The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for March 6, 2014

1974 Evergreen High School Basketball Team

25 YEARS AGO

MARCH 2, 1989

“These members of Andalusia’s Pee Wee All Star Team competed in the District 8 Pee Wee Tournament in Andalusia Saturday and won second place. Nicholas Chapman is the son of Pam Dawson Chapman of Andalusia and formerly of Evergreen and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Dawson and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Chapman of Evergreen. Other team members are Joey Ball, Quint Stallworth, Marcu Johnson and Martin Clinton; and Mooney Weeden, Kevin Hall, Eddie Parker, Daniel Wells, Tanner Goodson and Lance Johnson.”

“SPRING BREAK BASKETBALL: The Class of 1970 of Thurgood Marshall High School will sponsor a Spring Break Basketball Game Sat., March 11, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Evergreen High School gym. Games will feature the Andalusia All Stars vs. Johnsonville All Stars and the Evergreen All Stars vs. Big Surprise. Admission is $2.”

40 YEARS AGO

MARCH 7, 1974

“It’s two years in a row for the Evergreen High Aggies to compete in the State 3A Basketball Tournament at the University of Alabama. Coach Charles Branum’s cagers will tangle with Russellville at nine o’clock this morning in the opening round. They carry a superb 29-2 record into the state meet. The Aggies are Albert Stallworth, Eddie Stallworth, Chuck Jones, Willie Ingram, Anthony Merrill, Coach Branum, Donald Perkins, David Thomas, Cleve Fields, Ronald Fantroy, Alfonza Holder and Gene Stallworth.”

“Aggies open play in state meet this morning: The Evergreen High Aggies return to the state Class AAA tournament for the second year in a row today after completing a 29-2 season.

“The road to state this year began last week with the Region I, Area 2 tournament in Evergreen in which the Aggies knocked off Grove Hill, 81-72, in the semifinals and stopped arch-rival Jackson in the finals, 65-53, playing one of their finest games of the season.

“Saturday night, the Aggies took their second straight Region I title by crushing the Alba Sharks, 69-43, behind a 19-point effort by sophomore center Ronald Fantroy. Fantroy dominated play underneath, taking the game away from Alba’s 6-8 pivotman Barry Montgomery, an all-state and all-American candidate.

“Under the coaching of Charles Branum, the Aggies have compiled an impressive two-year record of 62 wins and four losses, one of the top records in the state. Branum’s personal record is 187-35.

“This year’s area all-star team featured three Aggie performers: forwards David Thomas and Eddie Stallworth and guard Cleve Fields.

“Evergreen opens 3A state play today with Russellville at 9 a.m. in Tuscaloosa. Russellville sports a 29-1 record and a front line of 6-6, 6-5 and 6-5 players. Their only loss came at the hands of 4A power Austin of Decatur.”

55 YEARS AGO

MARCH 1959

“Aggies Open Drills With 37 Candidates: Candidates for the 1959 Evergreen High Aggie football team opened spring practice Monday. Drills will continue for three weeks with the annual intra-squad game to be staged the latter part of the month.

“Thirty-seven eager youngsters greeted Coach Wendell Hart and Assistant Coach Jeff Moorer at the first practice. Thirteen letter winners on the 1958 club were included in the group.

“Lettermen included ends Wayne Stinson and Johnny Lewis, tackles Edwin Harper and Paul Harden, center Phillip Brown, guards Bobby Potts and Elvin Higgins, quarterbacks Billy Melton and James Reeves, halfbacks Jimmy Eddins and Bobby Smith and fullbacks Ceylon Strong and H.W. Ward.”

“Eastern Division Basketball Tourney: Evergreen was eliminated by Grove Hill in the first game of the Eastern Half of the First District Basketball Tournament. The score was Grove Hill 44, Evergreen 36. Melton led Evergreen with 13 points, and Andrews netted 13 for Grove Hill.

“In the second game, Bay Minette rolled over Jackson by 49-27. Presley was high for Bay Minette with 18 points. Morton led Jackson with seven. In the final games Monday night, Atmore eliminated Fairhope, 52 to 45. Vickery had 17 for Atmore, and Baugh led the Pirates with 12.”

70 YEARS AGO

MARCH 2, 1944

“BOY SCOUT NEWS: Tuesday night we spent an hour on outdoor games.”

85 YEARS AGO

MARCH 7, 1929

“Evergreen Girls Off For State Tournament: The Evergreen girls basketball team left Wednesday for Montevallo in quest of the state championship, which will be contested for also by 15 other teams on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Alabama College.

“Evergreen and Frisco City will represent southwest Alabama in the state tourney, these two teams having been finalists in the district tourney in Evergreen  nearly two weeks ago.

“Representatives from the eight districts in Alabama, as announced Tuesday in Birmingham by Sellers Stough, secretary of the Alabama high school athletic association, are as follows:

“Evergreen, Frisco City, Straughn, Ariton, Selma, Ramer, Goodwater, Lanett, Minor, Holt, Anniston, Glencoe, Bear Creek, Town Creek, Geraldine and Snead Seminary.

“Frisco City goes to the tourney this year with high hopes of winning back the laurels it was forced to relinquish last year to Mortimer Jordan. Frisco City has won the state title three times previously, in 1925, 1926 and 1927, and last year placed second. Selma won the first tournament in 1923 and Ramer the second in 1924.

“Mortimer Jordan, 1928 champion, will not be in the meet, having failed to survive the fifth district tourney.”

“Aggies Place Second In District Tourney: The Evergreen Aggies returned Sunday from Foley where they won second place in the district tourney for Southwest Alabama. The Aggies defeated Robertsdale and Georgiana, but lost out to Murphy High in the finals by a one-point margin.

“By finishing second, the Aggies, for the second successive year, won the right to represent, along with Murphy High, the first district in the state tourney but had to forego the trip to Tuscaloosa as arrangements could not be made to send both boys and girls teams to the state meets this year.

“The Aggies district tourney record is as follows: Evergreen 42, Robertsdale 9; Evergreen 27, Georgiana 11; Evergreen 16, Murphy High 17.

“The Aggies reached the finals by brushing aside Georgiana and when this game was over were certain of the right to play in the state meet, as the two finalists are the official representatives of the district. Murphy High had a much tougher time reaching the finals, barely nosing out Foley in an overtime tilt.

“The following 16 teams were to play in the state meet: Mobile, Evergreen, Ariton, Slocomb, Cloverdale, Lanier, Five Points, Ridge Grove, Mortimer Jordan, Phillips, Anniston, Handley, Hackleburg, Gordo, Snead Seminary and Geraldine. Play will begin Friday and be concluded with the final game Saturday night.

“Mortimer Jordan won the title last year and is again considered a formidable contender, as it ran roughshod over other teams of the fifth district in winning the district title. Only two of the members of last year’s team are on the 1929 outfit. They are Beasley, guard, and Long, forward. Mortimer Jordan eliminated Evergreen last year in the Aggies first game of the tournament.”