1993

WEEK OF

East Central to iiHI ct three in Three former East Central Com– munity College athletes will join many others in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday when the school hosts Homecoming activities. The three are Esther Thomas Col– eman of Louisville, Barbara Jo Davidson Russell of Decatur and retired Air Force Colonel Louis V. Watwood of Arlington, Virginia. ~ Mf~· Coleman was a standout guard 9 n the Lady Warrior baskct– b;~.J! , Jeam during the 1978-79 and ~~ 915H~O seasons. Although she swpd JUSt 5' 3", she has been def.~fibed as the "driving force" ~hat c~rried East Central to two divi– sion titles and a state championship. Coleman, a Louisville native, was A)El!'led first team All Region 7 (MS- IJ2 TN-KY) and All-State and was also selected on the All-Region 7 Tour– nament Team. She was voted the most valuable player in the annual All Star game. There were many highlights associated with her playing career, but Coleman said the game that really stands out is a regular season contest against Copiah-Lincoln dur– ing which she scored a career-high 44 points! During her freshman and sophomore yl!ar she scored a total of 1203 points in 57 contests, an average of 21.1 points per game. She is ranked second in scoring among all ECCC female basketball players. Coleman continued her a thletic career at Livingston University R lJ which won division and conference usse titles and advanced to the quarter- Coach Frenchie Eilau. finals of the National AlAW Tour- Russell, a Union High School nament in Charleston, South product who became known for her Carolina, her senior year. red hair and "mean hook shot";

Soon after leaving Livingston she found success on the basketball returned to Louisville and married court by mainly shooting from the Preston Coleman. They have two right. Although she does not recall children, Patrick and Latoya. her exact scoring numbers, she said Mrs. Coleman is employed as a she averaged "somewhere in double secretary at Louisville High School. figures.'' Mrs. Russell was a two-time All- A highlight of her scoring success State forward for the Lady Warriors no doubt occurred over a two-game during the 1952-53 and 1953-54 periOd when she pumped in over 42 seasons. points one night and followed that As team captain her sophomore performance with a 46-point effort! year under Coach Clayton Blount , Prior to her accomplishments at she led East Central to a second East Central, Davidson had a ban– place finish in the state .fli;J~ls. ,She neG career at Union High School. als~ co-captain,ed cge LWiy \Y3,fjfjors ~.wa a member of the varsity dunng her fre~hnwn. ye,a,h ... ~ll.'i~.t t~flffin"Ut·an eighth grader, and later

Coleman

APPEARED IN:

CARTHAGINIAN NESH0BA DEMO""CR"'A.-nT,--- ~EWTON RECORD

SCOTT COUNTY TIMES UN I ON APPEAL

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WINSTON COUKTY JOUR~AL ___

MERIDIAN STAR - ---

CLARION-LEDGER

IMPACT OF NEWTON COUNTY