Stars in the Sky

I asked Bob Wade if I could post this article that appeared in the Taylor County News to the blog. Thanks for such an excellent article, Bob, and for letting me share it with all the Lady Vikings. Bunny
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There are mortals walking among us who don’t know six o’clock occurs twice each day, morning and afternoon. Those of us who walk in the pre-dawn hours are privileged to observe stars twice each day. Recently the morning skies have been spectacularly stunning and brilliant celestial displays.

On March 17th I was fortunate to see three sets of stars; two celestial and a group of girl basketball stars. Starting with the last game of the 1967 season the Butler High School (later merged to form Taylor County High School) girl’s team began an amazing string of 132 consecutive victories spanning 5 years. It is the longest winning streak in Georgia high school history and the fourth longest in the nation. The reunion of the teammates was the 35th anniversary of beginning that remarkable and historic feat.

Strangely the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (GSHF) has not enshrined the streak or Coach Norman Carter. The director of that institution reportedly said Norman coached too few years to qualify for induction into that august body; but what about the winning streak? Winning 132 consecutive games doesn’t merit so much as a footnote in the hall of fame? Is there a flaw in the charter of the GSHF or is there some other reason for the snub?

The answer to those questions may have been ferreted out recently. You be the judge.

My wife and I are avid fans of women’s basketball, particularly at the college level. We attended several of Taylor County’s winning streak games and tournaments while dating; we’ve attended numerous Southeastern Conference (SEC) women’s tournaments, and watched many televised women’s basketball games. As this is being written we are watching the Lady Bulldogs play the Lady Boilermakers of Perdue in the Sweet Sixteen NCAA tournament of TV.

A few weeks ago the Southeastern Conference Women’s Tournament was played. News coverage was hard to find on broadcast television news while men’s teams were given good coverage. ESPN and the Internet were the only readily available sources of news about the event; not everyone has either or those services. You may be saying this is anecdotal evidence of a different standard applied to girl and women’s sports but consider one more piece of evidence.

This afternoon after church I attended a board of directors meeting of the Golden Rule. That’s a facility for women seeking help breaking their chemical dependencies. Norman Carter started and heads up that organization. Today there are over 40 women in residence and sadly the waiting list is long.

Years ago when I joined the board the Golden Rule was the only facility of its kind for women in our state. Today it is one of few in the southeastern United States and the only one for destitute women charging nothing for the service. It has a high success rate for women completing the program.

Combining these it seems evident society treats women differently than we do men. And, we do. Women with chemical dependencies are anathema to us. We can’t cope with the nurturers of our children being addicts of alcohol or drugs. We likewise struggle to accept the fact women can be and are excellent athletes, doctors, lawyers, bankers, pilots, carpenters, truckers or business leaders.

Winning 132 consecutive basketball games is a significant feat. The fact it spanned five different teams compounds the difficulty; yet it happened and no one outside Taylor County seems to make note.

When the streak began the school was in Class C, among the smallest schools in the state. My home county, Miller, was in the same category and lost to Taylor during one state tournament. Being a diminutive school, the talent pool was much smaller increasing the degree of difficulty of establishing the state record; and still no mention by the Hall of Fame?

Interesting thing success, everybody loves it and hates it at the same time. Think about that then consider this fact. In Norman’s speech at the reunion he spoke of some interesting details. One dealt with officiating. He said as the streak continued the referees often stacked the deck against the Taylor girls calling quick, numerous and nebulous fouls. Bringing down a winner is everybody’s goal; sometimes no matter how it is done.

Once in a sub-region game in Thomaston the officiating was so bad that after a game Norman called the head of the Georgia High School Association (a regulatory agency). He didn’t rant and rave about bad officiating instead after stating his opinion he asked the man to be at and make his presence known during the next night’s game.

That happened and the officiating was stellar; the streak continued. That spoke volumes about Norman, the coach, his character, and his understanding of human nature.

And of human nature, Norman said those players, managers, statisticians, and cheerleaders were of the highest and best order. It wasn’t hard to see that was true. The room was filled with successful family people who have excelled in life. Basketball (all sports) after all is said and done is just one of many fields of human endeavor. Looking at the participants after setting Georgia’s longest girl’s high school basketball winning record it was easy to see winners are competitive, tenacious and successful in life.

Norman said he prided himself in his ability to recognize character and mold it into greatness. No truer words can be spoken of the participants. Good people made great by quality leadership; winners all!

And, the Golden Rule? What a testament to “Coach Carter”! He continues to recognize and extract goodness, mold it into greatness, and revels in success of women!

Bob Wade (Husband of Brynda Peed Wade)

A Special Event

This event was very special to me and to see all of my teammates was priceless.  There were moments when my eyes became a little teary, especially when Coach Carter was talking about us and how well we worked together as a team. I would like to thank all of you for the long hours that were put into this event to yield a perfect night. Also, thank you for including me and for letting me witness such an impeccable event from start to finish.  May God continue to pour his rich blessings upon each of you and let us continue to love one another as was shown at this thirty fifth Lady Vikings Gala.
 
Thanks for the memories.
 
Mary Riley

Thank you from Coach Carter

Next to my marriage and the birth of my children and grandchildren
this will be my most memorable event. Everything was perfect. I frankly spent the entire evening in awe of the occasion. Please know how much this meant to me and my family, and I thank and love each and every one of you.

