1965 Team
From 7-9-14
The 1965 Rams continued to build on their outstanding tradition as they won 69 of 70 games! NCHS had big hopes for adding another State Title to the previous year's State Championship (but we know championships don't always go to the best team). The Rams received a serious blow at the Christmas break, when their 2nd-leading rebounder (who was also a rugged football player), came to me & said, "Coach, I got married, but no one else knows it." It was a real integrity check for me, but I had to play by the rules. I said, "According to the H.S. rules, you are no longer eligible." (We were both in tears as we realized the the implications of this decision. We knew that any weakness this team had was our board strength.).
We were still strong enough to finish the regular season unbeaten, capture the sub-region and win our 3rd Region Championship in 4 years, by defeating Hart County in our gym before turn-away crowds (see picture). We were dealt a blow as we played a very late game that went into overtime, and it was near midnight when we finally subdued Lafayette. Tim Christian received a leg injury & the schedule had us playing an early game the next day, which left him little time to recuperate from his injury. A big (& well-rested) Sandy Springs team, had prepared all year for this one big game. With the fouls 15-6 in their favor, the Rams' 42 game winning streak ended. Sandy Springs fell back to normal the next night, as they lost 60-40 to Cairo (& Bill Stanfill). Seniors Tim Christian, Stan Harris, & J W Rutledge finished with a 4-year record of 125 wins & 9 losses! (Their last 2 year records of 35-1 & 34-1 were the best in Georgia.). They won 3 region titles, a state championship, 11 various tournaments, while extending their home court winning streak to 90 straight! Tim Christian ended his career with 24 school records in basketball, as he was named the #1 player in Georgia, an All-American player, & was feted in New York for a week as one of the top 10 players in the U.S. The Newton County Rams had built a 7-year boys' varsity basketball record of 199 wins & only 18 losses, 4 region titles, and a total of 16 different tournament wins! When you lose a Mitchell, Shaw, or a Christian, you think that the success is going to end, but if you have young guys who have been learning & waiting in the wings for their turn, such as a Richardson, Hall, Wilkerson, Hill, Summers, Dickerson, Price, Schell, Freeman, & many others, the program will continue to thrive! The Atlanta Journal's writer, Ken Jones, summed up the Rams' 1965 defeat in the following article: "The test of a true champion is defeat. Winning streaks may be broken, titles may be lost, but one thing the proud champ never loses-- is class. The Rams were magnificent in winning, and they were just as impressive in defeat. They deserve plenty of credit, not only for their basketball prowess, but for the class they have. That will last a lifetime!"
