Texas High School Basketball Champions, 1921-2007

By Dr. Billy Wilbanks

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Team Narratives - Girls

Comanche defeated McLean, 50-49 in the 3-A final; Fredericksburg, 58-39, in the semi-final; and Decatur, 54-42, in the 1^st round at the first UIL sponsored state tournament in Austin on March 8-10, 1951.  The players were limited to only one dribble in that first season of 1952.  The Indians trailed 18-33 at the half of the final against McLean and made an “amazing comeback”  (32-16) in the 2^nd half.  Florence Jo Coan brought Comanche to within one point at 48-49 with 11 seconds left and then made a FG with 5 seconds left for the win.  The Indians led 20-7 at the end of the 1^st qt. of the semi-final and then cruised to a 19-point win against Fredericksburg.  In the 1^st round Comanche led  Decatur 38-32 going into the 4^th quarter and pulled away to win by 12.    

The Indians qualified for the first UIL girls state tournament with playoff wins over Dublin, 64-11; Ranger, 54-20; Hamilton, 42-37; and Cisco, 55-26; and regional wins over Roby and San Angelo Lakeview.  Comanche finished the year at 36-2 (with its only loses to Carlton and Cisco). 

Comanche has made four appearances in the state finals winning titles in 1951 & 1998 and losing in the final in 1973 (to Waco Midway) and 1974 (to Slaton).  The 1951 Comanche championship coach was Marguerite Ross of Howard Payne U. and NTSU.  Finalist McLean made its only appearance in a state final (thru 2007) in 1951.

The 1951 Comanche players were:  18 Mary Jean Andress, 5’8” Fr F; 16 Rita Jo Arms, 5’6” Jr G; 13 Faye Auvenshine, 5’3” Fr G; 11 Ruth Bingham, 5’6” Sr F; 10 Jane Bradley, 5’2” Fr F; 14 Ann Carter, 5’4” Jr G; 15 Florence Jo Coan, 5’11” Sr F; 20 Jean DeWitt, 5’8” Jr F; 17 Linda Glasgow, 5’9” So G; 22 Barbara Godfrey, 5’3” Sr G; 12 Jeanette Hall, 5’7” Jr G; & 19 Neita Myrle Smith, 5’7” Sr G.    

The Indians were led by 5’11” Sr Florence Jo Coan who scored 28 points in the final, 26 in the semi-final and 32 in the 1^st round (a total of 86 points in the 3 state games).  5’6” Sr Ruth Bingham scored 14, 11 and 10 in the three games and 5’8” Jr Jean DeWitt scored 8, 17 & 12. 5’7” Sr Dorothy Gudgel led McLean in the final with 27 points and scored 72 points in the 3 state games—second only to Coan’s 86.   5’8” Sr Betty Brown led Fredericksburg in the semi-final with 13.  James McLemore, the author of Texas Schoolgirl Basketball (1976) reported that Coan was the “tallest player in the tournament” and that “her height in those days was considered extraordinary.”

The Conference 3A 1951 All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’11” Sr Florence Jo Coan of Comanche, 5’7” Sr Dorothy Gudgel of McLean and 5’3” So Wilheminia Beckmann of Fredericksburg and Guards 5’7” Sr Nita Myrle Smith of Comanche and 5’9” So Bonita Bailey and 5’9” So Joyce Bruner of McLean.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.

Claude defeated Clyde Denton Valley, 42-40, in the Conf. B final; Duncanville, 35-32, in the semi-final; and Sulphur Bluff, 25-11, in the 1^st round at the first UIL sponsored state tournament in Austin March 8-10, 1951.  The players were limited to only one dribble in that first season under the UIL.  The Mustangettes qualified for the first UIL state Class B girls tournament with a win in the Region 1B final over Darrouzett, 26-22.   Claude finished the year at 26-5. 

The Indians jumped out to an 18-0 half-time lead over Sulphur Bluff (34-3) in the 1^st round and cruised to a 14-point victory as the Claude defense held Sulphur Bluff to only one FG for the entire game.  Duncanville (31-3) led the semi-final 29-24 after 3 quarters but was outscored 11-3 in the 4^th quarter.  The 6-point “comeback” by Claude in the last 3 minutes was led by Yvonne Averyt who made the decisive FG and her sister, Jane, who made a FT to “ice” the game.  Claude led the final throughout the 4^th quarter and survived a “desperation shot” by Denton Valley (38-3) at the buzzer to win by 2 points. 

Claude has made 9 appearances in the state finals winning 6 titles (in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1962, 1971 & 1972) and losing in the finals in 1954 (to Winnie East Chambers), 1960 (to Sulphur Springs N. Hopkins) and 1961 (to Midway).  Lawrence (“Jake”) Halter of Tulsa U. was the Claude championship coach in 1951 & 1952 and coached both the girls and boys teams.  Finalist Clyde Denton Valley (with only 31 students) made its only appearance in a state final (thru 2007) in 1951.  Claude had an enrollment of 86 students. 

The 1951 Claude players were:  00 Norma Brunson, 5’4” So F; 11 Jane Averyt, 5’6” So F; 22 Bettye Dawkins, 5’7” So G; 25 Juanita Smotherman, 5’5” Sr G; 33 Roxie Harred, 5’2” Jr F; 35 Barbara Corbin, 5’6” Sr G; 44 Yvonne Averyt, 5’6” Sr F; 55 Shirley Brown, 5’5” Fr G; 66 Mary Gillham, 5’5” So G; 77 Carolyn Christian, 5’6” So G; 88 Oleta Morrison, 5’7” So F; & 99 Lorene Whelchel, 5’7” Fr F. 

Claude was led in the final by 5’6” So Jane Averyt with 24 points, scored mostly on long one-handed “push shots” from “far out.”   Her sister, 5’6” Sr Yvonne Averyt, added 12 points and 5’7” Fr Lorene Whelchel, 6.  5’4” Sr Patsy Crow led Denton Valley with 22 points.  Whelchel led the Mustangettes in the semi-final with 15 points while Yvonne Averyt had 13, 5’7” So Oleta Morrison, 4, and Jane Averyt, 3.  5’8” Jr Faye Wilson led Duncanville with 14.  Whelchel was Claude’s leading scorer in the 1^st round with 7 points while Jane Averyt had 6 and Yvonne Averyt and Morrison each had 4. 

The Conference B All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’6” Sr Yvonne Averyt of Claude, 5’8” Jr Faye Wilson of Duncanville and 5’4” Sr Patsy Crow and 5’4” Fr Jean Farmer of Denton Valley and Guards 5’6” Sr Barbara Corbin and 5’5” Juanita Smotherman of Claude and 5’7” Jr Ann Gotcher of Denton Valley.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.

Hamilton defeated Morton, 27-19, in the A-AA final; Comanche, 33-25, in the semi-final; and West Columbia, 43-21, in the 1^st round at the state tournament.  A new rule changed allowed the players the unlimited dribble rather than the one dribble allowed in the first season of 1951.  The Bulldogs qualified for state with regional wins over Rosebud, 27-22; Thrall, 37-20; and Mason, 28-22, and became the first undefeated state champion finishing the year at 24-0.  Hamilton cruised to a 22-point victory over West Columbia in the 1^st round and led Comanche, 24-23, after 3 qts. of the semi-final and outscored the Indians 9-2 in the 4^th qt.  Hamilton led Morton 19-18 going into the 4^th qt. of the final and outscored the Indians 8-1 in the final quarter.   

The Bulldogs have made three appearances in the state finals winning titles in 1952 & 1998 and losing in 1993 to Marion.  Ted L. Jones of Baylor University was the 1952 Hamilton championship coach.  Finalist Morton has made two appearances in the state finals winning a title in 1987 and losing in 1952. 

The 1952 Hamilton players were:  23 Mary Jo McKandless, 5’7” Sr F; 25 Tommie Harlien, 5’3” Sr F; 31 Hazel Jean Manning, 6’0” Fr F; 24 Barbara French, 5’5” So F; 29 Nancy Roberts, 5’8” So F; 28 Hallye Johnson, 5’9” Sr G; 27 Louise Young, 5’4” Sr G; 20 “Ann Witty, 5’5” Jr G; 22 Mary Scott, 5’7” Jr G; 26 Elwanda Smith, 5’8” Jr G; and 30 Vada Raibourn, 5’6” So G. 

