score with a hearty, celebratory clang.

“That bell is history. It’s tradition,” added Allen, a Bell Boy in the 1960s. “That bell has been like a battleship for us for 50 years.”

After the accident, current Bell Boys Jackson Borg, Gholston, Zach Kissentamer and Blake Lueder hoisted the bell itself into their truck and carried it to the game, but it just wasn’t the same. The Wildcats lost to Mesquite 27-9.

Since the inception of LHHS and the Bell Boys, the LH Exchange Club has financially supported their efforts. Longtime member Allen expects that to continue. “This may be the last year for this particular bell. It has fought well for a long time. It’s like an old flag that’s flown a long time. We need a new bell for the next 50 years.”

Herb’s Paint & Body, owned by Exchange Club member Alan Walne, is evaluating the bell to determine the damage and estimate repair and/or replacement costs. For the immediate future, the Bell Boys (and their parents) are seeking a temporary trailer to pull the broken trailer and bell. The first Wildcat home game is this Friday night.

If you and/or your company or community organization would like to help, Bell Boy Mom Lauri Lueder would love to hear from you at 214.769.6019. If you’d like to make a contribution to the LH Exchange Club in support of the Bell Boys (or any of the other excellent LHEC projects), you can contact President Jon Alspaw at mbejon@sbcglobal.net.