Five Times That Season

You can't talk about the 1967-68 season without talking about the five matchups with Harris County. At one point in the season, the two teams played each other twice in seven days. Harris County did not lose to any team except Taylor County that year. If they hadn't played Taylor County, they would have had a perfect 23-0 record. The finals of sub-region saw Harris County play Taylor County. Same with the finals of region. Same with the finals of state. Each time Taylor County was victorious.

The state tournament was held in the Macon Municipal Auditorium. It was the last year the state tournament was played in that building. All the players say it was a wonderful place to play. The fans were right there close on the sidelines with the team. The balconies were full too. By the end of the night there was a haze of smoke swirling in the ceiling.

When you get to the finals of the state tournament, all the other games go out the window. This is the all-important game. This is the game that gives your school bragging rights until the next year's state tournament. This is the game you remember all your life. And the Macon Telegraph writer described Harris County as starting the game without fear of falling again to Taylor County.

It was a defensive first half. The guards, led by senior Grace Bussey and juniors Dianne Wall and Linda Joiner, played a wonderful defense and held the Hornettes scoreless for seven minutes at one point. The score at halftime was a very low 17-10 with Taylor in the lead.

During the third and fourth quarters, the forwards, who were senior Sue Lawhorn, junior Sissy Riley, and sophomore Judy Riley, reeled off several strings of unanswered points. The lead expanded to 18 points twice, with the final margin 41 - 24. The Lady Vikings left the Macon Auditorium that night with the State Class B State Championship trophy.

This game ended the first perfect season and first state championship during the winning streak years for the Lady Vikings. There would be three more perfect seasons and four more state championships to come.

And several girls, namely eighth graders Bunny Fuller, Sandra Arnold, and Jean Jones, were sitting up in the Macon Auditorium stands at that Harris County game, thinking, "I want to be a part of that."