Norman Carter

Dear Coach

I just had to reprint Edie's letter to Coach Carter so everyone could read it. Very well put, Edie. Todd read the letter at the reunion, and it was wonderful. We missed you. Bunny
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Dear Coach,
Words are insufficient to express the impact you have had on my life. Excluding my family, you are the one person who has influenced me more than any other. I’m sure that the other members of the Lady Vikings family will concur with my praises of you. You have the special power to see potential and to draw it out. You believe in individuals long before they believe in themselves. With the self-discipline, determination, and high standards that you set, you have taught us all how to benefit from hard work, thrive during difficulties, and find within ourselves that “something special” that you have always seen in us. You are a part of who we are and what we have become. You live in us and in our families. We often hear your words coming from our mouths, like we might those of a dear parent, when we are encouraging, scolding, or guiding our children. We even find that we are still disappointed in ourselves when we don’t meet the high standard that you set for us so long ago. We are all connected to you in an immensely important way.
In addition, you have connected us with each other – players, cheerleaders, managers, scorekeepers, teachers, parents, and fans – to a place in time where expectations, team work, and a sense of community allowed us to achieve the impossible. All this happened in a tiny little town where practically every citizen was involved with “the winning streak” at some level. We are all a part of a miracle from the past. It lives in our hearts and souls, and its stories will never stop being told. I can say with confidence that when we are gone from this world, our children and theirs will continue to share the legend that only you could have imagined we were able to achieve.
It has been a wonderful blessing to have had the honor of being coached and encouraged by you. I am eternally grateful that God placed the Lady Vikings family in your care.

Edie Smith Baxley

Evidence of The Golden Rule

My husband, Mike, was the Chief Probation Officer in Tifton, Ga. until his recent retirement. He and his Probation officers are those in the Department of Corrections who send these women with substance abuse problems to The Golden Rule. They have a choice of either going there to recover from their addictions or to jail. According to him, there are other residence programs of this type in existence, but often are not effective.

Judge Gary McCorvey from the Tifton Judicial circuit always gives these women a lecture as he gives them The Golden Rule as an option and basically says,
"If you are serious about getting help, there is a place for you to go. If you are not serious, you will not be there very long. The folks at the Golden Rule don't play with you. That is one of the most effective drug and alcohol progams anywhere."

Mike and his staff found The Golden Rule to have a high success rate and a program that gives these women the tools to make it in life if they want to. If there had been time on our program Saturday night, he would have shared this with the group. Doesn't this sound like how we were coached?

Also, Mike was a "green-horn" basketball coach back in 1971 who had not won a game until he attended a coaching seminar in Albany, at Merry Acres Restaurant featuring Coach Norman Carter. Mike implemented the simple offensive plays he learned there and won his first game! Based on what he learned from Coach Carter, he never had a losing season. It is a small world.........

A Great Coach, A Great Father

Trey Carter posted this as a comment on one of the blogs, and I copied it here so everyone would be sure to see it. Bunny
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Many of you don't know me that well as a person. You may know me as a tennis player or the little coach's son watching your games. However, I am so honored to witness the glory you have given my father. As I sat there watching each of you at the reunion, it took all of my energy to fight back the tears. Being an athlete, I understand the discipline and focus that it takes to be successful. What I am not used to seeing is the selflessness. My father is a great man. Many of you know that. He has touched you and you will never be the same. However, many driven coaches tend to distance their families in their passion to be successful. My father is a better father and grandfather than he was a coach. I have never felt a love and respect deeper than I feel for him. You have allowed me and my children to experience a part of my father, their grandfather, that we never really knew. They still know him as granddaddy, but now they also know him as Coach. As my son North said "I didn't know grandaddy was famous". He deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame, and will be, but he has already made it in the hearts of his family.
God Bless Each Of You.

Trey

Check this out!

You've got to read Bruce Goddard's blog on the reunion. Click here to go straight to it.

Coach Carter

I had a wonderful time at the reunion Saturday night. My emotions ran the gamut from almost tearful to hilarity. I don’t think I have heard anything funnier than Coach Carter describing the opposing coach turning one of his players over his knee and spanking her right in front of everyone.

I heard all the tributes to Coach Carter, have been reading them on the blog, and today read Bruce Goddard’s blogs about the reunion and his call to action regarding getting Coach in the Coaches HOF and the Georgia Sports HOF. I want to add a few personal observations that will help give some insight into the kind of coach he was and the kind of man he is.