Hamilton was led in the final by 6’0” Fr Hazel Jean Manning with 15 points, 5’7” Sr Mary Jo McKandless with 10 and 5’3” Sr Tommie Harlien with 2.  5’10” Sr Betty Doyle led Morton with 12.  In the semi-final, Manning scored 15, McKandless, 14, and Harlein, 4, 5’8” So Mary Jean Andress led Comanche with 15.  McKandless was the top Bulldog scorer in the 1^st round with 19 while Manning added 14 & Hailein, 7.  5’6” Sr Wilma Wisch led West Columbia with 12 points. 

The 1952 Conf A-AA All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’3” Sr Tommie Harlien of Hamilton, 5’10” Sr Betty Doyle of Morton, 5’10” Jr Bonita Bailey of McLean and 5’8” So Mary Jean Andress of Comanche and Guards 5’9” Sr Hallye Johnson of Hamilton, 5’4” Sr Patty Andrews of Mesquite and 5’10” Sr Shirley Tucker of Morton.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.

Claude defeated Duncanville, 47-42, in the Conf B final; Tarkington, 37-35, in the semi-final; and Hawley, 42-27, in the 1^st round at the state tournament.   A rule change for the 1952 season allowed the players an unlimited dribble rather than the one dribble allowed in 1951.  Hawley was coached by Charles Womack who won over 900 games coaching boys and girls for 33 years and was elected to the TX H.S. Basketball Hall of Fame.  The Mustangettes defeated Bovina, 49-25; Mobeetie, 57-48; and Happy, 47-22, in the region to qualify for state and finished the year at 28-7.  Claude led Hawley 25-12 at halftime and 37-19 after 3qts.  The Mustangettes led the semi-final by 10 at 33-23 after 3 qts. and then survived a comeback as  Tarkington outscored Claude 12-4 in the 4^th qt. but came up 2 points short.  Claude led 35-34 after 3 qts. of the final and outscored Duncanville 12-8 in the final qt. 

Claude has made 9 appearances in the state finals winning 6 titles (in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1962, 1971 & 1972) and losing in the finals in 1954 (to Winnie East Chambers), 1960 (to Sulphur Springs N. Hopkins) and 1961 (to Midway).  Lawrence (“Jake”) Halter of Tulsa U. was the Claude championship coach in 1951 & 1952.  Finalist Duncanville has made 11 appearances in the state finals winning 6 state titles (1976, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1997 & 2003) and losing in 1952, 1981, 1992, 1995 and 2004.   

The 1952 Claude players were:  44 Jane Averyt, 5’6” Jr F; 33 Roxie Harrod, 5’6” Sr F; 88 Oleta Morrison, 5’8” Jr F; 11 Reta Jean Dye, 5’5” Fr F; 99 Lorene Whelchel, 5’9” So F; 00 Norma Brunson, 5’5” Jr F; 66 Mary Gillham, 5’5” Jr G; 55 Shirley Brown, 5’5” So G; 45 Dorothy Sanders, 5’2” Jr F; 77 Carolyn Christian, 5’8” Jr G; 25 Ruella McGowan, 5’6” Fr G; 22 Bettye Dawkins, 5’7” Jr G; 35 Pat Tims, 5’7” Fr G; & 65 Wanda Buckingham, 5’6” Fr G.

5’6” Jr Jane Averyt led Claude in scoring in the final with 26 points, 5’8” Jr Oleta Morrison had 11 and 5’9” So Lorene Whelchel, 10.  5’7” Sr Faye Wilson led Duncanville with 29 points.  Whelchel led Claude in the semi-final with 19 points while Averyt added 9 and 5’6” Sr Roxie Harrod, 8.  Edna Murl Scott led Tarkington with 16 points.  Morrison led the Mustangettes in the 1^st round with 19 points while Whelchel added 12 and Averyt, 11.  5’5” Fr Barbara Newton led Hawley with 15 points.   Faye Wilson scored 85 points in the 3 state games—one short of the record set by Florence Jo Coan of Comanche the year before.

The 1952 Class B All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’7” Sr Jane Averyt of Claude, 5’7” Sr Faye Wilson of Duncanville and 5’4” Fr Janice Edds of Little-River Academy and Guards 5’5” Jr MaryGillham and 5’8” Jr Carolyn Christian of Claude and 5’8” Sr Raye Wilson of Duncanville. From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.  

Faye and Raye Wilson of Duncanville later played for the Wayand Baptist Flying Queens. 

New Deal defeated Whitesboro, 58-44, in the A-AA final; Muleshoe, 32-24, in the semi-final; and Vidor, 58-16, in the first round at the state tournament.  The Lionesses qualified for state for the 1^st time and finished the year undefeated at 41-0.  The Bearkettes led by 28-5 at the halftime of the 42-point win over Vidor in the 1^st rouond.  New Deal led by 27-16 at the half of the final and by 39-23 after 3 qts.

New Deal has made three appearances in the state finals winning the title in 1953 and losing in 1956 to Buna and in 1981 to Hardin.  The 1953 New Deal championship coach was Toby Waggoner of WTSU.  Finalist Whitesboro made its only appearance in a state final in 1953.  New Deal had an enrollment of 103 in 1953 while finalist Whitesboro had 179. 

The 1953 New Deal players were:  30 Novella Abbe, 5’7” Sr F; 32 Wanda Arant, 5’10” Sr F; 31 JoAnn Ashmore, 5’8” So F; 23 Rita Bumpass, 5’2” So F; 22 Ruth Cox, 5’8” So F; 28 Pat Crews, 5’8” Sr G; 29 Sally Crosnoe, 5’3” Fr G; 25 Shirley Davis, 5’3” Jr F; 38 Anniece Durham, 5’7” Jr G; 27 Mary Ann Looney, 5’7” Sr G; 34 Charlsie Meyers, 5’6” Sr G; 26 Linda Kay Miller, 5’8” Fr F; 36 Jerry Sue Perrin, 5’5” So F; 33 JoAnn Perrin, 5’7” Sr G; 24 Vana Snider, 5’6” So G; 35 Maxine Wales, 5’9” Jr F; 39 Sylvia Wright, 5’7” Jr G; & 37 Yvonne Wright, 5’6” So G. 

New Deal was led in the final by 5’10” Sr F Wanda Arant with 32 points, 5’8” So F Jo Ann Ashmore with 14 and 5’8” So F Ruth Cox with 12.  Dixie Bean led Whitesboro with 14.  Arant also led the Bearkettes in the semi-final with 19 points while Cox added 7 and Ashmore, 6.  The Mulettes were led by Jean Montgomery with 15 points.  Arant scored 36 points in the 1^st round game against Vidor while Ashmore added 15 & Cox, 4.  Shirley Norton led Vidor with 11.  Arant’s 87 points in the 3 state games was a new state tournament record.

The 1953 A-AA All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’10” Sr Wanda Arant of New Deal, 6’0” Jr Hazel Manning of Hamilton and 5’10” Jr Bilie Earl of Whitesboro and Guards 5’7” Sr Mary Ann Looney and 5’6” Sr Charlsie Meyers of New Deal and 5’5” Sr Norma Graves of Muleshoe.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.

 Claude defeated Bryson, 40-30, in the Conf B final; Emory, 37-32, in the semi-final; and Van Horn, 45-20, in the 1^st round at the state tournament.  The Mustangettes qualified for state for the 3^rd time with regional wins over Klondike, 52-26; Mobeetie, 56-37; Meadow, 43-28; and Rule, 35-25; and finished the year at 37-1.  The Mustangettes led Van Horn in the 1^st round by 26-13 at halftime and by 36-15 after 3 qts.  Claude led Emory 30-24 after 3 qts and Bryson by 25-20 after 3qts of the final and outscored the Cowgirls 15-10 in the last qt. 

