Daily Weather Observations for Sat., Nov. 23, 2013

Temp: 61.3 degrees F

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.00 inches

Humidity: 85 percent (High)

Conditions: Overcast skies; misting light rain; foggy, visibility about half a mile; birds and dogs audible; security lights still on in the distance.

Wind: Not measured.

Barometric Pressure: 29.69 inHg

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.10 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 1.35 inches

Fall to Date Rainfall: 3.35 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 45.55 inches

NOTES: Today is the 327th day of 2013 and the 63rd day of Fall. There are 38 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

Alabama high school football scores and next week's playoff pairings

Alabama High School Athletic Association Quarterfinal Round Scores:

CLASS 6A
McGill-Toolen 28, Smiths Station 21
Auburn 42, Carver-Montgomery 35
Vestavia Hills 19, Bob Jones 12
Hoover 22, Florence 21

CLASS 5A
Saraland 20, St. Paul's 14 (2 OT)
Spanish Fort 36, Jackson 6
Muscle Shoals 35, Athens 7
Southside-Gadsden 28, McAdory 25

CLASS 4A
Charles Henderson 34, Central-Clay County 7
UMS-Wright 35, Dadeville 34
Oneonta 44, Cleburne County 19
Munford 10, J.O. Johnson 8

CLASS 3A
Straughn 42, Bayside 21
Leeds 24, T.R. Miller 20
Madison Academy 34, Piedmont 33 (OT)
Saks 20, Colbert County 14

CLASS 2A
Washington County 56, Mobile Christian 42
Sweet Water 34, Luverne 24
Tanner 26, Montgomery Academy 14
Fyffe 31, Lanett 6

CLASS 1A
Brantley 36, Loachapoka 19
Maplesville 41, Linden 0
Hubbertville 9, Berry 8
Pickens County 41, Ragland 21

Alabama Independent School Association Championships (Played at Troy University):

CLASS AAA
Monroe Academy 31, Bessemer Academy 6

CLASS AA Edgewood 61, Clarke Prep 52

CLASS A Marengo Academy 31, Restoration 28

AHSAA Semifinal Round Pairings for Fri., Nov. 29:

CLASS 6A
Auburn (12-1) at McGill-Toolen (12-1)
Vestavia Hills (11-2) at Hoover (13-0)

CLASS 5A
Saraland (12-1) at Spanish Fort (13-0)
Southside-Gadsden (13-0) at Muscle Shoals (12-1)

CLASS 4A
UMS-Wright (11-2) at Charles Henderson (13-0)
Oneonta (12-1) at Munford (12-1)

CLASS 3A
Straughn (10-2) at Leeds (11-2)
Madison Academy (13-0) at Saks (13-0)

CLASS 2A
Washington County (12-1) at Sweet Water (10-3)
Tanner (11-1) at Fyffe (12-1)

CLASS 1A
Brantley (11-2) at Maplesville (13-0)
Hubbertville (11-2) at Pickens County (13-0)

Monroe County's News Flashback for Nov. 22, 2013

'LaFayette Hall' at Perdue Hill, Alabama

30 YEARS AGO

NOV. 24, 1983

“Official returns from the special legislative election held Nov. 8 confirmed that Republican Bob French carried Monroe Count in the state senate race.

“French, of Jackson, had 1,234 votes here to Democrat Frances ‘Sister’ Strong’s 1,165. Mrs. Strong, however, won the race by carrying District 22 with about 52.6 percent of the votes.”

“Cedar Chase open house: Talking in the reception area of Cedar Chase, a new apartment complex in Monroeville designed for citizens 60 and older, are Raymond Owens Sr. of Owens Construction, the general contracting firm; Bill Jones, administrator of the adjacent Englewood Health Care Center and a partner in the Cedar Chase project; and Ray Coleman, also of Owens Construction.”

