The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for July 9, 2018

An example of a classic rugby scrum.

16 YEARS AGO

JULY 11, 2002

The Evergreen Youth Basketball Team won the Silver Medal at the Alabama Sports Festival State Basketball Tournament held at the University of South Alabama in Mobile on June 28-30. Tuskegee-Macon YMCA defeated Evergreen by a score of 58-53 in the championship game to win the Gold Medal. Coach Earnest Boykin stated that he is very proud of his boys to make it to the finals because there were some very good teams in the tournament. By winning the Silver Medal, the Evergreen Youth has qualified for the American National Tournament to be held in St. Louis on Aug. 23-25. (Players on the team included Destry Taylor, Kellen Hines, Willie Dixon, Bryan Boykin, Terrell Sanders, Alshwan Holder, O.J. Johnson, Jerrell McMillian, Chris Hines, Chris Nelson, Robert Thomas and P.K. Riley. Earnest Boykin was head coach.)

41 YEARS AGO

JULY 14, 1977

In a hotly contested rugby match last Saturday at Sparta Academy, the Evergreen Rugby Club downed Birmingham by the score of 13-6. This win improved Evergreen’s record to seven victories and three losses.

The games, which was divided into three 15-minute periods, was scoreless at the end of the first period. As the second period began, Darwin Cook intercepted a pass and ran it back to Birmingham’s 45-yard line, where he was pushed out of bounds. Taking the inbounds pass, Jim Andrews dropkicked the ball from about the 35-yard line to give Evergreen the lead, 3-0. Birmingham wasted no time as they took advantage of a broken play to make the score 6-3.

As the third period began, Don Owens, playing Rugby for the first time, promptly took a pass from Cook on Birmingham’s 40-yard line and outran the opposition to the end zone. Jim Andrews later picked up a loose ball and scored. He also added the two extra points as the game ended 13-6 in Evergreen’s favor.

The ironic thing about the game was that since Birmingham was short two players at the start of the game, Homer Holland and Jeb Barron played for them. These two almost singlehandedly beat the hometown club with their hustle and alert play. Joe Andrews, Greg Still, Walker Scott and Stanley Johnson showed good effort in the scrum as did backs J. Phillippi, Hutcheson, Owens, Holland, Cook and Andrews. Terry Chapman lended outstanding vocal support from the stands.

Evergreen Mayor O.B. “Bert” Tuggle takes a look at the 4^th Marine Amphibious Force Battle Standard held by 1^st Lt. Charles Jackson of Brewton, executive officer of the 4^th Force Reconnaissance Co., U.S. Marine Corp Reserve, Mobile. Standing by the mayor and holding a folded U.S. flag is First Sgt. Leroy Thrasher of Mobile, who headed the group of Mobile Marine Reserves who ran the flag from Greenville to Mobile, arriving here at noon Friday and in Mobile on Saturday.

66 YEARS AGO

JULY 10, 1952

Castleberry Nine Loses To Starlington By 4 To 3: The Starlington Stars came out on top of a close scrap with Castleberry Sunday winning 4 to 3. Stinson and Beverly edged Castleberry’s J.W. Windham in a hurling duel.

Mack Casey with 2 for 4; Robert Young, Blackburn, Tink Stinson and Dunk Stinson with one hit each, paced the victors. Shields and Andrews led the Castleberry batters. The game was played at Starlington.

Shreve Eagles Win Over Centerville By 6 To 3: The Shreve Eagles edged the Centerville Rookies by a 6 to 3 score in a well-played game Sunday afternoon. The Eagles scored a single tally in the first inning and held that lead until the fifth when the Rookies pushed two runners across the plate. Shreve put the game on ice in the seventh when Huggins got on, on an error and Edward Hooks slapped one out of the park for a homer.

George Gaston was the losing pitcher. He struck out 11, walked seven and gave up seven hits. Shreve used two pitchers, L. Vickery and Gomillion. They struck out 10 batters, walked four and gave up seven hits.

Kennedy of Shreve had a near-perfect day at bat, rapping out four safeties in five attempts. Riley had two hits; Ward, McClain, Gaston, Cunningham and Ellis one each for Centerville. Hooks caught for Shreve and Clint Ward for Centerville.

91 YEARS AGO

JULY 14, 1927

Evergreen Now Has Swimming Pool: Some few weeks ago, the Boy Scouts of Evergreen secured permission from Mr. W.H. Wild to build a swimming pool on his lot below and adjoining the one on which the Evergreen Ice and Fuel Company’s ice plant is located, using the stream of pure water which flows from the pump of this plant. These boys went to work with a kind of determination that knows no defeat and within short time had a dam constructed across the ravine, doing all the work by hand. Mr. Wild had a doubt when he granted the boys his permission whether or not they would ever complete the job they had undertaken. In this doubt he was mistaken, for he was soon convinced that the boys meant business and had built a pool that would afford them quite a bit of swimming. He became interested in the project and got permission from the boys to enlarge on their very excellent beginning and the result is that a splendid pool is now accessible to those who desire to swim.

As compensation to the boys who began the project, Mr. Wild has given each boy a free pass to the pool, which just pleased the boys. The pool is filled with the purest of water, fresh from the deep well of the Evergreen Ice & Fuel Co. Provision has been made to keep out the surface water resulting from rains and other sources. Gravel and sand covers the entire bottom and a drain makes it possible to empty the pool at intervals when deemed necessary. From the start, it is proving to be a popular place for children.

139 YEARS AGO

JULY 10, 1879

THE EVERGREEN STAR

The Evergreen Baseball Club will play the Greenville Club on Monday next, 14^th inst. Look out for them. They’ll be “thar.”