As requested by @BigWinners, here's the VHSL State Tournament Program from March 7, 8 and 9, 1974 - featuring Group A Champion Powell Valley:
History with Hayes
Hamler one of the area’s best
Hundreds of college coaches and upwards of 8,000 fans crammed into University Hall in Charlottesville to see Malone lead Petersburg to the Group AAA title as he went for 26 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks in a 50-48 win over West Springfield. A few months later, he’d be playing in the American Basketball Association with the Utah Stars.
It was on the same court a few hours earlier – in front of a smaller crowd – that a big man from Big Stone Gap put on a show.
Powell Valley sophomore Barry Hamler pulled down 21 rebounds as the Vikings outlasted Madison County for a 64-63 victory and claimed the Group A state championship. In a semifinal win over Parry McCluer, all he did was record 26 points and 21 rebounds.
Hamler finished his career with 2,096 points and 1,924 rebounds and definitely deserves mention next time you get into one of those “Who’s the best of all time in Southwest Virginia?” arguments.
Forty years ago, he was simply a great player on a great team.
The Vikings went 28-0 and won the Wise County tournament, Lonesome Pine District regular-season and tournament crowns to go along with Region D and state gold.
Calling the shots was Burrell Paye, who had helped the program reach new heights. His team was referred to as “Burrell’s Pearls,” the “Big Stone Bombers” and “Paye’s Powerhouse.”
Those nicknames fit for a team that was simply loaded.
A backcourt of Jerry Myers and Dennis Davis, a strong center in Jimmy Mitchell and a consistent force in Robin Pleasant were key cogs in a well-oiled basketball machine.
Myers, who scored more than 1,000 career points, canned the game-winner at the buzzer in PV’s 62-60 win over Castlewood in the finals of the Region D tourney. That was the night Castlewood’s Randy Poole scored 39 points in a losing effort.
Davis pumped in 32 points in a victory over J.J. Kelly in the LPD tourney championship game.
Oh yeah, don’t forget about Grayland Jackson.
Jackson had his shining moment in the state finals as he came off the bench to hit two shots, grab a steal and corral two rebounds in a one-minute span late in the game. Bristol Herald Courier sports editor Dave Sparks wrote that, “It was the finest 60-second clutch performance I’ve ever seen in a state championship game.”
Two interesting tidbits from that season.
Mitchell was a steady performer for that team and his son James is a rising star on the Southwest Virginia hoops scene. An eighth-grader, James Mitchell had a spectacular season for Union High School’s junior varsity team in 2013-14 and you might be hearing quite a bit about him in the next few years.
Also, Paye’s assistant coach was Donnie Pruitt, who was the head football coach at George Wythe in 2002 when the Maroons claimed the VHSL Group A, Division 2 title.
History with Hayes
Hamler one of the area’s best
- Tim Hayes | Bristol Herald Courier
- Feb 27, 2014
Hundreds of college coaches and upwards of 8,000 fans crammed into University Hall in Charlottesville to see Malone lead Petersburg to the Group AAA title as he went for 26 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks in a 50-48 win over West Springfield. A few months later, he’d be playing in the American Basketball Association with the Utah Stars.
It was on the same court a few hours earlier – in front of a smaller crowd – that a big man from Big Stone Gap put on a show.
Powell Valley sophomore Barry Hamler pulled down 21 rebounds as the Vikings outlasted Madison County for a 64-63 victory and claimed the Group A state championship. In a semifinal win over Parry McCluer, all he did was record 26 points and 21 rebounds.
Hamler finished his career with 2,096 points and 1,924 rebounds and definitely deserves mention next time you get into one of those “Who’s the best of all time in Southwest Virginia?” arguments.
Forty years ago, he was simply a great player on a great team.
The Vikings went 28-0 and won the Wise County tournament, Lonesome Pine District regular-season and tournament crowns to go along with Region D and state gold.
Calling the shots was Burrell Paye, who had helped the program reach new heights. His team was referred to as “Burrell’s Pearls,” the “Big Stone Bombers” and “Paye’s Powerhouse.”
Those nicknames fit for a team that was simply loaded.
A backcourt of Jerry Myers and Dennis Davis, a strong center in Jimmy Mitchell and a consistent force in Robin Pleasant were key cogs in a well-oiled basketball machine.
Myers, who scored more than 1,000 career points, canned the game-winner at the buzzer in PV’s 62-60 win over Castlewood in the finals of the Region D tourney. That was the night Castlewood’s Randy Poole scored 39 points in a losing effort.
Davis pumped in 32 points in a victory over J.J. Kelly in the LPD tourney championship game.
Oh yeah, don’t forget about Grayland Jackson.
Jackson had his shining moment in the state finals as he came off the bench to hit two shots, grab a steal and corral two rebounds in a one-minute span late in the game. Bristol Herald Courier sports editor Dave Sparks wrote that, “It was the finest 60-second clutch performance I’ve ever seen in a state championship game.”
Two interesting tidbits from that season.
Mitchell was a steady performer for that team and his son James is a rising star on the Southwest Virginia hoops scene. An eighth-grader, James Mitchell had a spectacular season for Union High School’s junior varsity team in 2013-14 and you might be hearing quite a bit about him in the next few years.
Also, Paye’s assistant coach was Donnie Pruitt, who was the head football coach at George Wythe in 2002 when the Maroons claimed the VHSL Group A, Division 2 title.
