It's football season, but we're talking hoops

By GRAHAM OSTEEN
Editor-At-Large
graham@theitem.com

Football is finally here, and that makes some people very happy. I am one of those people.

ESPN is at its best when football season cranks up and baseball moves into the post-season. It's great to be an American sports fan with a big TV clicker, a comfortable couch and high definition television tuned to SportsCenter.

But this week we're going to the mailbag and talking hoops.

I've had some correspondence regarding the wildly popular series, “The Greatest Sumter Basketballers to Ever Strut the Earth.” This consisted of three stories that ran during NCAA March Madness, and will continue in March 2010.

Before I pass on what this loyal reader shared about his time in Sumter, here is the compelling story of how he reconnected with his former town, surely the undisputed Center of the Universe: “Every day I buy USA Today. In the front section they run a feature entitled ‘Across the USA,' featuring news from every state. It seems as though Sumter is highlighted quite often. Whenever it is I go online to www.theitem.com and try to get more info. The last time I did this I decided on a whim to type in ‘Barry Holzbach.' When I did I was led to your articles, which of course unleashed a ton of memories.”

Ain't that something?

The man with whom I've been corresponding is named Joe Barker, a dedicated hoopster, Air Force veteran, teacher of special needs children, marathon runner and dog rescuer. Most importantly, he was a Sumter YMCA kid who played basketball for Hillcrest in the early 1970s. He lives in Kentucky with his wife, Leslie. The kids are grown.

Here's what Joe said:

To say your article(s) piqued my interest would be a vast understatement. Many of the names were very familiar to me even though I only lived in the area for about four years, January 1969 to December 1972.

After finishing a tour of Vietnam, my father was stationed at Shaw AFB. After getting settled, we lived very near Hillcrest High School before moving on base in 1970. We started making daily trips to the Sumter YMCA where I learned how to play and love the game of basketball. It was there that I first saw (playing pick-up games) Spencer Player (good jumper – great with both hands), Ronnie Motley (picture-perfect jump shot that oh, by the way, he demonstrated for Frank McGuire when McGuire came to Sumter for a clinic); and Tip Kirby (6'5” very strong fundamentals – backed up by Jeremy Bauer who was pretty good in his own right). Naturally I didn't think it could get better than that. I also remember watching Fred Brogdon and Robbie Davis.

I remember playing summer league ball in a very “warm” gymnasium. Believe me there were some great games. It was here that I came to know Barry Parker, Will Bynum and especially Barry Holzbach. In fact Barry spent a great deal of time at our house and often stayed the night.

I was a sophomore at Hillcrest when they were juniors at Sumter. We played them three times that year, losing all three but if memory serves me correctly none of the games were blowouts and all were in the 10-15 point range. But they had a heck of a team. Not only did they have those three but they also had Danny Ramsey, a very versatile 6'3” forward who I believe was chosen the Area Player of the Year for 1971-72. They also had a very good point guard in Leroy Brunson who definitely deserves credit. John McArthur, who you mentioned, supplied solid contributions off of the bench.

Art Beasley was a few years older than the rest of us but we all admired his work ethic and his beautiful form. We even made a trip to watch him in the North-South All Star game. I believe he was one of the very few who lifted weights. Most people at that time did not adhere to lifting, believing it would destroy your form.

If this is the same Marshall Edens that I am thinking of he should have played somewhere around 1980. I remember he and Phillip Chandler were about 8 or 10 years old at the time, always at the Y and playing.

There was also an older gentleman (he was probably 30 but at that time that was old) who played pick-up ball all the time. I believe his name was Ray Ardis – if you could relay any info about him it would be appreciated.

I played at Hillcrest all of my sophomore year and five games of my junior year before my dad was transferred. I ended up finishing my playing days in Kentucky. Thanks for helping me remember.

If you'd like to get in touch with Joe, just holler. He loves to correspond with Sumter people, and has fond memories of Burger Chef, Coles and Woolco. He lives in Catlettsburg, Kentucky, near the border of West Virginia and Ohio.



My column on Woodstock last week evoked an interesting tale from someone who wishes to remain anonymous. He remembers something about a Sumterite who died at Woodstock. I haven't delved into The Item archives yet to explore this, but if you know anything about it please let me know.

Legend has it that some Sumter concert attendees brought the deceased all the way from upstate New York in the trunk of the car and were arrested by Sumter County Sheriff I. Byrd Parnell upon arrival in the Gamecock City. I don't make this stuff up, I just report it.

OK, sometimes I do make it up, but not this time. Besides, no one could make up such a great name for an old-timey Southern sheriff.

Word on the street is that the Hamptons Restaurant is about to start serving a sandwich called “The I. Byrd Special.” All I know is that seasoned grilled chicken is involved, and it's one of Johnny Depp's favorite recipes.


Graham Osteen is co-president of Osteen Publishing Co. and Editor-At-Large of The Item. Contact him at The Item, 20 North Magnolia St., Sumter, S.C., 29150; graham@theitem.com, or call (803) 774-1352.


To see previous columns on “The Greatest Sumter Basketballers to Ever Strut the Earth,” visit:
http://bit.ly/2IOTT
http://bit.ly/1XxXrs
http://bit.ly/zw5SY

For last week's column on Woodstock, visit:
http://bit.ly/12fawj