Lexington High School - Bearer Yearbook (Lexington, AL)

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TRYING TO MEET the deadline, workers lay the bricks on the rear entrance of the gym. STANDING IDLE ON THE WEEKEND, the gym awaits the return of the workers. New (iym 19 WHILE THROWING IN THE BALL to Keith Gulley, Kevin Hanback stands on the out-of- bounds Lexington display. SCAFFOLDS HIDE BEHIND a completed seg- ment of the new gym.

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“A Dream Come True” Thurston East Setting out to make thousands of stu- dents. approximately 20 coaches, and the whole Lauderdale County School System happy, the Board of Education granted Lexington and three other schools in Lauderdale County new gyms. This was the largest building pro- ject in the history of Lauderdale County. The main floor had 18,253 square feet. The balcony contained 8,013 square feet. Both the main floor and balcony were equipped with bleachers. The foundations were set in March of 1985, which caused much student antici- pation. Day after day, students watched the workmen as they cleared land, laid blocks, and climbed scaffolds. When school was out for the summer, most students saw the skeleton frame- work and thought it would never be com- pleted for the upcoming season. As the summer proceeded, students toured the area just to see what had been done. Then in July came the greatest shock: the metal beams stood majestical- ly over the whole school. By August 19, the first day of school, the gym had taken shape. The outside looked almost finished, but the inside was still a vast area. On November 17, still with the finish- ing touches needed and the floor still damp with varnish, the gym was dedi- cated to the school and community for multiple purposes. Dignitaries and the student body helped celebrate the mo- ment. The varsity band played, while the varsity basketball players sang the “Alma Mater.” To help make the gym more unique from the rest, minor changes were made. Some of the changes included reverse paint in the center court circle, a kitch- enette in the Lady Bear room, a Bear mural left by the senior class, and floor coverings which were donated by various merchants. The Lauderdale County Board of Education invested 3.2 million dollars in the project which was funded by a school warrant issue to be paid back by local property taxes. Lexington High graduate and board member, Thurston East summed up the dedication speech by stating, “This is a dream come true. 18 Nc» Gym WITHIN EIGHT MONTHS, ihc before and after shots of the gym show immense changes.

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And Fight They Did With five returning seniors, the Lady Bears volleyball team worked their way through another winning season. Most of the games lost by the Lady Bears were lost to higher division schools. “ I was really proud of the effort shown by the players; they showed pride and the look of winners. When the game looked like it could never be won, they kept on fighting,” stated Coach Connie McGuire. After all the regular season games were completed they proved they were the best volleyball team in Lauderdale County by winning the thirteenth of the fifteen tournaments that have been held since 1971. In the semi-finals, the Lady Bears beat Wilson in two winning sets, 15-0 and 15-9. This win pulled them into the finals with Lauderdale County High, who had just barely outlasted Central with matches of 13-15, 16-14, and 15-4. The finals were awarded to the Bears as they outscored Lauderdale County 15-4 and 15-9. The Lady Bears led the All- County list with five team members. They were Tina McGuire, Susan Stead- man, Paula Thigpen, Kristi Plunkett, and Jeanie Balentine. The Lady Bears also claimed the Area Championship with Tina McGuire, Su- san Steadman, and Kristi Plunkett mak- ing the All-Area team. The Lady Bears finally went to state which was held at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. There they fought and made it to the finals. Playing St. Paul, they lost the matches 16-14, 14-16, and 14-16. This made them state runners-up for the second year in a row. All-State members were Tina McGuire, Susan Steadman, and Jeanie Balentine. IN RETURNING POSITION, Susan Steadman gets prepared to send back the volleyball after it is hit by an opposing team player. KEEPING UP WITH THE GAME. Stacy Park- er and Terry Davis watch the game to insure they have the correct information for the record book. 20 Volleyball