GAME SEVEN: DA CHAMPIONSHIP! WHEATLEY WILDCATS (1970) Head Coach: Jackie Carr
vs.
WILLOWRIDGE EAGLES (2001) Head Coach: Ronnie Courtney
STARTERS Wheatley Wildcats (39-0) Clarence Johnson 6’1 Allen “Batman” Batro 6’2 Roy Fields 6’6 Lawrence “Spider” Johnson 6’7 Dwight “Big D” Jones 6’9
Willowridge Eagles (39-0) Terrance “TJ” Ford 5’10 Daniel Ewing 6’3 Kenny Taylor 6’3 Andre Watson 6’7 Isaac “Tree” Rollins 6’9
Two teams with identical undefeated records from two different eras. This game was a classic showdown where the “Old School” meets “The New”. The afro meets retro. The Jackson 5 meets Jagged Edge. Wheatley sported a set of custom made canvas Chuck Taylors while Willowridge wore leather Kobe’s (adidas version). The picture has been painted for your reading pleasure, and the winner of this game would definitely have bragging rights to hold their right index finger upright in the most convincing fashion. Sit back, relax, and put aside as much as your biases as possible while we let you know exactly how it went down. There was so much hype surrounding this game, it was moved to the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, yes the Astrodome, baby. Legend has it: the Dome rental was paid in full (cash) by a pair of guys affectionately known as “Candy” and “Pig”. These two individuals, along with local businessman Skipper Lee Frazier got together and promoted the event which pre-sold a record 19,000 of the 25,000 seats during the first three days. A pair of popular photographers, Herbert Provost and Lloyd Wells conducted a special photo shoot with the teams while promoting the game to the masses. Julius Carter and the ‘Forward Times’ newspaper penned a front cover spread about the game. Legendary print king Pha Green printed posters and had them stapled on nearly every telephone pole located at red light intersections throughout Houston’s Historic 5th Ward. Popular Houston radio sports personality Mickey Hobbs provided the play-by-play alongside Rick Godfrey. Godfrey (known as the Golden Voice) also crooned “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during the opening ceremonies. Press row was lined with many of Houston’s urban pioneers of media. Charles Porter Jr was there. Bud Johnson was present, and so was George McElroy. King Arthur Prayther was also in the house - seated next to Ralph Cooper and Jerry Woodley. THE TIP OFF: Willowridge’s high flying forward, Andre Watson beat Dwight “Big D” Jones to the tip, and the ball went right into the hands of TJ Ford. Wheatley opened in a “man” defense. Willowridge ran Kenny Taylor from one side of the court, down the baseline, to the other side. Watson set a mean pick which freed Taylor on the right side. Ford’s pass met him in the corner, as he caught, turned and fired away. Boom! 39