Claude has made 9 appearances in the state finals winning 6 titles (in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1962, 1971 & 1972) and losing in the finals in 1954 (to Winnie East Chambers), 1960 (to Sulphur Springs N. Hopkins) and 1961 (to Midway).  The 1953 Claude championship coach was Wayne Mantooth of Southwestern OK.  Finalist Bryson made its only appearance in a state final in 1953.  Claude had an enrollment of 93 in 1953 and finalist, Bryson, 73. 

The 1953 Claude players were:  44 Jane Averyt, 5’7” Sr F; 25 Latrice Moore, 5’9” Fr F; 99 Lorene Whelchel, 5’9” Jr F; 66 Mary Gillham, 5’6” Sr G; 22 Bettye Dawkins, 5’9” Sr G; 77 Carolyn Christian, 5’9” Sr G; 11 Rita Jean Dye, 5’5” So F; 45 Gayle Bryan, 5’2” Jr F; 00 Norma Brunson, 5’5” Sr F; 33 Vesta Kelley, 5’9” So G; 35 Pat Tims, 5’8” So G; 55 Shirley Brown, 5’5” Jr G; 88 Ruella McGowan, 5’6” So G; & 65 Wanda Buckingham, 5’8” So F. 

Claude was led in the final by 5’9” Fr Latrice Moore with 26 points, 5’7” Sr Jane Averyt with 10 and 5’9” Jr LoreneWhelchel with 4.  Bryson was led by 5’7” Jr LaRue Matlock (who broke the tournament scoring record in the 1^st round with 36 points in one game) with 18.  Moore also led Claude with 16 points in the semi-final while Averyt added 12 and Whelchel, 9.  Joann Eads led Emory with 17.  Whelchel was the top scorer for Claude in the 1^st round with 14 while Averyt added 11 and Moore, 8. 

The 1953 Class B All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’7” Sr Jane Averyt and 5’9” Fr Latrice Moore of Claude; 5’7” Jr LaRue Matlock of Bryson and 5’9” So Shirley Cravey of Leakey and Guards 5’7” Sr Mary Gillham and 5’9” Sr Bettye Dawkins of Claude; 5’9” Jr Joyce King of Bryson and 5’8” Jr Betty Braziel of Emory.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.

Dimmitt defeated Granbury, 66-60, in the A-AA final; George West, 67-61, in the semi-final; and Cooper, 70-49, in the 1^st round; at the state tournament.  After the 21-point win in the 1^st round the Bobbies led 27-26 at halftime of the semi-final and by 39-26 after 3 qts. and coasted to victory over George West.  Dimmitt and Granbury were tied at 46-46 after 3 qts of the final but Dimmitt outscored Granbury 20-14 in the final qt.  Dimmitt’s 203 points in 3 games was a new state record. 

The Bobbies qualified for state for the 1^st time with regional wins over Panhandle, 64-59; Burkburnett, 61-41; and (defending state champion) New Deal, 50-42.  Dimmitt finished the year at 34-6.

Dimmitt has made three appearances in the state finals winning the title in 1954, 1955 & 1993 and ranks 7^th in TX with total boys/girls U.I.L. championships at 7.  Leo A. Fields was the 1954 Dimmitt championship coach.  Finalist Granbury made three appearances in the state finals losing in 1954, 1955 & 1978.  Dimmitt had an enrollment of 177 and finalist Granbury, 207.

The championship history of the Dimmitt H.S. girls team goes back further than 1951 when the UIL began its girls state tournament.  Dimmitt won three state championships in 1950-52 under the H.S. Girls Basketball League of Texas (HSGBLT) which was held each year in Waco and/or Hillsboro from 1939-52.  Lometa Odom, the star of the 1950-52 Dimmitt championship teams went on to play for the Wayland Flying Queens who won multiple national AAU championships and is a member of the TX H.S. Basketball Hall of Fame.   Dimmitt also won two state AAU state championships--in 1931 & 1932--and is the only girls team to win state titles in the state AAU tournament, the  HSGBLT and the UIL. 

The two back-to-back titles in 1930-1931 were the first two of an amazing 35 state titles won by "tiny" (a total population of less than 9,000) Castro County as the Dimmitt girls have won 8 titles; the Dimmit boys, 4 titles; the Nazareth boys, 5 titles; and the Nazareth girls, 18 titles.  Only Dallas County (with 47 state titles) has won more state titles than Castro County (Harris County is 3rd at 32 titles).  Dimmitt's total of 8 girls' titles is 3rd in the state after Nazareth (18) and Canyon (13) and ahead of Levelland (7) and Duncanville (6), Abernathy (6), Claude (6) and Waco Midway (6). 

The 1954 Dimmitt players were:  1 Margaret Odom, 5’9” Jr F; 2 Shirley Tucker, 5’3” Jr G; 3 Mary Ann Witt, 5’5” Jr G; 4 Faye Howard, 5’7” So F; 5 Jimmye Carrol Hyatt, 5’5” Jr G; 6 Darlene Cates, 5’3” Jr F; 7 Sandra Adams, 5’6” Fr F; 8 Mary Beth Alley, 5’6” So F; 9 Dee Howard,  5’5” Sr G; 10 Mary Nelson, 5’6” Sr F; 11 Shirley DeLozier, 5’10” So F; 12 Sonya Kaye Lowe, 5’8” Jr G; 13 Dovie Smithson, 5’9” Fr F; & Kaye Killingsworth, 5’6” Fr G. 

5’9 Jr F Margaret Odom led Dimmitt in the final with 48 points while 5’3” Jr F Darlene Cates added 12 and 5’6” Sr F Mary Nelson, 6.  Leta Nell Thomason led Granbury with 38.  Odom had 33 points in the semi-final while Cates had 18 and Nelson, 14.  Myrtle Nell Rosebrock led George West with 30.   Odom scored 28 in the 1^st round and Nelson added 24 and Cates, 14.  Wilma Lee Strong led Cooper with 23.  Odom’s 3-game total of 109 points (36.3 ppg) was a new state record as was her 48 points in one game and in the championship game. 

The 1954 A-AA All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’9” Jr Margaret Odom of Dimmitt; 5’7” Jr Shirley Rains and 6’0” Sr Leta Thomason of Granbury and 5’9” Sr Myrtle Nell Rosebrock of George West and Guards 5’5” Jr Mary Ann Witt and 5’5” Sr Dee Howard of Dimmitt and 5’3” Jr Leta Rains of Granbury.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side. 

Leta Rains (Andrews) of Granbury was all-state in 1954 & 1955 and later played (as a "rover" at Weatherford JC and TX Wesleyan).  She later coached at Tolar (1962-1965); Comanche (1965-1976); Granbury  (1976-1980 & 1992-2008) & Calallen (1980-1992) in a 45-year coaching career that was climaxed by her being named the recipient of the first Morgan Wooten Award for lifetime achievement in coaching high school basketball by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.  She is also a member of the TX H.S. Basketball Hall of Fame.  Her 1,228 wins (thru 2007) is an all-time record for coaching wins by a female high school coach in the U.S.

Winnie East Chambers defeated Claude, 46-45, in the Conf B final preventing Claude from winning its 4^th consecutive state title.  The Buccaneers defeated Bryson, 60-45, in the semi-final, and Balmorhea in the 1^st round at the state tournament.  The Buccaneers qualified for state for the 1^st time with regional wins over Hemphill, 53-35; Little Cypress, 64-37; and Vidor, 93-52, and finished the year at 30-1.  The Buccaneers cruised to a 45-point victory in the 1^st round and a 15-pt. victory in the semi-final before surviving a comeback by defending stat e champion Claude in the final as the Mustangettes trailed by 8 (35-27) after 3 qts. but outscored the Buccaneers 18-11 in the 4^th qt falling 1-point short as East Chambers won 46-45.  The Buccaneers won the game at the FT line hitting 24 of 30 as Claude had more FGs (19-11). 

Winnie East Chambers won the 1954 state title in the school’s only appearance in the U.I.L. state finals.  J.D. Hutson of NTSU was the 1954 East Chambers Championship coach.  Finalist Claude has made the finals 6 times winning state titles in 1962, 1971 & 1972 and losing in the finals in 1954, 1960 & 1961.  East Chambers had an enrollment of 107 in 1954 and finalist Claude, 102. 