“Two old members of the Monroe County Board of Equalization and one new member were sworn in for a new four-year term last week by Probate Judge Otha Lee Biggs. “The reappointed members – Sam H. Williams and Charles Nettles, both of Monroeville – have both served one term. The newest member, W.J. Andress of Peterman, replaces Robert M. ‘Bob’ Stallworth Sr., who resigned last May for health reasons.”

45 YEARS AGO
NOV. 28, 1968

“Four Monroe County men will be included in the 344-man quota set by the state Selective Service System for the December draft.”

“Preparations are well underway for the annual Christmas parade in Frisco City which will be held Wed., Dec. 11, at 4:30 p.m.”

“Representative Gene Garrett of Uriah said this week that he will reintroduce a bill into the State Legislature in January to establish an inferior court in Monroe County.”

“Figures released by Probate Judge David M. Nettles this week show oil leases in Monroe County through Nov. 18 cover more than 42,000 acres.”

“Monroeville’s ‘Man of the Year’ and Monroe County’s ‘Farmer of the Year’ will be revealed during the Monroeville Kiwanis Club’s annual ladies’ night banquet Thurs., Dec. 5, at the Community House.”

“Four Monroe County girls listed as contestants in the Monroe County Junior Miss pageant Dec. 14 were named this week by James Byrd, pageant committee chairman.”
The contestants included Bobbie Gail Jones, Patty Kress, Carolyn Ward and Melissa Moore.

60 YEARS AGO
NOV. 26, 1953

“Final inspection for Monroeville’s new National Guard Armory, estimated to cost $95,000, has been set for next Tuesday.
“Commanding Officer of the local unit, Lt. Windell Owens, declared the battery should be able to move into the Armory by Dec. 7 and that dedication ceremonies will follow shortly thereafter.”

“Miles Jackson, local laundry owner and operator, has been named secretary-treasurer of the Monroeville Chamber of Commerce for 1954.
“The appointment was made known early this week by Dayton L. Russell, newly elected president of the Commerce group for next year.
“Other officers, in addition to Mr. Russell, are Norman Barnett, first vice-president; and L.L. Dees, second vice-president. Directors are M.L. Bergman, Merrill Hanks, Karl J. Lazenby, Isadore Katz, P.H. Stallworth Jr., George L. Nettles and John Finklea.”

“A total of 17,206 bales of cotton was ginned in Monroe County from the 1953 crop prior to Nov. 1, according to a report released recently by the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Census.”

“Names of seven Monroe County men who will be summoned to leave for Army induction on Mon., Dec. 7, were released this week by Miss Jewell Coxwell, clerk of the local draft board.”

75 YEARS AGO
NOV. 24, 1938

“Long Dry Spell Broken Last Friday: A heavy rain fell here beginning about seven o’clock Friday night and lasting until about seven o’clock Saturday morning. This was the first rain of any consequence to fall in this county since July. On the night of Aug. 27, a light rain fell but was not much more than a heavy dew.”

“Town Football Team To Play Frisco City Town Team Friday: The town football team of Monroeville will play the town team of Frisco City in a football game at Frisco City Friday night, Nov. 25. The kickoff will be promptly at eight o’clock.
“This should be a very interesting game and one which everyone will want to see, as some of the stars of other days will perform again to the delight of the fans. Come out and cheer for your favorite team.”

“Form Resident Dies In Texas: News was received here last week of the death of Mr. M.C. Wright, former local manager of the Alabama Power Co. Mr. Wright left Monroeville three years ago and has not been heard from until he was electrocuted when a live wire hit him last week. He was employed by the Texas Electric Co. under another name.”

