Marcella Singleton is just arriving from Houston, so he’s a little late to the pre-banquet get-together. He approaches the fence, which is four feet high, that divides the patio from the parking lot of the tavern. A teammate shouts “Come on Marcella, jump over it.” Singleton smiles as he looks at the fence. He then laughs and walks around the gate to enter the hugging circle. A teammate says that Marcella would have jumped that fence forty years ago. He’d have done it gracefully and not thought anything about it. “That man could jump from the gym.” In today’s basketball world, Singleton is referred to as the father of Monta. Singleton went straight from Lanier High School into the NBA, where he averaged 18 per game for 13 seasons with four different professional teams. George White, an older Callaway player, jokes that Monta Ellis is still the fastest man I have ever seen with a basketball in hand. He didn’t see his dad with the basketball. He was Monta before Monta. He was able to go.” *** This Memorial Day weekend, these men, all nearing Medicare age, gathered in Jackson thanks to a Callaway High School Hall of Fame ceremony. Inducted was the entire 1972-73 Callaway Charger basketball team. It was a great team. In the early years of Jackson Public Schools integration, they came together to win 42 games, lose three, and win eight tournaments including the Big Eight Conference, State Class AA, and the State Class AA championship (the largest state championship at that time). They make up quite a collection. White, the team’s sharpshooter, and leading scorer, is now a U.S Marshal. He played four years at Jackson State as part of some of the most successful school teams in school history. Karminder Dhaliwal was born in New Delhi in India and is the team’s calm, collected point-guard and coach. He was also the state highschool tennis champion and owns convenience stores located in Monroe, La. Singleton, another track star who was also the team’s second highest scorer; Bryan Rodgers Mr. Callaway who is a future baseball All American at Delta State and who owns a Nashville communication company; and Linell P Palmer who has remained in Jackson, and who is the unofficial historian for Callaway sports all these many years later. Bobby Ray, the team’s legendary head coach, died in early-onset Alzheimer’s 20 years ago. Ray’s teams won 311 games in 15 seasons at Callaway. Ray sent over 30 players to college basketball. Palmer stated that Coach Ray was not a screaming coach or a yeller. He was a cerebral coach who helped you understand your job and why you were doing that. He was a coach to your intelligence. After working out, we would then go into a classroom to go over the printed-out reports from Scouting. “The man could coach.” This was at the edge of integration. It was 10 years since Medgar Evers was assassinated, just a 10-minute drive away from Callaway High. Three years ago, city and state police opened fired on a Jackson State crowd, killing two and injuring 12. It was a surprise to everyone that blacks and whites were able to play together on the court and in the classroom. Jackson Public Schools officials were so worried that all JPS games were held at the Mississippi Coliseum in Mississippi that year. White, U.S. Marshal of the Southern District. “We were not black and white. We were a group. Rodgers was one of the two white players on that team and had been expected to be a starter. Dhaliwal, whose parents had been professors at Alcorn University, moved to Jackson after Port Gibson. Dhaliwall was promoted to the lineup. Rodgers was moved to the bench. Rodgers stated, “I kept that bench warm and comfortable.” I had a great bench for great basketball. It’s amazing to see these guys again. This was a very special team. It was a very special time in our lives. Bobby Ray was one the most respected high school coaches of all time. He was respected by his peers.” The Chargers were relentless in their defense, often leading to layups or fast-break points. No. The Chargers defeated No. They beat Starkville to win the Class AA State title. They won 42 games with an average margin 18 points. Ray didn’t run up the score. Callaway cleared the bench when he had a comfortable lead. Ray would tell his Chargers teammates, “Guys. I’m just tickled pink.” Linell Palmer says, “Nobody was better than us.” For that memorable season, Bobby Ray was the one who was tickled pink most often.