The championship history of the East Chambers H.S. girls team goes back further than 1951 when the UIL began its girls state tournament.  East Chambers won the 1947 & 1953 state championships in the H.S. Girls Basketball League of Texas  (HSGBLT) which was held each year in Waco and/or Hillsboro from 1939-52.  East Chambers was runner-up in the HSGBLT in 1949. 

The 1954 East Chambers players were: 24 Ann Arrendell, 5’7” Fr F; 58 Jo Ann Collins, 5’8” Fr F; 57 Patsy Griffin, 5’7” Fr F; 53 Irene Honeycutt, 6’0” Jr F; 45 Valarie King, 5’6” Jr F; 44 Rosemary McAdams, 5’6” Jr F; 43 Ann Devillier, 5’0” Jr G; 54 Lola Duhon, 5’7” Jr G; 56 Joy Evans, 5’4” Fr G; 22 Katherine Franzen, 5’5” Fr G; 21 Barbara Honeycutt, 5’7” Fr G; & Wanda Regian, 5’11” Jr G. 

The Buccaneers were led in the final by 5’6” Jr Rosemary McAdams with 26 points, 6’0” Jr Irene Honeycutt with 11 and 5’6” Jr Valarie King with 9.  Claude was led by 5’9” So Latrice Moore with 27.  Honeycutt led East Chambers in the semi-final with 23 points followed by King with 22 and McAdams with 15.  LaRue Matlock led Bryson with 25.  McAdams led the Buccaneers in the 1^st round with 21 points followed by King with 20 and Honeycutt with 16.  Jane McCutcheon led Blamorhea with 13. 

The 1954 Conference B All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’6” Jr Rosemary McAdams of East Chambers, 5’9” So Latrice Moore of Claude, 5’9” Sr LaRue Matlock of Bryson and 5’6” Sr Jean Farmer of Clyde Eula and Guards 5’7” Jr Lola Duhon, 5’9” So Mary Agnes Carter of East Lamar and 5’8” Jr Wanda Buckingham of Claude.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side. 

Bowie defeated Angleton, 54-52, in the 2-A final and Gatesville, 59-56, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  The Bunnies qualified for state for the 1^st time with regional wins over Seagoville, 45-38; Sherman, 46-28; and Stephenville, 41-40; and finished the year at 28-4.  Bowie led by 6 points (45-39) going into the 4^th qt. of the semi-final and held on for a 3-point win.  The Bunnies led the final by 5 points (43-38) going into the 4^th qt. and, with the help of FTs (21 of 34 to 14 of 23) held on for a 2-point victory.  The Texas H.S. Basketball Coaches League (1939-1954) which existed before the UIL began state-wide girls basketball in 1951 went out of existence in 1954 leaving the UIL as the only state-wide organization sponsoring girls high school basketball.  The UIL, with more teams, went to a 3-class alignment in 1955. 

Bowie has made two appearances in the state finals winning state titles in 1955 and 1995.  Wanda Edwards of Texas Wesleyan was the 1955 Bowie championship coach.  Finalist Angleton has made five appearances in the state finals winning titles in 1956 & 1973 and losing in 1955, 1969 & 2005.  Bowie had an enrollment of 356 in 1955 and finalist Angleton, 272. 

The 1955 Bowie players were: 41 Carol Ann Smith, 5’11” Sr F; 24 Sue Jackson, 5’4” Jr F; 21 Linda Campbell, 5’1” Fr F; 34 Linda Kay Bradfield, 5’3” So F; 25 Betty Andreason, 5’10” So F; 23 Loran Sue McLeland, 5’11” Sr G; 35 Lawana Robinson, 5’10” Jr G; 32 Mildred McCraw, 5’9” Jr G; 33 Joan Baxter, 5’4” Sr G; 22 Ruth Ann Wright, 5’3” Sr G; 42 Lynda McLeland, 5’4” Fr G; & 31 Glenda Brooks, 5’3” Jr G. 

The Bunnies were led in the final by 5’11” Sr Carol Ann Smith with 28 points, 5’4” Jr Sue Jackson with 18 and 5’1” Fr Linda Campbell with 8.  Elaine Matthews led Angleton with 28 points.  Smith scored 43 in the semi-final while Campbell added 11 and Jackson, 5.  5’8” So Nancy Mueller led Gatesville with 30.  Smith scored 71 points in the two games at state for a 35.5 ppg average. 

The 1955 2-A All State Tournament Team included  Forwards 5’11” Sr Carol Ann Smith of Bowie; 5’9” Sr Elaine Matthews of Angleton and 5’8” Sr Shirley Oswalt of Abernathy and Guards 5’10” Jr Lawana Robinson of Bowie; 5’4” So Yvonne Stone of Angleton and 5’8” So Nancy Mueller of Gatesville.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.  Yvonne Stone of Angleton is one of only 30 girls in the history of the state tournament to be named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years.

Dimmitt defeated Granbury, 62-44, in the 1-A final and Goldthwaite, 49-40, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  The Bobbies qualified for state for the 2^nd time with regional wins over Panhandle, 52-36; Sonora, 92-53; and New Deal, 60-56; and finished the year at 34-5.  Dimmitt had 21 FGs to 8 by Goldthwaite in the semi-final but the Eagles had more FTs (24 of 42 to 7 of 23).  The Bobbies led by  8 (41-33) after 3 qts. and outscored Goldthwaite 8-7 in the 4^th qt.  Dimmitt led by 47-39 after 3 qts. of the final and outscored Granbury 15-5 in the 4^th to cruise to an 18-point victory. 

Dimmitt has made three appearances in the state finals winning the title in 1954, 1955 & 1993 and ranks 7^th in TX with total boys/girls U.I.L. championships at 7.  Wilda Smithson was the 1955 Dimmitt championship coach.  Finalist Granbury made three appearances in the state finals losing in 1954, 1955 & 1978.  Dimmitt had an enrollment of 177 in 1955 and finalist Granbury, 207.  

The championship history of the Dimmitt H.S. girls team goes back further than 1951 when the UIL began its girls state tournament.  Dimmitt won three state championships in 1950-52 under the H.S. Girls Basketball League of Texas (HSGBLT) which was held each year in Waco and/or Hillsboro from 1939-52.  Lometa Odom, the star of the 1950-52 Dimmitt championship teams went on to play for the Wayland Flying Queens who won multiple national AAU championships and is a member of the TX H.S. Basketball Hall of Fame.  Dimmitt also won two state AAU titles--in 1931 & 1932---and is the only girls team to win state titles under the AAU, the HSGBLT and the UIL. 

The two back-to-back titles in 1930-1931 were the first of an amazing 35 state titles won by "tiny" (a total population of less than 9,000) Castro County as the Dimmitt girls have won 8 titles; the Dimmitt boys, 4 titles; the Nazareth boys, 5 titles; and the Nazareth girls, 18 titles.  Only Dallas County (with 47 state titles) has won more state titles than Castro County (Harris County is 3rd at 32 titles).  Dimmitt's total of 8 girls' titles is 3rd in the state after Nazareth (18) and Canyon (13) and ahead of Levelland (7), Duncanville (6), Abernathy (6), Claude (6) and Waco Midway (6). 

The 1955 Dimmitt players were:  1 Margaret Odom, 5’10” Sr F; 2 Shirley Tucker, 5’3” Sr G; 3 Mary Ann Witt, 5’4” Sr G; 4 Faye Howard, 5’5” Jr F; 5 Jimmye Hyatt, 5’6” Sr G; 6 Darlene Cates, 5’3” Sr F; 7 Sandra Adams, 5’7” So G; 8 Mary Alley, 5’7” Jr F; 9 Ann Spear, 5’4” Sr F; 10 Betty McDermitt, 5’4” So G; 11 Shirley Delozier, 5’11” Jr G; 12 Sonya Lowe, 5’8” Sr G; 13 Dovie Smithson, 5’10” So G; & 14 Kaye Killingsworth, 5’8” So G. 

The Bobbies were led in the final by 5’10” Sr Margaret Odom with 28 points, Ann Spear with 19 and Darlene Cates with 15.  Odom also led the scoring in the semi-final with 18 points while Cates added 16 and Spear, 12. 

