[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 51 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       GARRETT ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today in 
homage to an extraordinary group of young people, the Garrett Academy 
of Technology Varsity Boys Basketball Team. On January 2, 1998, these 
young men made 32 3-point shots in one game--a new national record. 
South Carolina takes tremendous pride in their accomplishment, which 
they achieved with teamwork and individual excellence.
  In the last two years, this team has set many individual and personal 
records. The Falcons are the defending 7-AA Region Champions and their 
coach, Michael Bayne, has been named Coach of the Year more than 
fifteen times in various sports. These athletes set a standard of 
excellence for every field of endeavor.
  The members of the Garrett Falcons are as follows:
  Robert Seabrook, who set a State record last year by making 12 3-
point shots in one game. Robert, a Senior electronics student plans to 
attend Anderson College on a basketball scholarship.
  Wil Gibbs, an electricity student, is a Senior and will attend 
college in the Fall.
  Hashem Richardson, a plumbing student, is a Senior and will attend 
preparatory school.
  Josh Davis, a drafting student, is a Senior and will attend 
Spartanburg Methodist College.
  Hassan Bartley, an automotive student, is a Senior and will attend 
Spartanburg Methodist College.
  Kyren Ancrum, a plumbing student, is a Junior and plans to attend 
Denmark Technical College.
  Ralph Pressley, a plumbing student, is a Sophomore.
  Louis McCullough, a drafting student, is a Sophomore.
  Brandon Fields is a Freshman and undecided in his concentration of 
study.
  Mr. President, I ask that the newspaper account of this victory, 
``Garrett Tech's 3-point Baskets Make History'' which appeared in the 
January 8, 1998 issue of Charleston's The Post and Courier be printed 
in the Record.
  The article follows:

     [From The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C., January 8, 1998]

                      Garrett Threes Make History

                           (By Jeff Hartsell)

       Robbie Seabrook learned how to shoot a basketball on the 
     hoop at his cousins' house.
       ``They were all so tall,'' said Seabrook, ``that I had to 
     shoot from outside all the time.''
       Now that Seabrook is all grown up--he's a 6-3 senior for 
     the Garrett Tech basketball team--the outside shooting touch 
     his cousins forced on him is paying off in a big way.
       Seabrook is the leading 3-point shooter on a Garrett team 
     that set a national high school record for most 3-point 
     baskets in a game last week.
       During their own Wall of Fame Invitational last Friday, the 
     Falcons made 32 of 79 shots from 3-point range in a 117-39 
     victory over Bowman Academy.
       That performance bettered the 29 treys (in 94 attempts, 
     still a record) made in a game last year by Alexandria High 
     of Juniata Valley, Pa., according to the National Federation 
     of State High School Associations.
       ``It was pure energy that night,'' said Seabrook, who made 
     nine 3-pointers against Bowman Academy. ``All I know is I 
     didn't get tired in that game.''
       Neither did his teammates. Point guard Hashem Richardson 
     also made nine 3-pointers, while Will Gibbs added eight and 
     Louis McCollough, Damien Jackson and Brandon Fields had two 
     each.
       For the season, Garrett (9-2) has made 98 3-point shots in 
     11 games, led by Seabrook, who has hit 52 of 137 treys (37.9 
     percent) and will play next year at Anderson College, an NCAA 
     Division II school in Anderson.
       Seabrook, averaging 22 points per game, set a state record 
     last year by making 12 3-point shots in one game and made 34 
     straight free throws at the end of last season and start of 
     this season.
       Obviously, Garrett coach Michael Bayne believes in the 
     power of threes.
       ``Robbie has the green light at any time,'' said Bayne, 60-
     31 in his fourth season at Garrett after stints at Cardinal 
     Newman in Columbia and Denmark-Olar.
       ``Most of the other guys have green lights only after 
     penetration. We want to get it inside and dish it out for the 
     square-up three.''
       That job generally falls to point guard Richardson, a 6-2 
     senior averaging 31.5 points per game. McCullough, a 6-4 
     sophomore, scores about 15.8 points per game.
       Garrett's success in basketball--the girls' team also is 
     doing well at 9-2--has come despite some problems that are 
     unique to the school, known as Garrett Academy of Technology. 
     Garrett reopened as a technical school four years ago after 
     the old Garrett High was closed.
       Garrett draws students from all over Charleston County, 
     which makes it hard for some players to make it to practices 
     and games. For example, Gibbs, a 6-4 senior, lives in 
     McClellanville, about an hour's drive from the school.
       And Bayne said many athletes who already have played sports 
     for another school are reluctant to leave that school for 
     Garrett. He said nine of his 12 players had never played 
     organized basketball before they got to Garrett.
       ``A lot of kids who would like to play sports at Garrett 
     are unable to, because they don't have a way home,'' Bayne 
     said. ``And we only have two players that have played at 
     another school.
       ``A lot of kids feel a loyalty to a team they've already 
     played for, so we are trying to teach a system to kids that 
     have never played on an organized team before.''
       With the High School League due to reclassify member 
     schools soon, Garrett has applied to move down to Class A 
     from AA, Bayne said. Garrett has about 675 students.
       ``I think overall that is the right place for us in 
     athletics,'' said Bayne, who also is athletic director. 
     ``That's due to the lack of numbers that are actually able to 
     participate in athletics. Garrett and the Academic Magnet 
     (also in Class AA) are the only two schools in the state that 
     don't have middle-school feeder programs designated to them.
       ``Until then, we are being a little cheated. The basketball 
     programs have been able to win, but it's a very large 
     hardship on some of our other programs.''
       No matter what their classification, Bayne's Falcons have 
     made their mark on the national record book.
       ``I'm very pleased for these young men,'' Bayne said. ``The 
     national record is important in a lot of ways, but what these 
     kids do after high school is what's important, and I just 
     hope they remember that Garrett Tech taught them a 
     lot.''

                          ____________________