Berrien Basketball History
Alapaha, Enigma, Nashville, Ray City, and all points in between
Ray City Beavers

Ah, Ray City. As far as traveling, they went to nearly as many places as Nashville. They were also nice enough to send in a bunch of information about the school's basketball fortunes to the Nashville Herald, so we know a pretty good bit about them. The Beavers began playing as late as 1929. If that is indeed the start year, they did so without the opposite gender. Girls scores begin popping up in 1930. Without local 1920s papers, anything of what they did before 1929 is pretty much a complete mystery.

The lack of early newspapers also affects another aspect of the Ray City experience. The Valdosta Times stated in about 1928 that a young man broke his leg in practice. Not just any practice. Football practice. That would make them only the second school to play organized high school football in the county. No other information, most importantly a score, has ever popped up anywhere. There is the chance they would have played Lanier County, who briefly had a grid squad during the mid to late 1920s. Lanier is currently unresearched.

It is unknown where the Beavers were playing hoops before 1947. Alapaha, Nashville, and Enigma had gyms. With Ray City and Enigma being roughly the same size, it is entirely possible that the locals could have seen indoor games. However, the town and school acquired the gym in 1947. Yes, acquired is the right word. Ray Citians loaded up trucks and buses and drove all the way to Bainbridge to deconstruct and all the way back to erect their prized gymnasium. In later years, the building would be referred to as "the barn" as it was also habitat to a few critters. Other than hosting a few district tournaments, the gym's finest moment came in 1958 when Dona Gaskins scored 58 points in a manically-paced 84-86 loss. After the 1994 closing of Ray City School, the gymnasium was purchased and converted into a church.

While it was not against the high school, the Original Celtics made an appearance here to play the Ray City Woodmen of the World.

Historic Scores (very, very incomplete)

Known coaches
Girls: P.M. Shultz (1940-41), Mrs. Emory Taylor (1946-47), Frank Irwin (1953-54)
Boys: P.M. Shultz (1929-30), Rob Bullard (1930-31), Salter (1935-36), J.T. Grady (1940-41), M.M. Johnson (1949-50, 1953-54)