The 1955 1-A All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’10” Sr Margaret Odom of Dimmitt, 5’7” Sr Shirley Rains & 5’4” Sr Leta Mae Rains of Granbury and 5’9” So Pat Troell of George West and Guards 5’11” Jr Shirley Delozier of Dimmitt and 5’5” Jr Darlene Pruitt of Granbury.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.  Pat Troell is one of only 30 girls in the history of the state tournament to be named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years.

Leta Rains (Andrews) of Granbury was all-state in 1954 & 1955 and later played (as a "rover" at Weatherford JC and TX Wesleyan).  She later coached at Tolar (1962-1965); Comanche (1965-1976); Granbury  (1976-1980 & 1992-2008) & Calallen (1980-1992) in a 45-year coaching career that was climaxed by her being named the recipient of the first Morgan Wooten Award for lifetime achievement in coaching high school basketball by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.  She is also a member of the TX H.S. Basketball Hall of Fame.  Her 1,228 wins (thru 2007) is an all-time record for coaching wins by a female high school coach in the U.S.

Waco Midway defeated Cotton Center, 58-50, in the Conf B final; East Chambers, 60-51; and Maydelle, 63-61, in the 1^st round at the state tournament.  The Panthers qualified for state for the 1^st time with regional wins over Aquilla, 65-50; Blanket, 64-45; Pottsville, 59-44; and Lipan, 52-44; and finished the year at 29-3.  Midway led in the 1^st round by 3 (57-54) after 3qts. and held on for a 2-point victory over Maydelle before a 9-point win in the semi-final and an 8-point win in the final.    The Panthers led by only 2 points in the final after 3 qts. but outscored CottonCenter 16-10 in the 4^th qt. 

Waco Midway has made 8 appearances in the state finals winning state titles in 1955, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1976 and 1994 and losing in the finals in 1977 (to Canyon) and 1990 (to  Corpus Christi Calallen).  M.T. Rice was the 1955 Midway championship coach.  Finalist Cotton Center made its only appearance in a state final in 1955.  Waco Midway had an enrollment of 90 in 1955 and finalist Cotton Center, 50. 

The 1955 Waco Midway players were:  34 Dolly Denard, 5’6” So G; 22 Joyce Foster, 5’10” So G; 21 Jo Retta Griffin, 5’7” So F; 13 Wanda Leutwyler, 5’5” So F; 43 Peggy McKinney, 5’7” Fr G; 15 Carol Morris, 5’4” Jr F; 35 Gale Rice, 5’8” Jr F; 41 Juanajean Robinson, 5’7” So G; 23 Barbara Rutledge, 5’6” Sr G; 32 Vonda Scott, 5’6” So G; 24 Joyce Thompson, 5’6” Jr F; & 12 Peggy Warren, 5’8” Sr G.   

Midway was led in the final by 5’6” Jr F Joyce Thompson with 34 points and 5’7” So F Jo Retta Griffin and 5’8” Jr F Gale Rice with 12 each.  Cora Bell Clanton led Cotton Center with 27.  Thompson scored 49 points (17 of 25 FTs) in the semi-final and Griffin added 9 and Rice, 2.  Rosemary McAdams led East Chambers with 24.  Thompson scored 35 points (23 of 32 FTs) in the 1^st round against Maydelle and scored 118 points in 3 state games for a 39.3 average. 

The 1955 Conference B All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’6” Jr Joyce Thompson of Waco Midway, 5’9” Sr Rosilyn Range of Skidmore-Tynan, 5’6” Sr Valarie King and 5’6” Sr Rosemary McAdams of  East Chambers and Guards 5’4” Jr Bonnie Cannon of Cotton Center and 5’7” Fr Peggy McKinney of Waco Midway.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.  Rosilyn Range of Skidmore-Tynan broke a state record with 53 points in a 1^st round game.

 Angleton defeated Seagoville, 51-48, in the 2-A final and Tulia, 52-50, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  The Wildcats qualified for state for the 3^rd time with regional wins over Pineland, 38-36; Vidor, 61-59; Uvalde, 60-58; and Beeville, 59-46; and finished the year 29-4.

Angleton had a 6-point lead (39-33) after 3 qts of the semi-final and survived a comeback by Tulia in the 4^th qt. for a 2-point victory gained largely by superior FT shooting (26 of 38 to 18 of 37).  The Wildcats also survived a 4^th qt. comeback in the final as Angleton led 45-36 after 3 qts. and withstood a 12-6 4^th qt. by Seagoville.  

Angleton has made five appearances in the state finals winning titles in 1956 & 1973 and losing in the finals to Bowie in 1955, Canyon in 1969 and Ft. Worth Dunbar in 2005.  R.M.Watson of Howard Payne was the 1956 Angleton championship coach.  Finalist Seagoville made two appearances in the state finals losing in 1956 & 1957.  Angleton had an enrollment of 328 and finalist Seagoville, 248. 

The 1956 Angleton players were: 88 Janice Bacon, 5’6” Jr; 13 Roxanne Hardwick, ‘3” Jr; 33 Minnie Kay, 5’6” Jr; 22 Frances LeRibeus, 5’3” Jr; 99 Margaret Lewis, 5’9” Jr; 50 Derla Lorraine, 5’2” Jr; 55 Jo Ann Marshall, 5’4” Sr; 11 Glenda Miles, 5’6” Fr; 12 Jeanne Shanks, 5’7” Jr; 44 Yvonne Stone, 5’4” Jr; 00 Joyce VanSickle,  5’5” Jr; and 77 Dianne Wilson, 5’4” Fr.  (All five starters returned to the state tournament in 1957 but Angleton lost to Buna in the final.) 

Angleton was led in the final by Roxanne Hardwick with 20 points, Joyce VanSickle with 17 and Minnie Kay with 14.  Jane Fowler led Seagoville with 29 while Patsy Akin added 13.  Hardwick led the scoring in the semi-final with 21 points while VanSickel added 17 and Kay, 12.  Wilma Lou O’Daniel and Loretta Timmons led Tulia with 16 each.

The 1956 2-A All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’3” Jr Roxanne Hardwick of Angleton, 6’2” Sr Patsy Akin of Seagoville and 5’2” Sr Ona Lee Schroeder of Bellville and Guards 5’4” Jr Yvonne Stone of Angleton, 5’4” Sr Carolyn Young of Seagoville and 5’5” Sr Pat Bradley of Tulia.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.  Yvonne Stone is one of only 30 girls in the history of the state tournament to be named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years.

Buna defeated New Deal, 54-44, in the 1-A final and George West, 85-56, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  The Cougarettes qualified for state for the 1^st time with regional wins over Newton, 63-41, and Goldthwaite, 59-41, and finished the year at 34-1 (the one loss to Pineland, 46-45).  Buna jumped out to a 47-27 halftime lead over George West in the 29-point semi-final win.  The Cougarettes built a 32-21 halftime lead over New Deal in the final with its “deliberate” game and coasted to a 10-point win using only six players.  The 85 points by Buna in the semi-final was a state record.

Buna has made 6 appearances in the state finals winning titles in 1956, 1957, 1960, & 1961 and losing  in the finals in 1959 (to Abernathy) and 1971 (to Spearman).  The Buna boys won 7 state titles from 1955-63 and thus Buna H.S. has a total of 11 state championships to rank 3^rd (with Snook at 11) in TX behind Nazareth (23) and Canyon (15) for most total championships won.  R.C. Hyden of SFA was the 1956 Buna championship coach.  Buna had an enrollment of 214 to 108 for finalist New Deal.  New Deal made three appearances in the state finals winning the title in 1953 and losing in 1956 & 1981. 

The 1956 Buna players were:  20 Peggy Peveto, 5’4” So; 44 Beth Windnell, 5’4” Fr; 55 Nancy Richardson, 5’4” Fr; 66 Marie Palmer, 5’7” Jr; 77 Joan Smith, 5’4” Jr; 88 Lewine Germany, 5’9” Jr; 93 Judy Germany, 5’6” Fr; 94 Earline Weaver, 5’7” So; 95 Pat Fagg, 5’9” Jr; 96 Laura Kelly, 5’2”So; 97 Mary Mellard, 5’6” So; 98 Johnnie Woods, 5’7” Jr; & 99 Virginia Shannon, 5’10” Jr.  There were no seniors on the team which would go undefeated the next year, 1957. 

