During the 1988-1989 school year, the Clinch County Panthers (Homerville, Ga.) set a milestone that, to this day, still stands alone in the ranks of high school athletics history. The Panthers’ football, basketball, and baseball teams captured state titles within the same academic year, a feat that was completely unprecedented in high school sports.
Here, 27 years later, four key members of the “Triple Crown” champions have taken the time to talk to In the Game to reminisce on that memorable year. Gregory Calley, A.C. Cooper, Brent James, and Jamie Spates were seniors during that year at Clinch County High School. Even more impressive, each of these men was a key component of each one of those titles brought to Homerville.
Three sports, three seasons, three titles. And with Calley, Cooper, James, and Spates leading the way, In the Game has hereby dubbed them the “four kings of the Triple Crown”.
Gregory Calley
Standing 6’5”, Gregory Calley is not hard to distinguish from the rest of the pack. A tall, intimidating leader, he shined in each sport that he played for the Panthers. In 1988-1989, he helped to set the standard of greatness on campus; he was a center and defensive end during football season, and forward and center on the hardwood, and first baseman when they took to the diamond. (Calley is also a three-time state champion in baseball. Also to his credit, he was a member of the school’s first-ever baseball state championship team in 1986.)
“We might not have been the biggest or the most talented, but we had a chemistry that was unmatched,” Calley says. “These guys (Cooper, James, and Spates) and I have been playing together since Pee Wee ball. There’s a familiarity here that can’t be taken away.”
The football team, led by legendary head coach Donald Tison (for whom the football field is now named), fought hard and brought home the first football state title in school history.
“There’s not enough you can say about Coach Tison,” Calley says. “He was soft spoken; but that’s because his respect spoke volumes. He was so much more than just a coach. He was a mentor, and so well-respected.”
The Panthers completed an undefeated 1988 season (13-0), capped off with a 34-14 win on the road in the state title game against the Palmetto Raiders (Palmetto, Ga.).
“I remember, it was freezing when we stepped off that bus,” he says. “But we knew the game was ours long before then. Once we got warmed up and that adrenaline was going, we went out there and proved it to everyone.”
Jamie Spates
Jamie Spates played fullback and linebacker during football season, forward and guard on the hardwood, and pitcher and centerfielder during baseball season. While all three teams were able to set standards come game time, he emphasizes that it was what happened away from competition that made these teams so special.
“We were students of the game,” Spates says. “We succeeded, for one, because we were always looking for ways to improve. We knew that we could get better if we knew what successful teams were doing.”
More than studying footage or plays, he also acknowledges that it was the bond that the teammates shared that carried their success to the next level.
“We always wanted to go to the best camps with the highest level of competition,” he says. “Sometimes, we didn’t have the money. I remember, for one of our camps, one of our teammates couldn’t afford to go. We all banded together and washed cars. The money that we raised got him to camp with us.”
The championships did more than boost a city. They proved to doubters statewide that the small city of Homerville needed to be taken seriously.
“Our coaches were always there for us,” he says. “Sure, we wanted to win titles for ourselves. But we wanted it more for them. Anytime we didn’t reach the top, the naysayers blamed it on Coach Tison and the staff. They didn’t understand; it’s us on the field, not the coaches.”
But most importantly, as Spates says, while outsiders hesitated to put any faith in Clinch County, the locals never wavered in their support.
“I remember, before one game, there weren’t any fans in the stands. We didn’t know why until we got closer to the field. They had made a tunnel for the team to run through. That feeling was incredible. We’re more than a team. We’re more than a community. We’re a family.”
Brent James
Brent James has a rather straightforward opinion on the accomplishments of the 1988-1989 Clinch County Panthers.
“I think it speaks for itself,” James says. “Our junior year, the football team got knocked out of the running before we could capture a title. It was then that I assured myself that I did not want to experience that feeling again. My senior year was the last chance to get it right.”
James was a wide receiver and safety during football season. He suited up as a guard during basketball season and later as a third baseman in the spring. Like his teammates, he took pride in knowing that, as a senior, it was his responsibility to keep his team motivated.
“Senior leadership was huge for us,” he says. “But even that wouldn’t have been possible without the coaches that we had. Coach Tison was always calm and under control; Coach (Cecil) Barber, who was our head baseball coach and defensive coordinator during football season, was the hard worker. And Coach (Jerry) Edwards was all about practice. They all had different qualities, and I think that’s what made us so well-rounded.”
James also acknowledges one other coach in particular that helped fuel the Panthers’ success. He speaks very fondly of head basketball coach Allen Robbins, noting the one thing that he did that allowed the team to succeed.
“Coach Robbins allowed us to be ourselves on the court,” James says. “We weren’t the tallest or the strongest, but I dare you to find a faster team than the ’88-’89 Panthers. We used that to our advantage. Speed, presses, fast breaks…that’s what took us to the top.”
A.C. Cooper
According to teammates, A.C. Cooper, for lack of better words, was “the man”. On the gridiron, his talent at quarterback led to being named First Team All-State for the 1988 season.
“Homerville is so small, and we’re such a tight-knit community,” Cooper says. “Most of us have known each other as long as we can remember; we’ve played together our whole lives. For everybody else, it was a football game, a basketball game, or a baseball game. For us, it just felt like playing in the park.”
Once football season ended, Cooper shined as a point guard for the basketball team and played shortstop and pitched for the baseball team. And, like his teammates, he had nothing but high praise for all of his coaches.
“Everybody on all of these teams worked incredibly hard,” he says. “And it wasn’t hard to do. When you had coaches like we had, it came easy. Our coaches were terrific; really, they were more than just coaches. They were there for us, no matter what we needed. When your coaches have your back, it’s easier to want to give top effort for them.”
It’s been 27 years since the Panthers football team took state, sparking the historic run. Cooper hesitates before commenting that he doesn’t see a school repeating their feat anytime soon.
“It’s not because schools don’t have the talent,” he says. “The times have just changed so much. Nowadays, kids tend to focus on one sport, maybe two. When we were coming up, we played sports all day. It was all we had. So, naturally, so many of us excelled at multiple sports. I guess you could say the small-town life worked to our advantage. When sports are your everyday life, you strive to be the best at all of them. And that year, we were.”
Sidebar (Gregory Calley): “Bottom line, I’m a competitor. I don’t like losing. The things that we were able to accomplish that year have motivated me for life. No matter the challenge, I think back to that year. And I tell myself, ‘If I was able to do all those things that year, there’s nothing I can’t do now’.”
Sidebar (Jamie Spates): “That year did so much more than bring home some titles. We were so used to hearing about ‘that city down the road’ (Valdosta) and everything that they had done on the field. This year gave our city hope. We went from people writing us off, to seeing our championship shirts on sale in the Valdosta Mall. That speaks volumes.”
Sidebar (Brent James): “I’m still in awe of what we accomplished. It wasn’t done before us, and hasn’t been done in the nearly 30 years since. That school year gave (Homerville) a sense of pride. Those titles weren’t just for the players. They were for everyone.”
Sidebar (A.C. Cooper): “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when a group of guys is unselfish. Nobody on any of these teams played for individual glory. Nobody cared about getting a certain number of yards or points. It was all about that final score. And we got there together, every game, every night.”
South Georgia / December 2015
Special Feature
Clinch County High School
Homerville, Ga.
The Four Kings of the Triple Crown
By James Washington
Photography by Micki K Photography
