Privileged

I asked Bob Wade if I could reprint his article paralleling women's sports news with the Lady Vikings winning streak years. He agreed, and sent me the document. I really enjoyed this article, and was afraid some might have missed seeing it in the Taylor County News. I loved being reminded of the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Emcee Ron Jaworski's triple take after hearing of the 132 consecutive wins during the introduction of Coach Carter. Jaworski questionned, "132 wins in a row?" once, twice, three times, each time looking questioningly at Coach Carter. Coach just nodded and grinned. It was great! Bob ends the article with a list of all 47 girls who played on the winning streak teams. Thanks, Bob, for a great article. Bunny
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Privileged

“Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, ‘She doesn't have what it takes.’ They will say, ‘Women don't have what it takes.’”, Clare Boothe Luce.

An American King, Billie Jean, ruled England’s tennis empire in 1967. She repeated as Wimbledon’s singles champion, won at women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. That was unprecedented. The Associated Press named her the Female Athlete of the year.

There was another Norman invasion that year but not in England. Norman Carters’ girls’ basketball team won the consolation game of the March 1967 region basketball tournament defeating Pike County.

In the midst of the bitter Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union enmity was deep; yet, the official news organ of the USSR, TASS named American swimmer Debbie Meyer the Woman Athlete of the Year! Women athletes moved from footnotes to mainstream nightly news that year.

In the fall, Coach Jerry Partain delivered a well prepared fundamentally sound class of freshman basketball players to Butler High School Coach Norman Carter Jr. The Butler Bears were eager to pickup where the program left off at Pike County. His girls opened on October 31, 1967 with a win over Crawford County. Carter’s team dominated the hardwood floors of basketball gymnasiums throughout Middle Georgia. At the end of ‘67, his team had 15 consecutive wins.

Debbie Meyer won the American Athletic Union’s James E. Sullivan Memorial Award for 1968. Peggy Fleming skating on ice dazzled television audiences around the world. The Associated Press named her the Female Athlete of the Year. Wyomia Tyus, 8 time national AAU sprinter, won the second of her two consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100-meter dash at Mexico City. Individual women were routine in sporting news.

Norman’s girls ended 1968 with 44 consecutive wins.

The Associated Press in 1969 named swimmer Debbie Meyer the Female Athlete of the year. Sharon Sites Adams sailed solo across the Pacific Ocean in the 31-foot Sea Harp. Coach Carter’s girls’ basketball team won their second consecutive state championship on March 16th at the Macon Coliseum. The winning streak was 63 games.

In that year, Ruth White a 17-year old black woman won a major US fencing title and was the national fencing champion. Audrey McElmury was the U.S. World Road Racing Champion. On December 31, 1969, at mid-season the Taylor County girls’ had an unbroken string of 75 games.

The ’69-‘70 season ended on March 21, 1970 with a third straight state championship and extended the unbroken winning streak to 94.

That year 294,000 American high school girls competed in interscholastic athletics.

The 1970-’71 basketball season opened with a 71-44 win at Marion County. Cathy Rigsby won a silver medal in balance beam at the world championship. She was the first American (man or woman) to win a medal in international gymnastics competition.

The Taylor County Girls won every game in 1970 ended the calendar year at Manchester with 103 straight wins. That season ended March 4, 1971 at the State Championship, Macon Coliseum. The girls won the 4th of 5 straight state championships and extended the undefeated count to 124.

The Associated Press in 1971 named Evone Goolagong the Female Athlete of the year for tennis. The International Tennis Hall of Fame enshrined Althea Gibson that same year. On December 31, 1971, the Taylor County Vikings Girls Basketball team had 132 consecutive victories.

American girls numbering 817,073 participated in interscholastic athletics in 1972. The 15 girls playing for Coach Carter that year sealed the longest winning streak of Georgia high school girls’ basketball history in Perry on January 4.

The crowd cheered for three-quarters an hour. In an act of sublime grace, the Taylor County team visited their opponents’ locker room and congratulated the game winners.

The definition of privilege includes this phrase “benefit that is not available to everyone”. In five years, the number of American high school girls competing in interscholastic sports rose from about 200,000 per year to over 800,000. Coach Carter’s teams consisted of just 47 players over five years. During that phenomenal growth of female participation on high school sports, those 47 made history! Coach Carter and his teams are truly privileged.

The Georgia Hall of Fame immortalized the Lady Vikings Friday and Saturday February 15-16, 2008 not as individuals but by inducting their coach into that institution. Their meritorious contribution to Georgia sports history is enshrined now as it should be.

Emcee Ron Jaworski of Philadelphia Eagles professional football fame and ESPN commentator did a triple take during the ceremony on the incredible 132 consecutive games won. His amazement was fitting tribute to the Taylor County Lady Vikings of 1967-1972 and Coach Carter.

The combined rosters of girls who put “Coach” into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame were: Sandra Arnold, Jean Burke, Grace Bussey, Cynthia Carter, Shirley Durham, Carol Dyer, Earline Flowers, Bunny Fuller, Glenda Gassett, Mary Grover, Sandra Guined, Vicky Harris, Faye Hayes, Linda Hill, Marianne Hinton, Jan Hobbs, Linda Joiner, Harriet Jones, Jean Jones, Cecelia Kendrick, Dianne Kendrick, Maxine Lawhorn, Sue Lawhorn, Denease McAbee, Joye McCrary, Donna Minor, Carlynn Neisler, Joann Parks, Regina Parks, Lynne Partain, Karon Peed, Kathy Peed, Donna Pittman, Patsy Ranow, Judy Riley, Mary Riley, Sissy Riley, Mary Jane Robinson, Patty Singleton, Edie Smith, Kathy Underwood, Carol Wall, Diane Wall, Susan Whidden, Betty Williams, Gail Woodall, and Vicki Works.

You had what it takes!

by Bob Wade - first printed in Taylor County News, March 2008
(pictured are Brynda and Bob at the Hall of Fame Induction in Atlanta)