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Those attending the Junction City Red Devils basketball team reunion, from left, are: Front row, Bobby Aaron, Buddy Anderson, David Logue, Jerry Young, Ray Nelson, Jackie Young, Doug Hamm, Mickey Frisby and Michael Frisby. Donnie Johnson, not pictured, also attended. (September 7, 2012) |
JUNCTION CITY - The 1962 Junction City High School Red Devils basketball team gathered Aug. 16 for a reunion to remember when the team won the 45th District tournament championship.
Buddy Anderson of Alum Springs and Bob Aaron of Nicholasville were the seniors on the team, and Jerry Young of Perryville was manager.
Three of the team members — Dale Walls, David Elder and Charlie Flynn — and Jerry Lovett, manager, are deceased. The others were Michael Frisby, Donnie Johnson, David Logue and Mitchell Frisby. The coach was Doug Hamm.
Junior team members went on to play one more year at JCHS before the Boyle County schools consolidated to become Boyle County High School.
Dale Walls scored 1,509 shots during his career at JCHS.
“This is the first time we’ve gotten together in 50 years,” said Anderson. “Coach Hamm of Brodhead was really excited about it. He was only a few years older than us.”
Fred Rice, also a coach at JCHS, left to take a coaching position in Henry County.
“We had a different coach almost every year,” said Anderson. “The pay was really low, about $2,400 a year to coach and teach, too. Hamm went on to Louisville.
“We trained him pretty good. We were smaller than any team we played. The tallest was Bob Aaron.”
The team lost to Lily High School in Pulaski County.
The Red Devils have beaten the Danville High team four times in past district competition.
Hamm and Marianne Kirby of Danville were the only teachers who attended the class reunion held Aug. 18 at Kentucky Depot restaurant in Stanford, with 25 attending. Four of the 27 graduates in 1962 are deceased. Twenty-one graduates and guests attended the Saturday-night reunion at Junction City United Methodist Church.
Aaron said the team won against Bate High School, then went on to beat Danville High team.
“We out-willed them,” said Aaron. “They tried to make a comeback but Junction City beat the team by seven points.”
Most of the team have had successful careers - Logue was a teacher and coach in the Boyle County schools; Aaron worked for IBM; Michael Frisby was a teacher; Donnie Johnson was a manager for Kmart; and Anderson is a candy broker throughout the state.
The large trophy earned for winning the district was brought out of storage at Junction City Elementary School, cleaned and displayed at the reunion. The trophy includes the names of all team members.
