The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Jan. 9, 2014

Virgil "Fire" Trucks

15 YEARS AGO

JAN. 14, 1999

“Sparta Warriors defeat Calvary Christian: The Sparta Academy Warriors defeated Calvary Christian Academy, 60-56, on Fri., Jan. 8, 1999 in Montgomery. Chad Morris was the leading scorer for the Warriors with 29 points. Also scoring in double figures was Seth McIntyre with 10 points.

“Rounding out the scoring for the Warriors were Lee Booker, eight points; Bryant Shipp, seven points; Derek Faulkner, four points; and Drew Skipper, two points.”

“Sparta Lady Warriors defeat Escambia Academy: The Sparta Academy Lady Warriors defeated Escambia Academy, 70-61, in overtime on Thurs., Jan. 7, 1999 in Canoe.

“Andrea Ward was the leading scorer with 47 points. With her performance Thursday night Andrea has now scored more points in a single game than any female basketball player in the history of Sparta Academy. She has an average of 29.2 points per game. Her average is the highest for any basketball player, male or female, at Sparta.

“Other Lady Warriors adding points on the board were Sally Hartley with seven points; Ashley Hammonds, six points; Shelley Bell and Katie Etheridge, five points each.”

“The annual Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s Banquet will be held on Wed., Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Southern Grille.

“Guest speaker will be Terry Henley, former football player at Auburn University and an Atlanta Falcons standout.”

30 YEARS AGO

JAN. 12, 1984

“The Marshall Middle School cheerleaders are Rosalyn Armstrong, Tonia Fair, Melanie Reynolds, Frances Lee, Beverly Jacobs, Pam Straughn, Shannon McCarty, Tracey Norris and Sophie Section. Their sponsor is Mrs. Tammy B. Newton. The Mustangs will play Atmore there Jan. 12, Andalusia there Jan. 19 and close regular season play with Southern Normal there Jan. 24.”

“Sparta cagers defeat Hooper: Sparta Academy visited the Hooper Academy gym in Hope Hull on Jan. 7 and won two of three basketball games, according to Sparta Sports Information Director Byron Warren Jr.

“Jan Coker fired in 17 points and Tiny Bybee 10 to lead the Warrior girls to a 49-42 victory. Tammy Booker had eight points; Leah Carrier, six; Tracy Holmes, four; and Raye Ann Gall and Kim Search, two each.

“Russ Brown burned the nets for 33 points to lead the Warriors varsity boys to a 73-63 win. Vince Watts added 13 points; Al Etheridge, 11; Britt McNeill, nine; Connery Salter, four; and Danny Reed, three.

“Hooper’s Jr. Varsity salvaged the only victory for the home club beating Sparta, 44-32. Scoring for the Warriors were Tim Wilson, nine; Brandon Salter, eight; Jason West, seven; Lynn Ralls, four; and Brad Watts and Jeff Carrier, two each.”

“Andy Pipkin killed this nine-point buck Friday while hunting with his father, Randy Pipkin. The deer was killed at Midway and weighed 200 pounds.”

45 YEARS AGO

JAN. 9, 1969

“Evergreen names outstanding teens: The Outstanding Americans Foundation announces that Emmett Price and Roger Waller from Evergreen High School have been selected as Outstanding Teenagers of America for 1969.

Roger is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Willie Waller. He is business manager, annual staff; captain of the football team… He is a member of the FFA; Fellowship of Christian Athletes…”

60 YEARS AGO

JAN. 14, 1954

“BAGS 9-POINT BUCK – Pictured above is Wayne Stinson, 11-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Ulay Stinson, with the head of a nine-point buck which the youngster bagged recently on a hunt with his father who is one of the best hunters and fishermen in this section of the country.”

“The Evergreen Aggies picked up two more wins last week to add to their previous record. The two teams (four really, counting the ‘B’ games) that fell prey to the stout-hearted Aggies Teams were Lyeffion and Pineapple fives who played hard, but just couldn’t top the Aggies.

“All the Aggie members turned in good performances in the 61-18 victory over Lyeffion five in Evergreen last Tuesday night. The Aggies played Lyeffion without the aid of their 6’5’’ center, Randolph White, who was absent from the line-up due to illness. Dale Blair, another six-foot-plus center for the varsity, turned in a very good performance and proved to be by far the most valuable rebound grabber of the Aggie five.

“Friday night the Aggies journeyed to Pineapple to pick up the other wins of the week by defeating the Pineapple fives, 54-39, (varsity) and 30-13 (B Team). Leading the Aggie scorers once again was Randy White who sacked 20 points. Leading the ‘B’ Team scorers with 10 points was Wayne Frazier who turned in a very good performance for the Aggies.

