Life Lessons From the Lady Viking's Past

I’m not sure if hitting the half century mark a couple of years ago did it or something else did it. But I feel fairly certain I spent the first 50 years of my life looking forward and hardly even taking a moment to look back. Now I find myself spending much more time reflecting on days gone by.

Now don’t take that the wrong way. I’m pushing forward every day of my life with every fiber of my being. But I find a lot of value these days in remembering and appreciating special people and special moments in my past. If you have been reading this blog for anytime at all, you can’t help but notice I have spent much of this space remembering people, places and moments in my past.

I think I do that for at least two reasons: One is to put some thoughts of people and events I know about for my children and grandchildren to read one day. I figure if I don’t write down my thoughts they may be lost forever and I really don’t want that to happen. I also want my grandchildren and great grandchildren to remember their Papa when I am long gone. The second reason is I think I was taught almost everything I needed to know about living life in the first eighteen or so years of my life. I think now I have just enough experience in living that I am beginning to understand the lessons I was taught. And appreciate those lessons in much greater ways. So I am spending my “margin” time digging those lessons out of my memory to share with whoever wants to listen.


With that said, about six months ago I wrote an article here about Butler Georgia’s Taylor County Lady Vikings and their winning streak of 132 games and five straight state championships from 1967-1972. I wrote that article because my wife was a Taylor County Lady Viking and a part of those teams. When I wrote the article, I had no idea that this group would plan to come together for a reunion. This Saturday night (March 17) in Butler GA this Lady Viking reunion will take place. It will no doubt be an evening of laughter, reminiscing, and I am sure a few tears. And I am quite sure the lessons they learned during this experience which happened to be during the most formative years of their lives will be shared throughout the evening.

In fact, these female athletes of the past have a reunion blogsite up and running. You will see the life lessons sprinkled throughout their comments. And whether you live in California or Texas or Butler, Georgia, the life lessons they are sharing will apply to you.

I can tell you this. There are not many teams of any sport who can celebrate winning 132 consecutive games. It took some special folks to make that happen.

I am looking forward to spending the evening with them on Saturday night. And I invite you spend some time reading their comments at the Lady Vikings Winning Streak blog site.

You will be glad you did.

There Was Once a Team

 "There Was Once a Team" by Bunny Fuller Harris with Katie Harris Dodrill.

This book is a MUST READ

Kathy and I took a little road trip to the Crowell Community in Taylor County Sunday afternoon. I haven’t been in that area in a long time but having been in the funeral business for many years, I have memories at almost every house we passed.

It is home to me.

Our destination was the home and farmhouse of Mark and Bunny Harris. Bunny will formally release her book, “There Was Once a Team” on July 10th at the Crowell Community House. It is first-hand account of a high school basketball team that won 132 consecutive games.

Can you even imagine what it takes to win 132 games without a loss?

When I saw the date of the release, my heart sank because we will be on vacation that day. I texted Bunny and ordered a few books and apologized that we could not be there that day. She contacted me the next day and said the books were in and we could get our books before leaving for the beach. We jumped on that and headed to Crowell the next day.

Sitting in the den of their home with that family is something everyone who knows them should do at least once. Fortunately their daughter Katie was also there along with her husband Ryan, their little girl, Sarah Grace. and Mark’s brother, Dan.

Simply stated, the Harris family is a brilliant bunch - not only intellectually but in every facet of their lives. I told Kathy when we left I could sit and talk to that family all day.

Salt of the earth folks, they are.

Katie, by the way, co-wrote the book with her mother. I am glad she did because, knowing Bunny, she would have left out personal accolades about herself if Katie did not get involved. Even so, I still think she left out much more that could be said about herself. 

Bunny’s book and her story is personal to me. Bunny and I started school in the first grade together at Reynolds Elementary School in the fall of 1960. That class stayed together until we graduated in the eighth grade. Many of us went our separate ways to different high schools but we never stopped being friends.

Bunny mentions in the book getting introduced to the game of basketball on the playgrounds of Reynolds Elementary School. I was there. When she says in the book that she and Sandra Arnold were the first ones chosen on the playground, she is absolutely one hundred percent accurate.

Those girls could play. Even as kids.

After they led our junior high school girl’s team to an undefeated season in 1968, I knew big things were ahead for this duo. Although I went on to play basketball in another county, I can tell you I kept up with Bunny, Sandra and the Taylor County Lady Vikings. I read the box scores after every game for the next four years and the articles written about them… and just smiled.

The book is even more personal than that. My future wife, a year behind us in school, also played on that incredible team. We started dating in the spring of 1971. Kathy would begin her junior year that next fall. Kathy played all four of her high school years with the Lady Vikings and was an integral part of the team.

Although I was up to my eyeballs in playing basketball myself, I attended every Lady Viking game when I was not playing during my senior year. (Kathy’s junior year). On a few occasions, when Kathy’s dad was sick, I even drove some of the players to away games in my wife’s family station wagon.

During that year, I got a first hand perspective of not only the incredible players on that team but the coach who drove their success.

Bunny’s book is beyond excellent. I knew it would be because of the mother - daughter combo who wrote it.

This book is for several audiences.

If you live in Taylor County or have ever lived there, you will get to read the behind the scenes stories of your friends who made up that team. Bunny “names names” and gives much credit to all her teammates. There are some stories that will make you laugh. Out loud.

If you are a basketball person, you will read details as to what it takes to play the game at the highest level of success from the perspective of one of the best female high school basketball players to ever play in the state of Georgia. Bunny, who later was named the Scholar Athlete of the Year at the University of Georgia in 1976, is very humble in her account. She averaged 22 points per game in her high school career but rarely played more than three quarters because the team was winning by such large margins.

If you are from Houston County GA (my current residence,) you will want to read also. The Perry Lady Panthers ended the incredible streak in one of the biggest nights in basketball history in Perry and a story that immediately hit the national newspaper wires. Later the same year, Warner Robins High School also defeated them. You will see local Houston County names you will recognize and get insight from the girls Houston County caused to finally know what it felt like to lose a basketball game.

If you are thinking about being a coach, you will learn details of what it takes from one of the greatest high school coaches who ever lived and one who is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Norman Carter accumulated a record of 350 wins and 32 losses in a span of 12 years. That is a 91% winning percentage, in case your calculator is not handy.

You will also discover the Hall of Fame coach personally taped his star players ankles before every game.

Above all, if you are a person who is in a leadership position or aspiring to be in one, this book is for you.

It is a book about building a team where every part is just as important as the stars who lead it and about the unity that always results in that model.

It is a book about overcoming outside difficult circumstances beyond your control. Enter county school consolidation, integration and negotiating and leveraging the hard feelings and chaos to result in incredible success.

It is a book about being willing to lose to win. In this case, the coach continued to schedule games against much larger schools in spite of the winning streak - when he did not have to.

It is a book about making sure the team you lead never loses focus on the basic fundamentals and how everything else depends and builds off of that.

It is a book about relentless and consistent no-nonsense hard work and how to balance hard nose leadership with care and concern for those who look to your for leadership.

It is a book about how to communicate effectively by eye to eye contact to get complete buy-in on the task at hand. Nothing compares to eye to eye contact in communicating and leading.

It is a book about the art of giving someone the gift of significance and how long term relationships are formed and nurtured.

It is a book about being prepared for the tough times in life (and they will come) and how to stay calm when the storm is raging.

It is a book about never quitting even though the odds of winning keep getting longer and harder.

It is a book about maintaining balance in life that will serve you many years after you leave the arena.

It is a book about experiencing the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat and handling loss with the same class in which you win.

“There Was Once a Team” is a story that unfolded in front of small middle Georgia community over five decades ago. Many of the fanatical adults who watched and followed this team all over Georgia are long gone now.

But the lessons we learn from this team and what they accomplished are more relevant today than ever.

Be sure to get your copy of “There Was Once a Team.” If you are local, you SHOULD attend the Big Release at the Crowell Community Center on July 10 from 1-3PM. You can get your books autographed by the authors and the coach and other players who will be in attendance. Katie will be reading excerpts from the book.

You can also email Bunny at bunnyharris35@gmail.com. She accepts Venmo, PayPal and an old fashioned check.

Books are $20 plus shipping if you order in advance, After the release, the price will increase.

Ringing the Bell

Just in case you did not see it, here is article by Ed Grisamore that appears in the Macon Telegraph today. Keep ringing the bell.

_____________________________________________________

Ring the bell for one more
By Ed Grisamore - egrisamore@macontel.com

BUTLER --The late John Turk was the kind of philosopher every small town seems to have among its riches. He would supervise the ringing of a bell from an old oak tree after every victory for the Taylor County High girls basketball team.

