In his 14 years as head coach of the West Fannin High School boys basketball teams, Tom Foster led seven squads to the State Tournament. The 1963-64 team advanced to the semi-finals of the Class AA State tourney, the only team in school history to advance to that level. In recognition of their singular accomplishment, the 1963-64 West Fannin High School boys basketball team has been selected as the team inductee in the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame induction class of 2019.

The 1963-64 Yellow Jacket boys team was a senior-dominated squad with Ray Arp, Steve Fry, Tommy Bowling and Jimmy Key as returning starters from the previous season. The only underclassman on the starting five was junior Donnie Arp. The first two players off the bench were juniors Robert Guthrie and Sammy Ledford. Other supporting players were senior Norman Pope, junior B.J. Taylor and sophomores Johnny Corn, Jerry Guthrie, David Key, Steve Cheatham and Malcolm Holden.

The first 10 games played before the New Year saw the Jackets win seven and lose three. A season opening loss at Loudon, TN was avenged two weeks later when the Yellow Jackets drubbed the Redskins to the tune of 76-50 in a game played in the West Fannin gym. A 58-57 loss at Ringgold on December 6 would the only Region 3AA North loss of the season. On December 17, the Jackets scored a school record of 126 points in a victory over Gilmer County.

After the calendar moved from 1963 to 1964, the Fannin boys hit their stride and won 12 consecutive games. Highlights included a 66-61 victory over region rival Ringgold and a 66-59 win against Murray County at Chatsworth. West Fannin had played Murray County every year since the 1955-56 season and had lost eight consecutive games on the Indians home court. On the night of January 14, 1964, however, Steve Fry poured in 35 points as the Yellow Jackets snapped the onerous streak. Fry’s 35 points was an all-time single game scoring high in school hoops history up to that point.

Two weeks later, on January 28, the Yellow Jackets hosted Lumpkin County at the West Fannin gym. Lumpkin came into the game boasting a record of 17-2 and were led by 6’ 3” forward/guard Stan Worley who was being recruited by a number of colleges. Coaches Whack Hyder of Georgia Tech and Garland Pinholster of Oglethorpe were on hand that evening, ostensibly to watch Worley in action. Tommy Bowling stole the show, however, as he blistered the nets for 22 points leading his team to a resounding 70-48 victory over Worley and his teammates from Dahlonega. Bowling’s performance was the first step in a journey that led to a 4-year basketball scholarship to Georgia Tech.

A 69-46 victory at North Whitfield on February 7 gave the Jackets a 7-1 record in Region 3AA North competition. That mark was the best in the sub-region and earned the team the number one seed in the overall Region 3AA tournament held in Dalton.

The West Fannin boys went on to capture the second Region 3AA championship in the history of the school with victories over Calhoun, 60-41, in the first round, 58-55 over West Rome in overtime in the semi-finals and 62-60 over Rockmart in double overtime in the championship game. Tommy Bowling scored two of his team-high 25 points on a driving layup against Rockmart to cinch the title. Yellow Jacket heroes were plentiful throughout the tournament. Bowling led the scoring parade with 15, 18 and 25 points in the three games. Ray Arp, a 6’ 3” post player, poured through 17 points in the West Rome victory. The Rockmart contest was a war of attrition with Robert Guthrie and Sammy Ledford playing big roles off the bench replacing starters, including Steve Fry, who had fouled out of the game. Ledford scored a vital 12 points in the victory. Bowling and Fry were both named to the All-Tournament team.

The opening game of the State Class AA Tournament saw the Yellow Jackets matched with Headland High School from South Atlanta. It was a revenge match of sorts since Headland had ousted the Jackets from the 1961 tournament in a classic 63-60 struggle. Headland went on to win the state title that year. 1964 was another year, but after three quarters, the Fannin boys found themselves on the short end of a 52-51 score. Headland’s high scoring guard Jimmy Tingle was on his way to a 40 point total in the game. The fourth quarter, however, saw the relentless up-tempo game of the Yellow Jackets break through for 27 points while Headland could only post 15. The 79-68 victory vaulted West Fannin into the semi-finals against Hart County. Bowling and Fry led the scoring parade against Headland with 25 and 29 points, while the Arp brothers, Ray and Donnie, chipped in 13 and 8. Floor leader Jimmy Key rounded out the scoring with three points.

A cold-shooting first half doomed the Yellow Jackets in the semi-final contest with Hart County and, despite a gallant second half comeback, West Fannin fell short by two points, 53-51. Bowling, Fry and Donnie Arp led the Jackets in scoring with 16, 15 and 15 points. Tommy Bowling and Steve Fry were named to the All-Tournament team as the boys from Fannin County ended the season with a record of 25-7 and were ranked as the number 3 team in Georgia’s Class AA Division.

Most sports writers and knowledgeable observers described the 1963-64 West Fannin boys team as a ‘run and gun’ aggregation. The offensive attack was certainly waged at a fast tempo as the Yellow Jackets scored 2225 points for an average of 70 points per game. The Jackets scored more than 90 points in four different games and posted 88 points in a game against Class A powerhouse, Cass. The scoring was led by Tommy Bowling who averaged 18.5 per game and Steve Fry who scored at a 17 points per game clip. In the pre-3-point shot era, most of Fry’s baskets were long range missiles from deep in the corner, easily 3-pointers in today’s game. Ray and Donnie Arp both averaged scoring in double figures. The maestro of the ensemble was guard Jimmy Key who generally directed traffic and was the primary trigger man on most of the team’s fast break baskets.

Tommy Bowling was awarded a basketball scholarship to Georgia Tech and won a basketball letter there in 1967. Steve Fry was initially a walk-on candidate at the University of Georgia and then received a scholarship to play basketball at Lagrange College. He won three varsity letters there. The 1963-64 West Fannin Yellow Jacket boys basketball team will be remembered as one of the best quintets in Fannin County and North Georgia and certainly earned their place in the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame.