As I was reading through the Thursday, October 16, 2014 edition of The Dillon Herald, I came to page 9 where there was a photo of the members of the 1964 Class of Gordon High School. I was captivated and almost mesmerized as my eyes focused on some of the heroic characters of my upbringing. I was only in the sixth grade when these people were seniors. That was fifty years ago; however, I clearly remember many of the faces and students of this great class. Some of them were iconic, and for our locale, “larger than life.” How can I ever forget the likes of Joyce Hamer, Sadie Carmichael, Thelma McKenzie, Gerlene Bethea, and of course, Eva Johnson? All of these individuals were older girls entering into early adulthood that I admired because of their beauty, charm, and intelligence. I was like many other young boys who secretly admire and have dreams and fantasies of girls who are much older and more developed. Nevertheless, what stood out to me about the Class of 1964 were their exceptional and outstanding athletes. These athletes, both male and female, must be rated and considered as some of the best that ever came through Dillon. As a boy, I remember going to the basketball games and watching Duchess McNeil, Clee Esther Manning, Lucille “Punch” Campbell, who played half-court basketball. They were three of the most hustling and tenacious guards who ever wore the Lady Trojans’ uniform. There was also the irrepressible and virtually unstoppable Lou Bertha McLeod. Most people who know anything about the history of the Lady Trojans Basketball team consider her as, arguably, our greatest player and definitely our most prolific scorer, myself included. How can I talk about the athletes of the Class of 1964 without mentioning the likes of Gerald Inman, Theo McNair, and Leonard (Jap) McNeil, who was a standout at the college level for the South Carolina State Bulldogs during his freshmen year? Rumor has it that if he had stayed in school and had not left after his freshman year due to being bitten by the “love bug,” he would have gone professional. Most people make this assertion due to the fact that the player who replaced him in the Bulldog’s backfield went on to be drafted by a team in the National Football League.
One of the most iconic athletes and captain of the football team that year was Fred (Buster) Wheeler. His story is a very fascinating one. I was told that had it not been for Coach Paul J. Glen, Fred might have never finished high school, and would have definitely never played football. One of the stories I most remember about Fred Wheeler and his exploits on the gridiron field happened during a particular game when the Trojans were about to receive the ball on the kick-off. Coach Glen had challenged the players, especially the blockers, with these words, “Every man go out and get a man. Every good man, get two!” Fred (Buster) Wheeler went out and met his coach’s challenge. He knocked down two players! Quite naturally, that became a famous saying and feat to us young, aspiring athletes back then.
I would like to conclude this tribute to the Gordon High School Class of 1964 by citing my personal favorite and, in my estimation, the greatest athlete that our school, and perhaps our town, ever produced. That would, of course, be Johnny (Fox) Hamer, who was a starting player for varsity football, basketball, and baseball when he was at Maple Elementary School. To my knowledge, he was a starter on these teams as early as his seventh grade year. No one else has epitomized our rich, athletic heritage and legacy like Johnny Hamer. As an athlete, he led the charge and helped to establish the winning tradition that Dillon is now well known for, especially in football. He must be revered as the patriarch of athletics in Dillon. This is especially true for the African-American community. Johnny Hamer was my hero when I was growing up and the player I pretended to be when I played sandlot football. Thank you, Johnny and the Class of 1964, for inspiring others and me who were on your coattails watching and seeking to mimic your feats and exploits. Some may forget, but I will never forget the impact that you made on a young, impressionable lad who needed to look up to people who were local and touchable. You were and always will be one of my heroes.