Coach Carter started coaching me in 6th grade. He instilled a dedication to excellence based on fundamentals, belief in yourself and your teammates, and plenty of hard, hard work. He made us believe we were as good as anyone. Unlike the girls teams, who were usually just a whole lot better than their opposition, we played a lot of teams that had a whole lot more talent, were bigger, faster, and usually had much nicer facilities in which to play and practice. What they didn’t have was Coach Carter. Just one example is when we played Warner Robins High School in the Tom Porter Tournament in Macon in December, 1965. Warner Robins was AAA, the highest classification at the time. We never thought that we weren’t supposed to beat them. Never mind that they were undefeated and ranked first in the state. (They finished third or fourth in AAA that year.) If we had played 10 games, they would have beat us at least eight times. We played them once, and Coach Carter had told us we could beat them, and more importantly, showed us how we could do it. We played them once and beat them once. I’ll never forget, after the game, seeing the WR coach just sitting in his chair with his head in his hands. Tough luck, I thought.
In the Class C boys state championship game in 1966, we played another bigger, faster team. Adrian had a couple of boys about 6’3” or 6’4”. That was big for Class C in those days. I had the good fortune to make four fairly high-pressure free throws in the last minute or so of that game, which we won 78-76. Fast forward to the 66-67 season. Harris County beat us by 30 in Hamilton. We played them later in Butler in a very tight game. I had a one-and-one free throw situation with the score tied with less than a minute left. They called time-out to put the pressure on me. All Coach said in the huddle was, “I’ve seen you make tougher ones than this.” I missed the first free throw, Harris Co. got the rebound, scored, and we lost by two. I was devastated. In the locker room, as Coach walked by me without even stopping, he said, “Don’t worry about it. It happens to the best of us.” I had expected not a chewing out, but at least an expression of disappointment. The next week during practice several of us were horsing around during our free-throw practice. I was banking my free-throws off the backboard instead of doing it like I was supposed to. I didn’t even know Coach was watching us. Suddenly, like out of no where, he was standing behind me. All he said was, “I didn’t notice you banking any free-throws Friday night.” Again, I was devastated. I knew I had let him and the team down by not taking something as important as free-throw practice seriously. The point is that he knew when and how to build his players up, and when and how to put us in our place, all the while doing it in a way that wasn’t obvious to fans, and many times not even to the other players. By the way, we beat Harris County by two in a triple-overtime game in the region tournament, knocking them out of a chance to go to the State Tournament.

Coach Carter is one of those people that knows what works and knows how to inspire people to do those things that work. According to one of my friends who works with State Probate officers, The Golden Rule is recognized by authorities as one of the best and most successful facilities of its kind.

Coach Carter, nor any of us who played for him, would expect anything less.

Mark Harris

Reunion Fun!

The pictures speak for themselves of the fun we had at the reunion!


Four pages of pictures


Four more pages of pictures

Send me more and I'll post them also.

Fabulous!

The Lady Vikings have had a busy and fabulous week-end. Our reunion was a great success. We had a party that I can truly say had a dreamlike quality.

All I can say is WOW! What a good time we had. We celebrated 35 years of our winning streak holding as the state record in Georgia and as fourth in the nation. We pulled off a fabulous party with 180 guests to honor the coach, players, managers, and cheerleaders of the winning streak years. We had a great time with Ed Grisamore as speaker, and Lady Vikings presenting each part of the program. A favorite with everyone was Coach Carter giving his memories from the winning streak years. Then we surprised our coach Norman Carter and his wife Jane with a sizable donation to their passion, The Golden Rule, a substance abuse facility in Mauk that they founded and operate. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Now we plan to start on our next goal: getting our coach inducted into the Hall of Fame - the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame. And getting the Lady Vikings Winning Streak mentioned in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. It's amazing to everyone that hears that there is no mention now. A record that's held for thiry-five years deserves to be mentioned. As Coach Carter said in the WMAZ interview, "People say it was easy to do back then... Well if it was, why didn't someone else do it?"

We've had some pledges of help toward our goal of getting Coach Carter in the Hall of Fame from some fantastic people - Ed Grisamore with the Macon Telegraph, Todd Smith, Sandy Harris, Bruce Goddard, and the list continues. With some teamwork from the Lady Vikings, like Coach Carter trained us so many years ago, we can surely make this happen. It's time, don't you think?

Watch for pictures of the reunion - coming soon!

Nothing Left to Chance

I remember how Coach Carter covered every detail in preparing for games. Before we played in the state tournament in the Macon Auditorium, we had special additions to our practice one day. The Macon Auditorium had a balcony that was level with the glass backboards, so when you were shooting free throws, you could see all the fans waving and screaming. To get us used to this, he had several B team boys climb up on the bars behind our backboards and sit there and wave and yell while we practiced shooting free throws. This is another example of how careful attention to detail helped us win 132 games in a row!

Sissy Riley Martin

Surprise to Lady Vikings!

This half-page advertisement appeared in the Taylor County News this week - a surprise to the Lady Vikings! I love the five basketballs - one for each state championship.

I suspect that Mr. Buddy Dunn had something to do with it. Thanks to all the businesses and to Buddy! Thanks to Valori, editor of the Taylor County News, for publicizing our event. We have 175 registered to attend. It's going to be a special night. Many more surprises are planned!

Many Great Memories

The four years 1967-1971 that I was on the team were years that will always remain in my memory. I read the blog and enjoy thinking about the very hard work that every member of the team put out because we wanted our community to be proud of us and we did not want to let them down.

Yes, that was my Dad that came all the way to Milledgeville to get me, Joyce and Lynn at college so we could see the game against Perry. He carried us back that night. That was a long ride back to school after the game. We were so sad about the loss.

I remember the medicine ball. I also remember the ankle weights that we wore everywhere. Yes, I mean everywhere.

We had so many great supporters. I remember the banquets people in the community would give after we'd win the state tournaments. Flintside, out on Hwy 19 North across the river on the left hand side, was one place I remember we went as a group for supper. I hesitate to name the groups that honored us. There were several, and we loved it. We had some great times and good food.

