Charlotte, NC

With school comin’ up in just about a week-and-change, I thought I’d take a minute to remember the old days of South Meck, circa Class of ‘69.

Y’know, one of the fondest memories of the Class of WayBack are those of the South Mecklenburg Sabres sports teams. Man, we had some kinda spirit back then
and … a senior flagpole upon which the gradclass sent many, many underclassmen who verbally (or otherwise) creamed the team(s).

Now, during the Year of the Age of Aquarius (the ‘68-’69 season), life was cool: I was studyin’ to get the sheepskin, churnin’ out vocals and axe licks with a busy rock group, and avoidin’ that pole like the plague!

Yup … I … er, “took a trip” there a coupla years earlier. Here’s what happened …

I was a sophomore (remember? We didn’t have freshmen then … it started with the tenth grade) … and, like most teenaged boys, had my first feelin’ of looooove … for a girl from a rival school!

Well, I finally got up enough nerve (I was from Pineville … a town so small ya had to borrow nerve from nearby Matthews!) to ask Sally McCune out to a Sabre basketball game. Man, she was cute …
My brothers, cousin Jimmy Bridges and my dad went to Thurman Place to pick her up on the big night. We drove to the gym at … Garinger High School. They were gonna play her school!

I figured “Awww, it’s just a game! What’s it gonna hurt?” I even sat with Sally on Garinger’s side — in the second row. By now, my brothers and Jimmy (who were, of course, on the right side of the bleachers!) were laughing and pointing. Some of my classmates were lookin’ at me like I was a traitor … and began talking among themselves. I’d find out, later, why …

Sally had on a lovely pantsuit … navy blue with silvery-gray marking on her top. Then I looked at my sweater. Red-and-white, as in Sabre’s “The Mighty …”?? Naaaah.

Navy blue and gray. Garinger’s colors. Me in the second row. Garinger side. My classmates watching from the other side.

But that wasn’t all. Y’see, I was so “in love” with Sally that, whenever a Wildcat would score, I’d jump up and yell and applaud with her.
Navy blue and gray. Garinger’s colors. Me in the second row. Garinger side. Rooting for their team. And my classmates … starting … to … growl at me!!

Well, about 36 hours after the game, it was time to go back to … s-SCHOOL!(gulp!) Some of the uberclass were watching me like ravenous dogs hungrily circling a lone rabbit. At lunchtime, I belonged to the pole!
The moment of truth arrived … I just “gave in” (how was I gonna fight off a half-dozen varsity dudes, anyhow?). Up I went … the lanyard-stay went under my belt … and, for a moment, I felt like a giant hamhock in the meat cooler of A & P!! Then …

thank God for second-hand belts!! It snapped, I fell, then got up and slinked away like a little pup that got its first whuppin’!

As time, classes, years and students went by, the old pole was deactivated, thanks to Mr. Edmisten (the principal at the time). I made new friends, lost Sally as a girlfriend (dammit!), rocked on with my music, and …

just in case Mr. E. changed his mind … began wearing break-away belts …