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These two schools actually played each other in Basketball at the Collinwood Jamboree back in November. Riverside was up by 3 with less than a minute to go and Wes Long hits a 3 to send it to overtime. Summertown won by one at the free throw line in OT. Some of the same kids who played in that game will be facing off today. I think Riverside this time by one 10-9 in a thriller. GO PANTHERS!

Will Riverdale fall off of that horse this year or will it be the same ol' Warriors. I guess what I am asking is, what does the upcoming crop look like is there any more Gaston Miller's in the mix?

How does the man do it? Another thrilling finish at Page Friday night. It reminds me of the good ole days when the Bear was still on Rocky Top with Ray, Bernie, and Ernie. Congratulations on another big district win and good luck on the remaining games and in the tournament.

The Bear has done it again. Yes, the magician has pulled another rabbit out of the hat and the timing for the release of his new book entitled THE BEARS BOOK OF BUZZER BEATERS could not have been any better. His publicist Martin Spears will have the new book available Saturday night and fans can come by the Big Chic and get an autographed copy at 6:00 pm. In addition to his new book, fans can also purchase a three volume boxed set for only $39.99. His first book entitled GIVE A HOOT! DON'T RECRUIT! tells the story of the memorable 1993 TNT State Championship. His second novel entitled FIRST CLASS COACHING WITH SECOND CLASS PLAYERS tells the story of the 1996 season when the Panthers won 25 games and a District Championship. His new book is a collection of winning plays that the Bear has constructed over the years including the one used in last night's win called THE PICKETT FENCE. Supplies are limited so don't delay.

Hands Down the best available candidate is Coach Danny McKnight of Lewis County Middle School. In 2001, he inherited a program that had had consecutive 2-8 seasons and down to about 25 players. In four seasons, he has a 25-5 overall record (83% winning percentage) while playing one of the toughest middle school schedules in the state and winning back-to-back district titles and civic bowl championships. The roster is up to between 60-70 players. They have a very successful strength training and conditioning program. Coach McKnight is one of the most well-organized, hardest-working, highly intelligent, and most handsome of all the coaches I know. The only thing that might keep him from taking the job is the fact that he will probably Hohenwald's next mayor in about two years.

And now the rest of the story. Many longtime fans were delighted to see Larry show back up on the national scene during the recent Presidential election as a member of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. In an exclusive interview with Fox news, Larry told Hannity and Combs of a misty morning in 1968 when he was patrolling the MeKong Delta with his commanding officer Major J.F. Kerry. All at once they heard a distress call from a nearby special forces unit that was marooned on the beach and under heavy fire from "Charlie". Once they arrived on the scene both Al and John fought valiantly as they loaded the wounded and rescued their brothers from ambush. On their last trip to the shore, Al took one in the leg and told Kerry to go on and take the wounded to safety. The valiant Al dug himself into the sand armed only with his M-16 and held off the Vietcong single handedly while Kerry got the wounded to base safely. As the swift boat departed Kerry yelled to Al, "I'll come back for you". But the boat never came back. Al was captured and spent the next 12 months in a POW camp where he shared a cell with future U.S. Senator John McCain. During the long hours spent together between the torture, Al and McCain shared their vision of a better America. Upon returning to the states, Al became a staunch supporter of McCain and the Republican Party. Many believe that his experience may have even influenced the outcome of the recent Presidential election.

Yes indeed, After completing his mission in Vietnam, "White Lightning" was offered a faculty position as a professor at the Annapolis Naval Academy. However, after four years of fighting communism in Southeast Asia next to his brother in arms John Kerry, Lightning turned down the Navy's offer. He accepted an executive position at UCAR in Columbia in the engineering department. He went back to Mt.Joy to marry his high school sweetheart Debbie and they lived happily ever after. But the folks around Mt. Pleasant still talk about the greatest High School Player to ever grace to court at the Old Haylong High. Thank you, Lightning for what you have given the game of basketball and for defending our freedom.

1. "White Lightning" Larry Keltner-averaged 32 ppg for Haylong High School in 1966 before the three point line. Turned down numerous basketball scholarships to join Uncle Sam's team fighting the communists in Southeast Asia. 2. Corey Johnson-1993 AAA Mr. Basketball-Hardin County 3. Kirk Haston-Perry Co 4. Marcus Haislip-Marshall Co. 5. Josh"Buster"Keltner-son of Larry Legend and the only player in TN basketball history to hold two future NBA players (Haston and Haislip) to under 10 points every time they played.

I saw Howard "the Bear" Spears sitting next to Pat Summit and got the both of them to sign my program.

I would like to see the job go to one of Wayne County's most underrated basketball coaches and that is Bob Turman. Anyone close to the program during the Edwards Dynasty knows hands down that Bob was the brains and the workhorse behind the operation. And if Bob is not interested, I would look no further than Collinwood Middle School where the winningest coach in Tennessee Middle School Basketball history resides.........the Legend Larry Nelson. Congratulations to Coach Nelson on another great season and a final four appearance.

This just in. Carol Buckley, Director of The Elephant Sanctuary of Hohenwald visited the middle school this morning and informed LCMS Principal Tim Watkins that the Sanctuary is ready to jump on the "Bear Bandwagon". The Sanctuary is scheduled to recieve a new African Elephant in a few weeks. Mrs. Buckley has agreed to name this Elephant "Bear" in honor of the Legendary Basketball Coach. Fans will be able to view this amazing creature on the website elephants.com as well as read the Biography of the reknowned Coach. Mrs. Buckley stated,"At the Sanctuary we always try to reach out to the Community in times of need. We believe our elephant will be honored to be called "Bear" after one of our Community's most respected members."