Everyone of the Lady Vikings had matching outfits for away games. I always felt we made quite an impact on everyone when we walked into the gyms.

I think we all learned a lot about ourselves that made us who we are today. We were, and are, a determined, dedicated group that just will not quit. I am not good at writing these kind of things, but I am thankful that I had the opportunity to be a Lady Viking and I would not take anything for that experience.

Dianne Kendrick Chastain

My Very Best Wishes to All

Glenn moved to Taylor County first..the Viking girls saw how tall she was and must have been thrilled..then they discovered that her hidden talents may not have included basketball.   Then I came to town.. ok..not as tall, but another hopeful. While I did attend Coach Carter's basketball camp one summer and conquerred one "mean layup", I ultimately found my niche as one of yalls biggest fans...yelling my fool head off!  Sherry taught me that!! haha

My very best wishes to all the Ladies of Viking. Sandra, Edie, Bunny, Patsy, MaryAnn, Kathy...Sherry, Dawn..wow.. thanks for the memories!

Funny, I can only remember the winning..not that loss!  Enjoy your celebration...


Shelley Carroll Thessen

The Wonder Years: 1967-1972

We had heard about him before he walked into the new Butler High School Gymnatorium in 1953. He was a tall, skinny kid out of Talbot County High School. Our basketball coach, Bill Hornsby, told us he was well known throughout the state, and maybe the best basketball player in Georgia. But, you must not let this kid intimidate you! He was just that good and even better, outscoring our entire Butler High School Bears’ team. But, because he was such a good and popular kid, we felt fortunate to have played against such a star. This was Norman Carter, but we never knew back then that his dream was to coach girls’ basketball. Neither did we know that Butler High School would be his first coaching assignment, and that he would be coaching my then 9-year old sister, Kay, in the state championship game in Macon in 1962. But, even more, to be coaching the Taylor County Lady Vikings in 1967-1972, during The Wonder Years of Taylor County basketball.

During 1967-72, The Wonder Years, the Lady Vikings won 132 consecutive games, went undefeated for five years and won five consecutive state championships. In 1969, they held both the Class ‘B’ and Class ‘C’ championships for one hour.

Great basketball fans and supporters of yesterday helped to make basketball the best thing going and the most talked about thing. Some of the best fans and supporters of girls’ basketball in Taylor County have left us now, but their memories of the games have not. Just to name a few of them, Leo Anglin, M.P. Dean, Emory Harris, Joe Eubanks, and John Turk, (one of the Turk brothers). These loyal fans made the game of basketball the most popular of all sports.

John Turk was a favorite of many players and fans. He was the owner and operator of The Rabbit Box (famous for its Turkburger.) The old oak tree, planted in 1892 stood out front, a perfect place for talking basketball. John had an old bell hanging in the tree. He would ring the bell for hours (if he could not make it to the games), when the word came from the old Macon City Auditorium that Taylor County was state champions again. If he could make the game, he would call a friend or neighbor to ring the bell until his arrival home. Within the last few years, the old oak tree, a gathering place for over 100 years, died too. (If only this tree could talk to us about back then!)

This weekend, the Lady Vikings of 1967-1972, The Wonder Years, will return back home to Taylor County for a 35-year reunion. Norman Carter, their coach and mentor, will be present for this memorable event.

Likely, nothing like Norman Carter’s records will ever be compiled again. We should stay proud of his outstanding contributions to our young ladies of yesterday, and to Butler, Taylor County, and Georgia basketball.

Buddy Dunn

If we play defense...

I have really and truly enjoyed reading the various comments about lessons learned as a Taylor County Lady Viking and how those lessons have poured over into adult life.  I am looking forward to seeing all of my teammates on Saturday night.  I am sure that all of us look the same…..ha! ha! but just a little more matured and nutritionally enhanced.

I can still hear Coach Carter saying, "If we play defense, our offense will take care of itself."

Mary Riley

Basketball was my life!

I forget what grade I was in, but I had decided that I wanted to be a cheerleader.  I was pretty small, but I had a loud mouth, so cheerleading seemed like the thing to do. Coach Carter had a different idea.  He said I was too mean to be a cheerleader and he was going to make a basketball player out of me.  Well imagine my surprise when in the 9th grade I made the team.  Of course my uniform was a little big for me.  My mom had to rip out the seams and fold them under and pretty much remake the entire thing.  At least I had a lot of padding, which turned out to be a good thing, since Coach Carter taught me the technique of getting "charging fouls"  (even when you were not touched by the opposing team).  I was suppose to get a milkshake for each successful attempt.  I can't remember how many milkshakes I got, but I do have a few scars to show  for my success.  Yes, basketball was my life and I sure had some good friends to make all the hard work worthwhile and of course all the winning and State Championships  were a big PLUS.  I didn't know what it meant to lose!  In my 4 years on the team, I never played in a losing game!!    Thanks to all my teammates, the fans, cheerleaders, managers  and Coach Carter for helping me be a part of such an awesome winning streak.  
#10  Patsy Ranow Gaultney 

Taylor County Vikings Pride

I'm sure the Taylor County High School Cheerleaders stood at attention for Mrs. Jeri Harris just as quickly as the girl's basketball team did for Coach Carter. Mrs. Harris was a tiny little thing, but you knew you better do exactly as she said on the court as well as in her French and English classes. Mrs. Harris encouraged us to do our best and to exhibit lots of spirit and pride -- Taylor County Vikings Pride!
 
