Written by by Robert Ittner

A funny story about Mike Humphrey who had a mean streak. The Bulldogs were handily beating  Permian at their gym ( the first year of Permian) and Humphrey and Gene Ross (who later lettered in baseball at UT) were running side by side when Humphrey nonchalantly elbowed Ross in the chest almost sending him into the stands. Fortunately the referees did not see.

I was lucky to play under Coach ROBERT Todd who was a class person as well as a super basketball coach. He was a great fundamental coach and every Monday was fundamental day. He would open the gym during the summer on Tuesday night and players knew to come for pick up games. You would have college kids home for the summer and high school players wanting to get better. He was prohibited from coaching but it gave us a good opportunity to improve and what fun! It is interesting to see how people at this stage in your life can have a positive impact depending on their encouragement or discouragement-Coach Todd was a wonderful influence on me and his reputation as a coach helped me get a scholarship to UT.

The year 1960-1961 I made the A team and started a couple of games when Knox was still footballing and one game when he was sick. We had one returning starter Charlie D surrounded by Knox, Ross Lynn, Albert Pierce, and Royce Woodard. Ron Peavy was 6th man and started some games late in the year. Charlie D. was a great high school player-All State with an unstoppable jump shot where he gathered his feet like a beaver hitting his tail on the water. Knox was an incredible competitor kind of herky jerky but very quick who later starred at UT for Darrell Royal and played on a National Championship team that beat Navy with Staubach in the Cotton Bowl. The other players filled in nicely. I believe each player scored at least 20 points in a game. Royce played at Tech and I understand is a scratch golfer in Midland. Ron Peavy also played in college at Pasadena Nazarene.

That team won district and beat a team from El Paso to reach Bi-Regional where we faced All State Steve Carter and Amarillo Palo Duro. Carter was a long range shooter who we wore down in the first half. In the second half he regained his touch and begin draining what would now be 3 pointers. Charlie D. had an off game having just broken up with Lynn Wallace and missed a lay-up putting the ball over the rim rather than off the backboard like Coach Todd taught us to do. Nevertheless it was a great season and the community really embraced the  team.

Written by Robert Ittner

The year 1961-1962 dawned with great promise although the squad only returned 2 letterman-me and Warren Lynn and no starters. Coming up from the undefeated B team were 6’8” James (Long Tall Sally-so named after the Little Richard song) , Joe Sanchez, Dwain White, and underclass man Scotty Gilmour.  On the B team the year before Coach Spears labelled Dwain White and Ken Hancock the “Gold Dust Twins” because they had dyed their hair peroxide blonde to go with their cavalier attitudes.   In the Odessa tournament early in the year we lost in 5 OT’s to the Lubbock Westerners when Jimmy Fullerton hit a shot from the corner at the buzzer when we missed a free throw. We had beaten them earlier in their own gym. We also lost to Abilene in Abilene at the buzzer with a Virgil Pate shot after hammering them at home.