1982-1986

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Pace sets high goals for ECJC By Bryan Murphy The Meridian Star ·DECATUR - Samuel Pace new women 's coach at Eas t Cen: tral Junior College, climbed a rocky road to get into the coaching ranks , but once he got there he reached the peak. Pace won the State Championship Class BB Womens ' title his last year at Scott Central High in 1979. "It was really a difficult thing for me .to get into coaching, '' Pace said. Pace had recieved a Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State upon gradua– tion in 1971. "My first , position was naturally, teaching science, but I wanted to also get into cooaching . The Moss Point ad– mininstration wasn 't going to let me coach, their position was that only Physical Education majors could coach. " Pace learned of an opening at Hickory High and quickly ap– plied. Shortly afterwards , Pace was teaching science at Hickory. His break was that while there, he met Richard Harris , long– time coach of both the mens and womens high school teams. Pace coached junior high and became an assistant coach under Harris. "I feel fotunate to have been associated with Coach Harris, he taught me a lot,'' Pace said. Dur– ing his second year at Hickory he took over the men 's basketball team. "Coach Harris thought it was getting to be a bit much coaching both the men and women's teams, so I got my chance at high school coaching. I promptly had a losing season ."

His second men's team turned it around which led to Scott Cen– tral. Pace took over as men and women's high school coach in the fall of 1975 and stayed there four seasons. His men' earn had some good years, ut ff was· his women's teams that grabbed the spotlight. "My first season the men were good and the women weren't so good, but they came on strong in the late stages of the season win– ning nine out of the last 12 games." Pace sensed he had a good future and began recruiting girls all over the campus. The team he rounded up for the 76-77 season was big. His women's teams started crankfng out the wins and titles that year, going 23-7 and gaining a trip to the State BB Tournament in Jackson. "We lost to Belmont in State play, Belmont became the BB State Champion . Their coach Charlie Jacobs, had beaten m~ again. He had played on a team that had beaten us in junior col– lege play while f was at East Central as a player." The outlook wasn' t good for the 77-78 season as he lost four of his starters. Scott Central went 33-4 contrary to what was expected: and was runner-up to State Champion, South Ponotoc . "We lost the State title on a buzzer shot, I was proud of that squad, we had lost our big cen ter( 5'9) in South Mississippi play, yet still got to the finals ." Pace's last edition didn 't have a player over 5'9, but the 'Speed Queens' won him a BB State title

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