Yes Basketball fans. The Legend's name has one again surfaced as a possible candidate for potential coaching vacancies around the Southeast as well as at home in Lewis County. I spoke with a prominent member of the basketball booster club yesterday and a package deal is being put together as we speak to bring "the Bear" back home to Lewis County Middle School. It all began back about 25 years ago when the Bear left his position on Rocky Top as a Graduate Assistant Coach for Ray Mears at Tennessee to return home to Lewis County to rebuild a struggling Middle School Girls Team. In his first season at the helm, the Lady Raiders claimed the Three Rivers District Championship. After a few seasons at LCMS, the Bear took over a Mediocre Lady Panthers team and won 24 games and another District Championship before losing to eventual State Champion Brentwood by one in the sub-state. The Bear then went back to LCMS to take over a struggling Raiders team and to have the opportunity to coach his son. In four seasons the Bear had led the Raiders to a 22-1 record and a 1993 State Championship to go along with four consecutive Three Rivers Titles. At the request of then Basketball Booster Club President Al Keltner, the Bear accepted the boys Head Coaching position at LCHS. The Bear would build his new Panther Dynasty around the strong inside game of the 3 Headed Monster (Josh Keltner, Jonah Russell, and J.R. Smith). After leading the Panthers to back-to-back District Titles and 25 win seasons, the Bear decided it was time to hang his whistle up. He purchased a 200 acre ranch/estate in western Lewis County and started a new internet company and auction business known as "The Bear's Bargain Barn". A deal is in the making that might just bring the Bear out of retirement for one last farewell tour at LCMS. Garry Craig, a longtime friend of the Bear, is putting together curriculum for a course Coach Spears would teach to 8th graders entitled "How to make your first million on ebay". Hugh Smith, athletic director and member of the Bear's Coaching family, is working on naming the floor at LCMS "The Bear's Court" and will have this painted just inside the hash mark on each end. Dean Heady, former LCMS principal and friend of the Bear, is writing a grant to buy a new driver's ed. car for the Bear to drive to school and keep over the summer. The 4-Horseman have agreed to join the Bear's staff and become the "Fab Five". The Bear's close friend and former coaching partner "Cowboy" Wayne Tatum will return to LCMS and work in the computer lab while also serving as Director of Basketball Operations and Coaching Consultant. Several Community businesses have joined the booster club with incentives including one year of free gas at Crowell food mart, unlimited free breakfast at the New Golden Saddle resturant located just across the street from the Spears Estate, one year of free video rentals from mid-town video. Snappy's will provide free pizza to the coaching staff after every victory. Floyd Culberson, LC Basketball Booster Club President, had these comments, "The entire Community has responded with unmatched generosity to help us in our efforts to secure a Coaching Staff unmatched throughout Tennessee. We believe that the time is right for the Bear to make his long awaited return to the sidelines."

Thanks ODB for the Friday Schedule Update. You may want to check the spelling on some of those. I think it should look more like this: TMSAA Semi-Final Games on Friday at Murfreesboro Central 3:30 LCMS Lady Raiders vs. Summertown Lady Eagles 4:45 LCMS Raiders vs. Harpeth Indians 6:00 New Prospect Lady Tigers vs. Coffman Lady Panthers 7:15 New Prospect Tigers vs. Cheatham Co. Bearcats

With Veterans Day coming up next Tuesday, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize one of Middle Tennessee's most reknowned military leaders. Many of you will remember a standout basketball player from Haylong High School in the early 1960's named Larry Keltner. Larry Keltner grew up in poverty in the backwoods of Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee. This was back in the days before school buses in Maury County. Larry (more affectionately known as Al by close friends and family) lived 12 miles from Haylong High School. His only means of getting to school were by his own two feet. As just a young lad, he began running to and from school each day. By his Junior year at Haylong, he could run from his home to school in exactly 60 minutes. This amazing feat earned him the nickname "Lightning Larry". Many longtime basketball fans will remember the night Lightning Larry Keltner hung 33 points on Lewis County in 1962. This was well before the advent of the three-point line which would have easily put Lightning over the 50 point mark in several games. The tough love and discipline from Legendary Basketball Coach W.C. Johnson would serve Larry well in the years that followed his High School career. Al left Haylong as a highly sought after Basketball prospect. However, with the United States deeply involved in the Vietnam War. Al heard Uncle Sam calling and he answered the call by volunteering for the U.S. Navy. The Navy sent Al to shores of Southeast Asia to stop the spread of Communism. Before his 19th Birthday, Al had already sailed around the world and been involved in some of America's most reknowned battles at sea including the Cuban Missile Crises, the Bay of Pigs, the Gulf of Tonkin, the Mekong Delta, and Haiphong Harbor. Because of Al's courage, bravery, leadership, and reputation as one of America's greatest sea battle commanders, the Navy offered Al a position as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Longing to see those green, rolling hills of Mt. Joy, Al did not accept the Navy's offer and decided to come back home to marry the love of his life Debbie. Al accepted an executive position with Union Carbide in Columbia, Tennessee. The family settled down on a small farm on Teen Cothran Hill where he and Debbie became the proud parents of three children. Their three children have all grown up now and moved on to successful careers. Al is now in the twilight of a successful 35 year career with Union Carbide. Because of the years that he spent as sea serving our country, Al has always longed to be close to the water. His plans include retiring in the near future and spending his remaining days with Debbie at their riverside retreat on the Tennessee River. In closing, I am reminded of a line from a popular song by award winning artist Billy Ray Cyrus which goes "All gave some, but Al gave all."

As long as the Legendary Jackie Lee Lawson is calling the shots, the Hawks have a chance. Granted, Hampshire is one of the smallest schools in the state with very few athletes to choose from. However, they almost always manage to beat some teams that they are not supposed to. Coach Lawson has won more games as a coach than any other active coach in Maury County or in the District. GO HAWKS!