Tuesday's Internet Edition, 10:1 AM, September 7, 2010.
|
| Athletic Booster President Susan Carroll (center) accepts a $1000 check from Mary Jo Wrenn (left) and Beverly Martin (right). The donation is designated for baseball field lights in the name of their father, the late Overton Jay. See article below for more information. (Photo by Carol Falls)Athletic Booster President Susan Carroll (center) accepts a $1000 check from Mary Jo Wrenn (left) and Beverly Martin (right). The donation is designated for baseball field lights in the name of their father, the late Overton Jay. See article below for more information. (Photo by Carol Falls) |
Mary Jo Wrenn and Beverly Martin, the daughters of the late Overton Jay, presented the Booster Club with a check for $1,000. The money is donated in the name of their father.
Jay served on the Howe City Council and was an active supporter of this community. When he died, many friends gave money as a memorial to his love of sports, especially baseball.
Jay's daughter, Beverly Jay Martin writes the following about her father:
Overton Jay was a fine athlete and enjoyed playing many sports. He ran track in high school and went to Austin College on a track scholarship. He also played basketball but his true loves were baseball and Vinita Enloe.
He married Vinita Oct. 2, 1937. She would laugh when she told me how he would go to the door of his home, whistle and the neighborhood boys would come running. Charles Jay, Emmit Boatright, the Wardlaw boys, Cashman and Bennie Frampton were there to play ball.
Jay once tried out for the semi-pros with the West Texas League in Amarillo but he didn't make it. He worked for the Corps of Engineers on the preliminary survey of Lake Texoma, then to Amarillo, then Dalhart, Texas where they were building an air base for bomber pilot training.
Called to the service in July 1945 Overton had basic training at Ft. Hood, Texas and was assigned to Fort Benning Georgia to train as a tank crewman. The war was over before he saw foreign action and he returned home to his family, work and baseball.
In the spring, after church and Sunday dinner it was off to the baseball field. Overton would meet his friends there, Grady Langford, Bealey Butler, Emmit Paul (Boatey) Boatright, the Wardlaw and Gray boys and others for a game of ball with Gunter, Tom Bean or one of the other local clubs. They had flannel uniforms, gray with a blue strip, blue leggings and blue hats.
The ball field was little more than a pasture with pitchers mound and backstop but they wouldn't have played harder had it been Ebbets Field. He pitched and Boatey caught. There were no bleachers, the spectators would park their cars behind and to the side of home plate to watch the game.
Occasionally a foul ball would come over the backstop, sending spectators scurrying for cover and sometimes bounce off the hood or roof of a vehicle.
Work eventually crowded out time for baseball. Overton was promoted to Head of Traffic Management Office at Perrin Air Force Base, was running his ranch, another with his partner Pat S. Tillman, Sr. as well as property he had rented for additional cattle. He worked as hard as he had played and lived a productive, fun and fulfilling life. He retired after 21 years of government service at Perrin. His love of baseball continued as he rooted for the Texas Rangers and didn't miss a game on T.V. if he could help it.
Overton Jay would be happy to see the fine fields that are being built for today's children and most of all he would be proud to be a part of it. As his grandson, Jay Martin said in his eulogy, "He left us with a fine example of how we might improve the lives of those around us". With this thought his family passes on the donations that were given in his name to improve baseball in Howe.
|
|
OVER 150 AREA STUDENTS - Youngsters from all over the area attended the Lone Star Basketball Camp in Howe last week. (Enterprise photo)
|
Fifteen school districts, nearly every school district within 50 miles, were represented. There were 20 coaches helping with the training, from college students through assistant and head coaches and athletic directors. Some came from as far away as Austin.
The fundaments stressed included: basket shooting, passing, dribbling, defense, rebounding, and footwork fundamentals. The program also consisted of individual competition, team competition, competition for skills, and team play.
This Basketball Camp is in its third year. It finished on Friday at 1 p.m. with the awards. Along with awards for their achievements, each student received his or her own new basketball.