The Cougarettes were led in the final by 5’10” Jr Virginia Shannon with 26 points, 5’4” Jr Joan Smith with 15 and 5’9” Jr Lewine Germany with 13.  Linda Kay Miller led New Deal with 23 points.  Shannon also led the scoring in the semi-final with 35 points while Germany added 32 and Smith, 17.  Pat Troell led George West with 29.  Pat Troell is one of only 30 girls in the history of the state tournament to be named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years. 

The 1956 1A All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’10” Jr Virginia Shannon of Buna, 5’8” Sr Linda Kay Miller of New Deal and 5’9” Jr Pat Troell of George West and Guards 5’9” Jr Pat Fagg of Buna, 5’8” Jr Glenna Phillips of New Deal and 5’3” Jr Barbara Hines of Emory.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side. 

Coach R.C. Hyden along with the Buna boys coach, Cotton Robinson, are honored with a marble marker in front of city hall that commemorates the championships (7 for boys, 4 for girls) by Buna under these two coaches.  The marker includes etched photos of both men.

Collinsville defeated Sulphur Springs North Hopkins, 83-75, in the Conf B final; Ropesville, 74-73, in the semi-final; and Pettus, 62-51, in the 1^st round at the state tournament.  The Lady Pirates qualified for state for the 1^st time with regional wins over Wortham, 72-46; Dodd City, 60-51; and Sanger, 47-40; and finished the year at 35-2.  Collinsville used a 17-11 3^rd quarter to break open a close 1^st round game for an 11-point win.   The Pirates escaped in the semi-final with a one-point win as Juvean McWhorter made a FG (one of her state record 55 points) in the last 15 seconds for the win.  Collinsville’s 8-point win in the final was highlighted by a state record 68 points by McWhorter.  Among the 12 state records set by the 1956 Collinsville team were the 219 points in 3 games, most points in one game (83), most points in a championship game (83), most points by individual in a 3-game series by McWhorter (168) and most field goals by an individual--McWhorter--in one game (28) and a series (70). 

Collinsville has made two appearances in the state finals winning the title in 1956 and losing in the 1958 final to Sulphur Springs N. Hopkins.  Milton Pearce of NTSU was the 1956 Collinsville championship coach.  Collinsville had an enrollment of 80 in 1956 to 65 for N. Hopkins.Finalist N. Hopkins made four appearances in the finals winning the title in 1958, 1959 & 1960 and losing in 1956. 

The 1956 Collinsville players were:  33 Juvean McWhorter, 5’10” Sr; 32 Marsha Scoggins, 5’11” So; 11 Irene Hite, 5’6” Fr; 36 Linda McWhorter, 5’10” So; 10 Linda Carney, 5’5” Jr; 20 Gloria Ragsdale, 5’5” So; 18 Helen Cannon, 5’8” Jr; 23 Ann Qualls, 5’6” Fr; 30 Clovia Wood, 5’7” Sr; 34 Charlsie Stiles, 5’6” Jr; 31 Nancy Boren, 5’7” Jr; 35 Wanda Click, 5’5” Sr; 19 Betty Dolezalek, 5’6” So; 15 Betty Umsted, 5’7” Jr; 21 Alma Bell, 5’5” Fr ; 16 Doris Rector, 5’6” Fr;  & Shirley McCorkle, 5’3” So. 

Collinsville was led in the final by 5’10” Sr Juvean McWhorter, utilizing a unique two-handed overhead set shot, with 68 points and 5’11” So Marsha Scoggins with 15 (only two players scored for the Pirates).  Jane Jones led N. Hopkins with 42.  McWhorter scored 55 points in the semi-final and Scoggins added 18.  Von Bevers led Ropesville with 41.  McWhorter led the Pirates in the 1^st round with 47 points while Scoggins added 15.  Betty Dunn led Pettus with 32.  McWhorter’s 68 points in one tournament game set a state record as did her 28 FGs in one game and 168 points in 3 games at state.  Her records still stand in 2008 after 52 years.  Texas Basketball lists Juvean McWhorter 12^th (with 68 points in 1956) on its all-time highest scoring game list.  She averaged 35.7 ppg as a senior in 1956. 

Soph Betty Dolezalek was named All State Tournament in 1958 when Collinsville lost in the final to N. Hopkins. 

The 1956 Conference B All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’10” Sr Juvean McWhorter of Collinsville, 5’7” Jr Von Bevers of Ropesville and 5’8” So Lou Jane Jones of North Hopkins and Guards 5’11” Jr Diana Tidwell of Ropesville, 5’6” Sr  Jo Ann Ferrell of North Hopkins and 5’8” Jr Newlyn Young of Hawley.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.

Lou Jane Jones was named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years in 1956-58 and scored 197 points in 9 games (21.8 ppg) at state in 1966-69.  Von Bevers of Ropesville scored 147 points in 5 games (29.4 ppg) in 1956-57.

Juvean McWhorter married a H.S. basketball coach, Charles Snell, and in 2007 Juvean McWhorter Snell  and her husband lived in Lake Kiowa (Gainesville) TX.  Her jersey number was retired by Collinsville in 2007.  Her granddaughter, Katie Sanderson, plays basketball at Seminole State in OK.  Marsha Scoggins Roberts, a soph in 1956, later played for the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens and was a member of the 1959 U.S. women’s team at the Pan American Games.  Roberts later coached at Mineral Wells, Glen Rose, Godley and Tahoka and is now retired south of Ft Worth.  Several other team members still reside near Collinsville as Wanda Click Renfro lives in Whitesboro; Linda Carney Mitchell in Sherman; and Betty Dolezalek Graham (with a degree in Home Economics) is retired in Lewisville.  Also, Nancy Boren Parker (who has an M.A. in immunology) lives in Norman OK and Dr. Irene Hite Passch is the head of the Dept. of Communications at Jamestown U. in N. Dakota.  Coach Milton Pearce later became Supt. of Schools at Collinsville and Howe. 

 Buna defeated Seagoville, 69-31, in the 2-A final and Angleton, 59-26, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  The Courgarettes qualified for state for the 2^nd time with regional wins over Jasper, 81-40; Bellville, 69-44; and Gatesville, 62-50.  Buna finished the year undefeated at 37-0 winning the second of back-to-back titles.  The Cougarettes “blew away” the competition all year  with an average victory margin of 31 points (the closest win was by 9 points).  The victory margin for 5 playoff games was 28 and included a 33-point win over Angleton in the semi-finals and a 38-point win in the final setting state records for points in the championship game and for a two-game series.  The semi-final win was noteworthy in that Angleton was the 1-A defending state champion and had its entire squad back in 1957 from the 1956 team. 

Buna has made 6 appearances in the state finals winning titles in 1956, 1957, 1960, & 1961 and losing  in the finals in 1959 (to Abernathy) and 1971 (to Spearman).  The championship coach for all four titles was R.C. Hyden of SFA.  The Buna boys won 7 state titles from 1955-63 and thus Buna H.S. has a total of 11 state championships to rank 3^rd (with Snook at 11) in TX behind Nazareth (23) and Canyon (15) for most total championships won.   No TX high school has ever had a better year in one sport than Buna did in 1957 as the boys were the undefeated state champ at 40-0, beat the 4-A state champion twice, and cruised thru the state tournament with 24 & 29 point victories.  Thus the undefeated boys and girls teams had a total record of 75-0 with two state titles.  A marble monument in front of Buna City Hall commemorates the 11 championships won by Buna and includes  an “etching” photograph of Coach Hyden and the boys, Coach, Cotton Robinson.  Buna had a 66-game winning streak in 1956-58. 

Finalist Seagoville made two appearances in the state finals losing in 1956 & 1957.  Buna had an enrollment of 214 in 1957 to 248 for finalist Seagoville. 

