THE MOST UNUSUAL BASKETBALL GAME EVER. THE TWO-SIDED PLAYER - In the mid-1950s, Dexter’s Bobby Stevens was one of the best hoopsters anywhere around. Steven’s big day came on December 9, 1955. His Dexter High team was scheduled to meet Twiggs County High School. As it turned out, all of the starters for Twiggs were forced to sit out the game because they had all contracted the mumps. Twigg’s Coach Roger Jessup had only six inexperienced reserves to go against the always powerful Dexter quintet. So, in a show of true sportsmanship, Dexter Coach D.L. Coley, benched all of his five starters. By the close of the 1st quarter, Dexter was ahead by an insurmountable lead, 21-1. Coley told his players not to take any shots from the field, but to shoot foul shots only. That ploy added four points to Dexter’s lead, 25-1. After the score got closer, (38-14,) Coley assigned sophomore Bobby Stevens to play for the opponents to close the gap. Stevens did as instructed and kept pouring in the baskets until the score was tied at 38-38. Aided by Tommy Butler and Jimmy Kemp, Dexter kept on scoring, as did Stevens. When the score was still tight near the end of the game, Twigg’s coach Jessup ordered his best player, Dennis Johnson, to score for the Dexter Hornets. In the most unusual basketball game ever, the Dexter boys topped the boys from Jeffersonville, 67 to 51. By the way, Stevens led both teams in scoring. Atlanta Const. Dec. 13, 1955.
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