1971 Newton County p3

From 8-21-14

Continuing the story of the 1971 team, with a 9-0 record: A good coach knows that there are going to be both highs & lows in a season, so a team tries to avoid several losses clumped together, which "shakes" the team's confidence.

Newton High travelled to Rockdale Co. & led most of the game, but with 6 seconds left, Willy Zanders hit a 15-footer, & gave NCHS their first loss, 69-68! Kevin Price gave a valiant effort as he made 14 of 20 attempts for 32 points. After defeating Washington HS at home, 76-63, the stage was set for a big game in Atlanta at Price HS. We went to the game, dressed in our uniforms & "warm-ups", for the first time, ever, (in a caravan of 2 chartered buses--1 for the team & 1 for the fans). In one of the most unusual settings ever faced by a Rams' team, we were defeated 79-75, in a wild overtime during which we lost 4 starters on fouls. Sheriff Henry Odum had made arrangements for the state patrol to escort our buses to the expressway as we headed home, pondering our future. The season didn't get any easier as we travelled to face the Panthers in Forest Park. We lost to one of the state's best teams, 84-79, which was the Panthers' 15th straight victory (& 53rd straight home win), despite the great efforts of Summers' 34 points, & Price's 24 points. In one of the strangest finishes, ever, we played 4 overtimes in a wild 75-73 win over the Bears at Griffin HS. Summers' total of 32 points might have been higher, but the game was stopped in the 4th overtime by GHSA curfew rules. Next up was the Rockdale Tournament, in which a revenge-seeking Ram team defeated the RCHS Bulldogs, 76-67. The NCHS record now stood at 13-3. The Newton boys had overcome mid-season adversity with 7 straight wins when, in their last road game, we lost at Washington High in Atlanta, 86-77. This set the stage for one of the biggest, and most anticipated, games in school history. The #1-ranked Panthers (with their #1-ranked player, Rocky Davis), had all of Newton County excited about this clash! As the doors were opened, the gym was quickly filled to capacity! With thunderous applause from the home fans, the Rams hit their first 4 shots of the game to lead 8-0, and went on to a 74-63 victory, ending the Panthers' home winning streak! Price & Summers did most of the "damage" as they scored 24 points each, but had help from Stuart Clive's 13 pts. & Donnie Freeman's 11 pts. Fan, Bobby Snipes, said, "That game was as good as it gets for a high school basketball game, but I was afraid that with the noise level, the building might fall in!" Former Newton player, and lifetime fan, Alison Walden, said, "The game against Forest Park ranked up there as one of the most fun & spirited nights ever to take place in the Newton gymnasium!". Now the stage was set for the 6AAA Region Tournament! And with a record of 18-4, we were seeded #2 behind the #1-ranked Forest Park team, which had a 22-2 record.