THE SKINNY

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Season: The Hendersonville High School Bearcats rambled to a 27-1 season in 1971-72, including winning streaks of nine and 18 games. Voluntarily moving up from 2A to 3A, they became the first (and, to date, only) team from the mountains of Western North Carolina to capture the 3A title. (Click here to see roster and results.)

Coach: Jim Pardue led the Bearcats for 29 years, compiling a record of 391-98. He became one of the region’s most successful and respected coaches.

Tradition: Prior to 1972, Pardue had coached Hendersonville to the 2A state tournament in four consecutive seasons. The tradition ran deep, even before Pardue’s arrival. Ted Carter led the Bearcats to Class B state titles in 1948 and ’49 and a Class A title in ’52. Bobby Wilkins, who played for Pardue, coached Hendersonville to the 1A championship in 1987 and 1992.

Style: Confronted with the reality of a rather small but quick lineup, Pardue shelved his zone defense and employed an aggressive man-to-man. The Bearcats played an up-tempo game that benefited from his emphasis on conditioning, the presence of several good shooters, including Harold Albany and Johnny Landrum, and the unmistakable chemistry developed over years by a core group who had grown up playing together in backyards and at the local YMCA. Hendersonville’s ability to force turnovers and ignite the fast break was a key part of the equation. The sight of Henry “Tippy” Creswell stripping the ball was familiar, often resulting in a Hendersonville bucket.

Average margin: The season included several close games but the enduring memory was of one Hendersonville rout after another. The Bearcats outscored their opponents by an average of 69.8-53.5.

Low Point: Despite Albany’s 29 points, the Bearcats were soundly beaten on the road by a good Tuscola team, 66-53, in January. Several players believe the loss was a blessing. It relieved the building pressure of an undefeated season and reminded them that they needed to bring it every night.

Rivalry: The series with Waynesville’s Tuscola was an important yardstick in those days. After splitting the home-and-home games, a much-anticipated showdown on the way to Durham evaporated when the Mountaineers were upset by underdog Pisgah in the District 8 tournament. In 1973, Tuscola beat Hendersonville twice but then lost the all-important game during District 8 finals, enabling the Bearcats to return to the state tournament, where they would lose in the finals to Madison-Mayodan.

Big Win: In the second round of the District 8 tournament, the Bearcats crushed the Reynolds Rockets, 89-69. Hendersonville shot 57 percent from the floor. Pardue called it “our best offensive performance of the season.”

News: In 1972, Apollo 17 became the last manned mission to the moon. President Nixon shocked the world by visiting communist China. Terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches, as well as a West German police officer, at the Munich Summer Olympics. The first hand-held scientific calculator was released—for the whopping price of $395.

Music: Hits included “American Pie” (Don McLean), “Brandy” (Looking Glass), “Rocket Man” (Elton John), “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (Roberta Flack), “Heart of Gold” (Neil Young). “Take it Easy” (Eagles), “A Horse With No Name” (America), and “Layla” (Derek and the Dominos).

Clutch Performance: In the closing seconds of a hard-fought January road game against Brevard, Dennis Braswell hit a free throw and stole the ball to secure a 63-61 victory.

Trophy: Very few gave undersized Hendersonville a prayer at the 3A state tournament at Durham High School, but the Bearcats won three games in three days—beating Washington (69-63), previously unbeaten Madison-Mayodan (88-78), and defending champion Pinecrest (74-63)—to claim the prize.

Pivotal Moment: In the first round state tournament game against Washington, the Bearcats got into foul trouble in the third quarter and fell into a big hole. At one point, they trailed by eight points. The rally to pull out the victory and advance to the semi-finals was a defining moment for a team that refused to panic.

Inside Intel: Due to a remarkable coincidence, team manager Dan Veazey was a bit distracted during the state tournament. While being on hand in Durham to handle his responsibilities during games and practices, he also commuted back and forth to nearby Chapel Hill to participate in some life-altering interviews for the Morehead scholarship. In time the future physician learned that he was selected for this prestigious honor, which allowed him to attend the University of North Carolina, where he also managed Dean Smith’s basketball team.

MVP: Heartbroken by the buzzer-beater loss to Whiteville in the 1971 2A state tournament, Harold Albany was a man on a mission during his senior season. It wasn’t just his consistency as a shooter, as he averaged more than 20 points per game. It was also his quiet leadership. The team’s leading scorer saved his best performances for the state tournament, scoring 91 points during the three victories, including 34 in the championship game.

Ink: “Undaunted by a tremendous height disadvantage, the Bearcats put it all together…shooting, ball-handling and defense…to the dismay of the defending state champions,” wrote Richard Morris in the (Asheville) Citizens-Times of Hendersonville’s win over Pinecrest. He noted that the Patriots had about a three-inch edge over the Bearcats. Pardue told him: “This is a tremendously unselfish club, and patience and consistency were their trademarks down here.”