“The Aggies meet two tough teams this week, but both games are to be played on the Aggies’ home court, which should give a small advantage over the Georgiana and Greenville fives.”

“The Repton High School basketball team continued its winning streak last Friday night by outscoring a good T.R. Miller team, 49-43.

“Paul Brantley was high man for the victors with 12 points. Closely following was Ray Blackwell with 11 points. Roger Kearley and Billy Farrish both had nine points for the winning team.”

“The Castleberry Blue Devils are taking their lumps this season after reigning for three years as county champs and ranking high in district competition throughout that time. Last Friday night, the Blue Devils lost a 61-52 decision to the fast-breaking Frisco City Whippets on the Castleberry court.

“Lewis Heaton netted 16 points to pace the losers. Bobby Day racked up 11; Lamon Reaves and Charles Hart, nine each; Wilbur Heaton, six; and Raymond Oliver, one. Larue Rumbley and Albert Pugh with 19 and 18 respectively led the Frisco pointmakers.”

75 YEARS AGO

JAN. 12, 1939

“Evergreen To Play Virgil Trucks Team: They call him, Fireball, and justly so, because that’s exactly what he is – Fireball Trucks. This is talking about the 19-year-old Virgil (Fire) Trucks, who last baseball season set an all-time world’s strikeout record of 420 strikeouts in one season.

“And sports fans in Evergreen will get a chance to see this Cinderella kid, the most-talked of rookie in organized baseball during 1938, when he appears with his Dr. Pepper basketball team against Evergreen’s Green Hawks.

“Trucks, in addition to striking out 420 batters in a short, four-month season, won 27 games and lost six during the season; had an earned run average of 1.25, hurled 12 shutous and failed to finish only one game he started, and this was due to a blistered finger.

“Next Spring, Trucks will report to the Detroit Tigers, who bought him for $2,500 from Andalusia after seeing him pitch his first game last Spring. Trucks fanned 20 batters the first game he pitched in 1938, in the Alabama-Florida League, and he stretched this to 22 strikeouts in another game later on. He hurled two no-hit, no-run games.

“But, in all his glory, Trucks is getting more kick out of playing basketball than he did the entire season, his first in organized baseball. He is playing most all of the games, and the only time he comes out is when he wants to give one of the other players a chance.

“And speaking of other players, Trucks has an array of talent the like of which will be found at new places in the South. George Abbott, six-foot, four-inch full-blooded Indian from the Indian preserve at Caddo, Okla., has been added to the team since the first game of the season, and Abbott is an attraction in himself. He played three years for the Pontiac Indians.

“Another star on the Trucks team is Knox (Big) Little, former All-American at Ohio State, and still another is Bill Critcher, former all-state prep at Geraldine High, Geraldine, Ala., four-time state champions, and a veteran at independent basketball.

“Bill Fowler and Blacky King, former Woodlawn, Birmingham, High School all-states; Rusty Butler, former Army star; Carter McClendon and Leo Love round out the squad.

“The local club boasts a winning streak of four straight. The Hawks latest victory was a smashing 36 to 18 conquest of the Georgiana Athletic Club. Led by Hanna, who caged 17 points, the Hawks coasted to an easy victory.”

“Evergreen High School: Wednesday night the Aggies (our basketball team) played opposite the Castleberry team, who had the best defense we have seen. The score was 9 to 8 in Castleberry’s favor. Friday afternoon, although outweighed by the Repton team, the score was 14 to 11 in our favor. This Wednesday we play in Lyeffion. Friday night (tomorrow night) will be our first home game. Starting at 7:30 we shall play Repton. The admission is 10 and 15 cents.”

“Lyeffion boys and girls played Castleberry in basketball Friday night and the boys score was 20 to 16 in favor of Lyeffion, and the girls score was 26 to 15 in favor of Lyeffion.”

“Castleberry: Led by Duard James, forward C.C.H.S.’s Panthers soundly thumped the Evergreen Aggies here last Wednesday night, Jan. 4, by a satisfactory score of 9 to 8. At the end of the first half, the Panthers were in the lead, but lost tension in the last and the game ended in all but a tie which was avoided when Golden Suddith claiming the ball on Evergreen’s error threw a perfect shot.”

“Annex School News” – “Annex’s Cagers turned the tables on Starlington Friday afternoon, winning 7 to 5 to balance last games 14 to 6 for Starlington.

“Despite the routine workouts gone through, the Annex girl’s basketball team had its third straight loss chalked up against them when the Starlington dribblers turned them back, 14 to 12.”