Night of Remembrance will honor 1965 Albany High School team

ALBANY — A Night of Remembrance, highlighting the Albany High School’s boys basketball team that competed in the 1964-65 state tournament will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. May 24 at the old Albany Elementary and High School building, just off Washington Road, in Albany.

According to organizer Wayne Clark, the free event is a chance to get together and celebrate the last time an Athens County team qualified for the state tournament.

Mammie’s Country Kitchen, located in the building, will provide food. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and whatever memorabilia of the team they would like to share. Former cheerleaders and players from the basketball team have been invited to attend.

A film Clark discovered of Albany’s game against West Salem Northwestern will be show at 7 p.m. He said the film lasts about 30 minutes, as they didn’t take time outs and there were no quarters.

The team was led on the court by Jerry “Bird” Turner, a 6-foot-7 center who averaged around 27 points a game his senior year. Other players included Jerry Morrison and Dave Enlow who were the team’s co-captains, Loyd Colburn, Baxter Ervin and Larry Van Dyke. Rounding out the squad were Steve Hamill, Ron Stanley, Ken Turner, Greg McDaniel and Fred Baumgartel. Larry James was the team’s other manager.

The team lost 50-41 to Northwestern in the state semifinals. The Huskies went on to win the state title with a 55-45 win over Springboro Clearcreek.

“I hope it will be a free and fun night, filled with memories of the time we went to the state tournament,” said Clark, who was a manager for the team when he was in high school.