n
Pat’s
Peckings
By NEALE PATRICK
Gamble And Carlton 'Jinx'1 Each Other
Mountaineer mentor John Gamble and ex-Mountain
eer headman Shu Carlton of Gastonia Ashley are almost
ready to sign a mutual pact, specifying an agreement to
“stay away from the others’ football games.”
The former coaching partners here are slowly arriv
ing at the conclusion that they bring each other “bad
luck” in big ball games . . . Gamble, for instance, accom
panied the Gastonia team by bus to Greensboro a couple
of weeks ago, only to watch Carlton’s club lose to the Gate
City team, 19-6, in the state 4-A semi-finals.
That brought to Gamble the reminder that Carlton has
watched two big Mountaineer games in the past couple of
seasons . . . And the Mountaineers have lost both games ..
. Carlton was here for the Southwest playoff game with R.
S. Central last fall, and watched Steve Shehan run wild in
the Hilltoppers’ 26-0 victory . . . And Shu and his wife saw
the Kings Mountain-Lincolnton game in the latter’s park
this year, when the Wolves copped the conference crown
in a 7-0 victory.
All this led Gamble to make the post-game suggestion
to Carlton at Greensboro: “I’ll make a deal with you. You
stay away from my games and I’ll stay away from yours.”
Gamble isn’t bating entirely zero in watching Shu’s
Gastonia club, however . . . The local mentor did see Gas
tonia beat Garringer, 6-0, for the Conference crown, al
though he sneaked in late, after Ashely had scored.
The Kings Mountain mentor, incidentally, was on
telelphone from the press box to the bench in the Gas
tonia game at Greensboro . . . But he was "cut off” after
the first half when the cheerleaders snapped the wires, and
the damage couldn’t be repaired.
Shu’s father, now a resident of Winston-Salem, finds
himself in the same boat with Gamble in watching his
son’s team play . . . Mr. Carlton has seen a football team
coached by his son play three times, and they have lost all
three ... The third game was in Greensboro.
Dole Pulled SC's Upsef-Of-Season
The Kings Mountain Lions’ Club, again, has “picked a
plum” in selecting its speaker for the annual football ban
quet, honoring the Mountaineers next Monday night.
This time it is Bill Dole, whose Davidson Wildcats
pulled the upset-of-the-year in the Southern Conference,
defeating Virginia Tech in a late season game . . . Dole
follows the line coaches “in the news” . . . Last year, you
recall, Wake Forest’s Paul Amen wasi announced as the
ACC Coach of the Year the day after he spoke here . . .
And Clarence Stasavich of Lenoir-Rhyne was here for the
‘58 banquet, shortly after being named to Helms Athletic
Foundation Hall of Fame.
Neither, can the Lions be accused of playing favorites
on selecting speakers from special conferences . . . Dole is
the third coach from as many different conferences in the
state to speak here in three years. . . Stas was from the
North State, Amen from the ACC, and now Dole of the
Southern.
TV-watching Joe Bellino ramble in the Army-Navy
game a couple of weeks ago gave me the notion I had seen
his type of running somewhere else this year, and I didn’t
see the Duke-Navy game . . . Then it dawned . . . His “dou
ble” in the high school running ranks is Robert Munday of
Clover . . . Munday has that same balance and maneuvdr
abilty which makes Bellino great.
The new Tri-County basketball conference, which re
places the old Cleveland County circuit, can, and probably
will, cause some confusion among the fans and headline
writers . . . The lineup of league teams include two “Burns
High School”, they being the new consolidated units at
Fallston and Polkville . . . And don’t be surprised to hear
that on some Tuesday or Friday evening two visiting
teams turn-up at one “Bui'ns”, while the other “Burns”
stews and awaits the arrival of the evening’s opponent
For the sake of clarity, we will continue to. call the teams
by their location names, ie: Fallston and Polkville.
•
There shouldn’t be any confusion, however, for Gro
ver remembering when it plays No. Three school . . . Both
of Grover’s games with No. Three are carded for the third
day on the calendar, January 3 and February 3.
