Memphis University School - Owl Yearbook (Memphis, TN)

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In the true athletic spirit of MUS, the spring of 1978 saw the rebirth of baseball at school. Coach Joe Davis was a key figure in getting the team organized. Despite the fine coaching of Davis and Coach Johnny Duke and the ability of the players, the squad struggled through a season of disappointing losses, posting a record of 2-17. The season started with a 2-0 loss to a very tough Memphis Prep team. The Buzzards then proceeded to thrash Wooddale 8-3, making the future look momentarily bright. However, the team lost ten more games before gaining another victory. Many of these ten games were one-or two-run heartbreakers lost in the last inning. The Owls stopped their losing streak by Baseball — The Great American Pastime Comes Back to MUS Owls Slug It Out Through Disappointing Season handily defeating a rugged Germantown team 12-6. Unfortunately it was the last victory of the season for the Buzzards. The team was led in hitting by Albert Ray. Ray had an average of .393, thirteen RBFs, and three home runs to lead the team in each of these categories. Most Valuable Player Carter Rise andjunior Kendall Crawford tied for the honor of most hits with 19 apiece. David Caldweh and Rush WaUer had eleven and ten RBI ' s respectively. In the running department. Chip Lansden and Kendall Crawford both stole seven bases. The pitching staff included Albert Ray, Andy Lee, Dean Underwood, and Forrest Howse with Ray and Lee being credited with MUS ' only two wins. Using the experience learned, the baseball players and fans can look forward to better times for the Owls. Coach Joe Davis looks on from the third- base coaching box. Coach Davis was - instrumental in bringing the great American pastime to MUS in the spring. As the MUS bench looks on, Kendall Crawford connects for a single. Crawford consistently led the Owl offense with a blistering .306 average and 19 hits. 28 SPORTS

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MUS Post-Season Performance Nets Grand Slam Finish Owls Capture District, Regional, and State Crowns With a forehand horn the baseline. Sonny Bratton returns his Auburndale opponent ' s shot. Bratton won this match and three doubles matches during the season. The Year of the Owls definitely applied to the tennis team. After a large turnout. Coach Taylor picked what looked to be a great team, with all the lettermen, from last year ' s team returning. The top seven players were Tiger Buford, Scott Hale, Billy Lewis, Henry Hancock, Bill Noah, Chip Grayson, and Philip Adams. The Owls found competition in the Memphis area severely lacking. Coach Taylor played many lower- ranked players to give them experience for next season. Searching for competition to prepare the team for the State Tournament, the netmen went on a state-wide tour. Two weeks before the trip, the Owls had defeated Montgomery Bell Academy 6-3, the first time in five years the Owls had defeated MBA. On the trip the netmen faced BGA, Baylor, then the Chattanooga Rotary Invitational. Defeating BGA, the Owls lost to Baylor 8-1 with Tiger Buford providing the only win for MUS. The netmen then entered the Rotary, which included 32 of the top teams from Tennessee and Georgia. MUS did surprisingly well with a sixth-place finish. The team came back to play Germantown before entering the District Tournament. It was no surprise that the senior-dominated team won the District, with Buford and Hale finishing second and third respectively in singles and first in doubles. Buford and Hale again won the doubles, and Buford won the singles with Hale finishing fourth to net the Regional title for MUS. Then, in the State Tournament, Tiger Buford won the singles competition, and Buford and Hale combined to win the championship, which gave MUS the state tennis title. A truly spectacular finish for one of MUS ' s finest tennis teams ever! Fourth-seeded Bill Lewis sends a two-handed backhand to his SBEC opponent. Lewis, who played number one in this match, won 8-0. Lewis had a seasonal record of 10-2 in singles with his losses coming against Baylor and MBA, and 7-3 in doubles. Bill Noah scoops up a backhand volley en route to an easy two-set victory over his Germantown adversary. Noah, behind his hard serves and aggressive net play, ran up a 10-2 record. TENNIS TENNIS 27

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78 BASEBALL (2-17) Memphis Prep 2 8 Wooddale 3 Harding 11 1 Towering Oaks 7 1 Briarcrest 16 11 Bishop Byrne 13 SB EC 1 7 Catholic 8 9 Towering Oaks 11 ! 5 Collierville 6 5 Memphis Prep 6 1 Harding 18 12 Germantown 6 1 Ridgeway 5 6 SBEC 16 9 SBEC 11 3 SBEC 13 5 Catholic 10 5 Bishop Byrne 9 1978 BASEBALL TEAM: (front row) Paul Edwards. Cecil Godman, David Dunlap. David Caldwell, Carter Rise, Dennis Hale, Andy Lee, Kendall Crawford, Glenn Durham, Keith Johnson; (back row) Coach John Duke, Dean Underwood, Rush Waller, Forrest Howse, Andy Starr, Chris Masi, David Rudolph, Emmett Marston, Bud Thrasher, John Edmonson, Chip Lansden, Jerry Bryson, Coach Joe Davis. In a close-fought contest with Ridgeway, Forrest Howse unloads a pitch to a waiting Roadrunner batter. Howse struck out three and gave up only four earned runs in a vain effort. Howse, in addition to his creditable pitching, was a consistent hitter, batting .324 for the season. BASEBALL BASEBALL 29