For five years, it was a familiar sound, like church bells on a Sunday morning. Everyone walked around with ringing in their ears.

From 1967-72, a stretch folks around here affectionately call "The Wonder Years," the Lady Vikings won 132 straight games and five state championships.

Coach Norman Carter could have been elected king. Or mayor. Or, at the very least, county school superintendent.

Actually, he was named superintendent in January 1969, when his girls teams had a 39-game winning streak. He asked if he could coach until the "streak" was over, never dreaming he wouldn't step down for another three years.

It is the longest consecutive winning mark in state history and the fourth-longest nationally among high school girls teams.

I say all this because I believe Norman Carter deserves to be in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, he's not.

The trouble with halls of fame - music, sports or tiddly winks - is they are the most selective and subjective institutions in the world. You can't apply for membership or buy your way in. You're supposed to earn your spot in the hallowed halls. Even then, there's no guarantee.

Our state sports hall of fame will induct its 2007 class of nine members Saturday night at the Macon City Auditorium. But, for every Steve Bartkowski or Don Richardson, there are dozens of others outside the door without an invitation.

I am familiar with the process. I served as a member of the selection committee in 2001. I now feel compelled to join the campaign for Carter, who doesn't deserve to keep being passed over.

By now, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is very familiar with Carter. Ever since the Lady Vikings teams held their 35-year reunion in late March, folks from Butler, Reynolds, Potterville and points between have been waging a full-court press to have their coach immortalized.

In 12 seasons, Carter's teams won six state championships and compiled a remarkable record of 350-32. During the streak, the Taylor girls won five titles in three different classifications. They began the streak when the rules allowed only three players per side and adjusted to the switch to "rover" (six-player) basketball in the 1970s. Taylor won 63 consecutive games prior to integration, then helped smooth the transition of merging with the all-black R.L. McDougald High by winning 69 more.

If Carter is getting the cold shoulder because he coached for only 12 years, then the qualifications are flawed. Do we want length or depth?

With that line of thinking, Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier, might never have been inducted.

He was born in Cairo but moved with his family to California when he was only 16 months old. He never lived in Georgia after that. Jackie, we hardly knew ye.

Carter grew up in Talbotton, was a star athlete at Mercer University and has been a pillar in Taylor County since 1960. He served as school superintendent for 21 years. And he continues to change the lives of hundreds of women at "The Golden Rule," a home he founded in 1998 for victims of alcohol and substance abuse.

He's one of the finest men I've ever known.

I cannot believe there's not a place in our state's hall of fame for someone like him.

The Time Has Come

Several years ago I visited the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon. Being a huge sports fan, I was very impressed with what I saw there. But when I left I was absolutely flabbergasted and scratching my head and was greatly disappointed. And because of my disappointment I never went back and truthfully never even had the urge to go back.

My flabbergasted state and my disappointment stemmed from the fact that there was not even a mention of the Taylor County Lady Vikings and their legendary coach Norman Carter. For the life of me I cannot understand why Norman Carter has not been inducted in the Georgia Hall of Fame and why his amazing teams from 1967-72 are not even mentioned.

Last night the girls and their coach were honored in the community where it all happened. What happened, by the way, is they won 132 straight basketball games and five straight state championships over a period of 5 years. No basketball team in the state of Georgia has ever done that. Only three other teams in the United States have ever won that many consecutive games. And they are not even mentioned in the Georgia Hall of Fame??

You’ve got to be kidding.

Norman Carter coached basketball in Taylor County for 12 years. About a year into his winning streak he became Superintendent of the Taylor County School System. He asked permission from the School Board to let him continue coaching until he lost. That took a few years.

During the 12 years he coached in Taylor County, he won 7 state championships. I haven’t checked, but I wonder how many coaches in the history of our state have won a state championship in 7 out of 12 starts. His teams won 340 basketball games and lost only 31 during those 12 years. His record speaks for itself.


The selection committee should start with his record. That is enough. But while they are investigating, they should interview at least a few of the girls he coached. To the person, they will say that Norman Carter was one of the greatest influences in their lives. They will say that he taught them much more than basketball. But he taught them life lessons about hard work, how to work together, how to overcome obstacles, how to be prepared for the enemy, how to have priorities and most importantly, how to be a winner when most people don’t want you to win. Or think you can’t.

