Victory Hall

Sports History

Basketball has been the sport of choice for Echols County citizens since the 1930's. Many of the schools in the county had basketball teams. They would meet on an afternoon to test their skills against each other.

The following is an excerpt from the Clinch County News, February 12, 1932:

 "In a very exciting basketball game played at Statenville Wednesday, Haylow won by a score of 10 to 7. The game was tied until the last quarter."

In 1932, when the first gym was built, the Statenville players and Sardis players called themselves the Panthers. People in the county furnished the lumber for the new gym. The large wood building was referred to as "the shell".

The Shell, circa 1932