Pat’s
Peckings
By NEALE PATRICK
KM'S Claim On Top Lineman
Sports notes to you . . . This requires a slight stretch
of the imagination, but a fellow could figure-out the angle
that Kings Mountain almost claimed all throe of the most
recent linemen-of-the-year in the Gastonia area.
Here’s the angle .. . David Plonk of the Mountaineers,
of course, won the trophy, given annually by the Gazette,
in 1958 . . . The year before (1957) the top lineman in the
four Southwest Conference schools in the Gastonia area
was J. B. Owens of Belmont, who had moved from Kings
Mountain a couple of seasons before ... and this year, the
trophy went to Harold Hallman of Lincolnton, who made
an effort to enter Kings Mountain High for this his final
school year, but learned that he would be ineligible to play
here.
The story has already been related that Harold hoped
to live with uncles and aunts here, while his mother and
step-father remained in Siam where the latter is an air
force major . . . But when the WNCHSAA ruled he could
not play here under such residence rules, he moved to Lin
colnton where his father resides.
Coach John Gamble merely shakes his head about
losing such tackles as Owens and Hallman in three years,
and repeats the age-old lament of fishermen and grid men
tors, alike . . . That the biggest ones always get away.
Paul Amen told about one he missed his first season
at Wake Forest . . . “When I arrived in Wake Forest four
years ago, people kept telling me to go down to Kings
Mountain and get the quarterback down there . . . George
Harris . . . But I didn’t get here early enough .. . and lived
to regret it this year.”
Hams heaved the only two touchdowns of his college
career in the game against Wake, and those pitches were
instrumental in Duke’s 27-15 triumph, the Deacons’ only
loss by more than one touchdown.
Wright Out Of Coaching For Year
Keeping up with a couple of Kings Mountain coach
ing products:
B. T. Wright, Jr., came back to his hometown for the
Lions Club grid banquet last week, and revealed that he is
out of coaching this season, while working toward his
masters degree at Western Carolina College . . . “But I like'
coaching and plan to return to it next season,” he says . . .
Wright; coached the Erwin High School team at Asheville
in the 1958 season.
Citadel aide Pride Ratterree has been taking exercise
—pushing back from the table . . . He trimmed his weight
from 230 to 189 during the summer months ...” But I got
so mean that I couldn’t stand myself,” he says, “so I put
11 pounds back on so that I could feel jolly again.”
Amen was telling K. M. Mentor Gamble following the
fete here last week that he is seeking tall quarterbacks
and rangy ends for his future Wake Forest teams.
Those tall fellows, in fact, are tops on the want list for al
most every school . . . And football coaches are finding
that most such big ‘uns are playing basketball instead of
football in college.
Carolina coaches, for instance, figure they have three
of the best end prospects in the country in school at Cha
pel Hill, but all concentrated on basketball. All three are
six-seven and weight about 220 .. . Danny Lotz gave foot
ball a one-season twirl this autumn, and developed into a
good one . . . Tar Heel coaches just drool over a couple of
other cagers, Lee Shaffer and Jum Huddock . . . The latter
giant was all-state football in Pennsylvania, and Coach
Frank McGuire's stiffest competition in recruiting Hud
dock came from Notre Dame which wanted him for foot
ball.
Gamble Remembers Cline 'When'
Doug Cline of Clemson was named the best blocker in
the ACC this season, but Mountaineer football fans still
remember the big fullback from Valdese for his running a
bility against Kings Mt. in the Western playoff game four
years ago . . . “Steve Shehan of Rutherfordton looked
good against us in the final game, scoring those four tou
chdowns,” recalls Coach Gamble, “But he didn’t look in
the same class with Cline who scored two TD’s to beat us
that year . . . Cline ran like a halfback in the open, and was
powerful to boot.”
State’s Wolfpack adds the newest chapter in the fall
acy of statistics . . . State lost nine of ten games this grid
season, but were not out first-downed all year The
Pack “beat” seven teams and tied three in the number of
first down . And for the complete season. State made
148 first downs compared to 122 total for the ten foes.
Records don't seem to help, either . . . The Wolfpack
set 24 school and conference records this year despite the
1-9 mark. . . Maybe the “luck” angle does explain it all. . .
The Wolfpack couldn’t even win the pre-game coin toss
missing every call.
Football season is over for the high school boys, but
the honors continue to come in for the Mountaineers .