I have fond memories of being on the 8th grade basketball team and playing with Sissy, Maxine, Linda, Dianne, and all the rest. I also had sense enough to realize that I was no where close to being in their league, so I became a cheerleader. Our squad had a lot of fun cheering for Coach Carter and his winning basketball team. We also knew we had to be very serious. I can still remember the cheer, You can sock it to the East, You can sock it to the West, but when you sock it to the Vikings, you sock it to the Best!  It is such a privilege to be a part of a group that is going to honor one of the "Best" coaches and the "Best" players in the state of Georgia. I knew Coach Carter as a teacher, principal, superintendent, but most important of all as a coach. Mrs. Carter was my 4th grade teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Carter have touched many lives and continue to do so. Thanks for the memories!
 
Charlene Wright Jackson,  TCHS Cheerleader

Lady Viking Memories

I am so looking forward to next Saturday night.  It will not only be great seeing  all the girls I spent so much time with as part of the Lady Viking basketball team 35 years ago but it will also be a great opportunity for all of us to honor Coach Carter.   He was a great basketball coach but he was also a great life coach.

 My basketball playing began at Reynolds when I was in the seventh grade.  Bunny and Sandra were eight graders and I learned a lot playing with them and watching them.  During my eight grade year, I was one of the girls chosen by Coach Carter to go to Butler to practice with the TC Lady Vikings.  I was awestruck but it was during those practices I became determined to work hard enough to make that team.

 I remember sitting on the bench next to Edie our freshman year in the State Championship game in Macon.   Bunny, Sandra and company were routing the opponents but Edie and I were still shocked when Coach Carter called our names to go in that game.   My sophomore year I got more playing time and worked harder than I had ever worked in my life. It was during that year that I realized I had a chance of making the starting line-up on that great team.   I remember wearing ankle weights not only to school every day but also to church and on dates.  Every girl on the team did that.  My junior year my dream was realized.  I found myself playing on a regular basis and being a real part of the team and the history that was being made.   I look back on that experience and it continues to be one of the highlights in my life.

 I have so many great memories.  I remember all the drills in practice.  We practiced fundamentals so much I did drills in my sleep.  We were prepared for our opponents.   Every game I knew the name of the person I would be guarding.  Coach Carter made sure we knew their strengths and weaknesses.  I knew if their tendency was to go to the right and I knew if they could not shoot with their left hand.  I also remember Coach Carter always raising the bar.  If I did something good, like draw a charging foul, he would acknowledge it but always challenge me to do it more often.

 Coach Carter taught us all that it takes hard work to be successful.  That is true in basketball but also true in life.   It was anything but easy playing for Coach Carter.  We all remember coming back to the gym in Butler to practice late at night after a bad game and him daring us to shiver in that very cold gym.  We were all afraid of him but we also had great respect for him.  But despite of his toughness we all knew he cared about us as individuals.  The day my dad died my junior year was obviously a very traumatic time in my life.  I remember the crowd of people at our house that night and I remember looking up and seeing Coach Carter walking down the hall.   He was there for me during that time and was there for me on a personal level that entire year.  He even allowed my boyfriend (who would later become my husband) to drive part of our team in our white station wagon to some out of town games that year.   

I can count the true heroes in my life on one hand.  Coach Carter is in that group.   The lessons I learned with all the girls who were part of the mighty Taylor County Lady Vikings are the greatest lessons I ever learned in life.  I thank God for allowing me to be a part of that team and to get to experience what we experienced.

 I can't wait to see you all on Saturday night. 
– Kathy Underwood Goddard

The Night We Lost

The Lady Vikings lost their first game in five years on January 4, 1972. It was a sad night for all of us. We never wanted to lose. Winning was way too much fun!

There are many amazing stories that came from that night. I've learned more in the last few weeks.

Perry was the team who finally beat us. They had focused on trying to do just that for a couple of years. Although Perry at that time was a AA school and we were A, Coach Carter scheduled them because they were good and we needed the competition before play-offs. We beat Perry in Butler (pictured) on Dec. 10 by five points, 56 - 51, so we knew that first game after Christmas in Perry would be another close one.

Sandy Harris (now my brother-in-law), who was the boys' coach at the time, talks about how very hard it was for the boys' game to follow close girls' games. He said when the girls would have a close game, he would have a time getting his boys settled down and ready to play. They wanted us to win about as badly as we did. The night that we lost was the worst. The boys had to wait a long time before they could even take the floor for warming up. They say that near pandemonium occurred on the gym floor immediately afterwards and it was 30 minutes before the boys' game could begin.

Most anyone you ask, who was halfway a basketball fan, will say that they were at the game that night. Many college students came home to be there. I know Mr. Cecil Kendrick drove to Georgia College in Milledgeville to pick up Joyce Kendrick, Dianne Kendrick, and Lynn Young so they wouldn't miss this game, and drove them back afterwards. Jean Jones and her boyfriend (and now husband) Robert Cooper drove over from Middle Georgia College. Many, many people went to the game in support. We can't say we lost because the other fans were louder. Ours were there and were loud.

Mr. Buddy Dunn said that the talk that day at the Warner Robins base where he worked was that a Houston County school would break the winning streak in 1972, and that it would probably be Perry that night. He was at the game of course. Mr. Buddy was a loyal fan for years.

