Dresden Lions blazed a trail in '87

It's coming up on 40 years since I started in print journalism.

I got a call from a friend that said the Martin newspaper was seeking a full-time sports editor. She mentioned me and thus began a game of phone tag.

We finally got together and the next thing you know, I was about to embark on an exciting journey. During my 11 years in Martin, I covered dozens and dozens of all-staters, a Mr. Football awardee, two Miss Basketball winners and a Tennessee Athletic Coaches Associaton player of the year.

When I arrived in Martin, the prevailing joke was the only time Weakley County teams won was when they played each other. I thought I was consigned to the cesspool of prep sports in Tennessee. That changed almost immediately.

Every team in the county had its share of success: Gleason, Greenfield, Sharon, Palmersville and Martin. I could tell stories about everyone of those places and the heroes they produced.

But when I arrived in Dresden, I was asked to take the football team photo. The late Lynda Shannon, who was covering the event for the Dresden paper took charge of the photo session and got the kids to quit horsing around. Once they snapped too, she said, "I want everyone to stand up straight like that No. 68."

No. 68 began beaming like a proud opossom. He was this big freshman named Ronald Jones.

Many of you might remember him as "Popeye" Jones, former NBA star and current NBA assistant coach with the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

I also was acquainted with Albert Winn, known as "Peanut," "Buck" Hensley and Jimbo Crawford. With all those colorful names, I wondered just what in the world I'd gotten myself into. I'd soon find out.

Two years later, in 1986, the 14-16 Dresden boys' basketball team upset Kenton in the regional semifinals and reached substate, where they were handily beaten by Bolton High School, featuring future NBA player Sylvester Gray.

Oh, by the way, Dresden's girls basketball team was on an incredible run itself, having beaten Kenton twice (once at Dresden, the other time in the regional semifinals, also at Dresden), then, as I recall, they took down Bradford in the finals and hosted Memphis-Skyview in susbstate. Dresden won and faced Richland, featuring Miss Basketball winner Lynn Stephenson, in the state quarterfinals.

The Dresden baseball team reached the state quarterfinals where they were beaten by Skyview Academy. But a spark was lit.

In 1987, Dresden's baseball team produced a formidable lineup. It featured three big arms on the mound: Winn, Popeye Jones and David Jones. Lion coach Jeff Kelley rode those three like mules for much of the season...and they produced time and again.
The batting order was impressive, too. In addition to the aforementioned three, there were guys like Darren Williams, John Parker and Brian Jackson who could provide power at the plate. Jeff Baker had lightning speed at second base and was a menace on the base paths. Bobby Irvine was speedy, too, and had a cannon for an arm in right field, as Skyview would find out. Bart Laws was a solid defensive third baseman.

This was a solid lineup one-through-nine, but the Lions had a lot of capable guys who produced off the bench. Head coach Jeff Kelley and assistant coach Mark Maddox had done a fine job of getting these guys pulling on the rope in the same direction.

Dresden did what it had to in the opening round of the district tournament and beat Gleason 4-3. From there, the Lions laid waste all who stood in their way. They won the district tournament, the regional tournament and were set to host Memphis Skyview, who had a second baseman being recruited by Miami (Fla.).

Irvine nailed a runner at the plate from right field to set the tone and Dresden upended Skyview 2-0. On to Nashville's Hershel Greer Stadium for the Final Four.

Winn took the mound in game one and threw seeds at Upperman. The Lions won 3-1. In the next round, Dresden took on neighboring McKenzie in Nashville. The Rebels featured big right hander Jason Baucum on the mound. He didn't disappoint. He struck out 16 Dresden batter. Dresden marched Popeye to the hill and he struck out 12. Somehow, Dresden won that game 7-2, scoring all seven runs in the final two innings.

That set up a championship battle with Johnson City University High. The question on everybody's mind in black and gold that day was who is taking the mound for Dresden? That day, David Jones claimed the baseball and managed the game well. It was a close game with both teams scoring timely runs.

JC was threatening Dresden and Coach Kelley sent relief pitcher Tim Evans to the bullpen. David Jones, who hadn't pitched in a month was getting tired, but survived the fourth. In the fifth, Evans was dispatched to the bullpen again, but the Lions got out of the inning with no damage done. Coming off the field, Winn told Kelley he could pitch if need be.

Parker, the Dresden catcher, came to the plate and ripped a home run over the right field wall. It was a colossal blast out of a minor league ballpark. Dresden had the momentum.

In the seventh, Winn came in and finished what David Jones had started the Lions captured a 6-4 victory. The final out came when Laws scooped up a ground ball at third and fired it to David Jones, who played the remainder of the game at first.

A celebration ensued.

In so doing, they claimed the first, and only, baseball state championship in Weakley County history. The Lions had a memorable run, one that I'll never forget. I'm still in touch with many of those players from that team, most of who are in their 50s with graying hair and grown children.

Time goes too fast, it seems.

Last week, Dresden held a ceremony to honor those state champs. In the process, Huntingdon product Jeff Kelley, the coach who led that title team, was honored. They named the field after him at Wilson Park as several of his former players were present at the ceremony. That tournament run still seems like just yesterday to me.

It was a bittersweet time for me. My sister had just graduated from college, I was covering the state tournament and, somewhere in between, my grandmother had died. I'll never forget Coach Maddox coming up to me the night of the state championship and presenting me with a sympathy card signed by all the players. Those guys had bigger things to worry about, but they remembered me and I'll always appreciate that.

That state championship was the first of 15 I've covered in nearly 40 years in print (48 in media). Those times watching Dresden make all those fabled runs always will be a highlight for me.

Well done, guys. I'm glad people still remember after all these years.
I sure do!

Jim Steele is a correspondent for Magic Valley Publishing.