Lindsay Leopardette All-Stars 1954 - 1995

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column for The Lindsay News which named the greatest high school football players ever to wear a Leopard uniform during the decade of the 1970's. The column was actually a re-print of the Leopard football column I wrote about two years previously. Today, I believe it's fitting that I re-print a Lindsay Leopardette basketball column which was originally published about one year ago in the Lindsay News. After all, Leopardette high school basketball has been just as influential in the history of Oklahoma high school sports as Leopard high school football, maybe more so. The Leopardette basketball teams and players or "Legends of the Courts" first became prominent during the 1950's when the Team won a State Championship in 1954. Leopardette teams continued to win and other State Titles were garnered in 1962 and 1968. From 1954 through 1968 and all the way to 1995, when six-on-six high school girls basketball was dropped for 5-on-5, Leopardette basketball was the talk of the town. During this 5 decade span, the Lindsay Leopardettes won over 80% of their games, and three State Championships in classes A and 2A. An invitation to nominate the all-time greatest 6-on-6 Leopardette basketball players ever, was sent out a year ago. The following players, as determined by Lindsay fans, were judged to be the greatest ever to play the game: 1) Diane Davis – Lindsay’s number one all-time player hit a “jump shot” with 13 seconds left in the championship game with Spiro to propel the Leopardettes to the 1962 Class A championship. The unlikely comeback victory (the Leopardettes were behind by as much as 10 in the first half) was unique for two reasons: Lindsay had lost the championship the previous year (Cordell 38-Lindsay 35) and vowed to win it all in ’62, and did – thanks to Davis. Diane Davis was one of the few “girl” players that could actually shoot and hit a “jump shot” at that time. She was the highest scoring Class A player in 1962. 2) Mary Henson – Our number two all-time all-star was instrumental in “overcoming near insurmountable odds” in leading a comeback state championship victory over Seiling in 1954. The 5’2” forward set a state tournament record for assists while scoring 6 points in leading the Leopardettes, who were behind 29-23 with 2:45 remaining, to a 33-29 state championship victory. 3) Patsy Bray – The number three all-time player was also a forward on that 1954 State Title team. The 6’0” Bray scored 22 points in that championship game, hitting all the field goals scored by Lindsay, as the team scored the last 10 points from a 29-23 deficit to a 33-29 victory. 4) Jessie Banks – A guard on that ’54 championship team, Jessie Banks was perhaps the best all-around athlete to ever play Lindsay basketball. She went on to play for Central State University and The Redheads, a semi-professional team, after her high school days. 5) Toni Beckham - A 6'0" forward who contributed heavily to the '68 State Title as only a sophomore, Toni was also an all-stater in 1970. 6) Ranae Estes - A daughter of our number one player of all-time, Diane Davis, Ranae is also the daughter of Leopard football legend H.O. Estes. She was a post player who took the Leopardettes to the state tournament finals in 1982. 7) Jacque Estes - Another daughter of Diane and H.O. Estes, Jacque may have been the only all-stater in two sports (basketball and track) who Lindsay ever produced. 8) Vickie McCann and Becky Knapp - This forward combination received an equal number of nominations, and were probably the most effective shooters who ever passed through Lindsay High School. They were both starters as true freshmen on the 1975 and 1976 Leopardette squads. 9) Mitzi Baker - An all-stater in 1971, Mitzi may have been the best guard ever to play at Lindsay. Mitzi, like Diane Davis, also is married to a legendary football great, Mike Terry. There are many more Leopardettes who received nominations, including Lois Henry 1962, Jill Street 1966, Joyce Henry 1967, Sharon Lindsey 1967, Gaylyn Armstrong 1968, Linda Green 1968, Suzie Knapp 1969, Sue Lynch 1974, Rhonda Bryant 1980, Teresa Jones 1983, Leanne English 1984, Misty Simonton 1995. Several more "greatest Leopardettes" are pictured in the Lindsay High School trophy case located in the hallway leading to the Charley K. Heatly Arena. I hope this recognition of the greatest Lindsay Leopardettes ever to play 6 on 6 basketball brings back many memories of a time when Leopardette basketball dominated Oklahoma high school sports, and when "Legends of the Hardwood" played the game.