Lone StarHoops Competitions Results
Mikan Draill: NBA-Clint Grahn; WNBA-Lacy Gaines; CBA-Lauren Moore; USBL- Bailey Offill; NCAA-Colton Horn/ Westin Wilhelm 'NAIA-Morgan England; Prep-Logan LeDane
Elbow Lay Ups: NBA-Kris Butler/Luke Norris/Casey Crim; WNBA-Shae Defield/Kasey LeMasters; CBA-Lauren Moore; USBL- Bailey Offill; NCAA-Colton Horn/Westin Wilhelm; NAIA-Gretchen Debner/Shelby Hill; Prep-Logan LeDane/Emily Morgan
Free Throws: NBA-Trey Walker; WNBA-Lacy Gaines; CBA-Lauren Moore/Morgan McClane; USBL- Sarah Lopez; NCAA-Sean Hemperley/Westin Wilhelm; NAIA-Zach Hickman; Prep-Logan LeDane
Hot Shot:
NBA-Kris Butler; WNBA-Lacy Gaines/Mahlon Leatherwood; CBA-Paige Armstrong
USBL- Bailey Offill; NCAA-Chase Fountaine
NAIA-Zach Hickman; Prep-Logan LeDane
Speed Dribble: NBA-Luke Norris; WNBA-Kiley Huntsman; CBA-Lauren Moore; USBL- Bailey Offill; NCAA-Colton Horn; NAIA-Brooke Farris; Prep-Logan LeDane
Around the World: NBA-Cale Hughes/Garrett Golston; WNBA-Kendall LeMasters/Holly Baio; CBA-Megan Dutton/Taylor Henson; USBL- Ashley Davis/Morgan Ayers/Annie Hepner/Bailey Offill; NCAA-Sean Hemperley/Clay Marable; NAIA-Zach Hickman/Brooke Farris/Shelby Hill; Prep-Heath Salman/Chris Goosen/Emily Morgan
One on One: NBA-Kris Butler; WNBA-Lacy Gaines; CBA-Jordan England; USBL- Sara Lopez; NCAA-Westin Wilhelm; NAIA-Morgan England; Prep-Katy Courtney
Special Award Winners: Most Improved-Taylor Earnhart; Team First-Rami Burleson; Ace Defender-Jordan England; Coaches' Choice-Clint Grahn; Top Gun-Bailey Offill; Most Valuable Camper-Lacy Gaines
(Note: NBA, WNBA, etc. denotes teams divided by age and skill level)
One hundred fifty one students, from second through ninth grade met at Howe High School every day last week to learn the fundamentals of basketball. Coach Tim Rose described how the students were divided into groups by age and abilities.
Fifteen school districts, nearly every school district within 50 miles, were represented. There were 20 coaches helping with the training, from college students through assistant and head coaches and athletic directors. Some came from as far away as Austin.
The fundaments stressed included: basket shooting, passing, dribbling, defense, rebounding, and footwork fundamentals. The program also consisted of individual competition, team competition, competition for skills, and team play.
This Basketball Camp is in its third year. It finished on Friday at 1 p.m. with the awards. Along with awards for their achievements, each student received his or her own new basketball.
Lone StarHoops Competitions Results
Mikan Draill: NBA-Clint Grahn; WNBA-Lacy Gaines; CBA-Lauren Moore; USBL- Bailey Offill; NCAA-Colton Horn/ Westin Wilhelm 'NAIA-Morgan England; Prep-Logan LeDane
Elbow Lay Ups: NBA-Kris Butler/Luke Norris/Casey Crim; WNBA-Shae Defield/Kasey LeMasters; CBA-Lauren Moore; USBL- Bailey Offill; NCAA-Colton Horn/Westin Wilhelm; NAIA-Gretchen Debner/Shelby Hill; Prep-Logan LeDane/Emily Morgan
Free Throws: NBA-Trey Walker; WNBA-Lacy Gaines; CBA-Lauren Moore/Morgan McClane; USBL- Sarah Lopez; NCAA-Sean Hemperley/Westin Wilhelm; NAIA-Zach Hickman; Prep-Logan LeDane
Hot Shot:
NBA-Kris Butler; WNBA-Lacy Gaines/Mahlon Leatherwood; CBA-Paige Armstrong
USBL- Bailey Offill; NCAA-Chase Fountaine
NAIA-Zach Hickman; Prep-Logan LeDane
Speed Dribble: NBA-Luke Norris; WNBA-Kiley Huntsman; CBA-Lauren Moore; USBL- Bailey Offill; NCAA-Colton Horn; NAIA-Brooke Farris; Prep-Logan LeDane
Around the World: NBA-Cale Hughes/Garrett Golston; WNBA-Kendall LeMasters/Holly Baio; CBA-Megan Dutton/Taylor Henson; USBL- Ashley Davis/Morgan Ayers/Annie Hepner/Bailey Offill; NCAA-Sean Hemperley/Clay Marable; NAIA-Zach Hickman/Brooke Farris/Shelby Hill; Prep-Heath Salman/Chris Goosen/Emily Morgan
One on One: NBA-Kris Butler; WNBA-Lacy Gaines; CBA-Jordan England; USBL- Sara Lopez; NCAA-Westin Wilhelm; NAIA-Morgan England; Prep-Katy Courtney
Special Award Winners: Most Improved-Taylor Earnhart; Team First-Rami Burleson; Ace Defender-Jordan England; Coaches' Choice-Clint Grahn; Top Gun-Bailey Offill; Most Valuable Camper-Lacy Gaines
(Note: NBA, WNBA, etc. denotes teams divided by age and skill level)