“LaFayette Hall At Perdue Hill: As the traveler reaches the crest of the hill overlooking the Alabama River valley and visions the ridge at the horizon in the distance, on Alabama 44, U.S. 84, fourteen miles west of Monroeville, he is at Perdue Hill in Monroe County. Immediately to the left is the Community House, that identical old building erected in 1825, in Claiborne, a half mile west of its present site, in which on April 5, 1825, Marquis de LaFayette was entertained.
"Then, this building was the Town Hall and the second floor was used for the meetings of the local Masonic Lodge. The building served for that purpose over a long period of years and in 1883 was moved out on the hill, for even that early the doom of Claiborne as an anticipated metropolis had already been sealed.
“General LaFayette and his entourage, traveling by boat from Montgomery to New Orleans, spent the afternoon and evening at Claiborne and James Dellet, Judge Charles Tait, Arthur P. Bagby and many Alabama notables shared in his hospitality. A banquet was served in this hall and there was much oratory and other entertaining features. The building is now maintained by the Community Club of Perdue Hill, Monroe County.”

90 YEARS AGO
NOV. 22, 1923

“A.C. Lee, Esq. and Mr. J.K. Kyser attended the session of the Alabama Conference at Opelika last week.”

“Monroeville Wins Over Covington Hi: In one of the most bitterly contested football games ever played on the local gridiron, Monroe County High School defeated Covington County High of Florala, by a score of 15 to 3.”

“GINNERS’ REPORT: There were 9,049 bales of cotton ginned in Monroe County prior to Nov. 1, 1923 as compared with 10,990 bales ginned to Nov. 1, 1922. CHAS. N. NETTLES, Special Agent.”

“Messrs. H.L. Burgess, W.C. Neville and S.M. Lambert have been appointed by the governor as members of the county board of registrars.”

“Twenty-five miles of Little River to Bay Minette Road, the first state aid project for this county, have been approved by the federal authorities, of the U.S., estimated cost of about $196,000 for the stretch.”

“Mr. D.W. Dyal, a prosperous farmer of the Uriah neighborhood, was a business visitor to the county capital the first of the week.”

(The above news items were compiled from old, back issues of The Monroe Journal newspaper that are on microfilm at the Monroe County Library in Monroeville.)

Daily Weather Observation for Fri., Nov. 22, 2013

Temp: 60.4 degrees F

Rainfall (past 24 hours): 0.00 inches

Humidity: 83 percent (High)

Conditions: Overcast skies; birds and cows audible; security lights still on in the distance.

Wind: Not measured.

Barometric Pressure: 29.73 inHg

Week to Date Rainfall: 0.10 inches

Month to Date Rainfall: 1.35 inches

Fall to Date Rainfall: 3.35 inches

Year to Date Rainfall: 45.55 inches

NOTES: Today is the 326th day of 2013 and the 62nd day of Fall. There are 39 days left in the year.

Readings taken at 0700 hrs Central Standard Time (1300 GMT) daily, just west of the Monroe-Conecuh County line, near Excel, Alabama, USA, in the vicinity of Lat 31.42834°N Lon 87.30131°W. Elevation: 400 feet above sea level. CoCoRaHS Station No. AL-MN-4, Station Name: Excel 2.5 ESE.

Unexplained 'mystery booms' began two years ago this week

Southwest Alabama

This past Monday marked the two-year anniversary of the start of one of the most unusual series of events to hit Southwest Alabama in recent memory – the unexplained “mystery booms” of 2011-2012.

At 11:33 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 18, 2011, an extremely loud booming noise was heard over a wide area in western Conecuh County and eastern Monroe County. That “boom” was heard by witnesses from Repton to Monroeville and as far south as the small communities of Goodway and Wildfork in Monroe County.

Margie Peacock of Repton was among one of the first people to say she heard the sound.

“I heard it too,” she said. “All the way over here on Highway 41 in Repton. It wasn’t a sonic boom, sounded more like an explosion.”

Peacock noted that the she believed the sound came from somewhere southwest of Repton. Michael Brooks of Monroeville said that he heard it when he went outside to check his boat batteries. After hearing the sound, he went inside and turned on his police scanner, but never heard anything about it on his radio. He noted that he thought that he heard a similar sound maybe 20 minutes later.

Monroe Journal reporter Josh Dewberry, who at the time lived in the Wildfork community near Excel, said that he also heard the strange sound and another man, who lives further south in the Goodway community, said that the noise was so loud that he heard it while he was taking a shower.

