This is another story about a “barnburner” for us Harvester basketball players and fans. This event occurred at the same time, only one year after the “Game of the Decade” in the West Texas State gym. As my story states, it’s time to play Amarillo again for the District Championship of 1955.
On February 11th, we were only one game ahead when we faced them for our third district title. We had to play in their cracker-barrel gym, and we lost 64 to 56…so now, we are tied at 24 and 2, and we must play a so-called sudden-death game to decide who will represent the Panhandle at the state tournament. We flipped a coin to determine where we would play. Amarillo won the toss, so it was set for the new Cal Farley Coliseum. The Coliseum has a maximum capacity of 7,000. The arena features 4,870 permanent seats and 1,800 portable seats available on the Coliseum floor. Naturally, it was a sellout crowd for a repeat “game of the decade!”
The coach decided he didn’t want us to talk to anyone, like girlfriends, fans, family, or especially the press. So, we stayed in Amarillo after our loss at a new Holiday Inn. We ate and talked basketball right up until game time. We felt ready!
The weather was clear but very cold by game time. We went to the coliseum at 11:00 a.m. to shoot free throws and check out the dressing room. We noticed it was rather hot, and Coach Mac mentioned it to the janitor. At game time, it was still 90 degrees in the gym.
When we played our first game against Lubbock, I pulled a muscle on my left side, and Coach had me in the whirlpool twice a day for 30 minutes, which we later found out should have been 15 minutes. Dr. Ashby was giving me shots before every game to kill the pain so I could play.
The wool warm-ups we wore before our game were left in the dressing room gym, but our team was still sweating profusely come time for the opening tipoff. Again, it was a very rough game, and at halftime, the score was tied 45- 45. Coach had our trainers ice down some towels for us to help with the heat situation.
We players were about to find out the difference between a good coach and a great coach. I don’t think what Coach Mac was about to tell us registered until after the game. Looking back, it was when we realized our coach had outcoached the Amarillo Sandies’ coach. Here is how it happened: Their guard always called the type of defense we were in, which was either man-to-man or zone (where you are responsible for an area of the court). Mac says, “So, what I want you to do is simply…when he sees you in your “domino five zone” and he yells ‘zone’, you casually slide into your ‘man to man’ and vice versa.”
Coach Mac’s plan was simple but brilliant, exploiting their reliance on our visible setup cues. He emphasized that our subtle switch would force Amarillo’s offense into confusion, making it difficult for them to execute their plays with confidence. We were instructed to maintain composure and not reveal our strategy through body language or unnecessary communication on the court.
Neither their guard calling our defensive sets nor their coach figured out what we were doing! They were so frustrated and perplexed that they had used all their timeouts by the end of the third quarter.
Needless to say, we won the game, and Coach said not to tell them our secret just in case we might need to use it in later games.
The final minutes of the game were a blur of adrenaline and intensity. Every possession felt crucial, and the crowd’s energy was electric. As the clock wound down, our defense stood firm, and we pulled ahead just enough to secure the victory. When the final buzzer sounded, the entire team erupted in celebration, knowing we’d achieved something truly special under immense pressure. Our hard work, discipline, and trust in Coach Mac’s guidance had paid off in the most memorable way imaginable.
After every game, you always shake hands and mumble something like “Great game.” When I shook hands with their center, Bub Ferrell, he asked, “What the heck were you guys doing in the 2nd half?” I half-heartedly fibbed and told him we were trying out a new defense.
The celebration in the locker room afterward was unforgettable. Laughter, high-fives, and shouts of excitement echoed off the walls as we relived key moments from the game. The sense of camaraderie and pride among the players was palpable, and even Coach Mac allowed himself a rare smile of satisfaction, acknowledging our effort and execution.
Bub said, “Boy, did we get out-coached. Tell that to your Coach McNeely,” Which I certainly did! And it was on to State, our third year in a row…
Ahhhh, those were the days…
