The 1964 Rector Blackcat basketball team joins the 2017 induction class of the Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame. The team is noted as one of the best Rector teams of all time as state semifinalists with a 27-9 record.
During the regular season the Cats topped the 100 point mark at least two times. Against Piggott, the Blackcats won by a score of 103-56. Rector topped the Manila Lions 105-89 when Manila was ranked #2 in the state in the combined Class A/B division and had just recently been seeded #1 in the Class A State Tournament. [It should be noted that these 100 point games were before the 3-point shot became the rule.]
Rector was seeded #1 in the NEA tournament and beat Brinkley, the eventual State Champions in Class A, 72-47.
In March 1964 the Clay County Democrat headline read: “Locals Rated 3rd in State; Now In Quarter-Finals”. In a separate story the “Democrat” reported: “For the second straight week, the Rector Senior A Blackcats were rated as number three in the top ten best A-B basketball teams in the state, in the final United Press International poll of the 1963-64 season.”
After beating Perryville 52-50 in the opening round of the state tournament, Rector lost its starting center, Lee Roy Brewer due to an injury during a workout. The Cats faced Mountain Home in the quarterfinals. Coach Bucy was quoted in the “Democrat” as saying: “Mountain Home has one of the toughest teams in the state…They won their district tournament…” Coach Bucy started junior Garvin Gatewood in Brewer’s place…and Gatewood responded with 15 points. The Commercial Appeal, March 6, 1964, reported the following: “Rector nursed a precarious lead most of the game and defeated Mountain Home, 64-59, Thursday to sweep into the semifinals of the Arkansas state Class A high school basketball tournament at Barton Coliseum…” “Rector’s Bill Cossey led the scoring with 24 points but the defense of the runnersup from District 3-A was equally vital in the victory…Mike Gibson keyed the rugged man-to-man defense…”
The season for Rector ended with a loss to Waldo in the state semi-finals, 53-70.
The 1964 basketball team was made up nine players who started at one time or another according to Coach Bucy: 6’4” Lee Roy Brewer, 6’3” Steve Bookout, 6’2” Allen Williams, 6’0” Bill Cossey (the team’s leading shooter and rebounder), 5’11” soph Allan Pruett, 5’8” Mike Gibson, 5’8” Mark Crow, 6’2” Garvin Gatewood, 5’11” Bobby McKeel. In addition, the “B” team consisted of Johnny Frets, Ronnie Hardin, Tommy Pruett, Roger Fred, Marvin Gatewood, Teddy Glaub, Ricky Gatewood, Jimmy Wagster, Phil Clayton, and Dennis Cate. Team managers were Lynn Wimberley, and Mike Linam. Head coach was Jess Bucy and assistant coach was Jim Fowler.
The high quality of the members of the 1964 team can be seen by the honors earned in their high school and college careers:
Dennis Cate: All-State
Bill Cossey: All-NEA, All-District, All-State (2 years), Arkansas High School All-Star, Honorable Mention All-American, All-AIC, (2years). All-District 17 NAIA (2 years), Lyon College Athletics Hall of Fame, Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame
Bob McKeel: All-District, All-AIC in Basketball & Baseball, All-District 17 NAIA in Basketball & Baseball, Honorable Mention All-American NAIA in Baseball, Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft, Harding University Hall of Fame, Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame
Allan Pruett: All-District (2 years), All-State (2 years), All-American, Arkansas High School All-Star, All-Midsouth, All-Southland Conference (2 years), MVP in Southland Conference, Southland Conference 1970s All-Decade Team, Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame
Alan Williams: All-District, All-Parish & All-District & All-State (Louisiana), Louisiana College Hall of Fame
During the regular season the Cats topped the 100 point mark at least two times. Against Piggott, the Blackcats won by a score of 103-56. Rector topped the Manila Lions 105-89 when Manila was ranked #2 in the state in the combined Class A/B division and had just recently been seeded #1 in the Class A State Tournament. [It should be noted that these 100 point games were before the 3-point shot became the rule.]
Rector was seeded #1 in the NEA tournament and beat Brinkley, the eventual State Champions in Class A, 72-47.
In March 1964 the Clay County Democrat headline read: “Locals Rated 3rd in State; Now In Quarter-Finals”. In a separate story the “Democrat” reported: “For the second straight week, the Rector Senior A Blackcats were rated as number three in the top ten best A-B basketball teams in the state, in the final United Press International poll of the 1963-64 season.”
After beating Perryville 52-50 in the opening round of the state tournament, Rector lost its starting center, Lee Roy Brewer due to an injury during a workout. The Cats faced Mountain Home in the quarterfinals. Coach Bucy was quoted in the “Democrat” as saying: “Mountain Home has one of the toughest teams in the state…They won their district tournament…” Coach Bucy started junior Garvin Gatewood in Brewer’s place…and Gatewood responded with 15 points. The Commercial Appeal, March 6, 1964, reported the following: “Rector nursed a precarious lead most of the game and defeated Mountain Home, 64-59, Thursday to sweep into the semifinals of the Arkansas state Class A high school basketball tournament at Barton Coliseum…” “Rector’s Bill Cossey led the scoring with 24 points but the defense of the runnersup from District 3-A was equally vital in the victory…Mike Gibson keyed the rugged man-to-man defense…”
The season for Rector ended with a loss to Waldo in the state semi-finals, 53-70.
The 1964 basketball team was made up nine players who started at one time or another according to Coach Bucy: 6’4” Lee Roy Brewer, 6’3” Steve Bookout, 6’2” Allen Williams, 6’0” Bill Cossey (the team’s leading shooter and rebounder), 5’11” soph Allan Pruett, 5’8” Mike Gibson, 5’8” Mark Crow, 6’2” Garvin Gatewood, 5’11” Bobby McKeel. In addition, the “B” team consisted of Johnny Frets, Ronnie Hardin, Tommy Pruett, Roger Fred, Marvin Gatewood, Teddy Glaub, Ricky Gatewood, Jimmy Wagster, Phil Clayton, and Dennis Cate. Team managers were Lynn Wimberley, and Mike Linam. Head coach was Jess Bucy and assistant coach was Jim Fowler.
The high quality of the members of the 1964 team can be seen by the honors earned in their high school and college careers:
Dennis Cate: All-State
Bill Cossey: All-NEA, All-District, All-State (2 years), Arkansas High School All-Star, Honorable Mention All-American, All-AIC, (2years). All-District 17 NAIA (2 years), Lyon College Athletics Hall of Fame, Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame
Bob McKeel: All-District, All-AIC in Basketball & Baseball, All-District 17 NAIA in Basketball & Baseball, Honorable Mention All-American NAIA in Baseball, Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft, Harding University Hall of Fame, Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame
Allan Pruett: All-District (2 years), All-State (2 years), All-American, Arkansas High School All-Star, All-Midsouth, All-Southland Conference (2 years), MVP in Southland Conference, Southland Conference 1970s All-Decade Team, Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame
Alan Williams: All-District, All-Parish & All-District & All-State (Louisiana), Louisiana College Hall of Fame