He even taught his players how to lose and how to come back when you’ve been knocked down. They didn’t have much practice in the how to lose part. But when they finally did lose, that same team came back that same year and won another state championship. And that may be his greatest coaching accomplishment.

In a world where you read almost every day of sports icons having their character questioned because of wrong decisions leaving the kids who look up to them disillusioned, the selection committee in this case should go past just looking at the basketball record and the girls he coached and do a little more investigating.

I suggest they ride out to the Golden Rule in Taylor County and interview some of the girls there. Or better yet, interview a few of the girls who have already been through that program. This oasis for girls who have been “knocked down” because of chemical addiction was founded by Norman and Jane Carter in 1996. There are 45 girls there now and a waiting list much longer than that. Again Norman Carter is coaching and teaching girls the same lessons he taught 35 years ago on the basketball court. He is still teaching lessons about hard work, how to work together, how to overcome obstacles, how to be prepared for the enemy, how to have priorities and most importantly, how to be a winner when most people don’t want you to win. Or think you can’t.

Following is the Mission Statement for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame:

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame serves to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of sports in Georgia. We honor those who, by their outstanding achievement or service have made lasting contributions to the cause of sports in Georgia, the nation, and the world. Further, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame seeks to maintain the high ideals and traditions of sports as a positive influence on the youth of our state, emphasizing sportsmanship, physical fitness, and leadership that sports teach.

If Norman Carter doesn’t fit that bill, they need to think about changing their mission statement.

The Executive Director for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is Jacqueline Decell. Her email address is jackied@gshf.org. I think it is time for the people of Taylor County and others who know and appreciate Norman Carter and what he has accomplished through Georgia sports to be heard.

Fill up her inbox. It is time for a full court press. I fully realize that she is not the person who will be making that decision. But I have a feeling she will be a good starting place and will pass the information on to the people who do.

As I was looking around the room last night, his students are not getting younger. And if the crowd who was gathered last night doesn’t lead the charge , it will never happen. The next generation won’t have the luxury of first-hand knowledge of his accomplishments.

We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to Coach Carter. And we owe it to the people of our great state. The story of Norman Carter and his amazing Lady Vikings of Taylor County must be preserved in the history of sports in Georgia.

The time has come.

Long Overdue but Right on Time

(Lake Charles, LA) I found out yesterday that Norman Carter has been selected to be inducted in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. I take back whatever bad I said about their selection committee. I applaud them. In fact they deserve a standing ovation this morning.

When Coach Carter is inducted next Spring it will be a great day for the people of Taylor County. And it will be a great day for all the girls (and boys) who played for him and were positively influenced by him. And more importantly it will be a great day for Norman and Jane Carter and their family.

I want to thank all of you who read this who made calls or sent emails to the Executive Director of the Hall of Fame. Ed Grisamore led the way with his "Ring the Bell" article he wrote in the Macon Telegraph. Some wrote great letters to the editor of the Macon Telegraph that showed up in the paper. Maybe the collective effort got somebody’s attention. Maybe the public outcry had nothing to do with him being chosen this year. It really doesn’t matter.

The only thing that matters is the story of Norman Carter and his incredible accomplishment in high school sports in this state will be forever told in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

One thing is for sure. Norman Carter did not lead this charge. In fact he wouldn’t even talk about it. He has absolutely nothing to prove. The charge was led by the “girls” he so greatly influenced. And it was a core group of them who completed the application in a timely manner and provided the information for him to be considered and ultimately selected.

By the way there were over 200 who applied who met the criteria to be qualified. 36 were left after the first cut. And 8 were chosen.

When I called my wife yesterday afternoon with this news I could tell she teared up. Her response: “This is long overdue.”

Long overdue but right on time.

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about I am republishing a blog I wrote on March 18.

------------------------------------------------
The Time Has Come



Several years ago I visited the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon. Being a huge sports fan, I was very impressed with what I saw there. But when I left I was absolutely flabbergasted and scratching my head and was greatly disappointed. And because of my disappointment I never went back and truthfully never even had the urge to go back.

My flabbergasted state and my disappointment stemmed from the fact that there was not even a mention of the Taylor County Lady Vikings and their legendary coach Norman Carter. For the life of me I cannot understand why Norman Carter has not been inducted in the Georgia Hall of Fame and why his amazing teams from 1967-72 are not even mentioned.

Last night the girls and their coach were honored in the community where it all happened. What happened, by the way, is they won 132 straight basketball games and five straight state championships over a period of 5 years. No basketball team in the state of Georgia has ever done that. Only three other teams in the United States have ever won that many consecutive games. And they are not even mentioned in the Georgia Hall of Fame??

You’ve got to be kidding.

Norman Carter coached basketball in Taylor County for 12 years. About a year into his winning streak he became Superintendent of the Taylor County School System. He asked permission from the School Board to let him continue coaching until he lost. That took a few years.

During the 12 years he coached in Taylor County, he won 7 state championships. I haven’t checked, but I wonder how many coaches in the history of our state have won a state championship in 7 out of 12 starts. His teams won 340 basketball games and lost only 31 during those 12 years. His record speaks for itself.


The selection committee should start with his record. That is enough. But while they are investigating, they should interview at least a few of the girls he coached. To the person, they will say that Norman Carter was one of the greatest influences in their lives. They will say that he taught them much more than basketball. But he taught them life lessons about hard work, how to work together, how to overcome obstacles, how to be prepared for the enemy, how to have priorities and most importantly, how to be a winner when most people don’t want you to win. Or think you can’t.

He even taught his players how to lose and how to come back when you’ve been knocked down. They didn’t have much practice in the how to lose part. But when they finally did lose, that same team came back that same year and won another state championship. And that may be his greatest coaching accomplishment.

In a world where you read almost every day of sports icons having their character questioned because of wrong decisions leaving the kids who look up to them disillusioned, the selection committee in this case should go past just looking at the basketball record and the girls he coached and do a little more investigating.

I suggest they ride out to the Golden Rule in Taylor County and interview some of the girls there. Or better yet, interview a few of the girls who have already been through that program. This oasis for girls who have been “knocked down” because of chemical addiction was founded by Norman and Jane Carter in 1996. There are 45 girls there now and a waiting list much longer than that. Again Norman Carter is coaching and teaching girls the same lessons he taught 35 years ago on the basketball court. He is still teaching lessons about hard work, how to work together, how to overcome obstacles, how to be prepared for the enemy, how to have priorities and most importantly, how to be a winner when most people don’t want you to win. Or think you can’t.

Following is the Mission Statement for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame:

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame serves to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of sports in Georgia. We honor those who, by their outstanding achievement or service have made lasting contributions to the cause of sports in Georgia, the nation, and the world. Further, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame seeks to maintain the high ideals and traditions of sports as a positive influence on the youth of our state, emphasizing sportsmanship, physical fitness, and leadership that sports teach.

If Norman Carter doesn’t fit that bill, they need to think about changing their mission statement.

The Executive Director for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is Jacqueline Decell. Her email address is jackied@gshf.org. I think it is time for the people of Taylor County and others who know and appreciate Norman Carter and what he has accomplished through Georgia sports to be heard.

Fill up her inbox. It is time for a full court press. I fully realize that she is not the person who will be making that decision. But I have a feeling she will be a good starting place and will pass the information on to the people who do.

As I was looking around the room last night, his students are not getting younger. And if the crowd who was gathered last night doesn’t lead the charge , it will never happen. The next generation won’t have the luxury of first-hand knowledge of his accomplishments.

We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to Coach Carter. And we owe it to the people of our great state. The story of Norman Carter and his amazing Lady Vikings of Taylor County must be preserved in the history of sports in Georgia.

The time has come.

Very Clear

Digital cameras are easy to operate. At least the one I use is. You just make sure the green spot on the little round thingy is on the arrow. Then you get your subject in the window and hit the button and you automatically have a sharp focused picture.

But if the little green spot is not on the arrow, the picture turns out fuzzy and unclear. That is exactly what happened last night when I took this fuzzy, unclear photo of Norman and Jane Carter as they were sitting at the head table at the induction ceremony of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame held at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Although this photo is unclear there were a few things that were very clear to me last night.


Norman Carter truly deserved the honor of being chosen as a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. About a year and a half ago I wrote an article here about the amazing Taylor County Lady Vikings who won 132 straight basketball games. Later I wrote another article about Coach Carter and why he should be chosen. Later I copied another article published in the Macon Telegraph that was written by columnist Ed Grisamore that was another effort to show the world that this incredible coach and leader of people should be in the hall of fame. It has been very clear to me for a long time that it was only right that Norman Carter be honored as a member of this elite group.