As Uusual, Shrine Pick Had Folks Fuming
Kings Mountain had company while fuming about be
ing overlooked for last Saturday’s Shrine Bowl . . . Local
football fans just couldn’t understand'Punch Parker being
overlooked, when it’s a known fact that he was one of the
leading prep scorers in the state, and we haven’t heard of
a player with more than 122 points . . . And other South
west Conference communities also felt left-out, Lincolnton
sports writer Smack Proctor noting that overlooking Wol
ves tackle Nelson Beam was a “real puzzler.”
It remains a puzzler, too, why five players were picked
from the neighboring Northwest Conference, and not one
from the Southwest circuit . . . Or, perhaps it isn’t such a
puzzler, after all, since Frank Barger of Hickory was one
of the Shrine coaches.
The Kings Mountain girls basketball team has a
“Queen” among its members for the third straight season.
This year it’s Pucky Lewis, the Kings Mountain Queen
in the Carrousel at Charlotte, and she made her TV debut
on Thanksgiving afternoon, being spotlighted by the big
camera during the parade.
As a “Queen” in basketball attire, Pucky follows the
lead of a couple of others . . . Two years ago, Judy Medlin
was the local queen in the Carrousel . . . And last year,
Brenda Goodson was the local Homecoming queen ... As
a matter of record, too, it might be noted that both Judy
and Brenda were selected on the All-Conference team in
the season of their reign.
And one item we overlooked in this space last week
when reviewing the Mountaineers’ top six-year football
record in the Southwest Conference . . . The six victories
over SWC foes this year constitutes the most Conference
wins in a single season in Mountaineer history . . . The
league had only seven members before 1959, and the local
lads never posted a perfect year of six straight triumphs.
TROPHY WINNERS — Kings Mountain football
folk, present and past, carted home the silver
ware from the annual Gastonia Gazette foot
ball banquet in Gastonia on Monday night.
Two Mountaineer players won trophies. Char
les Burns, left, being named the most out
standing lineman in the 3-A schools in the
I
area, and Punch Parker, center, winning the
scoring trophy with his 122 points on the sea
son. Shu Carlton, right, former Mountaineer
coach and now mentor of the Western 4-A
Gastonia Ashley team, won a trophy as coach -
of-the-year.
(—
Burns And Parker Win
Trophies At Gastonia
Moss Optimistic
Ranawliiui OH
negdiuuig wvii
Plans For 1961
President John Henry Moss
looks optimistically toward the
Western Carolina League opera
ting tor its second straight sea
son as a D circuit following his
return from the minor league
baseball confab in Louisville, Ky.,
last week.
The local man who helped put
the league on its feet last sum
mer said that he was much-en
couraged about the possibilities
of operating again following his
discussions with minor league
czar George Trauttman and re
presentatives of six major league
teams.
“Mr. Trauttman and the farm
directors of the teams with whom
I talked are very definitely inter
ested in the Western Carolina
League,” said Moss here this
week, “And we have planned fur
ther talks with the major repre
sentatives. |
Moss indicated that operational
plans for 1961 hinge largely on
the expansion of the current ma
jor leagues. New teams due to
join the majors are the same
clubs which formerly made up
thte proposed lineup of the Conti
nental League, with which the
Western Carolina worked last
year.
The WGL president said he has
received definite assurance fron
Trauttman that the Western Car
olina will participate in the play
er - development fund set up by
the major league teams for all
minor loop clubs. Under terms of
the fund program, each team in
the WCL will receive about $3,
000 for use in development of
talent. That amounts to a total
of $24,000 for the eight-team cir
cuit.
Moss also reveived a personal
honor at the National Association
convention, being elected secre
tary of the League Presidents’
board in the B, C, and D classifi
cations. There are 14 leagues in
the three classes, including eight
Class D loops.
In addition to Moss represent
ing the Western Carolina as a
Whole, three other Kings Moun
tain residents represented teams
in the loop. They were George
Lublanezki, president of the Gas
tonia team; Fleete McCurdy,
president of the Statesville team;,
and George Wilson manager of
the Shelby Colonels in 1960.
Three other WCL teams also
were represented, Hickory, Lex
ington and Rutherford County.