I just learned this week that our scorekeeper, Melodie Bohler Stinson, was so upset and crying so hard after we lost that the official scorekeeper (Perry, because they were the home team) told her that she should not be allowed to keep the boys' scorebooks. She walked into the lobby to compose herself, but she only cried harder. Mr. Grady Trussell overheard and came to her rescue, but his arguments got nowhere with the officials. Melodie was not allowed to keep the boys' scorebook that night.

Over the past couple of weeks, a student movie-making team at the middle school has been interviewing former players for a short film on the Lady Vikings. When they ask the players about the game that was lost, the players start talking, and then nearly get choked up. Even after so long, it still touches us to talk about it. It was a hard night for those of us on the team, and for those in the stands that night.

After the game that night, when the buzzer sounded and signified the end of the streak, we went to the locker room and Coach Carter went also. I remember we just sat quietly for awhile, all of us in a daze. It was surreal. Tears were rolling, and everybody was very quiet. There was shock and disbelief. We could hear the celebrating in the Perry locker room, and rightfully so. They'd played a good game; they'd reached their goal. Coach Carter then asked if we'd like to go and congratulate them. We nodded that we would. He led the way and we went in and shook hands with all the team members and the coach. They'd done what no other team in five years and 132 games had - beat the Lady Vikings of Taylor County High.

When I remember that 1972 season now, I don't dwell much on that loss to Perry. It would have been easy to have dissension on that team after we lost. But we didn't. We picked ourselves up, our coach motivated us to continue, and we reached our number one goal of the year - to win the state championship.

Basketball - A Constant at TCHS

I am excited about the reunion and am looking forward to the fun of seeing everybody and am especially excited about our having the opportunity to honor a great coach and a great man who was such a positive influence in our lives.

I am at the same time a little apprehensive about seeing everyone because in my mind’s eye I look pretty much the same as in my high school days, just slightly more mature. I’ll be much obliged if nobody lets on to me that the truth is not that.

Basketball was a constant throughout high school. No matter how much everything else changed, there was always basketball to focus on. I know how blessed I was to have the opportunity to witness great coaching up close and to be part of the Lady Vikings team.

We all worked so hard! The overpowering smell of us after a hot spring practice going down the steps into the locker room! Remember that? It was such a closed space, and we smelled so unladylike, but it was the smell of hard work and meant that we would win again. And I don’t know where Coach Carter came up with those medicine balls, but they looked they could have been unearthed from an Egyptian tomb. He surely knew how to keep us all motivated to give our best!

Growing up in Reynolds with Bunny and Sandra, I had no doubt as to who of the three of us not only was lacking in physical talent, but who also lacked the competitive drive that makes a great athlete. They were amazing basketball players from early on, and I know I was fortunate to come along when they did.

I was still a freshman when Maxine Lawhorn explained to me that what I was was a Rinky-Dink. Ordinary teams had benchwarmers, but even the Lady Vikings’ bench was a step above other teams’ benches and had its own proud name. Maxine may have been joking, but that’s sure what we called ourselves. It was part of the tradition.

Games are won in practice, and we Rinky-Dinks were an important part of the team. Once when a big game was coming up, Coach Carter had some of the B-team boys come to practice against the starters. I don’t know if Coach Carter thought the other team’s players were on steroids or what, but I remember feeling a little let down that he thought his own Rinky-Dinks might not be keeping the first team on their toes. I took my role on the team seriously.

I vividly remember the night of the loss to Perry even though I was no longer on the team. I was at Middle Georgia College in Cochran and had met the light of my life, Robert Cooper, who had heard lots about my high school basketball team that could not lose a game. So when the Vikings were playing in Perry, he and I rode over for the game. Incidentally, my mother was there since Harriet was on the team, and that was the first time she met Robert. (She liked him right away, and we all know how much easier life is if your mom approves of your boyfriend.) The evening started off great, but it ended horribly. I was devastated by the loss. The thought had never ever occurred to me that the combination of Bunny Harris, Sandra Arnold, and Norman Carter could lose a game. On the way back to Cochran, I concluded that Coach Carter had decided that the pressure of the winning streak was so heavy on the players that it was a hindrance to the main goal of winning State and had arranged to lose by a slim margin to a worthy opponent. That was how impossible it was to me to comprehend that we could lose.

But then Robert and I went to see the game in Warner Robins. Another loss, which blew my theory. That was the last game Robert Cooper was allowed to attend. He and I thought about going to the State finals that year, but didn’t. I’m not really superstitious or believe in jinxes, but still it seemed best for the team if he just wasn’t there.

To this day, when the topic of the Lady Vikings’ incredible winning streak comes up, Robert jokingly comments that all he ever saw the team do was lose!

Can’t wait until the 17th! You’ll recognize me right away because I look pretty much like I did in high school, just a little more mature.

Special People

It has been so interesting to read all the blogs and comments from everyone. I have wanted to write since the first one I read, but something happened January 25, 2007 that changed my life. My Dad passed away. He was so excited about this reunion. Just a few days before he passed away he and I talked about it when he was in ICU. I know he will not be with me at the reunion, but I will feel his presence.