It was also very clear to me last night that there is more to sports achievement than wins and losses and what happens on the field. I listened to another inductee, all pro defensive end and super bowl MVP Richard Dent, honor his dad who was sitting next to him at the head table. It was very clear that his amazing story had much more to do with overcoming obstacles to succeed in life than it did about a game.

We listened to another inductee, Ernie Harwell, who was the voice of the Detroit Tigers for 42 years, say that if you find a turtle on a fence post you should “always remember that someone put him there.” He went on to say if he was on a fence post as an inductee, he knows it was because someone put him there. He went on to give credit to “his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” It was very clear that he saw his successful career in sports as a road God had put him for purposes beyond himself and beyond calling balls and strikes and providing color commentary at a baseball game.

When I heard another inductee, pro bowler Ernest Byner who retired from pro football among the top twenty all time running backs in NFL history, talk about his tenacious pursuit of his dreams as a kid, it became clear to me that his success on the football team was much more about success in life than it was running a football.

And I heard Norman Carter comment to the 1300 folks in attendance that he was a good coach but he considered himself “a much better judge of character,” and that as proud as he was of the 132 consecutive wins and seven state championships in 12 years, he was “more proud of the ladies and mothers and successful citizens his players had become.”

It was clear to me that these inductees were special people on the field but were and also continue to be special people off the field.


My wife’s basketball coach and real life hero was honored along with a very elite group of folks last night and in doing so he joined a fraternity of the best in sports the state of Georgia has to offer. It had been clear to me for a long time that he deserved the honor he received last night.

The photo I took was fuzzy. But the picture I saw last night was very clear.

Those Girls Could Play

I personally think it all started on the playground at Reynolds Elementary School. Or maybe it started as we watched our heroes play basketball for the Reynolds High School Tigers. We wanted to be able to play like just like them.

One thing is for sure. For a group of us, a pickup basketball game on the playground at Reynolds Elementary School was what we did almost every day.

I can still hear the chosen student of the day standing at the door of the north wing of the school yelling at the top of his or her lungs:

“Third grade coming in!”

Words like that were the final buzzer for many a basketball game at Reynolds Elementary. The game was over and it was time to go back to the dreaded classroom.

Billy Bell and I would usually be the captains for the playground games and we would choose the teams. We would flip a coin to see who would choose first. The winner of that coin flip already knew who would be chosen first to be on their team. The loser of the coin flip also knew who would be their first choice.

It was always the same. Bunny Fuller was chosen first and Sandra Arnold was next.

Then we started choosing the boys.

Make no mistake about it. Those two girls could play basketball. And we watched them get better and better as time went on. I like to think that playing with a bunch of boys on the playgrounds in Reynolds in their early years didn’t hurt their abilities in the later years. I am certain they made us guys much better than we would have been if they had not played with us.

Although I attended a different high school I always kept up with them as they went on to become superstars on the basketball court.

I looked for Bunny and Sandra in the box scores in the sports pages after every game. I also read about them often because they were written about often. I felt like they were my family and for some reason I thought our playground group at Reynolds Elementary somehow contributed to their success.

How good were they?

Let’s just say the teams they played on from the 8th grade until their senior year in high school never lost a basketball game. The Lady Vikings of Taylor County High School in Butler GA won 132 straight basketball games and five straight state championships. Bunny and Sandra starred on four of those.

That state record of 132 consecutive wins still stands today. Check it out for yourself.

For the record Bunny and Sandra led teams that actually won more than 132 straight games because of their undefeated 8th grade season. I think their total is 146.

It didn’t hurt that the legendary Norman Carter was their high school coach. He was a master motivator and teacher of the game. No matter how good the talent, you have to have someone great at the helm to have that kind of success. And you have to be able to take the good players and mesh them with the great players. Norman Carter did that as well as anyone. Anywhere.



As with any championship team there were many who contributed. In fact the girl who would later become my wife played on a couple of those championship teams and was actually on the starting line-up during that last championship year (#25 above). Being on the starting line-up on that team was no small accomplishment.

Bunny went on to have a great basketball career at Middle Georgia College and the University of Georgia. Bunny was named Scholar Athlete at the University of Georgia in 1976. You will find her name inscribed at the top of a list on a monument behind the Coliseum in Athens among such names as Hershel Walker and Ray Goff.

There should be a monument somewhere in Taylor County about the greatest athletic accomplishments in the history of the county.

I have no doubt that the names of Bunny Fuller Harris and Sandra Arnold would be inscribed at the top of that list.

