1976 is a year many people in the village of Westville will never forget. Their local hometown basketball team, the Tigers, took their fans on a magical ride in a quest for the state championship. The interviews from everyone involved, including the players, coaches, and fans recount the journey of this unforgettable team, from the high expectations of pre-season to their heart wrenching final game of the Class A state tournament. Remember Westville is a story of triumph and heartbreak as seen through the eyes of the 1976 Westville basketball team and the community that loved them. What happened in 1976, in many ways, molded these teenagers into the men they would eventually become. The loyalty of the fans was unmatched in the season of '76; Westville fans continue to support their Tiger teams. But their hearts still hold this special team close to their hearts. It's the team the town can't forget.
Customer Review: Remember Westville is a very good book!
March Madness has returned, leading to a series of ill-conceived brackets, non-stop ESPN analysis and often heated discussions over whose alma mater is going to take it all this year. Everyone with even a passing attention for the game gets caught up, reviving old rivalries and remembering that last big game. No doubt it's even bigger for the friends and family of players, who remember when their boys played in the high school gym.
It's that affection for young players that fuels "Remember Westville," James Bryant's history of the 1976 Westville Tigers. Westville, a small Illinois town known mostly as home to the first night high school football game, saw their high school basketball team embark on a winning streak that motivated players and fans alike. Winning several regional tournaments, they eventually lost a super-sectional but still established the best season in school history.
To reconstruct this almost epic year Bryant conducted extensive interviews with Coach Hardy, as well as the entire team, assistant coaches, rival coaches and family members. He covers Hardy's first years as coach and tracks the path each player took to get on the court, moving on to play-by-play descriptions of bigger games. It gets off to a slow start - there are almost too many little details, such as Coach Hardy's inscriptions in the high school yearbook - but the excitement builds as the stakes rise.
The book's research is considerable, but its construction feels less like a narrative and more like a documentary. Bryant, a former radio broadcaster, structures the book as a series of commentaries followed by long quotes from players and coaches. The language makes it seem like there should be a running reel of game highlights or players' faces, which makes the book's almost complete lack of pictures rather surprising.
What the book lacks in visual aid it makes up for in commitment, both affectionate and perceptive. Competition with rival schools Chrisman and Schlarman will resonate with anyone even peripherally involved in high school athletics, and the feel of the game comes across in several of the more tense reenactments. Anyone who either knew the players personally or becomes attached to them will enjoy updated biographies at the end - none of the players went pro, but all enjoy comfortable lives and share fond season memories.
"Remember Westville" is the story common in sports - small school team, up against the odds, uniting the town in a quest for glory even if the final win eludes them. With every player and coach talking to him Bryant has put together an in-depth history, even if some of the hometown pride will be lost on non-Westville residents.
Customer Review: great book!!!
This book is a great read! Much like Friday Night Lights, this book blends history with the incredible basketball season of 1976. Its an inspirational book that would be an ideal for any high school fan of basketball or football. Any fan who has experienced a season with your own kids or if you are just a fan of high school sports, get this book. It tells about the highs and lows of high school sports, and what a team goes through on an individual level and as a unit.