August 21 2008
The Kings Mountain Herald
Page 15
BRIEFS
ss
SPORTS
Eighth Street Church of
God, 906 S. 8th Street, Bessemer
City, is hosting a Pastor’s
Revival, held each night at 7
p.m. through Saturday, August
23rd. A different local pastor
will speak each night. On
Saturday, August 23, at 5 p.m.,
there will be a dinner in the fel-
lowship hall. Plates will be sold
for $5 each. For more informa-
tion call 704-435-8256.
Salem Baptist Church, in
Lincolnton, is hosting the Dr.
Charles Cranford School of
Theology starting in
September. The accredited
institution will offer associate,
bachelor, master and doctorate
degrees in Biblical Studies.
Basic English will also be
required. For more informa-
tion, call 704-732-1131.
Victory Baptist Church, 106
Battleground Road, Grover,
will have its homecoming
Sunday, Aug. 24, with Sunday
School beginning at 9:45 a.m.
and worship service at 11 a.m.
Rev. Curtis England will offici-
ate. A cover dish meal will be
served after the service. Former
members are encouraged to
attend. For more information,
call Pastor Wells at 704-472-
1145.
Beulah United Methodist
Church, 1534 Stoney Point
Road, Shelby, is hosting a
spaghetti ~~ dinner youth
fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 30
from 5-7 p.m. Plates will be
sold for $6 (adults) and: $3 (chil-
dren 12 and under).
Word of Faith Church, 1417
Stoney Point Rd., Shelby, is
hosting revival services Aug.
21-22 at 7 p.m. each night. Rev.
Kenneth Martin is the speaker.
The church men will sponsor a
Building Fund Barbecue 11
am.-until Aug. 23, in the
church parking lot. Plates of
barbecue, slaw, baked beans,
cake, chips, drink and a bun
will be sold for $8 each. For
~ more information, call 704-435-
5560 or 704-482-2249.
Resurrection Lutheran
~ Church, 600 Crescent Circle, is
hosting Rally Day at 10 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 24, featuring
Zelnik the Magician. A picnic
will be held in the Fellowship
. Hall after the program.
Bynum Chapel AME Zion
Church, 213 N. Cansler St., will
host a “Back to School Jam” 6-
10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, fea-
turing presenters to speak on
school dress, behavior, gangs,
drugs, health issues and
parental involvement.
epresentatives from NASCAR
d a bank will give presenta-
ions. Food, music, dance, door
rizes and school supplies will
offered.
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Former players urge Mounties to make their own memories
Excited fans lined Gaston Street
to welcome Kings Mountain's
Mountaineers as they walked
behind a city police car to their
inaugural “Back to Our Roots”
practice session Tuesday night at
old City Stadium.
Mountaineer coaches plan to
have an annual event at the old
historic stadium, whether it be a
practice session or a “Black and
White” game.
Mayor Rick Murphrey and sev-
eral former Mountaineer players
and coaches addressed the players
prior to their practice session. After
loosening up, the players had
some heavy blocking drills, fol-
lowed by an intra-squad scrim-
mage. The Optimist Club, whose
Pop Warmer football teams now
play in the stadium, fed the team
after the event.
A huge crowd of fans and for-
mer players of all ages watched
from the concrete bleachers as the
Mounties went through their rou-
tine.
Former players Steve Baker and
Alfred Ash, both of whom played
at City Stadium and later coached
at the present KMHS facility on
Phifer Road, inspired the players
with their pre-practice speeches.
Both recalled some of their memo-
ries but stressed more important
things. Also on the field were two,
Bo Goforth and Mike Huffstickler
from the undefeated 1963 KMHS
team. Huffstickler was City
Stadium'’s last 1,000-yard rusher.
Baker talked briefly about some
of the Mounties’ accomplishments
at City Stadium, but spoke more
about the present.
“This park is great,” Baker said,
“but this is all about you guys. On
behalf of all former players, fans
and coaches, we want to tell you
how much we appreciate you
thinking of the past. We're
doomed to failure if we don't
remember the past.”
Baker recalled that in his playing
days Kings Mountain was a textile
community and “on Friday night
everything revolved around this
stadium.”
He called the football era of 1955
through 1964 the “heyday” of
Kings Mountain football as the
Mounties won five conference
championships during that time.
During his two years in 1963 and
1964, the team had a 19-1-1 overall
record. In 1955 the Mounties won
their first-ever conference champi-
onship and in 1956 won the
Western North Carolina High
School Activities Association title,
which at that time was the equiva-
lent of the state championship for
that association.
“Part of the mystique of playing
in Kings Mountain was this stadi-
um,” he said. “We had to walk to
the stadium. As we got close the
excitement began to rise. Horns
would be blowing and people
cheering. When we came into the
stadium the excitement rose even
more. We had a tradition of run-
ning down the hill. As a player,
when you ran down that hill you
knew something special was
about to happen.”
But, Baker noted, stadiums
don’t win ball games.
“This is a team sport,” he said.
“It don’t happen if you don’t
believe it. Memories of the past are
important but this is really about
you. There will never be another
2008 football season so you have to
make it special. It takes a lot of dis-
cipline and courage to play foot-
ball; if it was easy you'd have 400
boys coming out for football. It
shouldn't be easy. Anything worth
having is worth working very
hard for. I want you this season to
remember the word DARE. Dare
to dream." Dare to believe. And
dare to come out together and
achieve a good season. Through
your work and commitment you
will get what you're striving for.”
Ash, who played junior high
football ball at City Stadium but
played his varsity career at John
Gamble Stadium, urged the play-
ers to remember three C words —
choices, chances and champion.
“If you make enough good
choices, you'll get enough chances
to become a champion,” he said.
“It's easy to criticize someone
when he’s down,” he said. “Pick
him up and dust him off. He's a
re {se wren
BRR RL
Celebrating 33 Years In Uptor
GARY STEWART/HERALD
Kings Mountain High's football players and coaches walk
down Gaston Street from Central School to City Stadium for
Tuesday night's Back to Our Roots practice session and
intrasquad scrimmage.
soldier that’s right beside you.
When you lose a soldier you have
a weak spot.”
Ash also encouraged the players
to think of each other as family.
“Members of a family, regardless
of the choices they make, are going
to support each other,” he said.
He said sports is all about
opportunity and preparation. “I
won't wish you good luck because
I don’t believe in luck,” he said.
“But I wish you the best of prepa-
ration and all opportunities that
come your way that you'll take
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advantage of them.”
Players seemed to appreciate
the kind words and the opportuni-
ty to play in the old stadium.
“I think it’s good to come out
and show the Little Mounties how
to represent Kings Mountain,”
said senior tight end Devon
Thompson.
Center Kelly McCrary Solin
teers as a coach with the Pop
Warner teams at City Stadium.
“It's a really good experience to
be out here and play on a field that
has so many memories,” he said.