Another great man that influenced my life is Coach Carter. Gosh, I was so scared of him! He taught us all so much. While playing under his coaching I learned that it took the entire team to win. It takes the entire family, the entire church, the entire co-workers, etc. to be successful and because of Coach Carter I can say I am successful because of him.

There are so many great memories of Coach Carter........well, some are not so great! I remember once that he lined us up against the "wall" after practice and said someone had failed an algebra test. He wouldn't name the person but said, "you know who you are". He said he had talked to the teacher and this person would be allowed to take the test again the next day and "you had better pass". Of course I went home and studied my butt off and made a 94 on the test. I was so nervous because I knew if I failed again Coach Carter could remove me from the team. Basketball was my life so I never failed another test. (Thanks Mr. Dwight!!)

There are so many memories that I will never forget. Of course there are several about my Dad that comes to mind. Because he was a preacher I had to attend Church. For some strange reason we had a game on a Wednesday night and I was afraid he would make me go to Church and miss the game. He let me play and I remember seeing him come into the gym during the 3rd quarter. Apparently, he cut his service short so he could come to the game. I can only remember him missing 2 games in four years. My senior year, my last game, the State championship game, I got my front tooth knocked straight up into my gum. Gosh, it was so painful. It happened a few seconds before half-time. I did not see him, but I have been told that he climbed the fence that separated the fans from the court. He had to see for himself that I was alright. Two doctors came to our dressing room and said I should go the the emergency room. Coach Carter asked what I wanted to do. There was no hesitation.....my last game....I was finishing the game! I did, we won and I could not eat my steak afterwards.

I was asked how I felt after Perry broke our winning streak. That was one of the worst nights in my life. With 5 seconds left in the game I started walking off the court and someone grabed me and walked with me to the door of our dressing room. I thought it was the guy I was dating, but to my surprise it was my brother, Edward. He knew how devastated we were. There was not a dry eye on the TC side of the gym. Edward later wrote an editorial to the Perry newspaper commending the Perry team on their win. He also reminded them that "we are still number one". The following day we were allowed to report to school late. I will never forget the scene. The cheerleaders had the halls decorated and everyone was cheering. I know I cried all day.

So many people were involved in our winning streak......Coach Carter, players, cheerleaders, managers, scorekeeper, fans and our parents.....you are all so very special. I will always cherish each of you. There is one more special person in my life I have to mention. Bunny Fuller Harris, thank you for being my teammate for so many years. Bunny and I started playing together at recess in the fifth grade. Yep, in our little dresses! We actually started our winning streak in the 8th grade. Believe it or not, I could read her mind. I could look at her and I would know which direction she was going and I would throw the ball in that direction.....hoping I was right. From as far as I can remember it has been Fuller-Arnold!!!! Thanks, Bunny for so many memories.

Looking forward to seeing all of you March 17, 2007.

Teams Were Seeing Double!

The Peed tradition on Norman Carter's basketball teams had been around a few years when I first joined the Lady Vikings. By 1970 all 8 teams he had taken to the state tournament had at least one Peed girl on them. Coach Carter considered that tradition a good luck charm. Dondra was on the 1963 team and Janice was on 1964 and 1965. When Kathy and Karon joined the team in 1967, I guess it became double good luck. They were identical twins.
Kathy and Karon played guard, and they were double trouble to the other teams we played. To be as nice as they were, they played tough defense. I'm sure the other team's forwards thought they were seeing double by the time it was over. Coach Carter alternated his guards the years I played, and if both weren't in there at the same time, one was in there. If you couldn't tell Kathy from Karon you could look at their uniform numbers. Kathy was #20 and Karon was #30.

Karon Peed Dunn saw Judy Riley Bland back in the fall and as with any two Lady Vikings talking, the conversation turned to the fact that we really need to have a reunion. Judy and Karon get the credit for our upcoming get-together. They got the ball rolling first. Now it is really bouncing! We have over 125 signed up to attend.

Kathy Peed Davis has been making a scrapbook for our reunion and I got to see it last Friday. It is fabulous! It turns out that her mother kept all the newspaper articles from the twins' four years in high school. Kathy got them out after her mother's death and her mother had numbered every one in order of occurence. She also had a note in there the day the Sunday paper didn't run and she didn't have that article. Kathy went to the library and got that one. She's been working hard since Christmas getting the scrapbook done. This scrapbook is so impressive, with all the stickers and acid-free paper that current day scrapbookers use. My scrapbooks and Sissy's scrapbooks are falling apart! Of course, they are 35 years old!

There is a photograph in Kathy's scrapbook that I want you all to see. "Miss" Eleanor had hung Kathy's and Karon's uniforms (white and blue) on the clothesline and taken a picture. It is so neat to see those four uniforms hanging on the line. Brings back memories!

A Bright Star in My Collection of Memories

I can truly say without a doubt that the memories I have of my school days at Taylor County are by far the fondest. The friendships made with both teachers, coaches, teammates and counselors are a bright star in my collection of memories. My class of 1973 was an awesome group of people. Even though we were the green peas in comparison to the group that we followed, we still felt very much a part of the Lady Vikings Winning Streak years. When Edie Smith, Kathy Underwood, Carlynn Neisler, and I made the varsity team you would have thought we had made it to the Olympics.