In a news story in the Dec. 1, 2011 edition of The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Dewberry reported that another unexplained explosion occurred on Sat., Nov. 26, 2011 at 6 p.m. Witnesses said that it was not as loud as the Nov. 18 explosion.

Later, Stephen Riley, who lives between Evergreen and Lyeffion, reported to The Courant that he heard “two different booms” just before 9 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 6, 2012. The noises sounded “like thunder, except there was nothing on radar,” Riley said, noting that the noises seemed to come from the direction of Evergreen.

Riley wasn’t alone in hearing the unexplained noises that night as witness reports flooded in from a number of distant communities, including Repton, Belleville, Lenox, Monroeville, Excel, Halls Crossroads, Frisco City, Sugar Hill and Goodway Junction. The distance from Lyeffion to Goodway Junction, which is between Frisco City and Uriah, is 37-1/2 miles as the crow flies.

Jessica Ozgowicz, who lives in the Excel area, said that the sound “just kind of traveled down one side of my house and was almost like the house settling or some sort of pressure was pushing it.”

Carlton Waters, a former Evergreen mail carrier, said that he was at his sister’s house between Repton and Belleville, when he heard the noise around 8:30 p.m.

“I heard it and thought it was thunder,” Waters said. “I took out my phone to check the weather and there was nothing out there.”

Retired state fire marshal Ken Smith “heard something here” in Monroeville about that same time, but he wasn’t sure what it was, he said. He noted that he didn’t hear any police dispatch traffic about the incident.

Shawn and Jen Partin, who live between Excel and Repton, said that they were outside between 8:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. and heard it. She described the sound as “weird,” noting that it sounded similar to thunder.

Amy Ikner, who also lives in the Excel area, said that the noise occurred “exactly” at 8:30 p.m. because she was texting a friend when she and her husband heard it from inside their home. “He (her husband) went outside to see what it was,” she said.

Repton’s Margie Peacock said that she heard it too and wondered at first if it might be thunder. She thought “the rain was coming in sooner than forecast,” she said. “It was pretty loud too. This time, it sounded like it came from towards Evergreen, which would be northeast of me.”

Former Courant reporter Julie Adams and April Brooks of Monroeville were among those who said they heard similar “booms” earlier that week. Gloria Cole of Excel said that the booms had “been going on since summertime,” saying that she remembers hearing other people talk about the phenomenon.

In mid-January 2012, another round of “mystery booms” were reported in Conecuh, Monroe and Clarke counties. Several witnesses, including Courant employee Kristie Garner, reported hearing an extremely loud, unexplained “boom” on Thurs., Jan. 19, 2012 around 7 p.m.

“It seemed like three separate booms,” Garner said. “When the first one started, I thought, ‘Is that thunder?’ But then it kept going and finally stopped. (It) happened one or two more times. I finally went outside to hear better, but it had stopped. It was creepy.”

Witnesses also heard the noises in Monroe County and as far away as Grove Hill. Jim Cox, the publisher of the Clarke County Democrat in Grove Hill and South Alabamian newspaper in Jackson, told The Courant that the booms were heard in Clarke County around 6 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2012.

“Several long and repeated booms rattled the windows and shook the dishes,” he said. “I opened a yard gate about the time one hit, and my black lab was out the gate and gone. It took an hour to get him back in.”

Numerous theories were offered to explain the unusual noises, but no definite answers were ever found. Theories varied and include the off-burning of oil rigs, pranksters with homemade cannons, seismographic testing, high-speed naval aircraft, UFOs and meteorites. No evidence was found to support any of those theories. One man suggested that the noises were caused by individuals setting off explosives to destroy beaver dams on private property.

Some proposed that the noise was probably a sonic boom caused by an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet flying out of Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS).

