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When I was in high school, like many of you, sports was a huge part of student life since there were
very few alternative activities at the time. Although I did not play any sports, I was involved as much
as possible. I was the manager for the girls' basketball team for three years. During my senior year,
I was scorekeeper for the baseball team. During my junior and senior years, I worked on the
yearbook so I photographed the football games and even called in recaps of the game to the
Wartburg radio station.
The games and trips to all the different schools were highlights of my high school years. Some of the
things I will always remember:
- the gym at Oneida - players literally had to turn their feet sideways when throwing the ball in
bounds.
- the first trip to Wynn High School - Junior Grace was driving the bus, and the bridge leading to
the school was very narrow. The bus scraped the sides of the bridge all the way across it.
- the second trip to Wynn High School - the sides of the bridge were gone, and I have no idea
how we made it across without going in the creek.
- Hollis Eble never letting me sleep on the ball bus on the way home. He would tap me on the
shoulder and say, "Headden, if you sleep, you will miss something."
- the horrible dressing rooms at all the schools except Harriman.
- playing Wartburg and Harriman at home and all the fans who showed up to cheer. It was
standing room only all the way around the court.
- the first year where the girls played full court basketball.
- the baseball bus wrecking on that curvy road to Rockwood.
Growing up, I listened to my dad's stories from his school days. He had so many stories that I won't
try to retell them here - except for one. He told about a football game played on the field this is
located on Ballfield Road (where the little league baseball field was for years). If I remember the story
correctly, Oakdale was playing Kingston, and there was a huge fight on the field and among the
spectators. Dad said he remembered hearing that his uncle, Jimmy Phillips, took part in the fight that
erupted among the fans. He had heard that Jimmy, a former Marine who fought in the Pacific during
World War II, was throwing people over the hill (if you know where this field is located, the hill is very
steep). Dad wasn't sure how the game ended or how the fight ended, but he said the game was the
talk of the town for a good long time.
As I prepare to publish this edition of The Oakdale Express, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the
stories from former athletes and former coachers, but I feel that this issue is not complete. There are
so many more stories to share from former athletes and former coaches. I also wanted to do a story
on Hollis Eble since he influenced students for 30 years. I had talked to Bessie about spending an
afternoon with her just talking. However, I ended up having surgery in mid-October, and she ended
up having surgery the first of November so we never could get together for that talk. I will save that
story for the next issue.
I am eternally grateful to the former athletes and former/current coaches who graciously shared their
memories of games, players, and coaches. Hopefully, after you have read their stories, you or
someone you know will want to share a memory as well. I am leaving the link for sharing athletic
stories on the main Oakdale page in hopes that others will want to submit a story.
Thanks for taking time to read this issue, and I hope you enjoy it. The winter edition will go online
sometime in February so you have plenty of time to get those stories to me.
Regina Headden
Harriman, Tennessee
Class of 1980
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