Moss said that tentative plans
call for the Western Carolina to
extend its schedule to 112 games
during the 1961 season, compar
ed to the 100-game card played
last summer. I
He has called the next meeting
day night, December 12, at New-,
ton. , » , . ; 1
Mountaineer gridders captured
half of the trophies awarded
Class 3-A players at the Gastonia
Gazette’s annual football banquet
on Monday night.
(Punch Paiker received the area
scoring chamipionsliip trophy as
reward for ihis 20 touchdowns
and two extra points for a grand
total of 122 points on the season.
The senior halfback’s total, in
fact, was the highest figure in
the area, regardless of classifica
tion.
Charles 'Burns, scrappy 160
pound guard, was presented the
trophy as the most outstanding
3- A lineman in the area, thus gi
ving Kings Mountain half of the
awards in the classification.
The other half of the 3-A tro
phies went to Southwest Confer
ence champion Lincolnton. Von
Ray Harris of the Wolves was
named as the Coachof-the-Year
in the 3-A circles, and the lin
colnton quarterback, Harold Bil
lings, was named as the outstand
ing back.
Kings Mountain also claimed
“kinship” to another huge trophy
handed out by the Gazette sports
staff.
(Former Mountaineer mentor
ShU Carlton also was‘awarded a
Coaeh-of-the-Year trophy as re
ward for his Gastonia Ashley
High team capturing the Western
4- A football crown this year.
Normally the Gazette awards
only one Coaeh-of-the-Year tro
phy, sports editor Ken Alexander
of the Gazette explained, but this
season the selection committee
could not decide between the two
conference title winners, Carlton
and Harris, and gave identical
trophies to both mentors.
Parker and Burns both won
player-of-the-week ratings by the
Gazette during the fall and were
guests along with Mountaineer
coach John Gamble at the ban
quet at the Gastonia Eagles Club
on Monday night i
The 160-pound halfback scored
in nine of K. M.’s ten games dur
ing the fall, and racked up three
tochdowns in each of four differ
ent games. His 122 points topped
the Southwest Conference, as
well as the three-county area co
vered by the Gazette awards. His
122 points also is one of the top
figures, if not tHe highest, in the
state. >
Burns was the leader of the
Mountaineers’ defensive - tough
team this year, calling the defen
sive signals, and being a player
who “thinks football,” according
to his coach. The smallish guard
turned in many significant plays
during the year, one of the most
important being the punt he
blocked against R. S. Central to
set up the final and clinching
TD. Credit for the block had
been given to another player, but!
now it comes to light that it was
Burns who made the block.
Four other awards were hand
ed out to players in other classi-j
fications. Shrine Bowler Neil,
Styers being named top linesman
and interception ace (17 for the
season) Buddy Brunnemer the
best back for Carlton’s Gastonia
team. Wayne Bolick of Mt. Holly
was the leading back and Jerry
Campbell of Cramerton the top
lineman in the Gaston Little Six
Wake Forest grid coach Bill
Hildebrand was the speaker.
Two Trophies
'For KM Grids;
DoleToSpeah
(Continued, From Front Page)
the first time to quarterback Don
Fisher. i
It’s interesting to note that two
of the award winners last year
were memfbers of North State
Conference football teams this
fall, Fisher at Lenoir-Rhyne and
Ware at Catawba.
Mountaineer football coach
John Gamble heads a committee
which makes the selection of the
players for both awards.
Gamble will announce the win
ners at the banquet, and will al
so introduce his squad and mem
bers of his coaching staff.
The speaker for the occasion
Coach Dole has been head foot
ball mentor at Davidson since
1952 and has turned-out several
outstanding small college elevens.
He is a native of Kalamazoo,
Mich., and attended Michigan
State and the University of West
Virginia, and received his Mas
ters degree at New York Univer
sity.
Dole started Lis coaching ca
reer in West Virginia high
schools, and came to North Car
olina after World War II as head
coach at Fayetteville. He turned
out a pair of state championship
clubs there, in 1947 and 1948, and
had a three-year record of 28
wins, three losses and one tie.
Later he coached at Eastern
Carolina College and was named
the North State coach-of-the-year
following the 1950 season.
DoQe assumed the coaching
reigns at Davidson in 1952, and
his squads have included several
players from Kings Mountain, in
cluding Jack Ruth, C. F. Mauney,
and Ollie Harris, Jr.
Harry Jaynes, principal at
Kings Mountain High, and a
Lions’ clubber, is in charge of
arrangements for the program.:
George B. Thomasson is presi
dent of the club.
Eighteen Candidates Seeh Berths
On Junior Varsity Cage Squad
Eighteen candidates have been
drilling for the past week and a
half for the Kings Mountain
High Jayvee basketball team.
Coach John Gamble will tutor
the team which will consist ol
'boys from the ninth and tenth
grades at Central High School
being a combination of the jun
ior varsity and junior high
groups. The 'list of candidates
this week included 11 ninth
graders, and seven tenth-gra
ders. Then mentor said the
squad probably will be trimmed
to 15 this week.
Gamble has arranged ten
games on a post-Christmas sche
dule, and said that he is attemp
ting to line up four other con
tests, with two open dates ih
each January and February.
A junior varsity girls team al
so will be organized, consisting
of players who are not selected
for the varsity squad. Coach Bill
Bates wall coach both the varsity
and the Jayvee girls teams.
The boys and girls teams will
play double-headers' on Monday
and Thursday nights, with all
games carded for 7 o’clock.
Opener is carded for the local
gym on Monday night, January
9, and the season will continue
through February 23.
Gamble said he has open
dates for January 23 and 26 and
for February 20 and 23 which he
plans to fill with other Jayvee
teams.
The schedule, as It now stands,
calls for games home and away
with five other Southwest Con
ference foes, R. S. Central, Chase,
Shelby, Lincolnton and Cherry
ville.
Following is a list of .the can
didates for the boys team:
TENTH GRADERS ■.
Reggie White, Charles Camp,
David Adams, Eddie Spencer,
Robert Plonk, Timmy Heavner,
and Eric Yates.
NINTH GRADERS
Steve Vickers, Johnny Dye,
Fred Dixon, Hubert McGinnis,
Butch Harry, Warren Goforth, L.
V. Brooks, Russell Garmon, Ro
ger Owens. Ronnie Gillespie, and
Paul Lovelace. ,
Following is the schedule (all
| games at 7 p. m.):
JANUARY
9 — R. S. Central, here,
12 — Chase, here.
16 — at Cherryville.
19 — at Lincolnton.
23 — Open.
26 — Open.
30 — at Shelby/
FEBRUARY
2 — at Chase.
6 — at R. S. Central.
9 — Cherryville, here.
13 — Shelby, here.
16 — Lincolnton, here.
20 — Open.
23 — Open.
Letter Winners
To Start Games
With Grover
BY NEALE PATRICK
Lettar-winnete axe tabbed for
most of the starting chores when
Kings Mountain High basketball
teams tip-off the season against
Grover here on Monday night
The girls’ half of the twin-bill
is carded for 7 o’clock with the
boys game set for shortly after 8
o’clock. The openers have been
stepped-up one day so as not to
conflict with the Mountaineers’
annual football banquet on next
Tuesday night.
All four of the returning letter
men are expected to get the
starting nod from Coach Don
PaTker in the boys game, and five
of the six lettter-winners return
ing to the Mountainettes are due
to open the game for Coach Bill
Bates club.
The other starter for each
Kings Mountain team will be a
player who saw part-time duty
as a reserve last year.
A probable lineup for the
Mountaineers will have letter
men Arthur Allen and Perry
Champion at forwards, Punch
Parker and James Robbs at
guard, with hottdover Squadman
Jerry Adams at center. The
sixth man on the boys club is
Chester Clontz, another non-let
tering reserve, who might oust
one of the other players by game
time Monday.
Parker and Robbs are the lead
ing point-makers returning from
last year, scoring 103 and 101
points respectively, figures which
ranked third and fourth on the
team. Chip Thorburn was the
team’s leading scorer last winter,
with 271 points, but he moved to
Asheboro before his final season
Don Fisher was the runner-up
scorer last time (147 points.)
Champion scored 22 points, A
dams 16 and Allen 14 last year,
while Olont?, in only brief duty,
tallied two.
The top six players on the club
at the momen are the only ones
I returning with varsity scoring
I figures far last year.
Players up from the Jayvees
and junior high teams lend sup
port for the season.
Big Eddie Ross, at sixfive the
'tallest player on the squad, pa
ced the Jayvees last winter with
64 points. Charlie Good son was
the leading junior high point
maker last trip, with 108. Wally
Harris who scored 89 for the jun
ior highs and Sammy Houston, a
Jayvee backcourtman, are the
other top candidates.
Marlene Weir, an all-Confer
ence selection and the team
leading scorer with 381 points (19
point average), heads the dele
gation of six letterwinners for
the girls team.
Two other monogram wearers
will be at the other forward
posts, probably Pat Gladden and
Marion Plonk, with another let
ter winner, Pucky Lewis, the top
reserve. Pat scored 140 points
last year and Marion 37 for the
varsity and 93 for the Jayvees.
Pucky was the leading Jayvee
scorer with 130 points and also
had 11 on the varsity.
Sophomore Diane Roberts,
leading junior high scorer with
72 points, and Betty Morrison, a
Jayvee last year, are other lead
ing forwards. Betty scored 31 for
the junior varsity.
Two letter winners start at
guards, Charlene Yates and Sara
Rose Lennon, with the other post
being filled by Joyce Plonk, a
reserve moving-up.
Charlene is a starter for the I
third straight season, a feat ail-i
so claimed by forwards Pati
Gladden and Marlene Weir.
Sophomores Sara Hendricks j
and Petie Lynn and senior Mar !
tha Lou Ware are the first-line
reserves at guard.
Incunlaineer Lagers
Player
•Perry Champion
•Arthur Allen
Charles Goodson
Wally Harris
Jerry Adams
Eddie Ross
Dale Hollifield
•Punch Parker
•James Robbs
Chester Clontz
Sammy Houston
Henry Raines
FOWARDS
Hgt. Wgt.
6 , 165
6-1 160
5-11 160
5- 10 165
CENTERS
6- 2 195
6-5 215
6-1 185
GUARDS
5-10 165
5-10 150
5-10 170
5-10 155
5-9 150
(•—denotes letter winner)
Class
Senior
Senior
Soph.
Soph.
Senior
Junior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Senior
Junior
Junior
i
DON FISHER
Don Fisher Member
Of Bowl-Bound Beors
The Mountaineers will have
another football product in a
bowl game this season.
Don Fisher, quarterback star
for Kings Mountain High for
(three years, is a freshman cen
ter and line-backer on the Le
noir-RMyne College team which
will meet Humiboldt State of
California in the Holiday Bowl
game ait Sit Petersburg, Fla.,
Saturday night.
Lenoir Rhyne won the right
to represent the east the NAIA
football finals, defeating Nor
thern Michigan by a statistical
edge last Saturday afternoon.
The teams tied 20-20 at 'Hick
ory, but the Bears were declar
ed winners on basis of having
gained 25 more yards from
scrimmage. The Bears scored
the tying TD in the final 37
seconds of the game.
Fisher has been a member of
the varsity squad this season,
as a freshman, and has seen
action in several games..
This marks the second time
in four years that a former
Mountaineer quarterback has
gone to a grid bowl. George
Harris was a Duke sophomore
quarterback in the Orange
Bowl, following the 1957 sea
son. Tlie Blue Devils lost that
one to Oklahoma, 48-21.
Bethware Boys
Post Victoiy
Bethware’s cagers divided a
pair of games with Bessemer
City on the Buccaneers’ court
Tuesday night, the home-stand
ing boys winning, 65-42, after
the B. C. girls copped the open
er, 56-54.
Four Bucs scored in the double
digits, led by Ken Cash’s 16
points, with Lawrence Bolin
chipping in with 15, John Cash
ion 13, and Tommy Barrett 12.
Bethware led at halftime, 37-18.
The Bethware girls lost, 56-54,
after holding a 26-19 edge at
halftime. Linda Herndon scored
26 and Pat Bottin 25 to lead the
Lady Bucs. Berry tallied 25 to
pace B. C.
