First Ever Basketball Baron and Baroness Crowned at DCHS

December 12, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

DCHS Lady Tiger Senior Basketball star Kadee Ferrell and Tiger Senior Manager Aiden Whitman were crowned the school’s first ever “Baron” and Baroness” Friday night culminating a weeklong inaugural Alumni Homecoming observance. The presentations were made as DCHS hosted Stone Memorial.

Each year a member of both the Tiger and Lady Tiger basketball programs will be honored with the title of “Baron” and “Baroness” and recognition will be given to two basketball standouts from the past.

Ferrell is the 18-year-old daughter of Anthony and Trena Ferrell. Her high school career resume is as follows:

Clubs and Active memberships: Beta and Climate Crew

Athletic participation: Four-year member of the Lady Tigers Basketball team and one year on the Softball team

Accomplishments and Awards: ACT 21 + Club

Basketball:
Freshman- District 8AA 2nd Team, All-Freshman Team, 8AA All- District, 4AA All-Region, Record for Most Points as Freshman (502 points)

Sophomore-District 8AA 1st Team, 4AA All- Region, 8AA All- District, Daytona Beach Sunshine Classic Tournament MVP

Junior-1,000 Point Club, Allen D. Hooper MVP, District 8AA 1st Team, 4AA All- Region, 8AA All-District, All-Defensive Team.

Future Plans: “My plans after high school are to attend Bryan College and continue my academic and athletic career. I am going to get a degree in Pre-Physical Therapy, then continue college for two more years there to be a Physical Therapist,” said Ferrell

Church/Community Involvement: Active member of Whorton Springs Baptist Church and the First Baptist Youth Group,

What does being a DeKalb County Tiger mean to you? “Being a DeKalb County Tiger, to me, means representing the county and school that my whole family grew up in and pushes me to be the best that I can possibly be,” added Kadee

Whitman is the 18-year-old son of Joy Whitman and Trent Whitman. His high school resume is as follows:

Clubs and Active memberships: Beta and FCA

Athletic participation: Basketball Manager and Tennis player

Accomplishments and Awards: Hardest basketball worker, ACT 29+ Club, Accepted into Tennessee Tech
Future Plans: A degree in Computer Science and then maybe become a teacher or start a business
Church/Community Involvement: Member of Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church

What does being a DeKalb County Tiger mean to you? In the wild, Tigers are strong, independent, brave fierce, self-confident, and loyal. A DeKalb County Tiger should aspire to be these things except not a wild animal.

December 12, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Two DeKalb County High School Basketball legends were honored Friday night during the 1st ever DCHS Basketball Alumni Homecoming Week. The observance for 1970’s Tiger star Rickey Usrey and the late 1959 Lady Tiger sensation Helen Lee was held as DCHS hosted Stone Memorial.

The names of Usrey and Lee are being placed on a “Wall of Fame” created at the school as a way of paying tribute to DCHS basketball standouts over the school’s 60 plus year history in the sport.

Alumni Homecoming Week is commemorated in much the same way as Homecoming Week in Football except it celebrates basketball with daily activities, pep rallies, a school dance, and other events leading up to the Friday night basketball games that week and the crowning of the DCHS Baron and Baroness along with the naming of two past basketball stars on the “Wall of Fame”.

During the observance Friday night, a narrative was read about the basketball careers of both Usrey and Lee

RICKEY USREY:
“Rickey Usrey grew up in the Belk Community where he found a passion for sports. Rickey was a three-sport athlete but developed a love of playing basketball in the 7th grade under Mr. Elzie McBride at College Street Middle School. The next year Usrey moved to 8th grade where he would be a part of the first class to attend the new DeKalb Middle School. He played under legendary Coach Mike Braswell who taught him the fundamentals of the game. Coach Braswell had this to say about Rickey’s time under his tutelage: “Rick was always the quickest and fastest player on the floor”.

“After his time at DMS, Usrey went on to play in high school for storied Coach Harold Luna. During his time in the back court, he helped lead the Tigers to a whopping 85-17 record over the next 4 years and, eventually, in 1977 brought home the 1st district and regional championship since 1959. Ricky was a three-year starter at point guard during which the Tigers went 56-12”.

“Over his time as a Tiger, Rick amassed over 1,400 points and averaged 14 points per game during the course of his high school career”.

“Rick was named All-District and All-Region as a Junior and All-District, All-Region, and an All-State performer as a Senior, where he averaged 22 points per game. In 1977, he was named to the Nashville Banner All-State team and was the only player in the region to hold this honor. At the time he was also the only boy in DeKalb County High School history to make the 1st Team All-State Team”.