The Courant contacted officials at Pensacola NAS and Eglin Air Force Base in Niceville, Fla., and officials at Pensacola NAS said that no jets from their facility were in the air in the vicinity of Conecuh or Monroe County at that time of night on Nov. 18, 2011. Navy officials also noted that the airfield at Pensacola NAS closed at 11 p.m. on Fridays and with the exception of a few transport planes, none of their training aircraft were in the air after 11 p.m. A request for information about flight activity near Conecuh County out of Eglin Air Force Base on Nov. 18, 2011 was never answered.

One man suggested that the sound was a land oil crew setting off underground explosions as part of a seismological test. Others say that this is unlikely because these types of tests aren’t typically conducted at that time of night.

One theory suggested that the noises were “brontides,” which are unexplained deep, booming noises that are often associated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Episodes of these explosive noises of natural origin have been well documented often in association with seismic activity and in a few cases as precursors of major earthquakes.

In the end, the cause of the “mystery booms” remains unknown, and I welcome your thoughts on the subject. Readers with theories, accounts or ideas regarding the “mystery booms” in our area are invited to contact The Courant at 251-578-1492 or by email at courantsports@earthlink.net. To contact The Courant by mail, write The Evergreen Courant, ATTN: Lee Peacock, P.O. Box 440, Evergreen, AL 36401.

Hunter Norris retains top spot in local college football pick 'em contest

Basketball season is now in full swing in Conecuh County, and one thing is for certain, we’ve got a lot of great high school basketball action to look forward to this year. Word around the campfire is that Sparta’s varsity girls and Hillcrest’s varsity boys are going to be very good this year. In fact, one Hillcrest assistant coach predicted that the Jaguars were going to win the 4A state title this year.

The Jags looked strong the other night against Central-Hayneville, and the Lady Jaguars didn’t look too shabby either. They beat Central, 50-25. It’s one thing to start the season with a win, but it’s something else altogether different when you blow out a traditionally strong opponent in the first game of the season. To me, the Lady Jags made a huge statement by doubling up Central on Friday night.

----- 0 -----

The 12th week of our local ESPN College Football Pick ‘Em contest is history, and here’s how the Top 10 standings looked after the final game on Saturday.

Hunter Norris remained in first place for the fourth straight week, and Joey Matheny remained in second place for the second straight week. Ricky Taylor moved out of fourth place into third place, and Jeremy Matheny dropped from third place into fourth place. Mike Dailey remained in fifth place for the second straight week.

Aaron Albritton and I were tied for sixth place. I was in sixth place last week, and Albritton was in eighth place last week. Mark Peacock dropped from seventh place to eighth place. Steve Stacey remained in ninth place, and Sharon Peacock broke back into the Top 10, rounding out things in tenth place.

With only three weeks left in the contest, it’s still anybody’s game. There are lots of big games coming up and you can be sure that another reshuffling of the standings will take place between now and the end of the month.

----- 0 -----

College football action continues this week in the SEC and this weekend’s slate of games will feature five head-to-head conference match-ups. Those games will include Kentucky at Georgia, Mississippi State at Arkansas, Missouri at Ole Miss, Texas A&M at LSU and Vanderbilt at Tennessee. Other games involving SEC teams this week will include Chattanooga at Alabama, Coastal Carolina at South Carolina and Georgia Southern at Florida. Auburn doesn’t play this week.

For what it’s worth, here are my picks for this week’s slate of games. I like Georgia over Kentucky, Mississippi State over Arkansas, Missouri over Ole Miss, LSU over Texas A&M, Tennessee over Vanderbilt, Alabama over Chattanooga, South Carolina over Coastal Carolina and Florida over Georgia Southern. Last week: 5-0. So far this season: 80-15.

----- 0 -----

Week 12 of the NFL regular season schedule kicks off tonight (Thursday) with a game between the 8-2 New Orleans Saints and the 2-8 Atlanta Falcons. That game will kick off 7:25 p.m. at the Georgia Dome. Twelve games will follow on Sunday, and the Monday night game will feature the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins. Buffalo, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Seattle don’t play this week.

