Page 8 - Dresden Buzz 08-09-24

PAGE 8 | SPORTS AUGUST 9 - 22, 2024
It was the end of one era.........and the beginning of another

by Gregg Meadows | ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED

The last of the Jayhawks – the 1965-66 Jefferson HS basketball team The very first, Tri-Valley Scottie basketball team of 1966-67
Front row: (l-r) Manager George Helbling, Greg Rodgers, Mark Williams, Steve Lacy, Greg Front row (l-r) Manager Fred Graham, Bob Baker, Frank Scott, Tom Miller, Joe Norris, Jim Con-
Brown, Fred Graham, Manager Jim Stokes. Back row: Manager Gary Archer, Mike Kurtz, Dale rad, manager Duane Huff. Back row: Manager Don Ross, Greg Rodgers, Mark Williams, Ken
Prince, Lewis Anderson, Tom Miller, Tim Lauvray, Jim Conrad, Tom Fell, Manager Carlos King. Stokes, Steve Roberts, Neil Miller, Head Coach Rich Longaberger.

Just two years removed from sit- hawks, just a pair of seasons after their well came from Wooster. And the rest….. tricts into an already existing one – the
ting on top of the high school basketball legendary back-to-back State Champi- is history!) old Jefferson High gymnasium proved
world as state champions (for two years onships in 1963 and ’64. “The first day of school our senior too small for home basketball games
in a row) the fabled Jefferson Jayhawk The orange-and-black clad ‘Hawks year, Jack Anderson (Jefferson and TVHS for the new ‘Scottie’ hoopsters.
Basketball express came to an abrupt won their first three games of the 1965- principal) gathered everyone in the gym- “We had the annual Musk Co. tour-
end with the consolidation of the Dres- 66 season – 20-19 over Rosecrans, 69- nasium together for the first time, and nament on Zanesville’s Secrest Audito-
den, Frazeysburg, and Adamsville school 47 over Roseville, and a 62-61 win over basically told us how it was going to be rium gymnasium floor, so that’s where
districts, as the newly formed Tri-Valley the Philo Electrics, but then dropped four -- and that’s how it was.” mused Miller. we moved to for our Tri-Valley home bas-
High School opened its doors in the fall straight contests. Jefferson snapped the “We pretty much rolled with the ketball games,” explained Miller. (The
of 1966 in the old Jefferson HS building. win drought by taking three of their next punches after that,” stated Miller. “Peo- Scotties would get their own new gym-
Much has been written and spo- four, including a 65-61 win over rival ple have always asked me over the nasium four years later, when the new
ken locally Frazeysburg. years, how we (the players, from three high school was built just over the hill
over the years But those different school districts) got along in from the existing building.)
about the end would be the practice and in games that first year,” “We would get one night of practice
of Jefferson last-ever wins says Tom Miller. a week at Secrest,” recalls Miller. “Coach
High School, for Dresden’s Longaberger even drove the bus!”
which closed Jefferson HS The new TVHS Scottie basketball
its doors in b a sk e tb a l l team fared much better than the Jay-
May of 1966, team, as the hawks had a year earlier, with the addi-
then – just one Ja yha wks tion of some talented players from the
short summer dropped their other two school districts.
vacation later last six games “We added Steve Roberts, Kenny
- opened them and finished Stokes, and sophomore Neil Miller from
back up as the with a 6-11 re- Frazeysburg, and Joe Norris from Ad-
new Tri-Valley cord. amsville to our line-up; we went 12-6 in
High School “We were the regular season before losing to Cam-
in the same looking for- bridge in our opening tournament game
– but now, ward to our at Muskingum College,” states Miller.
overcrowded - senior seasons Miller had an outstanding senior
building. – as Jayhawks year for the Scotties, scoring 192 points
And much – for sure,” on the season, averaging over ten points
has been for- said Miller. a game – with a season-high 30 points in
gotten as well. But the pow- an overtime win over West Muskingum -
A handful ers to be in and tied with teammate Jim Conrad for
of underclass- state educa- most rebounds during the season.
men players tion already Tom Miller “My last two years of high school –
on the last had the gears in the classroom and on the basketball
Jayhawk hard- in motion to “We were fine,” exclaimed Miller. court – were unique, and memorable to
wood squad of 1965-66, were also the bring the Jefferson, Frazeysburg, and “We all knew each other just from the say the least,” stated Miller, who would
‘pioneer’ players on the first TVHS Scot- Adamsville school districts together as close proximity of our towns. We played go on to experience an even greater
tie basketball team of 1966-67 just a one, at one central location in Dresden. against each other in the summertime, life-changing event after high school,
year later. And in three short months over the sum- and competed against each other dur- serving in the United States Army from
Three of those players – Tom Miller, mer, the Tri-Valley School District was ing our respective seasons. 1968-71 as a Military Policeman, during
Mark Williams, and Jim Conrad – all born. We were fine, Miller repeated, but the Vietnam War.
from the first TVHS graduating class The students – and student-athletes the ‘consolidation’ had some growing Another Jefferson High and TVHS
– were regulars on both squads, and - at the new school would now be known pains, as some community members hoopster who holds membership in the
shared their interesting perspectives as… the Scotties. and parents of the players seemed to exclusive ‘Jayhawk-Scottie’ club is Mark
about the transition from Jayhawks to (Jefferson School District BOE mem- want to keep the rivalry going. “It took Williams. Williams, like Miller, was a tal-
Scotties. ber William Jennings is mostly credited awhile, but those hostilities gradually ented Jayhawk cager his junior year with
Hard to believe as it seems, the Jef- in coming up with the name Scotties, faded away,” said Miller. a nose for the basket, who knew how to
ferson High School community - in large and tartan plaid colors as well. Jen- Miller was a talented, long-limbed, put the ball through the hoop, and was a
- knew little of how close the impending nings and his wife Liz, met in college at solid-scoring forward for the last Jeffer- sharpshooter at the foul line as well.
consolidation was, during the 1965-66 Wooster. They would both later transfer son Jayhawk cage squad of 1965-66 as Like Miller, Williams agreed that
school year. to Ohio State, but the seed was planted. a junior. He then enjoyed a stellar senior the transition from Jayhawks to Scot-
“We heard talk about consolidation, Former Jefferson and TV Schools teach- season in 1966-67 for the ‘new-fangled’ ties was a smooth one. “We never gave
but we didn’t know for sure that our ju- er Virginia McCullough was a graduate Tri-Valley Scotties basketball offering. it a thought as players,” says Williams.
nior year was going to be our last as Jef- of Wooster. She eventually teamed up “We had quite a mix of players on “With a coach like Rich Longaberger
ferson Jayhawks,” says Tom Miller. “Not with Jennings and a committee to come the team our first year as Tri-Valley,” and a principal like Jack Anderson, you
that we would have played any differ- up with the name, Scotties, (a longer states Miller. We were from all over knew that your job as a player – and a
ent if we knew the end was near, but it version of the Fighting Scots of Wooster) – Stringtown, Adamsville, Dresden, student – was to do what was asked of
would have been nice to know.” but it eventually stuck. Wooster’s colors Frazeysburg, and Nashport, and other you, and the rest would fall into place,”
It wasn’t a memorable last season were black, gold, and red. The use of a parts,” laughed Miller. said Williams.
for the Rich Longaberger-coached Jay- Scottish Terrier as Tri-Valley’s mascot as Because of adding two school dis-