Bethware’s alubs play host to
Polkville in Tri-County Confer
ence games Friday night.
BOTS
Bethware (65)
F Cash 16
F Bolin 15
C Morris 9
G Barrett 12
G Cashion IS
Subs: Bethware
Ware. Goforth, Queen. Wease.
Bessemer — Smith, Broom,
Bumgardner 2.
Halftime score: Bethware 37, Bessemer
City 18.
Beporter: Carolyn Whetstine.
Bessemer City (42)
Honeycutt 9
Millwood 4
Barnett 10
Hook 41
Gamble 121
Herndon, Boyes,
Dover 4,
Bethware (54)
F F. Botin 25
F Herndon 26
C Watterson 2
G MB*
G a Botin
G Davis
iftsarWsiiKswi
City ia
GIBLS
Bessemer City (SB)
Wallace 24
Shatiw 6
Berry 25
Pruett
Sharpe
Carpenter
1
■ware 26, Bessemer
K. M. GIRLS
BASKETBALL
FORWARDS
Players Class
‘Marlene Weir Senior
♦Pat Gladden Senior
♦Pucky Lewis Senior
♦Marion Plonk Junior
Betty Morrison Junior
Diane Roberts Soph.
Peggy Plonk Soph.
Norma Fair Soph.
Kay Baity Soph.
Kay Mauney Soph.
Carol Jean Goter Junior
FORWARDS
♦Charlene Yates Senior
♦Sara Rose Lennon Junior
Joyce Plonk Senior
Martha Lou Ware Senior
Sara Hendricks Soph.
Petie Lynn Soph.
| Freida Burton • Soph.
! Lana Anrowood Junior
j Janice Bridges Soph.
Joan McClure ' Frosh.
Linda Walker Soph.
Linda Goforth Soph.
Laura Page Soph.
(♦—denotes letter winner).
Jack Mullinax
Hits 39 In Loss
Jack Mullinax burned the nets
for 39 points in a losing effort
for the Grover boys Tuesday
night, losing to Union. 74-61, in
a Tri-County Conference game.
His big evening could not off
set the fact that four Union
players hit the double digits, led
by Cochrane’s 25.
Linda Eak#r tallied 15 and the
Huffstetler sisters, Gloria and
Gail, 12 each leading the Grover
lassies to a 40-33 win in the op
ener.
Grover plays host to Falls ton
in a conference game Friday
night, and visit Kings Mountain
next Monday night.
Grover (61)
F Green 9
F Melton 1
C Mullinax 39
G Robinson 0
G Little 8
Subs: Grover
BOYS
Union (74)
Yoder 17
Schronce 7
Cochrane 23
Ingle 11
Rhyne 14
Moss 4, Heafner. Queen.
Halftime score: Union 36, Grover 33.
Reporter: Gall Little.
GIRLS
Grover (40)
F Gloria Huffstetler 12
F Eaker 16
C Gall Huffstetler 12
G C. Allen
G P. Allen
G Rollins
Union (33)
Spencer 16
Warllck 6
Chapman 6
Williams
Yount
Elmore
Union -CiJemng(74Wa“CrBOn' *
Halftime score: Union 18, Grover 15.
Parker Amassed
288 Yards In Bowl
The final statistical returns
are in on the Lions Bowl foot
ball game in Forest City on
Thanksgiving Day, revealing . .
. that Kings Mountain’s Punch
Parker amassed a grand total
of 288 yards toting the pigskin
in the all-star contest.
The yardage tot ails include
runs from scrimmage, pass re
ceptions and running back
punts and kickoffs.
The final tally table for Par
ker's busy afternoon for which
he was named the most out
standing back in the South’s
14-13 victory:
*laT Number Yards
scrimmage runs 11 72
Passes caugh 3 102
Punt -returns 2 73
Kickoff returns 2 73
TOTALS 18 288
LOST
White and Black Spotted
Chiwahua between Post
office and Bank on Satur
day Night
Answers to name of
„ PENNY
Small reward if found
Earl Navy
207 WACO RD.
_PH. 739-2124