Tonight, I look for New Orleans to beat Atlanta. On Sunday, I like Detroit over Tampa Bay, Houston over Jacksonville, Kansas City over San Diego, Carolina over Miami, Cleveland over Pittsburgh, St. Louis over Chicago, Baltimore over the New York Jets, Oakland over Tennessee, Arizona over Indianapolis, the New York Giants over Dallas, Denver over New England and Green Bay over Minnesota. In the Monday night game, I like San Francisco over Washington. Last week: 11-4. So far this season: 111-51.

The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Nov. 21, 2013

Donald Garrett, third from left, in 1963.

20 YEARS AGO

NOV. 18, 1993

“Going fishing with your grandmother can be great fun and successful as Josh Williams proved on a recent outing. With fishing tips given by his grandmother, Bernadine Williams, he caught 11 bream. Josh is the son of Marc and Sharon Williams of Evergreen.”

“The Iron Bowl: Panel Predicts Auburn Tigers to Beat Tide: Most places in the country depict fall as the time of year when the leaves change colors and drift to the ground in gentle winds. Mercury in thermometers slip slowly down their shafts. Birds fly south for the winter and thoughts turn to the holiday season.
“But throughout this state, hearts begin to pound and cries of ‘Roll Tide’ and ‘War Eagle’ resound through the city streets and backwood hollows. It is that time of year again when young men and women of all ages, shapes and colors find one thing in common… it’s Iron Bowl time!
“In an effort to see how the average fan feels how the game will turn out, The Evergreen Courant has selected a panel of 10 citizens to give their predictions. Six of the 10 predict an Auburn victory while four believe in the Crimson Tide. The following is a list of those questioned and their respective predicted scores – Felix Andrews, 21-17, Alabama; Pam Brock, 24-21, Alabama; Nell Stuart, 35-21, Auburn; Vivian Fountain, 21-17, Auburn; Gordon Varner, 28-21, Auburn; Lynn Taylor, 17-14, Alabama; Susan Brewton, 20-17, Alabama; Pam Hammonds, 21-7, Auburn; Howard Fore, 7-3, Auburn; Sleepy Johnston, 21-14, Auburn.”
(The 1993 Iron Bowl was played on Nov. 20 in Auburn, and Auburn won, 22-14.)

35 YEARS AGO
NOV. 16, 1978

“The Evergreen High School Aggies will open their 1978-79 basketball season here tonight against the Southern Normal Cyclones of Brewton. Coach Charles Branum will begin his 10th year as the Aggie head basketball coach.
“Coach Branum states that his team for the coming season is one of the youngest varsity teams he has ever coached, with James Straughn, his only senior starting for the Aggies. At the other guard will be 6-2 sophomore, Horace Smith. Center spot will be Joseph Mitchell, a 6-5 junior. At forwards will be 6-4 Perona Rankins and 6-1 Sanford Moye. Other players that will see action on the varsity this season are: Philander Rogers, Johnny Allen, David Crosby, Rydell Samuel, Anthony Williams, Troy Salter, Wendell Parker and David Floyd.”

“The Lyeffion Yellowjackets open their 1978-79 basketball season at home Friday, Nov. 17, against area foe W.J. Jones High School of Pineapple.
“Lyeffion finished 20-6 last season and will return three regular and three part-time starters.
“Starters include Adrian Woods, 6-4 forward, center; Eric Finklea, 6-0 forward guard and Ricky Hall, 6-0 guard. Part-time starters from last year’s squad are Ricky Johnson, 5-9 guard; James Riley, 6-1 forward; and Charles Watts, 6-1 forward.”

50 YEARS AGO
NOV. 21, 1963

“Donald Garrett, star Lyeffion halfback was presented the ‘Sports Illustrated Award of Merit’ at a special ceremony in the Radio Station WBLO studios Friday morning. The award was presented by Lyeffion Coach Shirley Frazier and Rick Fields emceed the program which was broadcast by WBLO. Also taking part in the program were WBLO manager Hugh Ellington and Lyeffion Principal James Cowart. The low silver bowl had inscribed on it ‘Donald Garrett, Sports Illustrated Award of Merit, 11-11-63.’ Don was featured in the magazine’s ‘Faces in the Crowd’ section recently for his exploits in the Repton game when he gained 350 yards rushing, scored four touchdowns and passed for another. A junior, the 165-pounder is looking forward to next season, although right now he’s at work as forward on the Lyeffion basketball team.”

