An Amazing Time

Forty years ago, in the small town of Butler Georgia at Taylor County High School, a group of girls coached by an amazing man started winning basketball games and did not lose for 132 straight games. The rules changed, great players graduated, the schools integrated, the school's state size classification changed, the coach became superintendent of schools - none of these factors affected the determination of each year's team to win every regular season game and every tournament.

I feel fortunate to have been a part of those teams. We had so much fun playing basketball every Tuesday and Friday night from November until February each year. And then the tournaments - they were the best. What great memories!

I remember the games of the 1970 state tournament. The tourney was held at the Macon Coliseum, and Stratford Academy of Macon was the Cinderella team that year. They won each of their state tournament games, and received so much publicity from the Macon media. Much was made of the fact that we would possibly meet up in the state finals and they'd have a chance to stop the streak. In the finals, we had a great game and beat Stratford 68-50. Coach Carter afterwards said, "Stratford was the Cinderella team, but my girls were a group of hard-working pumpkins." I always laugh when I think of us as hard-working pumpkins!

It was an amazing time and I'm glad I was a part of it.