The 1957 Buna players were:  63 Lewine Germany, 5’9” Sr F; 60 Virginia Shannon, 5’10” Sr F; 62 Joan Smith, 5’5” Sr F; 67 Pat Fagg, 5’8” Sr G; 66 Marie Rich, 5’8” Sr G; 64 Earline Weaver, 5’7” Jr G; 61 Judy Germany, 5’8” So G; 70 Johnnye Woods, 5’9” Sr F; 65 Peggy Peveto, 5’6” Jr G; 72 Laura Kelley, 5’3” Jr F; 24 Cora Fletcher, 5’3” Fr F; 71 Betty Reed, 5’8” Sr F; 68 Nancy Richardson, 5’5” So G; & 23 Linda Johnson, 5’6” Fr F.

5’5” Sr Joan Smith led Buna in the final with her excellent playmaking and 23 points while 5’9” Sr Lewine Germany added 20 and 5’10” Sr Virginia Shannon, 18.  Jane Fowley led Seagoville with 20.  Shannon led the Cougarettes in the semi-final with 31 while Germany added 10.  Joyce VanSickle led Angleton with 11 points.  According to author James McLemore (Texas Schoolgirl Basketball) Smith, Germany and Shannon made over 60% of their shots on the season. 

The 2-A All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’10” Sr Virginia Shannon and 5’9” Sr Lewine Germany of Buna and 5’1” Sr Jane Fowler of Seagoville and Guards 5’8” Sr Pat Fagg of Buna, 5’4” Sr Yvonne Stone of Angleton and 5’5” Jr Evie Floyd of Seagoville.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.  Yvonne Stone of Angleton is one of only 30 girls in the history of the state tournament to be named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years. 

Earline Weaver, a Jr in 1957, later coached at Buna.

Ropesville defeated Cooper, 64-51, in the 1-A final and Waco Midway, 56-42, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  The Eagles qualified for state for the 2^nd time with regional wins over Roby, 71-41; McLean, 60-45; and Hale Center, 71-45.  Ropesville finished the year at 30-1 (losing only to conference B state champion, Lubbock Roosevelt).  The Lady Eagles cruised thru the state tournament with a 14-point win in the semi-final and a 13-point win in the final. Ropesville trailed 26-23 at halftime of the final but outscored Cooper 20-12 in the 3^rd qt. and relied on a great defensive effort by its guards to slow down Cooper’s high scoring tamdem of Wilma Strong and Babs Janes.    

Ropesville won the 1957 title in the school’s only appearance in a state final.  The 1957 Ropesville championship coach was Raymond (“Pat”) Patterson of TX Wesleyan.  Finalist Cooper won state titles in 1958, 1960 and 1977 and lost in the finals in 1957 and 1995.  Ropesville had an enrollment of 128 compared to 166 for Cooper.

The 1957 Ropesville players were:  20 Emma Jane Christopher, 5’6” Jr F; 25 Kay McAteer, 5’6” Jr F; 45 Yvonne Bevers, 5’8” Sr F; 10 Nancy Martin, 5’6” Sr F; 30 Janice Pointer, 5’6” Fr F; 00 Lena Christopher, 5’2” Fr F; 77 Jean Tussy, 5’7” Jr F; 99 Diane Tidwell, 5’11” Sr G; 88 Maxine Brown, 5’10” Sr G; 35 Anita Crawford, 5’7” Sr G; 60 Peggy Morrow, 5’5” Jr G; 55 Lanelle Jackson, 5’7” Sr G; 70 Rosemary Bond, 5’1” Sr G & 40 Sandra Bain, 5’7” So G.

Ropesville was led in the final by 5’6” Jr Emma Jane Christopher with 32 points, 5’8” Sr Yvonne Bevers with 20, and 5’6” Jr Kay McAteer with 12.  Wilma Strong led Cooper with 24.    Bevers was the top Eagle scorer in the semi-final with 26 points while Christopher had 18 and McAteer, 12.  Jo Retta Griffin led Midway with 19. 

The 1-A 1957 All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’6” Jr Ray McAteer of Ropesville, 5’10” Sr Pat Troell of George West and 5’9” Sr Wilma Strong of Cooper and Guards 6’0” Sr Diane Tidwell and 5’10” Sr Maxine Brown of Ropesville and 5’8” Jr Brenda Holmes of Cooper.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.  Pat Troell of George West is one of only 30 girls in the history of the state tournament to be named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years and scored 152 points (25.3 ppg) in 6 games at state in 1955-57.

Lubbock Roosevelt defeated Hawley, 56-40, in the Conf B final; North Hopkins, 61-52, in the semi-final; and Santo, 70-56, in the 1^st round at the state tournament.  The Eagles qualified for state for the 1^st time with playoff wins over Bula, 84-77; Happy, 78-63; Megargel, 73-54; and Texline, 73-62.  The Eagles finished the year at 36-1 losing only to Hawley, 59-53, in the 4^th game of the year.  Roosevelt outscored (38-3) Hawley 33-20 in the 2^nd half to break open a close game and win by 16 points.

Lubbock Roosevelt has made two appearances in the state finals winning titles in 1957 and 1965.  The 1957 Roosevelt championship coach was Marvin Williams of Texas Tech.    Finalist Hawley made its only appearance in the state final and was coached by Charles Womack who won over 900 games in 33 years coaching both boys and girls.  Womack was elected to the TX Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.  Roosevelt had an enrollment of 111 to 70 for Hawley. 

The 1957 Roosevelt players were:  17 Gloria Gammill, 6’0” Sr F; 13 Sue Williams, 5’3” Sr F; 33 Ann Jones, 5’7” Jr F-G; 22 Nell McCright, 5’7” Sr F; 11 Sandra McCallister, 5’5” Jr F-G; 44 Patsy Miller, 5’6” Jr F; 52 June Williams, 5’3” Fr F; 41 Linda Aycock, 5’4” So F; 53 Carolyn Dunagan, 5’2” Jr F; 10 Sandra Lackey, 5’2” Jr F; 15 Betty Holmes, 5’11” Sr G; 12 Kay Dunagan, 5’5” So G; 55 Linda Kinard, 5’8” Jr G; 43 Barbara Meador, 5’5” Fr G; 66 Sandra Sasser, 5’7” So G; 16 Linda Rhea, 5’4” Jr G; 14 Maurine Jones, 5’7” So G; 42 Doris Killian, 5’3” Fr G; 35 Karen Kinard, 5’5” So G & 34 Linda Cox, 5’3” So G. 

6’0” Gloria Gammill led Roosevelt in the final with 24 ponts while 5’7” Jr Ann Jones added 22 and 5’3” Sr Sue Williams, 10.   Peggy Snell led Hawley with 21.   In the semi-final Gammill led with 33 points followed by Jones with 21.  Lou Jane Jones of North Hopkins scored 22.  Gammill scored 34 in the 1^st round followed by Jones with 26.  Santo’s Barbara Taylor scored 34. 

The 1957 Conference B All State Tournament Team included Forwards 6’0” Sr Gloria Gammill of Lubbock Roosevelt, 5’8” Jr Lou Jane Jones of North Hopkins and 5’7” Sr Pat Waller of North Zulch and Guards 5’8” Jr Linda Kinard of Lubbock Roosevelt, 5’7” Sr Newlyn Young of Hawley and 5’9” Jr Janet Casey of North Zulch.  Lou Jane Jones was named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years in 1956-58 and scored 229 points in 9 games for a 25.4 average.

Abernathy defeated Ft. Worth Brewer, 64-53, in the 2-A final and Rockdale, 63-59, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  The Antelopes qualified for state for the 2^nd time and finished the year undefeated at 39-0.  Abernathy and Rockdale were tied at 48-48 after 3 qts. of the semi-final but the Antelopes outscored the Tigers 15-11 in the 4^th qt. for the 4-point win.  Abernathy won the game at the FT line with 19 of 31 to 9 of 19 for Rockdale.   The Antelopes led Brewer 43-33 after 3 qts. of the final and cruised to an 11-point win.  

Abernathy has won 6 state championships (1958, 1959, 1981, 1984, 1986 & 1991) and lost in the final three times (in 1985 to Troy; in 1989 to Grapeland; and in 2002 to Buffalo)”.  Pete Wilson of McMurry was the Abernathy championship coach in 1958 & 1959.  Finalist FW Brewer made its only appearance in a state final in 1958.  Abernathy had an enrollment of 222 to 487 for Brewer. 