But if that monument is never erected their names will always be indelibly inscribed in the minds of those who saw them play.

My Blog Year in Review

I spent some time yesterday looking back at my 2007 Blogs. If you read this blog I think it appropriate that I communicate my New Year Resolution. It is rather short and simple.

I resolve to not blog nearly as much in 2008 as I did in 2007.

But in looking back I did come up with some awards from my 2007 blogs. If you desire, you can type the key words of certain blogs that you want to read in the search box at the top of this page and I’m sure you will find the articles that brought about these special awards.

MOMENT OF THE YEAR This one is easy. Hands down it happened on January 24, 2007. Our little granddaughter, Taylor Reese Goddard, was born. A moment I will never forget. And a little girl I won’t let you forget as I continue to write about her.

BLOG OF THE YEAR This award is simply based on the number of people who read it (past tense). It has to be a tie between the blog I wrote about Buford Pusser and the State Line Mob on June 11 and the one I wrote about Zack Johnson winning the Masters in April. I have found that a ton of folks are very interested in the State Line Mob and I continue to get hits to that article. The article I wrote about Zack Johnson on April 8 was picked up on websites all over the country. I don’t know how that happens in cyberspace but it definitely happened. I wish I could get royalties for such things.

GRAVE VISIT OF THE YEAR – The visit to Hank Williams grave in Montgomery on January 10 was more than amazing. I saw with my own eyes people from other parts of the country in line to visit that grave. Not far behind was my visit on June 5th to the Buffett family plot in Fairhope AL. That visit resulted in me doing some reading on Jimmy Buffett and the money making machine he as produced.

BEACH TRIP OF THE YEAR - Although our visit to Cabo I wrote about at the end of October was a trip of a lifetime, it pales in comparison to our family trip to Hilton Head Island and little Taylor’s first trip to the beach during the week of July 17. I may never go back to Cabo but I have plans for many more trips to the beach with our Taylor.

ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE YEAR - This one has to be a tie. On March 4 I wrote about Claire Underwood being chosen as a Foundation Fellow at the University of Georgia. On November 5th I wrote about Courtney Underwood being elected President of Zeta Tau Alpha at the same University of Georgia. These incredible girls are sisters and I’m proud to say they are my nieces.

DIAGNOSIS OF THE YEAR – This is a no brainer. I wrote about me being diagnosed with Sexual Malfunction on March 24. The doctor must have been right. My wife has not been pregnant since.

NIGHT OF THE YEAR - Another tie. I flew into Raleigh NC and was picked up at the airport by my lifelong friend Jimmy Childre, Jr. Not only did we stay up way past our bedtimes catching up and visiting the sights at Duke but I actually sat in Coach K’s seat on the floor of Cameron Indoor Stadium, the famous Duke University basketball arena. I wrote about that evening on January 28th.

My long time friend, Donnie Mills, and I made a trip to Turner Field to catch a Braves game from one of the sky boxes. Before the game we took a trip down memory lane at the site of the old Fulton County Stadium. We stood where the home plate was when Sid Bream scored that historic run to beat the Pirates and send the Braves to the World Series. Donnie and I were at that game that night and we remembered it on June 9th and I wrote about it.

NON ROMANTIC EVENING OF THE YEAR – It happened on February 14th in Oklahoma City and of course I wrote about it. I was having dinner with a very heterosexual male business associate in a hotel restaurant and looked around and realized we were the only couple in the restaurant that were not exchanging flowers. Not a very memorable or romantic Valentine Day.

FUNERAL OF THE YEAR - This one is also easy. I was on the podium and one of the speakers at the funeral of my long time friend Rannie Gaultney. A female friend came to the podium and while she was slipping her shoes off, she announced to the packed church that she had always promised Rannie if he died before her, she would dance at this funeral. She did it. And we all smiled. I wrote about it on February 21.

HONOR OF THE YEAR – On April 10 I stood at the podium of the Georgia House of Representatives and received a Resolution of Recognition from that body and had the opportunity to briefly address that historical group. I have to admit, the hair was standing on the back of my neck that day.

MARRIAGE OF THE YEAR - My sister in law Mia was married on October 20. Her Boaz, Tom, claimed her and redeemed her in writing on this blog. With my blessing of that marriage, I gave up the right to be her kinsman redeemer.