“Aggies almost get G’ana in ‘finest hour’: The Evergreen High Aggies had their ‘finest hour’ (well, make it 48 minutes if you have to be technical) Friday night and almost won the biggest game of the year.
“As it was, Coach John L. Robinson’s club threw a Texas-size scare into Coach Bobby Wasden’s Camellia Bowl Georgiana Panthers before losing, 14-12.
“Tragedy stalked the field in the fourth quarter and struck down the last of the football playing Williams brothers, Ronnie, to put a damper on the celebrating Evergreens. Ronnie, not yet 18, died in a Montgomery hospital Sunday morning following brain surgery. He got a head injury throwing a block in the fourth period.
“(Jimmy) Weathers returned a punt two yards to the Aggie 46 and the Panthers went that distance for their winning score in the last of the third and first of the fourth quarters. Williams was injured on the first play of the series blocking as Weathers rolled out and ran for 14.”

 65 YEARS AGO
NOV. 18, 1948

“Loretto Scores Early to Upset Evergreen 18 to 6: The salty Saints of Loretto spoiled the annual Evergreen High School homecoming by trimming the Evergreen High Aggies, 18-6, last Thursday night. The Saints scored three times in the first half and held on to list Evergreen as the 23rd victim on their undefeated string.
“John Greel Ralls, termed by Walter Moseley, assistant sports editor of the Montgomery Advertiser, an outstanding all-state candidate, starred for Evergreen. Ralls picked up 117 yards (net) from scrimmage, running the ball for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. In addition, he sparked Evergreen’s scoring drive. Nick Stallworth pounced on Ralls fumble in the end zone for the Evergreen score.
“Bruce Johnson played outstanding ball on defense. The 168-pound guard played brilliant ball, but the rest of the Aggie forwards had an off night. James Ryan and Billy Mudge Lee were defensive standouts in the Evergreen backfield.”

“Local football fans should hit the road early tomorrow (Friday) night if they plan to see the Evergreen Aggies play T.R. Miller High in Brewton. Did someone ask why? Well, brother, it’s just that the Aggie-Tiger game is a late fall classic in South Alabama. With only 26 miles separating them the two towns have built up a friendly rivalry over the years that reaches a peak each year with this game.”

80 YEARS AGO
NOV. 16, 1933

“Messrs. C.A. Jones, M.B. Binion, G.L. Heath and G.O. Dickey, Deming Jones and John Deming Jr. were weekend visitors to Auburn where they attended the Auburn-Oglethorpe game.”

“Jimmy Foxx, Philadelphia first baseman, voted the American League’s most valuable player for the last two years, was one of the first nimrods in the field at the opening of the hunting season in Pennsylvania. He was after small game and got it.”

“A shipment of bass and bream from the State Fish Hatchery was liberated in the streams of Conecuh County during the last few days. Many local sportsmen were present and assisted, the planting being under the direction of the district game warden and an assistant from the State Hatchery.

“The fish were received from the State Fish Hatchery at 2 p.m. near L&N Railroad Station being brought in by truck. In addition to the two hatcheries operated by the State at Eastaboga and Aliceville, the Department of Game and Fisheries has control of Oxford Lake, from which it secures both bass and bream. A total of 750,000 fingerling were produced and distributed last year, these fish going into every county of Alabama, according to a statement by I.L. Quinn, Commissioner of Game and Fisheries of Alabama.

“The following local sportsmen were present and assisted in the planting: W.D. Lewis, T.S. Bates, A.H. Lewis, A.L. Lewis, Hunter Hines.”