Jerry Adams was named to the Charlotte Observer ail-i
state 3-A team, and a well-deserved recognition Jerry!
‘‘had a nose” for the pigskin this fall, having the uncanny
knack of turning up in the area of loose footballs . . He
made an unusual number of interceptions and fumble re
coveries, and cleanly blocked at least two punts.
The final records are in, and just for the records as
you will note in a story on this page, Paul Hendricks was
the scoring champion of the Conference this season, the
second time in three years that the Mountaineers can
make that claim.
The arm-chair quarterbacks who like to stay at home1
and watch their neighborhood football teams play will
have a field-day on television Saturday . . . First, its Len
oir-Rhyne in the NAIA championship game in the Holiday
Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla., and later in the afternoon,!
Clemson dons its bowl cap, again, in the first Bluebonnet j
Bowl in Houston, Texas ... And you can see them both ov-i
er WBTV . . . Quite a treat for “home folks”.
K. M. Can’t Locate Hoop In Dallas Losses
Mountaineers' Top Point Total
In Two Yean Paces Double Win
GIRLS
Kings Mt
Forwards
Raines
Weir
Gladden
(46)
FG FT TP
5 1 11
8 9 25
4 2 10
TOTALS 17 12 46
Guards: Yates, Gooctson, Lynn,
C. Plonk, J. Plonk, Lennon.
Grover (44)
Forwards
Gloria Huffstetler
Eaker
Goforth
Wright
G. Huffsteltler
Batchelor
FG FT TP
2 3 7
8 7 23
13 5
10 2
3 17
0 0 0
TOTALS 15 14 44
Guards: C. Allen, Rollins, Wil
son, P. Allien, Green.
Kings Mt.
Grover
17 II 13 5—46
10 10 10 14—44
BOYS
Kings Mt
FG
Fisher
Blanton
Thorbum
Parker
Robbs
Wright
(62)
FT PF TP
3 10
3 13
4-4
3-5
8 4-7
3 3-7
4 2-4
0 0-0
3 20
5 9
4 10
0 0
TOTALS
23 16-27 18 62
Grover
FG
Crocker
Mullinax
Humphries
C. Green
D. Green
Bess
6 2-6
12 4-8
1
1
3
3
(56)
FT PF TP
3 14
4
5
4
2
1
1-3
3-9
0-3
0-0
28
3
5
6
0
TOTALS 23 10-29 19 56
Kings Mt 13 18 12 19—62
Grover 13 19 11 13—56
Jr. High Cage
Teams Complete
Pre-Yule Drills
Kings Mountain Junior High
School basketball teams complet
ed their two weeks of pre-holiday
practice with between 30 and 40
candidates seeking berths on the
teams.
Miss Frances Caddie, director
of girls physical education at
Kings Mountain High, is the ju
nior high girls coach, and football
mentor John Gamble will tutor
the Little Mountaineer boys.
Coaoh Gamble is arranging a
schedule with other junior high
teams in the Conference and this
| area and will begin the slate
shortly after the return from the
Christmas holidays.
Some 40 or 50 hopefuls from
the enghth and ninth 'grades
turned out for the opening prac
tice sessions for the two teams,
and the lists now have been trim
med to 19 girls and 15 boys.
“I had about 50 girls out for
the team for the first couple of
days, but 1 have finally elimina
ted down to 19, a very hard job
I must say,’’ said Miss Caudle
who joined the faculty at Kings
Mt High this year as physical
education director for girls.
The list of candidates for the
girls junior high team:
Forwards
Diane Plonk, Kay Mauney,
Peggy Plonk, Brenda Lovelace,
Kay Baity, Norma Farr, Nell
Ross, and Ruth Cllppard.
Guards
Pattie Howard, Freida Burton,
Billy Joe Thorbum, Carol Bell,
Laura Page, Sara Hendricks, Sa
ra Goforth, Jannie Cox, Linda
Walker, Pettie Lynn and Beverly
Herndon.
Members of the junior high
boys squad:
Eric Yaites, Timmey Heavener
Kenneth Barnes, Douglas Met
calf, Wally Harris, Robert Plonk,
Dennis Childers, David Adams,
Steve Carpenter, Leonard Smith,
Johnny Bost, Gary Wilson, Char
les Goodson, Eddie Spencer, and
The Mountaineers had their
shooting irons well-oiled last
Friday night.