NOSTALGIC MOMENT OF THE YEAR - On May 29th I wrote about my youngest son and me going in the old Fort Valley High School Gymnasium where I spent a great deal of time another life ago. I actually stood on the foul line and took a couple of misdirected shots as Luke captured the moment with my camera.

“FIRST TIME” OF THE YEAR - I had my first pedicure in my life on May 11 and I wrote on May 12 that I had feelings towards the pedicurist. My wife and I visited that place another time several months later and the pedicurist remembered my name. Maybe the feelings were mutual.

EXILIRATING MOMENT OF THE YEAR – It happened in our den on August 26 (and I wrote about it) as about a dozen or so of our friends were gathered watching our wall mounted Plasma TV when the Warner Robins Little League beat Japan with a walk off homerun to become the Little League World Champions.

INCREDIBLE PERSON OF THE YEAR – Her name is Jessica Tibbetts. I was sitting next to her on a plane to Wichta KS on June 18 and quickly realized I was sitting next to one of the most remarkable young people I have ever met and I knew she would have to be included on my blog. She is presently continuing to learn Arabic in Yemen. I still follow her on her blog site.

FAMILY OF THE YEAR - I wrote about the Webster’s on May 22 while in the bed at their home in Katy TX while everyone else was asleep. I was there to speak to his men’s prayer breakfast at his church the next morning.

WEEKEND TRIP OF THE YEAR - I wrote about my wife and I taking Julian & Sue Whatley to the North Carolina Mountains on July 1 to join my siblings and their spouses there. The Whatley’s were close friends to our parents and are like our second parents. What a great weekend!

STORE OF THE YEAR - I wrote about Avera Drug Store in Ft. Valley, GA on August 21. My visit there was like a trip back in time. I stopped by to pick up a cake. I must have stayed an hour.

REUNION OF THE YEAR - This is a 3 way tie. I wrote about the Taylor County Lady Vikings Reunion on March 17 and maybe a few other times. My wife was a member of that historic team that won 132 straight basketball games and the reunion was one we will always remember.

On August 4 I wrote about the luncheon I attended for the Ft. Valley High School Class of 1968. Not only did I get reacquainted with the incredible Yancey sisters and many others from Ft. Valley but my high school basketball coach was in attendance.

Another reunion took place at the funeral of our beloved friend and next door neighbor – Rosemary Whatley. Everybody who grew up in that neighborhood showed up for that funeral. I wrote the article, “Nobody went to Yale and nobody went to Jail” on August 14.

MOST PEOPLE OUT OF THE CLOSET – My ramblings about my Irritable Bowel Syndrome (several blogs throughout the year) caused some upstanding citizens to come out of the closet and “fess up.” I was even asked by a marketing person from a major company to be a guinea pig for a new drug to treat the dreaded disease. I discovered all kinds of folks read this blog.

BIRTHDAY BASH OF THE YEAR - The party was held on March 17 in Reynolds and we were there. Jessie Mae King, who I have spoken about and written about so many times, turned 100. She would die 7 short months later.

FUTURE STAR OF THE YEAR - I met De’Leah Wiles in a restaurant in Nashville. She was serving my table and I found out she could sing. I mean really sing. I connected with her through email and she has promised a front row seat for me when she hits the big stage. Stay tuned and remember that name.

EMERGENCY OF THE YEAR - I wrote about it on October 14. My wife got deathly sick to the point of being unresponsive. I called 911 and she was rushed to the hospital. We finally discovered she had an allergic reaction to some medication. All is well that turns out well.

CHURCH OF THE YEAR – I happened on to Goddard United Methodist Church in Ft Smith Arkansas on November 28. I had to stop to take some photos and the blog followed.

WEDDING OF THE YEAR - This was held this past weekend at St. Simons Island. I helped officiate at the gorgeous wedding of Katie Byrd and Tal Johnson that was held in a courtyard overlooking the ocean. I haven’t written about it here but it was definitely an award winning wedding in the most picturesque setting I have ever seen. Best wishes to Katie and Tal as they begin their life together.

OBITUARIES OF THE YEAR- I wrote about each of the folks listed below during the year. Each one of them impacted my life in a personal and positive manner and I am a better person for having known them. May they rest in peace.

Mike (Hippo) Crawley
Rannie Gaultney
Julian Knight
Kevin Poole
Rosemary Whatley
Jessie Mae King
Mary Halley
Phillip McMinn

And here’s hoping none of us reading this will be listed in the obituaries here next year.

Happy New Year.