-On Friday night, I returned to my alma mater,West High School (WHS), where my good friend CDL was being honored. It was declared “Chris Lindsay Day” at the school. CDL graduated from WHS in 1972 and has been a fixture at West ever since. He taught there, coached baseball and basketball, and eventually became an administrator before retiring on November 3rd after 28 years working at the school.
-I told Coach that I thought the date and occasion were fitting. He has always claimed to be unlucky. The school selected to honor him on Friday the 13th when the team was playing the Bearden Bulldogs, the state’s top ranked team, all but ensuring a loss.-I wore my long dress coat in tribute to the always well dressed Coacher, as he often wore one. I also wore a red and blue tie. It was strange being over dressed for an occasion.
-I called RCC at Chancey & Reynolds to see if he would be interested in going to the event together. He told me that he had plans but that he would not have been interested anyway. I have always loved his honesty.
-Festivities began with a reception in the West High School cafeteria from 5:30-6:30. Since I was a student, the cafeteria has doubled in size. A wall was knocked out and the library was made into an extension of the cafeteria. Note: The school built a new library, they did not just eliminate it.-Photos from numerous yearbooks were put into collages throughout the cafeteria. My contemporaries and I were well represented. It was strange seeing us in black and white. I viewed the images with a lot of staples of West High basketball, including the entire Childress Family (a West High institution) and the Adams brothers. We all reminisced as we looked at the photos. It reminded me of the final scene from A League of Their Own. Yes, I have seen that film.
-A lot of former coaches were also in attendance. I talked at length with Coach GAP, who was one of my favorite teachers. He has taken an administrative position with Knox County Schools but returned to coach the freshman boy’s basketball team at West this year. His wife was there and he proudly showed us pictures of his 10-month old daughter. He is still a strong Christian and very supportive of me. I am glad God placed him in my life.
-GAP noted the irony that most students who live in Bearden now go to West and that Bearden is further west than West. Despite this, we felt transposing the names of the schools was highly improbable.
-GAP also let us know that MAB’s picture was asked to be removed from a display class. MAB was the city player of the year in basketball in 1997 and one of the greatest players in the school’s history. The mother of a freshman at the school asked his photo to be removed earlier in the year as she noted that the man in the picture had killed her son’s father! Sadly, this is true. MAB is now out of jail.
-After these reunions, I went to the gym to watch the girl’s game. I was alarmed when I realized BT, the grating p.a. announcer from the Rocky Top League, was West’s announcer. Thankfully, he was far more subdued in this environment. I sat by the Thomas family throughout the night as their daughter, MST, plays for Bearden. MST did not play on this night as she has injured her meniscus. In somewhat of an upset, West defeated Bearden 48-40.
-The gym and its surroundings have changed since my last visit. The concession stand has been renamed “Juanita’s Kitchen” after CDL’s mother. She ran it for years. There were also two older team photos still on display, one from each of the last two winning West coaches. CDL picked the 1993-1994 team, the squad from my first year at West. (I cannot believe it has been fifteen years.) His successor, GAP, picked the 2005-2006 team that starred Steven Pearl.-In the boy’s game, I watched Bearden trounce West, an experience I have had on many occasions through the years. West has a winning record (14-11) but they were no match for perhaps the best Bearden team I have seen. Bearden is 24-2 and their two losses have come against out-of-state foes (Miller Grove High School in Georgia and Oak Hill Academy in Virginia). Bearden has five seniors ranked in the top 100 players in the state and 3 sophomores in the top 100 in their class. They rotated in shifts and were unbelievable on defense. There were almost as many shots blocked as not! I left after three quarters with the score 69-29. Bearden eventually won 80-40. It was no fluke. In their first encounter on December 22nd, Bearden won 78-44.
-At halftime CDL was honored. Knox County Commissioner Tony Norman presided. CDL received a plaque, a letterman’s jacket (with the name Coacher on the back), a signed basketball and baseball bat from his former players, and a guest book from the event. It was nice. Representatives from the choral department sang the school’s alma mater. After all these years, I never knew the school had one.
-After leaving West, I hit the road to Farragut and spent a relaxing night with KLTW, KJW, and RAW. I delivered a Valentine’s gift from my mother, a red and black plush toy. I asked KJW what she wanted to name the creature. She said “Lady Bug.” That’s what it was! I have never denied that the child is smarter than me.-Finally, on Friday, after much debate, my basketball team decided to once again play in the Slow Break League at the Central Baptist Church of Bearden. The games will be played on Mondays, beginning on March 2nd. To our legions fans, we look forward to seeing you.
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