The 1958 Abernathy players were:  35 Brenda Shipman, 5’6” Sr F; 33 JoAnn (Jody) Phillips, 5’4” Sr F; 31 Margie Guinn, 5’9” Jr F; 11 Linda Shipman, 5’5” So F; 21 Barbara Turner, 5’4” So F; 7 Betty Struve, 5’5” So F; 53 Billie Vance Houston, 5’8” Jr G; 55 Lenora Manley, 5’6” Sr G; 25 Lera Johnson, 5’9” So G; 15 Paula Apperson, 5’6” Jr G; 45 Carolyn Northcutt, 5’7” So G; 43 Coleen Bradley, 5’6” Jr G; 51 Evelyn Lyles, 5’4” Jr G; 23 Linda Monk, 5’8” So G; & 13 Donna Linton, 5’5” So G.  

Abernathy was led in the final by 5’9” Jr F Margie Guinn with 33 points, 5’6” Sr F Brenda Shipman with 19 and 5’4” Sr F JoAnn Phillips with 12.  Linda Goodger led Brewer with 20.    Guinn was also the top scorer in the semi-final with 31 points followed by Shipman with 18 and Phillips with 14.  Etta Kay Keeble led Rockdale with 22. 

The 2-A 1958 All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’9” Jr Margie Guinn of Abernathy, 5’10” Sr Kirby Owens of Rockdale and 5’3” Jr Linda Goodger of FW Brewer and Guards 5’6” Sr Lenora Manley of Abernathy, 5’5” So Mary Richards of Rockdale and 5’8” Sr Karen Cassity of Clear Creek.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.  Margie Guinn of Abernathy scored 147 points in 4 state games (36.7 ppg) in 1958-59. 

Cooper defeated Moulton, 59-53, in the 1-A final and Central Pollok, 68-59, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  The Bulldogs qualified for state for the 3^rd time with regional wins over Duncanville, 67-53; James Bowie, 62-50; and Hurst-Euless, 50-48.  Cooper finished the year at 35-3 while previously undefeated Moulton finished at 32-1.  The Bulldogs led Central 53-46 after 3 qts. and cruised to a 9-point victory in the semi-final.  Cooper led Moulton in the final by 6 at the end of 3 qts. and maintained that edge in the 4^th qt. for a 6-point win. 

Cooper has made five appearances in the state finals winning titles in 1958, 1960 & 1977 and losing in the finals in 1957 (to Ropesville) and 1995 (to Ozona).  Davis Floyd of Midwestern U. was the 1958 Cooper championship coach.  Finalist Moulton has never won a title but has lost in the finals 8 times (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1987, 1990, 1991 & 2005).  Cooper had an enrollment of 165 to 146 for Moulton. 

The 1958 Cooper players were:  11 Bab Janes, 5’6” Sr F; 15 Laquieta Day, 5’6” So F; 22 Fredda Newman, 5’2” So F; 1 Joyce Lovelandy, 5’4” Sr F; 25 Sharlene Garrison, 5’9” So F; 4 Brenda Holmes, 5’8” Sr G; 55 Linda Harris, 5’6” Sr G; 46 Norma Cauley, 5’5” Sr G; 12 Martha McMillian, 5’3” So G; 44 Betty Miller, 5’6” Sr G; and 2 Jane Gregory, 5’8” Sr G.  

Cooper was led in the final by 5’6” Sr F Bab Janes with 23 followed by 5’2” So F Fredda Newman with 21 and 5’6” So F Laquieta Day with 15.  Annie Janek led Moulton with 39.    Janes also led Cooper in the semi-final scoring 33 points followed by Day with 26 and Newman with 7.  Larie Manley led Central with 21 points. 

The 1-A 1958 All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’6” Sr Bab Janes of Cooper, 5’8” Sr Annie Jasek of Moulton and 5’9” Jr Mary Ann Freeman of White Deer and Guards 5’8” Sr Brenda Holmes of Cooper, 5’5” So Rose Jones of Central Pollok, 5’11” Sr Lorean Holloway of White Deer and 5’3” Sr Ora Nell Findelsen and 5’11” Sr Jo Ann Kinvicka of Moulton.   From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.

Sulphur Springs North Hopkins defeated Collinsville, 86-28, in the Conf B final; Sugar Land, 80-76, in the semi-final; and Rankin, 83-39, in the 1^st round at the state tournament.  The Panthers qualified for state for the 3^rd time with regional wins over Lone Oak, 88-24; Broaddus, 74-23; Elysian Fields, 57-30; and Alba-Golden, 69-38, and finished the year at 33-1 (the lone loss to 1A state champion Cooper).   North Hopkins cruised to two easy victories (by 44 points in the 1^st round and 58 points in the final) at the state tournament and was only tested by SugarLand in the semi-finals.  The Panthers had an 8-point lead after 3 qts. and won by 4 after the Gators rallied at the end.  The 58-point winning margin in the final was a state record in 1958 and remains so in 2007.  Collinsville was hampered by an injury to its star player, Marsha Scoggins (later a star at Wayland Baptist and the U.S. Pan American team), who scored only 12 points. 

Sulphur Springs North Hopkins has made four appearances in the state finals winning 3 consecutive state titles in 1958-1960 under Coach Freeman J. Parish of ETSU.  The Panthers lost the 1956 final to Collinsville which made two appearances in the state finals winning its only title in 1956 against North Hopkins and losing to North Hopkins in the 1958 final.  N. Hopkins had an enrollment of 72 to 84 for Collinsville. 

The 1958 North Hopkins players were:  21 Edith Estes, 5’6” Jr F; 27 Patsy Ferrell, 5’9” Jr G; 10 Mamie Garner, 5’8” Sr G; 22 Shirley Gibby, 5’6” Jr G; 25 Peggy Goldsmith, 5’7” So G; 29 Lou Jane Jones, 5’8” Sr F; 24 Janey Lawson, 5’8” So G; 41 Gale Milligan, 5’6” Fr F; 23 Charlene Minty, 5’3” Jr F; 42 Patsy Orr, 5’6” Jr F; 26 Jo Palmer, 5’8” Sr G; 9 Ann Parish, 5’4” Fr G; 26 Mary Parish, 5’7” So F; and 11 Lou Withrow, 5’6” So G.   

North Hopkins was led in the final by 5’7” So F Mary Parish with 42 points, 5’8” Sr F Lou Jane Jones with 22 and 5’6” Jr F Edith Estes with 14.  Parish was the daughter of N. Hopkins coach Freeman J. Parish.  Melva Kelton led SugarLand with 40.   Jones led the scoring in the semi-final with 35 while Parish had 33 and Estes, 18.  Marsha Scoggins led Collinsville with 12.  N. Hopkins was led in the first round by Paris with 34 points and Jones with 27.  Darlenel Braden led Rankin with 20 points. 

The Conference B 1958 All State Tournament Team included Forwards 5’8” Sr Lou Jane Jones and 5’7” So Mary Parish of North Hopkins, 5’4” Sr Arlene Allerkamp ofComfort and 5’5” Jr  Joyce Binford of Sugarland and Guards 5’6” Jr Shirley Gibby of North Hopkins, 5’7” So Ellie Blaschke of Skidmore-Tynan and 5’6” Sr Betty Dolezalek of Collinsville.  Mary Parish of N. Hopkins and Ellie Blaschke of Skidmore-Tynan were both named All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years in 1958-60.  Lou Jane Jones made All State Tournament for 3 consecutive years (1956-58) and scored 229 points in 9 games at state for a 25.4 average.  Joyce Binford of Sugarland scofred 149 points in 5 games (29.8 ppg) in 1958-59.  From 1951-1978 TX girls played 6 on 6 basketball with three “forwards” on the offensive side and three “guards” on the defensive side.

Abernathy defeated Buna, 59-57, in the 2-A final and San Antonio East Central, 80-50, in the semi-final at the state tournament.  Abernathy qualified for state for the 3^rd time with regional wins over Friona, 63-56; Wellington, 59-48 and Granbury, 71-49.   The Antelopes finished the year at 33-3.  The 30-point semi-final win was highlighted by a state record 55 points by Abernathy’s Margie Guinn.  The Antelopes trailed