The 1984-1985 McDuffie High School Girls basketball team and the 1970-1971 McDuffie High School Boys basketball team will be inducted into the McDuffie High School Athletic Hall of Fame during the Anderson School District Five Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 18.
The 1984-1985 Girls Basketball team began their season by winning the annual Anderson Area Tournament, and went on to win the Region 1 AAA Regular Season Championship, Conference Tournament Championship, S.C. AAA Upper State Championship, and was an S,C, state runner-up. Under the guidance of Head Coach Michael Austin and Assistant Coach Frankie Strickland, and led by All-State guard Alesia Tate, the 1984-1985 Girls basketball team finished with a school record of 26-3 and had several team members go on to play at the collegiate level.
The forming of the 1970-1971 Boys Basketball team is of note — Consisting of five senior starters, three returnees from McDuffie High, and two transfers from Westside High, the team was formed during the first year of forced desegregation of schools. This team won the Skyline AA Conference Regular Season tournament, Post-Season Conference Tournament, and advanced to the Final Four State Championship Tournament in old Carolina Coliseum where they were named Upper-State Champions. Under the guidance of Head Coach Carl Stegall and Assistant Coach Larry Ashley, the 1970-1971 Boys Basketball team established the best record in school history at 18-8, after a 3-4 season start. Accomplishments of the athletes from this team include three players being named to the All Skyline Conference First Team, two starters being the first from McDuffie High to sign athletic grants in aid to play ball at the collegiate level, and the first McDuffie High athlete to play professionally after being drafted by the NFL’s Pittsburg Steelers and playing for three seasons – Wentford “Mumbo” Gaines, also known as the 1970-1971 McDuffie High Boys basketball “team leader.”
The McDuffie High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is pleased to recognize and honor these nominees for their achievements as former athletes, and is also proud to have had the opportunity to recognize and feature the schools’ athletes of an 11-year gap from 1985 to 1996, the year McDuffie High School officially closed.