1959 Basketball Team
The 1958-59 Rector Blackcats are remembered as one of the most successful basketball teams in northeast Arkansas. The team came within a breath of claiming the Class A state tournament title, en route to winning the Clay County Toumament and finishing second in the district toumament.
Debate continues surrounding the team's state championship contest with Ouachita, even more than 50 years after the game was played. With time all but gone in the overtime period, Rector trailed 56-55. After securing an offensive rebound, Jim McKeel quickly went back up and seemingly won the game as time expired. One official declared Rector the winner.
Unfortunately, the other official on the floor conferred with the timekeeper, effectively overtuming the decision on the floor a few minutes after play had stopped.
Known as "The Cardiac Cats," Rector went through the district and state toumaments in a series of highly-contested, close games. Five of the squad's last six tournament games were decided by three points or less. Rector topped Manila in the district semifinals, 50-51; fell to Harrisburg, 58-56, in double overtime in the district finals; routed DeQueen, 51-38, in the first round of the state toumey; topped Whitehall, 64-63, in the quarterfinals and bested Hoxie, 56-53, in the state semifinals.
Rector finished the season 20-13 overall, with a rough start slowing the squad. "Against good competition, we lost seven of our first 10 games, but improved tremendously," coach Jess Bucy recalled of his squad. "In my opinion, this team came closer to reaching its potential than any team that I coached."
Team members included George Bearden, Butch Bradsher, Danny Kitchen, Ralph McDonald, Jim McKeel, Owen Moseley, Danny Mulhollen, Joe Pruett, Lavaughn Robertson and John Taylor. Members of the 'B' team were Lynn Beliew, Jerry Hubble, Gene Girtman, Elton Matheney, Phil Pruett, Delbert Herrell, Edward Gardner and Charles Long. Also parts of the team were manager Lindell Pratt and Tom Johnson and scorekeeper Wendell Crow.
There was no shortage of talent on the squad. Robertson was an A ll-NEA and All-District selection. Joe Pruett was an All-District selection. McKeel was named All-District Honorable Mention. Robertson, Joe Pruett and McKeel were also chosen as All-State players for their efforts.
"I'm really proud of the tradition we had here at Rector," Bucy said. "I'm proud of the players we had. This class was truly special for its part in that.
"We had good teams here because the players loved to play basketball. Someone was always coming by my house to get the key to the gym. They'd usually get the key early in the morning and bring it back in the evaning."
Though many area basketball fans have already long since classified the 1958-59 Blackcats as something special, the team will make it official with their induction into the Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame.
[Pictured above, from left to right: John Taylor, Joe Pruett, Ralph McDonald, Gary McClure who was a 2011 individual inductee, but who was not on the 1959 team, Lavaughn Robertson, Owen Moseley, 'Butch' Bradsher, Elton Matheny, Lindell Pratt, and Coach Jess Bucy.]
Debate continues surrounding the team's state championship contest with Ouachita, even more than 50 years after the game was played. With time all but gone in the overtime period, Rector trailed 56-55. After securing an offensive rebound, Jim McKeel quickly went back up and seemingly won the game as time expired. One official declared Rector the winner.
Unfortunately, the other official on the floor conferred with the timekeeper, effectively overtuming the decision on the floor a few minutes after play had stopped.
Known as "The Cardiac Cats," Rector went through the district and state toumaments in a series of highly-contested, close games. Five of the squad's last six tournament games were decided by three points or less. Rector topped Manila in the district semifinals, 50-51; fell to Harrisburg, 58-56, in double overtime in the district finals; routed DeQueen, 51-38, in the first round of the state toumey; topped Whitehall, 64-63, in the quarterfinals and bested Hoxie, 56-53, in the state semifinals.
Rector finished the season 20-13 overall, with a rough start slowing the squad. "Against good competition, we lost seven of our first 10 games, but improved tremendously," coach Jess Bucy recalled of his squad. "In my opinion, this team came closer to reaching its potential than any team that I coached."
Team members included George Bearden, Butch Bradsher, Danny Kitchen, Ralph McDonald, Jim McKeel, Owen Moseley, Danny Mulhollen, Joe Pruett, Lavaughn Robertson and John Taylor. Members of the 'B' team were Lynn Beliew, Jerry Hubble, Gene Girtman, Elton Matheney, Phil Pruett, Delbert Herrell, Edward Gardner and Charles Long. Also parts of the team were manager Lindell Pratt and Tom Johnson and scorekeeper Wendell Crow.
There was no shortage of talent on the squad. Robertson was an A ll-NEA and All-District selection. Joe Pruett was an All-District selection. McKeel was named All-District Honorable Mention. Robertson, Joe Pruett and McKeel were also chosen as All-State players for their efforts.
"I'm really proud of the tradition we had here at Rector," Bucy said. "I'm proud of the players we had. This class was truly special for its part in that.
"We had good teams here because the players loved to play basketball. Someone was always coming by my house to get the key to the gym. They'd usually get the key early in the morning and bring it back in the evaning."
Though many area basketball fans have already long since classified the 1958-59 Blackcats as something special, the team will make it official with their induction into the Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame.
[Pictured above, from left to right: John Taylor, Joe Pruett, Ralph McDonald, Gary McClure who was a 2011 individual inductee, but who was not on the 1959 team, Lavaughn Robertson, Owen Moseley, 'Butch' Bradsher, Elton Matheny, Lindell Pratt, and Coach Jess Bucy.]