As told by Virginia Vauthier

Lampkin was our archrival. Carlton and Lampkin had been a hard fought basketball game for years. No one could remember why, how or when the rivalry started. We would rather beat them than anyone in the district. Coach had been drilling us for two weeks – extra practice time, extra lecture time, too.

On Thursday, he told us, “I play a big part in your preparation; then it’s all up to you players. Player performance will play a bigger role in the outcome than sideline strategy. Don’t be intimidated. Remember your style and hand signals, and keep up the unselfish passing and pressure defense. Above all make those free throws. That is all.”

Now it was Friday night, and the gym was packed. Lampkin wore green & white. We had white satin suits trimmed in maroon. My number was 20, and that year I had won a sweater with 2 stripes and a captain’s star. It was warm-up time. You could feel the chemistry working in the team; we all loved to play and we all felt good. We picked up the pace. I couldn’t seem to miss the basket.

“This is great,” I thought. The whistle blew; time to clear the floor.

Coach said, “Dick, Freda, Eloise, Willidine, and Virginia will start. Let’s have team work. Do your best. Play ball.”

Freda was really guarding; she seemed to be everywhere at once. I was making every basket I threw. The pace was fast. Our concentration was great. We had reached a high degree of excellence in playing the game. Each one of us seemed to be able to transfer her thoughts with only a glance. The other team was playing well also. We were running even scores. We made a score, they made one. My guard was Maud; she was as tall and long armed as I. That meant I had to outsmart her. I always did like a challenge.

Odem Russell was in the gym that night; I could hear his voice booming through the crowd. He called me “Georgia” and “Legs.”

It was nearly half-time. Dick threw me the ball about half court. I looked for someone to pass to, but no one was there. My guard wasn’t there, either. I looked at the far away goal, took aim, and shot the ball. The crowd all seemed to hold their breath at once. The ball just hung in the air, then went through the hoop, touching nothing but the net. The roar of the crowd was deafening.

That goal put us two ahead. I looked at Coach and knew he didn’t like the chance I took, but I still felt GREAT. No one scored again before half time. Coach just gave me a direct look when he asked for team work at the half time rest period. I’d expected more than that. Then it was time to play again, but I found myself warming the bench while Mable took my place. Sometimes when you do it right, it is still wrong.

The Lampkin team scored and scored again. Willidine seemed to have the jitters; Dick was trying too hard, Freda was upset, and Eloise just wasn’t trying anymore. Coach sent me back in.

I heard Odem shout, “Come on, Legs. Shoot another long shot, my Georgia Peach!”

We scored, but Lampkin was still two ahead. Was it possible they would beat us? No way. I called time out.

“Come on, team. The chemistry is still there. Let’s concentrate, let’s perform. Let’s show our superiority. We can do it,” I told my teammates.

The rhythm and flow of the game came back. The team was really using team work in passing, shooting, the whole thing. We caught up. Lampkin tried to score and missed; then Eloise shot and missed. The whistle blew. The game was tied. We went into overtime.

“Only three minutes to score. Only three minutes to outwit Maud,” I told myself.

Both teams were showing their ability. The three minutes were nearly gone. Then Maud tried too hard – she shoved me at the wrong time. The referee called foul. I had two free throws. I took my time, but the first shot missed. The crowd all went “Oh-h-h” at the same time. I bounced the ball, took a deep breath and shot. Again the ball just seemed to hang in the air before it went through the basket. The crowd roared its approval. We won the game by one point.