They oalme up with their big
gest scoring hinge in nearly two
years, defeating Grover, 62-46,
tor the Mountaineers first vic
tory of the young season. The
Kings Mountain girls completed
the clean sweep with a close 46
44 triumph in the first contest
thus posting Itheir second victory
of the campaign.
'Friday’s 62 points is the big
gest point total for the Moun
taineers since a 63-point pro
duction against Cliffside in mid
season two years ago. Last year
the top scoring effort for the
Mountaineers was 50 points in
the final game of the season a
gainst Caroleen.
Chip Thorbum tossed in 20
points to pace four Mountaineers
scoring in the double-digits. Jim
my Blanton added 13, and Don
Fisher and James Robbs ten
each. Punch Parker barely miss
ed the double-figures, with nine
points before fouling out of the
game in the late stages. Jerry
Wright, who replaced Parker was
the only sub in the game for the
Mountaineers who broke the
game open with a last quarter
spurt.
Grover led 32-31 at halftime,
and the elute were tied at 43-all
at the end of three stanzas.
Coach Don Parker’s Mountain
eers pulled away in the last per
iod with 19 points, compared to
Grover’s 13. Accuracy from the
foul line played a major role in
Kings Mountain hiking its lead.
In fact, foul-shooting decided
the game. Both clubs hit 23 field
goals, rind Kings Mountain was
more deadly from the free throw
line, sinking 16 out of 27 for the
game. Grover hit only 10 of 29.
Thorbum scored eight of his
game-total 20 points in the final
quarter, with Blanton picking up
five of his markers in the clutch
situations.
Top scoring honors for the ga
me went to Jack Mullinax of
Grover with 28 points. He sank
12 field goals and four free toss
es, gamering 2\ of his points in
the first half, and being largely
responsible for Grover’s early
lead.
Marlene Weir was the top .sco
rer for the Mouretaineftes for the
second straight game, tossing in
25 points and helping her club
gain an early lead which provi
ded a cushion against late rally
by Grover. Marlene scored ten
puiidls m uie xirsc quarter ana
17 at half tome as Kings Moun
tain gained iits 28-20 lead at in
termission.
The Mountainerfttes boosted the
margin to 11 points (41-30) at
the end of three Stanzas.
Coach Bill Bates girls man
aged only one field goal and
five paints in the last: quarter as
Grover trimmed the score to the
final two points.
Linda Eaker was the top point
maker for Grover, with 23 points.
Usually - high - scoring Gloria
Huffstetler was limited to seven
points.
Coach Preston Holt’s Grover
teams will return the visit to
Kings Mountain in the first
game following the Christmas
holidays, here on Friday night,
January 8. That will be the
Mountaineer club’s final non*
Conference contests of the sea
son.
Kings Mft. Cagers
Lose Third In Row
Kings Mountain lost its third
straight game in the National
recreation basketball league in
G&sonia Tuesday night, bowing
before Red Shield Club, 53-31.
J. D. Biddix, backoourt star for
the Mountaineers a couple of
seasons ago, scored more than
half the Kings Mountain points,
with 16. Top scoring honors for
the game went to a Gastonia
Red Shield player, Jake Black,
with 22. Red Shield led at half
time, 22-10.
The game completes the pre
Christmas slate for the recre
ation league. The Kings Moun
tain teams returns to action on
January 8.
Western Carolinas League Seeks
Tie-Up With New Continental Loop
The proposed Class D Western
Carolinas baseball league is eye
ing a tie-up with the new Con
tinental major league.
WCL President John Moss of
Kings Mountain and directors of
the eight teams In the circuit
met in Newton Wednesday night
with Dwight Davis of the New
York Club in the new Continen
tal League to discuss the possi
bilities of the tie-up between the
two new leagues.
Davis, one of the backers and
officials of the New York club,
attended the Newton meeting as
the personal representative of
Branch Rickey, the president of
the Continental League.
Rickey notified Moss that he
considers the Carolinas as an
outstanding area for young ta
lent and is vitally interested in
all proposed clubs in the Wes
tern Carolinas League. The pres
ident of the Continental circuit
was unable to attend the meet
ing in Newton, but sent Davis
as his representative to attempt
to work out plans for the two
new leagues to work together.
If such negotiations can be
worked out, the Western Caro
linas League would be the first
step by the Continental League
in the player development pro
gram.
