“It’ll be nice to have a banner in the gym.”

That response was echoed by the living members of the 1952 BogueChitto boys basketball team that won the Class B-BB statetournament title. The banner ceremony will take place Friday nightin Bogue Chitto’s R.L. (Bob) Calhoun Gymnasium between the varsitygames, about 7:30. The 1965-66 girls overall state tournament teamalso will be recognized with a banner.

Calhoun, in his first year as coach at Bogue Chitto, won theState B-BB Tournament. They beat Soso in the South state finals atWesson, upstairs in the old Co-Lin gymnasium. The Bobcats shavedSoso 49-48 in the state title game at Decatur.

At 6-foot-5, the slender Bob Huckaby was the star of the show.He averaged 24.9 points per game for the Bobcats.

“They would throw me the ball and I would shoot it,” saidHuckaby, now 68 years old.

An article appearing in THE LEADER TIMES in 1952, written bysports editor Phil Stroupe, described Huckaby. “He can score whenthe scoring means most. He’s a dependable player, a hard worker, aquiet sort of a fellow with a youthful smile and a pleasingpersonality. His character is a sterling compliment to Bogue Chittoand athletic competition.”

Remembering his high school career, Huckaby said, “It was aboutthe only chance we had to go out of town. Not everybody ownedvehicles.”

Huckaby was selected to play in the North-South game in Murray,Ky., in the summer of ’52. “We stayed up there a week andpracticed. My brother (Bill) went with me.”

Huckaby was the youngest of 10 children. He had signed ascholarship with Kentucky and Coach Adolph Rupp. He stayed fourweeks before coming home and going to Co-Lin for two years. He thenwent to Mississippi College and played for Coach Stute Allen.

Huckaby coached at State Line for seven years. He came back toCo-Lin and coached two years. Then he obtained a master’s degree incounseling and was counselor at Co-Lin until 1995.

His wife, Katherine, also coached and taught at Co-Lin. Theyhave three children. Julie lives in Memphis and works as anengineer with Federal Express. Robert is an engineer with theDepartment of Environmental Quality. Cheryl, married to Gus Shelby,works as an accountant with the Lincoln County schools.

West Lincoln and Loyd Star were Bogue Chitto’s big rivals 50years ago. Fair Oak Springs and Heuck’s Retreat were area foes.Johnston’s Station had won the B-BB in 1951 so winning big inbasketball already was a tradition in this area.

The Bogue Chitto team consisted of Huckaby and his olderbrother, Bill; Wallace Hart, Earl Wallace, James Burnett; Ray Moak,Marlett Wallace, Delton Moak, Edwin Wallace and Hugh Hart.

The starting five were the Huckabys, Wallace Hart, James Burnettand Earl (Mutt) Wallace. The Huckabys and Hart were the threeseniors on the starting team.

“We usually played zone defense,” said Huckaby. “It was kind ofa fast-break offense. We used two guards, a center and twoforwards. If we made 60 or 70 points, we really thought we scored alot of points.”

Death has depleted the roster but the memories are forever.”Marlett Wallace, Delton Moak, James Burnett and myself are stillliving. Bill Huckaby passed away five years ago of a heartattack.”

Huckaby and his wife enjoy their retirement. “Grandchildren aregreat. They are running here and there and involved in everything.” Their only grandchild is Jake Shelby.

Burnett is eagerly awaiting Friday night’s reunion. “Iunderstand me and Bob are the only members of the starting five whoare still alive. I’ve had two open heart surgeries.

“I played basketball all through high school and college anddidn’t know I had an abnormal heart.” Burnett played basketball atMC, despite the heart defect.

“I got a scholarship to Co-Lin but I didn’t have a nickel to buya Coke so I enlisted in the Marines. I spent eight years in theMarines.”

He still has relatives in this area. “Leroy Burnett, a meatmarket manager in Monticello, is my baby brother. Martha Beavers,she teaches in the Brookhaven school district; is my babysister.”

Burnett said he coached basketball for five years. “One of thejoys of my life was coaching against Bob Calhoun when I coachedthree years at Hazlehurst. He screamed when I beat him.”

Burnett was a guard on BC’s team. “Bob Huckaby was definitelythe finest high school player I ever played with. He is one of thetop ten finest players I have ever seen.”

He recalled the state tournament semifinals test in ’52. “Afunny thing happened. We went up to East Central Junior College inDecatur for the state championships and we played a school fromNeshoba County, named House. Wavell Burnett, a first cousin, playedfor House, He was almost as tall as Bob.

“Wavell made a $15 bet with me that Huckaby wouldn’t score apoint against them. I was a point guard so I was always looking forBob. When the game was over Bob had 44 points and House only scored42.”

Soso had lost only two games that year. “We beat them fourpoints in South at Co-Lin and beat them by one in the statechampionship game.”

Bogue Chitto only lost two games that year, the early part ofthe season to Loyd Star and to Class A-AA champ Kossuth in theOverall.

Burnett has more local ties. His wife, Bobbie McCaffrey, is fromEnterprise. She went to school at Bogue Chitto but had two youngerbrothers and a younger sister who graduated at Enterprise.

The Burnetts have four children, three boys and one girl. Heowns a retail hardware store in Vicksburg, MidSouth Lumber &Supply Co. He taught seven years at Southern Miss and then made thebig switch to private business.

Burnett attended several schools in Lincoln County beforewinding up at Bogue Chitto. “My father was a Baptist preacher. Iwent to Brookhaven, West Lincoln, Ruth, Mars Hill, Arlington andthen Bogue Chitto. Three of us, the Huckabys and me, moved fromArlington to Bogue Chitto when the schools consolidated.”

Friday night will bring back more memories.