Several weeks ago I went to the High School just to see what was lying around in storage in the way of Midway sports history. I was looking for old trophies, scorebooks, sports related items, long ago forgotten. I was mainly interested in finding a 1980 Roane County Jr High Championship trophy and possibly a scorebook from that season. What I did find caused me to forget all about the Jr High trophy. What I found was an ancient Midway memory.
The year was 1959. At this time, the Green Waves were a part of the 11th basketball district. This district included Lenoir City, Meigs County, Kingston, Rockwood, Harriman, South Harriman, Loudon, Oliver Springs and Midway, all playing the same classification. Boyd Woody, who became the Green Waves coach in 1956, was both the boys and girls coach. Woody had been drafted into the Army in 1958 for one year’s service and was just returning from that service at the start of the 1959-60 school year. It was the fall of the year and the Midway faithful were fresh off a very successful football season. But it was basketball time and the Waves had 3 returning starters.
The back line of ‘59 consisted of 6’1 forward Charles Brewer, 6’1forward Johnny Narramore, and 6’4 center Alva Moore.
These three big men had held these starting positions for 3 years and where entering their last season together. The three seniors provided a powerful punch both scoring and rebounding. Alva Moore was the leading scorer averaging 18 points a game. The big center was capable of putting big numbers on the board and usually did. John Narramore was known for his consistent scoring and his aggressive defense. John averaged 15 points a game and as Boots Cook, legendary Kingston sports writer, stated that John would be in there fighting long after the cause was settled. Charles Brewer played the other forward and excelled both offensively and defensively. Junior guards Willard and Dillard Moore rounded what was expected to be a good Midway team.
Midway opened the season with Oakdale. Oakdale’s Coach Lee Elbe was a familiar face to most Green Wave fans that year for Coach Elbe had been the Green Wave coach for the 1953 season but it would not be a nice welcome home for the Eagles coach as Midway responded well to the opening game handing the Eagles a 67-49 loss. The Roane County News reported that “The big boys on the back line did the damage for the Waves”. Next up was Spring City and the Green team decided to show off a little or maybe a whole lot. The Green Waves put on a scoring exhibition, breaking the century mark, winning 100-48 in only the second game of the young season. The Green seemed to be taking turns scoring on the Rhea County team. Narramore was top scorer with 19, Alva Moore and Brewer added 18 a piece and Willard Moore also added 18. Dillard would add 11. Several reserves got in on the scoring with Ronald Ramsey (12 pts), Butch Thompson (4 pts), Leon Kyle (2 pts), Bobby Collier (6 pts), also a short little freshman named Stanley Branson added 2 points to the win. With a 2-0 record the Waves proceeded to dismantle South Harriman with a 32 point victory. Up next for Midway was the Loudon Redskins and the Waves didn’t falter downing the Redskins 65-56. The Roane County news reported that the overpowering backboard strength of the back line was the difference. Center Alva Moore had one of his better nights pouring in 34 points for the Green. Midway roared through the month of December taking no prisoners. With gyms packed everywhere, the Waves continued to dominate.
Christmas break saw the Waves sporting a 10-0 record and were invited to play a Christmas Tournament in Livingston. At the time, only the big boys of Tennessee basketball were invited to play in the Livingston Tournament, the oldest high school basketball tournament. Teams such as Clarkrange, Crossville, Kingston, Lafollette, Smithville, Meigs County, and Midway made up the tourney. The tournament directors agreed that the talent of the teams involved was the best that had been put together in the history of the tournament.
The tournament was scheduled to be played on the 22, 23, 25, and 26 of December. When asked about playing on Christmas day one former player stated that was no big deal at that time. “We weren’t getting much if anything for Christmas anyway. Nobody could afford presents”. According to Doc Moore, bus driver for the Green, snow was falling on the mountain as the Waves headed down for the opening game of the tournament. Midway defeated Clarkrange in the first game and then faced off against Meigs County. Meigs was a regular state power and would eventually finish 2nd in the state tournament but Midway managed to pull off a 1-point win this night. Green Wave fans partied in the streets of Livingston that night but there was one more game to be played and Midway would not be the favorite to win this game. Lafayette knocked off a strong Smithville team, 55-53, setting up a showdown with the undefeated Waves. It was a Saturday night and admission to see the game was 50 cents. The Midway faithful had made the 2 hr trip in mass to see if the boys could pull off what could be argued to be the biggest victory in the short history of Midway basketball. The Green Team came for a championship and they would not be denied as they came away with a 56-48 victory. The Green Waves had just been paired against the best in the state, just to compete would have been a great accomplishment, but the Waves had conquered. It was a great time to be a Midway Green Wave.
For years I have heard my dad talk about a tournament they had played in Livingston. I knew they had won a basketball tournament they were not suppose to win but I never gave the details of that tournament much thought until I was in the storage area at the High School. Sitting on a old board propped up by a old desk on one end and a table on the other was the 1980 Jr High Roane County Championship trophy I was looking for to start with, and sitting beside this trophy was another with a plaque that read 1960 Livingston Jaycee Invitational Tournament Champions.
The Greenwaves of 1959-60 season did not remain as hot as they had been up until Christmas. They did win the majority of the remaining games but were knocked out of the playoffs early by the defending state Champs Lenoir City. Midway finished second in the Tri-County tournament that year losing in the championship game to Kingston. The back line of Moore, Narramore, and Brewer were all placed on the Tri-County All Tournament Team.
That season was 45 years ago. Most of the players are over 60 years old now. Many you will see hanging around the Midway gyms watching grandkids play ball today. We are often caught up in the current season or next year’s team and we seldom give these older guys much thought. We don’t take the time to hear their stories because we are too tied up in our own teams or our kid’s teams. What we are doing is letting our school history disappear along with the minds and lives of our older generation. Over the next 20 years, we will lose many of the memories of these first generation students. What a shame.