“He also helped lead his team to DCHS’s best record ever at 26-4”.

“A former Cookeville sportswriter had this to say about Rick and his 32-point performance versus Cookeville High School in 1977. “Senior Tiger guard Rickey Usrey was the main reason that Cookeville was never able to catch up to the class AA power as he pumped in 32 points from inside, outside, and just about anywhere else he spots from”.

“Rickey said one of his favorite moments as a player came when fans brought a stack of newspapers to a home game and when the other team was introduced all you could see was people in the stands reading newspapers. Then, when the Tigers were introduced, the papers went flying everywhere. He also talked about the fan support and how the players were always appreciative of how the fans followed the Tigers everywhere”.

“Rickey also stated the most important thing he had learned during his playing days was that it was never about “me”. It was always about “we”. He has continued to apply that in everyday job and life”.

After high school, Rick went on to work for the Carrier Corporation from which he is now retired and lives in Centertown with his wife Daphanee , who has always been his biggest and most important fan”.

HELEN LEE:
“Helen, who became known as “Fabulous Fay” for her athletic skills on the court including an unstoppable hook shot, rose to fame in the 1950’s during the years of half-court basketball. She had developed a love for the game prior to high school while playing for Coach Floyce Vickers at the New View Elementary School in the Young Bend Community. Helen helped lead the DeKalb County (Smithville High School) girls basketball team to the State Tournament Championship game in 1959 before losing to Porter 47 to 46. The girls’ team, coached by Everett Lee Mitchell, finished the season 24-2. The two defeats included a 50-49 loss to Lebanon during the regular season and the loss to Porter in the state championship game. She was a four-year player with many accolades, including All-District, All-State, and District MVP. Helen is also a member of the 1,000-point club.

During the 1958-59 season, Fabulous Fay led her team night in and night out on the floor. One of her more memorial moments was when she scored 55 points in a game versus Cannon County in the regional finals. She was 23 of 35 in her field goal attempts and she made 9 of 14 free throws. Helen continued at a torrid pace on her way to the State Tournament.

Former sportswriter for the Nashville Banner, Jimmy Davy, had this to say about Lee’s record and performance in the state tournament: “Young, Smithville’s invincible 5’ 8” scoring machine punished the nets for a record equaling 37 points and smashed an assortment of state tourney records in leading DeKalb County within one step of the TSSAA state crown”. Young’s 37-point total equaled the TSSAA girls State Tournament record for one game, set last year by Newport’s Emily Williams in the opening round against Hornbeak. But she doesn’t have to share two records which resulted from last night’s tremendous offensive performance. Her 16 field goals in a single game are a record and so is her total of 31 field goals for the tournament, marks formerly held by Williams and Woodbury’s Gloria Parker. With tonight’s final game to play, Young has 85 total points and is within two of Emily’ Williams’ tournament total record of 87”.

Helen later joined an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) squad, coached by John Head and went on to play for a national championship team that included Tennessee women’s basketball legend, Nera White. Interested in becoming a basketball coach and schoolteacher, Helen enrolled in Peabody College in Nashville after two years on the AAU team and got her first coaching job at Nashville East Senior High in 1965 after graduating college. Helen later met and married Rick Lee and after Rick’s tour of duty in Vietnam, the couple relocated from Missouri to Oklahoma, and then to Nashville, before settling in Smithville where Helen joined the teaching staff at DCHS and served as the head girls basketball coach for eight seasons. Rick also became a teacher in the local school system. Helen later moved from the classroom to the administration at DCHS where she served as guidance counselor until her retirement in 2002. Lee passed away in May 2020.

Members of Lee’s family on hand for her tribute Friday night were: Benjamin Felton (grandson), Carolyn Whitley (sister), Judy Rogers (sister), Ronny Young (nephew), Aaron Young (grandnephew), and Alyssa Leslie (Grandniece).

December 11, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

There is no place like home!

If only “Dottie” had one. Would you be willing to open your heart to give Dottie a loving home? This two-year-old lovable cat is the WJLE/DeKalb Animal Shelter featured “Pet of the Week”

“Dottie is our longest cat resident,” said Shelter Director Emmaly Bennett. “She has been with us for quite some time, and we would love to find her a home. She is about two years old. She has been spayed and is up to date on all her vaccinations. She is really sweet but prefers being the only cat in the household. Her adoption fee is $60”.

Visit the shelter website to see photos of Dottie and other adoptable pets at https://www.dekalbanimalsheltertn.com/.

The shelter is now open Monday-Friday from 8 to 4 and Saturday from 8 to 12 on Transfer Station Road behind Tenneco Automotive.

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