The plan would call for each
of the eight teams in the WCL
to have a working agreement
with one of -the members of the
new major league.
Eight clubs have indicated
plans to enter the WCL. They
are Shelby, Rutherford County,
Hickory, Newton, Statesville,
Lexington, High Podnt-Thomas
vUle, and Rock Hill, a C.
TONY GOINS
Tony Goins Plays
On Marine Team
Former Mountaineer football
star Tony Goins is continuing
his grid career in the Marines.
Now attached to the head
quarters battery of the Third
Marine Division in Okinawa,
Pfc. Goins was a member of his
unit’s football team this au
tumn.
He has been in the service for
18 months, since his graduation
from Kings Mountain High
School.
Tony played end for the
Mountaineers, completing his
grid career here in the 1957 sea
son.
He sends word that he would
like to hear from his friends
here, at tht following address:
PFC William Anthony Goins,
Headquarters Battery, 12th Ma
rine, Third Marine Division, Oki
nawa, care Fleet Post Office, San
Franoisco, Calif.
BOXSCORES
GIRLS
Kings Mt.
Forwards
Raines
Weir
Gladden
M. Plonk
(22)
FG FT TP
3 0 6
5 3 13
113
0
0
TOTALS 9 4 22
Guards: Yates, Goodson, Lynn.
Dallas (33)
Forwards FG FT TP
Jenkins 7 1 15
Lutz 7 1 15
Norman 113
Puitt 0 0 0
TOTALS 15 3 33
Guards: Robinson, High, Jen
kins.
Kings Mt 4 7 7 4—22
Dallas 8 8 9 8—33
BOTS
Kings M
Player
Fisher
Blanton
Thorbum
Parker
Robbs
Wright
Allen
Adams
TOTALS
Dallas
Player
Corrigan
Jenkins
Rhyne
High
Lineberger
Neal
Lutz
Brewer
Ratchford
Holland
TOTALS
Kings Mt
Dallas
(30)
FG FT PF TP
5 0-0 2 10
10-0 4 2
40-02 8
21-32 5
21-32 5
0 0-0 0 0
0 0-0 0 0
0 0-0 0 0
14 2-6 12 30
(44)
FG FT PF TP
31-30 7
2 1-? 2 5
7 1-2 2 15
12-3 0 4
5 3-4 2 13
0 0-0 0 0
0 0-0 0 0
0 0-0 0 0
0 0-0 0 0
0 0-0 0 0
18 8-15 6 44
4 4 9 13—30
9 7 16 12-44
Bryant Top Scorer
In Gun Club Matches
T. W. Bryant of Kings Moun
tain posted top honors in two di
visions in the monthly meeting
of the Universal Gun Club at the
range in Grover on Sunday.
He won the 22-caL rifle match
over the Dewar Course, and also
had top score in the centerftre
pistol match on the NBA short
course.
Bryant fired a score of 390-11
in the 22. cal. rifle match for the
Dewar Course of 20 shots for KM
yards and 20 shots at 100 yards, j
Frank Sikes was second with a
389-12 score, and Fain Hamtoright!
of Grover third with a 388-9 score, t
Bryant’s winning score for the
center-fire pistol match was 2684.
Fain Harrib right was second with
a marie of 218, and F. T. Green
was third with a 196 score.
Mountie Cagers
Suffer first
Double Defeat
Tuesday was Just one of those
days the Mountaineer bas
ketball (teams should have
“stood in bed.”
Main item of discontent was
the fact that someone neglected
to put the Mountaineers' "shoot
ing eyes” in the travel satchel
and ithe local lads and lassies
couldn’t locate the basket in Da
llas with radar.
As result the Mountaineers
and Mounitainefttes turned in un
believably low-scoring efforts,
the girls losing 33-22 and the
boys 44-30, for the first double
licking the Kings Mountain High
teams have suffered this season.
Neither Mountaineer team
could buy a basket, it seemed.
Bach team played two quarters
in which it could make only four
points. The girls tallied only four
points in the first and fourth
stanza, and the boys could find
the bucket for only four markers
in the first and second periods.
The Mountaineers missed their
first ten field goal attempts in
the sparsely-lighted Dallas gym
and connected on only four of 24
shots (a 17-percent accuracy
figure) in the first half. They
improved matters slightly after
intermission, and hit 14 for 51
for the game, for a 27-percent
average.
Foul shooting was just as bad,
the Mountaineers missing all
four from the charity circle in
the first half, but improved with
a two-for-two Jn the second half.