The momentum of what Norman Carter had done with basketball was felt throughout Middle Georgia. He had become a legend and had earned the respect of his players and colleagues alike. I often think back and wonder what it was. He created in us an absolute love for the sport. If you were not totally committed 100% to basketball and the program, then there was no place for you. Coach Carter demanded respect and raised the bar for all of us to achieve the very best in all areas of our lives. What people fail to understand was that he made us better people for it. We were expected to be academically high achievers. We held our heads high wherever we went. We were proud of who we were, because we knew that we had been set apart. Bunny, Sandra, Patsy, Regina, and those that I cannot recall were role models to us.

I went on to play basketball at Middle Georgia College. Bunny had also played there. We might have gone on to better things, but women's basketball in the intercollegiate level was untapped at that time.

I want to thank Sandy Harris and Dwight Harris for keeping me focused on my academics during that time.

Taylor County Lady Vikings became who they were because of one man's dream (Norman Carter) and the support of a lot of parents and teachers who supported that dream. I just want to say thank you to Bunny, Karon, Judy, and all of the great people who are taking the time to bring this reunion to fruition. Job well done to each of you, and to Coach Carter.

Manchester Memories - Tri-County Tournament

During the years of the winning streak, we played in the oldest of all Georgia Invitational Basketball Tournaments - the Tri-County Tournament. This was a tournament held in Manchester. It was started in 1926 with Meriwether, Harris, and Talbot Counties playing in the first tournament. Basketball was about the only type of athletics at the smaller high schools. The only indoor playing court in the three counties was the one owned by the Manchester Mills, and they started playing it there. When Manchester High got a gym, the tournament was moved there.

Taylor County High School was invited to the tournament in 1968 and the girls won it the next five years in a row. The gym was always full of people, and it was just a great place to play.

Mr. Jim Woodall presented the trophies several years that I remember. He was referred to in the Manchester newspaper as "Talbot County's 'Grand Old Man' of sports, education, and just about everything else constructive and instructive to area youth." It was a tournament with a lot of history and it was always exciting to play there. I always felt like I had my best games there, and I looked forward to it every year.

The Lady Vikings won the tournament in 1968 over Harris County, in one of their many meetings that year. That's the year Taylor County beat Harris County five times - every time - all the way to the finals of state.

I especially remember the first game of the 1969 tournament - my freshman year. Sandra and I alternated starting by games that year, and it was my game to be the starter. The other forwards were Sissy and Judy Riley. Teams were always focusing on stopping the Riley phenom, and the first tournament game that year was no exception. For the first three minutes, every time down the court their guards would double team Sissy. Coach Carter had taught us to look at the defense and find out who was open. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that I had no guard; Judy would throw me the ball and I would shoot right under the goal. I scored the first six times down the floor - 12 points - and didn't think anything about it. It was automatic. Well, then it dawned on me that I had scored all the points that we had so far. I kind of got the "big head" and missed the next time down the floor! The other team called timeout and put a guard on me then. Sissy and Judy took over and scored 23 and 17 respectively. I ended that game with 18 points, and we won and moved on to win the tournament - the second time for the Lady Vikings.

In 1970, Jim Coger from Columbus WTVM came to our game and it was quite exciting when he and his camera crew interviewed Coach Carter with us watching after the game. I remember Coach threw a towel over Judy's head as the camera panned around the room of players.

Another exciting thing about the tournament was they named an All-Tourney team. Judy, Sandra, and I were so excited in 1970 when all three of us , the forwards on the Lady Vikings, made the All-Tourney team. We scored 201 points among the three of us during the tournament. We had five on the team that year - Denease McAbee and Patsy Ranow, two of our guards, were also honored.

The Tri-County tournament was split over two week-ends. In 1971 we won our tourney game the first week-end, then nearly lost our game on Tuesday in between when we beat Warner Robins after two overtimes. We were glad to return to Manchester with our winning streak still intact.

In 1972's tournament first round I remember being on the bench during the fourth quarter as our subs got a chance to play, and this guy coming over to Coach and saying, "Norman, put Fuller back in and let her get 50 points. It's been a long time since we had a player score 50 in this gym. " Coach just laughed, and said, "We aren't interested in that." I ended the game with 47 points, and didn't even play the whole game. The Manchester gym was one of my favorite places to play.

The Tri-County Tournament was just a lot of fun - a lot of good memories were made there!

Get those reunion reservations in soon!

101 Lady Vikings, managers, cheerleaders, coaches, fans and family members are registered for our Lady Vikings Winning Streak Reunion on March 17! It should be a great time renewing old friendships with most of us not having seen each other for 35 years! Don't worry, Bunny is making us all name tags with our high school team picture on it so we can recognize everybody by how we 'used' to look....not that we have changed that much.......

I hear Linda Joiner has been looking for some navy and white houndstooth fabric like our team skirts were made of to make herself a reunion skirt. She hasn't much luck though. Remember those navy blazers, our skirts and the jumpers? We did look pretty spiffy didn't we! Sandra Arnold still has her lucky knee pads she is bringing to the reunion to add to the memorabilia. Linda is bringing her high top converse shoes. Remember those? Some of us are bringing our State Championship rings to display. We'll have all the trophies on display.

This could turn into a Peed reunion - at this point we have six 'Peeds' and their families. Harriet Jones Geesey will get the prize for coming the fartherest - Laramie, Wyoming! There are lots of you who have not responded yet that live right around Butler......we hope you all can come.