By Herald Banner Sports Staff

Good rebounding, good shooting, and better-than-average height describes the Herald Banner 1963 All - Area basketball team made up of top cage talent in the Greenville area.

Joe Tillerson, Celeste's all-around point maker and rebounder, heads the area team. It was Tillerson who blazed the nets in the Class B Regional Tournament at Sherman last week for ninety points in three games, sparking Celeste to a third place in the eight-team field.

James Crow of Rockwall, Bobby Landers of Boles Home, Jimmy Kerr of Rains, and Floyd Livingston of Wolfe City make up the rest of the first team.

Jackets Factor

Crow, the Rockwall shooting and rebounding ace was a big factor in keeping the Yellow Jackets in the district race right down to a district playoff. He averaged fifteen points per game for Coach Gene Reagan's charges.

Bobby Landers was probably one of the most accurate shooters in District 43 - B as he led the Boles Home Hornets to a first division finish in the loop. Landers finished the season averaging nineteen points per game.

Rains Pick

Rains High School in Emory fought a losing battle with Quitman and had to settle for second place in the District 18 - A race, although losing only two district games, both to Quitman. Keeping them in the thick of the race, however, was Jimmy Kerr, 6' 2" forward for the Wildcats.

Although Kerr was not always the high scorer for the Wildcats, he was there when they needed the job of rebounding. He had a fourteen-point average for the season.

All-Around Player

The Wolfe City Wolves, District 48 - B champions and bi-district titlists, had several excellent basketball players on the team, but Floyd Livingston served Coach Ross Hall as the all-around player. He 6' 2 1/2" senior forward was the top rebounder for the Wolves and averaged twelve points per game during the season.

Second Team

Larry Adams, who made the second All - Area team, was the Wolves leading score with a sixteen point average during the season. Jimmy Tarrant, another second team selection, paced Campbell in scoring during the season with a sixteen-point average.

Mike Weatherley, Celeste's deadly eye from the corner of the court, turned the tide in several Celeste games shooting from the outside and average fifteen points per game for the Blue Devils.

Weatherley, Tarrant, and Adams were top selections for the second team.

G. C. Elmore, Gary Wilkins, and Ronnie Jackson made up a six-man second All - Area team due to a tie vote from the sports writers.

Elmore set the pace for Coach Jack Brookins' Lone Oak Buffaloes to give them a first division finish in the 43 - B cage race. Wilkins of Commerce and Jackson of Fannindel were the backbone of their respective teams in scoring and rebounding.

(Pictures: Joe Tillerson and Bobby Landers)

Team Selections

First Team
Joe Tillerson............6' 3"...................Celeste
James Crow............6' 4"...................Rockwall
Bobby Landers.......6' 1"....................Boles Home
Jimmy Kerr..............6' 2"....................Rains
Floyd Livingston......6' 2"....................Wolfe City

Second Team
Larry Adams...........6' 2".....................Wolfe City
Jimmy Tarrant.........6' 1".....................Campbell
Mike Weatherley....6' 1"......................Celeste
G. C. Elmore..........6' 3".......................Lone Oak
Gary Wilkins...........6'............................Commerce
Ronnie Jackson.....6' 2"........................Fannindel

(March 10, 1963, The Greenville Herald Banner)

Submitted by Sarah Swindell

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