BOBBY TRACER
SERVICE TO RECTOR HIGH SCHOOL
Bobby Tracer is a 1974 graduate of Rector High School. During, and since, his time as a student he has been heavily involved in service activities relating to the athletic programs at the school and the community.
In high school, Bobby served as team manager under three (3) coaches. He served two (2) years with Coach Jess Bucy, two (2) years with Coach Kelly Scobey, and six (6) years with Coach Sam Casey.
Coach Casey stated: “Bobby Tracer was the most dependable team manger that a coach could ever have; whether it was mopping the gym floor, washing the team’s practice or game uniforms, or polishing the game balls. Bobby loved the BLACKCATS. He was like a son to me.”
After high school he became the score-keeper and statistician for a number of years.
SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
Kirk Ford said about Bobby: “After high school, Bobby did not move away. Rector was his home where he could work with the city youth program to coach and teach peewee baseball and basketball players. If you needed help, you asked Bobby.”
Mark Manchester stated: “Bobby Tracer had his heart set in youth sports more than anyone that he has ever seen”.
PEE WEE BASEBALL
In his first season coaching Pee-Wee baseball, his team lost every game. He told them quote: “This will never happen again.” With Perry Mills’ help, they turned it around and won or tied their league for the next 7 years. Star players were Matt Mills, Will Simmons, Jeremy Mansfield, Allen Rabjohn, Rodney Thrasher, Mark Hamm, Kyle Pruett, and B.J. Nutt.
PEE WEE BASKETBALL
Bobby coached in the Lion’s Club Pee Wee basketball league for a total of 18 years. Some years he teamed up with a couple of other volunteer coaches, Terry Pratt, or traveling team coach Dennis Adams. Tracer gained his experience and became the head coach of the ‘A’ team. In 1987-89 Bobby led the teams to the championships at Greene County Tech, Oak Grove, and others. At Tech they beat Marmaduke, Oak Grove 57-54, and West Tech. Chris Haywood made two (2) free-throws to tie the score 41-41 and win in overtime 48-41. Bobby’s 6th grade big man, Haywood, had 38 points. During this year the team played 40 games with most being wins.
MANY OF RECTOR HIGH SCHOOL FUTURE STAR PLAYERS WERE COACHED BY BOBBY:
In addition to the names listed under Pee Wee Baseball, the following became star athletes in high school: Aaron Arrant, Chris Gulkison, Sparky Lewis, Seth Cohn, Kirk Ford, Jonathan Kemp, Chris Haywood, John Simmons, and Jason Manchester. Tracer stated that “Manchester was an awesome Pee Wee
basketball player and probably our best”.
Matt Rabjohn remembers Bobby’s contributions to his years of play: Matt Rabjohn stated: “My dad asked, ‘How good will our team be.’ I said, ‘I don’t know, Bobby hasn’t told me yet.’”
BOBBY TRACER WAS A MOST DEDICATED VOLUNTEER COACH, SERVING, AND CONTRIBUTING HEAVILY TO MANY OF RECTOR’S FUTURE OUTSTANDING SPORTS FIGURES.
Bobby Tracer is a 1974 graduate of Rector High School. During, and since, his time as a student he has been heavily involved in service activities relating to the athletic programs at the school and the community.
In high school, Bobby served as team manager under three (3) coaches. He served two (2) years with Coach Jess Bucy, two (2) years with Coach Kelly Scobey, and six (6) years with Coach Sam Casey.
Coach Casey stated: “Bobby Tracer was the most dependable team manger that a coach could ever have; whether it was mopping the gym floor, washing the team’s practice or game uniforms, or polishing the game balls. Bobby loved the BLACKCATS. He was like a son to me.”
After high school he became the score-keeper and statistician for a number of years.
SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
Kirk Ford said about Bobby: “After high school, Bobby did not move away. Rector was his home where he could work with the city youth program to coach and teach peewee baseball and basketball players. If you needed help, you asked Bobby.”
Mark Manchester stated: “Bobby Tracer had his heart set in youth sports more than anyone that he has ever seen”.
PEE WEE BASEBALL
In his first season coaching Pee-Wee baseball, his team lost every game. He told them quote: “This will never happen again.” With Perry Mills’ help, they turned it around and won or tied their league for the next 7 years. Star players were Matt Mills, Will Simmons, Jeremy Mansfield, Allen Rabjohn, Rodney Thrasher, Mark Hamm, Kyle Pruett, and B.J. Nutt.
PEE WEE BASKETBALL
Bobby coached in the Lion’s Club Pee Wee basketball league for a total of 18 years. Some years he teamed up with a couple of other volunteer coaches, Terry Pratt, or traveling team coach Dennis Adams. Tracer gained his experience and became the head coach of the ‘A’ team. In 1987-89 Bobby led the teams to the championships at Greene County Tech, Oak Grove, and others. At Tech they beat Marmaduke, Oak Grove 57-54, and West Tech. Chris Haywood made two (2) free-throws to tie the score 41-41 and win in overtime 48-41. Bobby’s 6th grade big man, Haywood, had 38 points. During this year the team played 40 games with most being wins.
MANY OF RECTOR HIGH SCHOOL FUTURE STAR PLAYERS WERE COACHED BY BOBBY:
In addition to the names listed under Pee Wee Baseball, the following became star athletes in high school: Aaron Arrant, Chris Gulkison, Sparky Lewis, Seth Cohn, Kirk Ford, Jonathan Kemp, Chris Haywood, John Simmons, and Jason Manchester. Tracer stated that “Manchester was an awesome Pee Wee
basketball player and probably our best”.
Matt Rabjohn remembers Bobby’s contributions to his years of play: Matt Rabjohn stated: “My dad asked, ‘How good will our team be.’ I said, ‘I don’t know, Bobby hasn’t told me yet.’”
BOBBY TRACER WAS A MOST DEDICATED VOLUNTEER COACH, SERVING, AND CONTRIBUTING HEAVILY TO MANY OF RECTOR’S FUTURE OUTSTANDING SPORTS FIGURES.