Season
Date
Loc.
Opponent
Girls' Score
Boys' Score
Notes
1929-30 10-??A Crisp   22-18 no girls' team in 1929-30
     Pine Grove   15-14  
     Morven   19-26  
     Pine Grove   24-52  
     Nashville   26-30  
     Ray City Athletic Club   49-12  
     Alapaha   11-4  
     Crisp   45-22  
     Crisp   21-13  
     Alapaha   25-4  
     Pine Grove   23-19  
     Pine Grove   15-19  
     Naylor   34-2 Nashville Herald says boys ended with 10-4 record.
1930-31 11-??H Poplar Springs 14-18 36-16  
  12-05H Lenox   19-27 No girls game?
  12-12A Willacoochee 9-7 W  
  01-23  Homerville 8-25 21-17  
  01-30N Enigma none 31-29 (2OT) at Nashville
  02-20A Poplar Springs     
1931-32         participated in County Tournament
1932-33 01-27H Poplar Springs 15-18 4-3  
  03-09  Cottle W   County Tournament
  03-??  Alapaha   L County Tournament
  03-11  Nashville 24-27   County Tournament
1933-34 11-03A Nashville   21-11 exhibition; score may note be accurate but RC won
  11-??H Nashville   40-28  
  01-05H Nashville 2nd team none 12-10  
  03-09  Poplar Springs 29-37   County Tournament
  03-09  Nashville 2nd team   21-16 County Tournament
  03-10  New Lois   15-8 County Tournament
  03-10  Enigma   18-21 County Tournament
1934-35 01-30N Enigma   19-20 at Nashville
  02-22N Poplar Springs L W at Nashville
  03-08  Cottle W 36-11 County Tournament
  03-09  Enigma 23-11   County Tournament
  03-09  Nashville   33-35 County Tournament
  03-09  Poplar Springs 32-19   County Tournament
1935-36 11-02A Pearson 22-44 24-25 first game of the season
  12-06N Barney 24-27 15-31 at Adel
  01-11A Nashville 21-33 26-14 Nashville Herald says RC has only lost two - Pearson and Homerville
  02-19?A New Lois 10-13 24-18  
  03-06  Alapaha 2-0   forfeit; County Tournament
  03-07  New Lois 16-12   County Tournament
  03-07  Enigma   39-23 County Tournament
  03-07  Poplar Springs 27-26 39-23 County Tournament
1936-37 11-25?H Nashville L W  
  01-02A Barney W W  
  01-08N New Lois 15-16 14-7 at Nashville
  01-15  Sparks-Adel 13-36 25-23  
  01-16A Nashville L 22-16  
  02-20  Nashville   21-14 8th District Tournament at Nashville
  02-21  Manor   32-33 8th District Tournament at Nashville
  02-24  Wacona 25-32   8th District Tournament at Pearson
  03-04  Nashville 12-32 17-26 County Tournament
1937-38 11-12A Sparks-Adel 9-24 10-19  
  11-19N Enigma     
  12-04A Nashville 6-17 18-15  
  12-11A Nashville 15-16 17-25  
  02-16  Statenville   24-27 8th District Class C Tournament at Lakeland
  02-23  ? W   8th District Class C Tournament at Homerville
  02-24  Nicholls 15-40   8th District Class C Tournament at Homerville
1938-39 12-03A Nashville 15-5 9-29  
  12-09  Enigma 24-15 15-22  
  02-??  Enigma 19-17 (OT)   8th District Southwest Tournament at Waycross
  02-??  Manor 17-15   8th District Southwest Tournament at Waycross
  02-25  Naylor 19-31   8th District Southwest Tournament at Waycross (finals)
1939-40 12-01?A Enigma 11-17 16-15  
  01-26A Nashville 15-33 8-24  
  02-23  Lake Park    8th District Class C Group 2 Tournament at Valdosta (boys)
  02-28  Nicholls 11-23   8th District Class C Group 2 Tournament at Adel
1940-41 01-04A Nashville 19-20 9-21  
  01-10A Alapaha     
  01-11A Lanier County     
  02-19  Ambrose   47-25 8th District Class C Group 1 Southwest Tournament at Pearson
  02-26  Nicholls 19-48   8th District Class C Group 1 Southwest Tournament at Douglas
  03-07  New Lois   14-16 County Tournament
  03-07  Nashville 31-24   County Tournament
  03-08  Alapaha   27-22 County Tournament
  03-08  New Lois 11-32   County Tournament
  03-08  Enigma   33-22 County Tournament
1941-42 02-06A Nashville 22-44 28-26  
  02-25  Satilla 19-18   8th District Class C Tournament at Sparks-Adel
  02-26  Nicholls 24-20   8th District Class C Tournament at Sparks-Adel
1946-47 03-??  Clyattville 8-33   8th District Class C Tournament at Sparks-Adel
  03-??  Enigma   29-26 County Tournament
  03-??  Nashville 14-32 18-28 County Tournament
1947-48 10-24A Enigma 18-23 L  
  10-30A Pine Grove 17-23 14-27  
  11-04A Naylor 22-14 20-26  
  11-07H Manor 21-13 13-21  
  11-11A Willacoochee     
  11-14H Lanier County     
  11-18H Nashville 17-21 29-17  
  11-21H Enigma 22-26 14-27  
  12-05A Clyattville     
  12-06H Pine Grove     
  12-09H Willacoochee     
  12-12A Alapaha     
  12-16H Lake Park     
  01-13H Alapaha     
  01-23A Manor     
  01-30A Lanier County     
  02-03A Lanier County     
  02-06H Valdosta   10-64 "practice game"
  02-13H Clyattville     
  02-17  Clyattville   L 8th District Southwest Tournament at Ray City
  02-26  Clyattville or Lake Park L   8th District Southwest Tournament at Nashville
  03-??  Alapaha 19-18   County Tournament; RC boys do not participate
  03-20  Nashville 19-53   County Tournament
1948-49 10-16A Nashville 18-28 15-25  
  ??-??H Nashville 17-15 23-20  
  03-08  Alapaha   24-22 County Tournament
  03-??  Nashville 25-26   County Tournament
1949-50 12-02A Nashville     
  01-06H Nashville     
  02-17  Dasher Bible 48-29   8th District Class C Tournament
  02-18  Clyattville    8th District Class C Tournament (girls)
  02-22  Pine Grove 36-47   8th District Class C Tournament
  02-28  Alapaha 39-49   County Tournament
  03-??  Alapaha   40-43 County Tournament
1950-51 11-14H Lanier County 29-34 47-17  
  11-17  Naylor 48-46 53-32  
  12-01H Alapaha     
  12-05A Lanier County     
  12-08H Nashville 37-51 48-37  
  12-12A Willacoochee     
  12-15A Clyattville     
  12-19H Homerville     
  01-06H Pine Grove     
  01-09A Alapaha     
  01-12A Nashville     
  01-19H Clyattville     
  01-30A Enigma     
  02-02H Naylor     
  02-06H Homerville     
1951-52 ??-??  Willacoochee L L  
  ??-??  Hahira W L RC girls 6-3 at the start of 1952
  01-??  Willacoochee 34-27 56-23  
  01-11H Lanier County 39-16 34-43  
  01-12A Pine Grove 56-28 44-35  
  01-??  Hahira 49-50 62-58 (OT)  
  01-25H Nashville 32-48 W  
  02-??  Pine Grove 28-14   Class C Sub-Region Tournament at Ray City
  02-14  Naylor 43-45   Class C Sub-Region Tournament at Ray City
  02-??  Statenville   75-60 Class C Sub-Region Tournament at Lake Park
  02-21  Dasher Bible   43-46 Class C Sub-Region Tournament at Lake Park
1952-53 11-??A Willacoochee L 51-53  
  11-21A Statenville 48-18 60-43  
  11-22H Pine Grove 40-28 28-60  
  11-26H Lake Park 38-48 70-43  
  12-12H Clyattville 51-31 43-35 At midpoint of season, girls are 5-2 and boys are 4-3
  01-02A Lanier County 35-49 54-81  
  01-09H Pine Grove 53-48 51-52  
  01-10H Lanier County 52-54 47-67  
  01-17A Statenville     
  01-30H Willacoochee 52-44 62-53  
  02-06A Enigma 52-58 43-54  
  02-07H Lake Park 51-50 56-44  
  02-13A Naylor     
  02-17  Willacoochee 51-55   Class C Sub-Region at Valdosta
1953-54 10-16A Lake Park     
  10-23A Enigma 40-59 52-76  
  10-30A Clyattville 38-22 43-56  
  11-06A Lanier County     
  11-13H Willacoochee 32-39 49-31  
  11-20H Naylor 51-35 L  
  12-04H Lanier County 30-43 47-89  
  12-11H Statenville 53-29 40-47  
  12-12A Dasher Bible 53-35 38-50  
  01-08A Willacoochee 28-42 46-52  
  01-15A Naylor 37-52 50-80  
  01-22A Statenville     
  02-05H Clyattville 43-46 29-32  
  02-12H Dasher Bible     
  02-16  Clyattville 38-48   Class C Group 1 Sub-Region at Clyattville
  02-23  Statenville    Class C Group 1 Sub-Region at Dasher Bible