Georgia High School Basketball Project
BERRIEN STATE
TOURNAMENT
NICKNAMES MISC. GIA HERITAGE

Of Fitzgerald and Girls' Basketball

Those who have been fans of basketball in south Georgia for a lengthy period of time might recall one school system that once operated a bit differently.

Fitzgerald High School was one of the very few co-educational high schools that did not offer girls' basketball. St. George, a tiny dot at the absolute bottom of the state is the only known other. St. George, though, had a tiny population and a gym smaller than regulation size.

Old Fitz High, land of the Purple Hurricanes, abruptly ceased girls' hoops in 1957. Paraphrased from the December 13, 1957, edition of the Fitzgerald Herald are the school's explanations:

It took some time before Fitzgerald resumed girls' play. Finally, an announcement was made in 1978 that they would gradually get back into the game. For this first year only, they would play a B-team schedule with 10th and 11th graders. Donna Skinner was named head coach. Their first game was November 17, 1978 at Crisp County "B". Crisp won, 58-26.

Footnote
* I have not heard responses from 13 states, but my count so far shows that only Georgia, Oklahoma, and Iowa scheduled girls' state basketball tournments as of the spring of 1957.