The Mountadnefttes experien
ced the same trouble in the op
ener, having the shot opportuni
ties, but seeing the ball roll off
time after time. The 22 points
was the lowest score for a local
girls team in several years.
The 30 point total didn’t set
any low-scoring records for the
boys team, the Mountaineers
having been limited to 28 one
time last year, but was all the
more shocking in view of the
fact that just last Friday night
the K. M. club went on one of
its best scoring productions in
two years.
Then, to make matters worse,
the Mountaineer teams almost
failed to arrive at Dallas.
which might not have been a
bad idea.
The school activities bus wh
ich the teams use for out-of-town
trips was on the “blink”.
Driver and coach Don Parker
found the bus “dead” when he
hit the starter. The engine fail
ed to respond, and several of the
strong-armed boys pushed-off
the bus, for the first half of the
trip.
The bus went “dead” again at
Bessemer City, and aid and as
sistance was gained at a service
station for the remainder of the
loumey.
Just to be on the safe side,
3oach Parkier parked the bus on
a hill for the push-off of the re
turn home. 1
#
Jerry Adams Selected As Center
On 3-A All-State Football Team
Jerry Adams is the Mountain
eers' all-state footballer for the
1959 season.
The big junior center was na
med ito the all-state 3-A football
team as selected by a board of
coaches for The Charlotte Obser
ver.
Adams was selected as one of
the two centers on the 22-man
squad. The other all-state center
in the 3-A classification was Ma
rion Kirby of the WNCHSAA
champion Hickory team. Kirby
distinguished himself during
the year, kicking 46 of 50 extra
point attempts.
Kirby was One of five Hickory
players on the all-state selec
tion.
Adams was the only player
from theSouithwest Conference
and one of a few juniors on the
otherwise senior-dominated my.
thloal club.
The all-state berth is the sec
ond post-season honor for A
dajns( who earlier was named
on the All-Southwest Conferen
ce football club. He was one of
six Mountaineers on that all
star pick, and the lone local
junior so selected.
Adams played both center and
end for the Mountaineers this
season and was particularly a
dept at backing-up the line.
JERRY ADAMS
I
The husky all-stater 1b six
feet, (two-inches in height and
weighs 175 pounds.
Panl Hendricks Leading Scorer
In Southwest Conference For 1)9
The final tabulations are all
in . . . and Mountaineer halfback
Paul Hendricks is the scoring
king in Southwest Conference
football this season.
Playing his first and only sea
son as a regular, the"senior half
back, raced to eight touchdowns
for a 48-podnt total and tops in
the individual scoring race for
the players on the eight South
west Conference teams.
Hendricks edged Jerry Hayes
of Cherryville (44 points) and a
pair of Ruthierfordton-Spindale
Central backfield Stars, Steve
Shehan and Sherrill Norville (42
points each) for the scoring ti
tle.
The scoring figures are com
piled in all games played, in
cluding conference and non-con
ference contests.
Hendricks, who was one of the
six Mountaineers named on the
all-Conference team this season,
is the second Kings Mountain
halfback in three years to win
the point title in the Southwest
Conference. Ken Baity was the,
point pace-setter two year ago.
Don Gladden was runner-up in
the Conference scoring chase in
1958.
Don Fisher also rates among
the scoring leaders for the sea
son, with five touchdowns and
30 points.
(Hendricks eight touchdowns,
of course, also paced the league
in the number of times crossing
the double-stripe.
HilLtopper fullback Steve She
han was next in total TD’s with
seven . . . and the Mountaineers
well-recall that he scampered to
four of them against Kings
Mountain. Actually, Shehan
made a fast finish, scoring all
PAUL HENDRICKS
seven of his (touchdowns in Cen
tral's final three games.
The /top scorers in the South
west Conference for the 1959
football season:
Player, School TO Pat Pta.
Hendricks, Kings Mt 8 0 48
Hayes, Cherryville 6 8 44
Shehan, R. S. Central 7 0
Norville, RSC 6 6
Buckner, Belmont 6 1
Long, Cherryville 6 1
Kennedy, Shelby 6 0
Billings, Lincolnton 6 0
Champion, Forest City 6 0
Fisher, Kings Mit 5 0
Cufthbertpon, Belmont 5 0
Jones, Forest City 4 2
Laney, Cherryville 4 2
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