Sports YesterYears

By Dale McKee, sports@laurelleadercall.com

March 16, 2008 11:27 am

— These are the sports yesteryears from the Leader-Call’s past editions. This week’s yesteryears are dated March 17-23.

March 17, 1958
Lauren Collins will lead the Gold squad while Billy Sumrall will quarterback the Reds in the annual Laurel High spring football game. Henry Hammack, Dennis Keveryn, Paul Hill, Robert Wells, Eddie Loper, and Jerry Clearman will be in the backfield with Collins. Doug Tillery, Larry McAlpin, Nick Estes, Isiah Miles, and Jim Wood will be in the backfield with Sumrall’s Red team.

March 18, 1998
Ryan Hodge blanked NE Lauderdale 12-0 in leading West Jones over the Trojans. Michael Collins, Kenny Knight, Darren Welch, and Jason Rowland led the Mustangs (12-1) at the plate.

March 19, 1958
Jimmy Graham scored on a 24-yard run and Doug Tillery bulled his way five yards in leading the Reds past the Golds 14-0 in the annual Laurel High spring football contest.
Larry McAlpin and Billy Sumrall added the extra points.

March 19, 1966
Texas Western College defeats the University of Kentucky in the NCAA men’s college basketball final at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. This marked the first time an all-black starting five had won the NCAA championship.

March 20, 1968
Jimmy Porter, David Jones, Therrell Myers, Jake Spencer, Peter Fargason, Keith Coppage, and Bill Amato are several of the veteran returning players for the Sonny Farrar Laurel High baseball team.

March 20, 1998
Dan Purvis smacked a grand slam home run as Jones won over Pearl River 11-7 in JUCO baseball play. John Chancellor, Rocky Ford, Nathan Dillon, Justin Lewis, Brody Buckley, and Mitch Evans also had extra-base hits for the winners.

March 21, 1968
The Oakland A’s will be counting on two young players from their last June draft class in third baseman Sal Bando and outfielder Rick Monday to lead their team this season.

March 21, 1978
William Dukes and Ricky Jenkins of JCJC have signed basketball scholarships with Livingston University. The duo helped lead the Bobcats to a 17-8 overall record.

JCJC won the nightcap 12-8 over Meridian in a junior college baseball doubleheader.
Joe Krawczyk led the winners with four hits while Mitch Wells added three hits. Dale Bowen, Ronnie Lawson, and Buddy Duke also had two hits. The Bobcats lost the opener 5-2.

March 22, 1988
David Perkins, Mike Wright, Michael Howard, Todd Shoemake, Chad Altmyer, and Jim Grubbs had hits as Laurel High won over South Jones 13-10. Rob Blackwell, Jason Simpson, Steve Cooley, Randy Duhon, Richard Lee, Shane Herrington, Ronnie Porcellio, and Leslie Tisdale all hit safely for South Jones. Wright, Chris Nichols, and Brad McCardle pitched for the winners.

March 23, 1994
Wayne Gretzky scores his 802nd goal, breaking his childhood idol Gordie Howe’s National Hockey League record for most goals scored in a career. Gretzky, known to hockey fans as "The Great One," broke a total of 61 offensive records in his NHL career, including many previously held by "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe.