Articles and Nominations

Citizen Through the Years

"To whom it may concern: I would like to nominate and highly recommend Coach Kenneth Cleveland for 'Citizens Through the Years.' He has represented the community of Dimmitt in the highest form and fashion possible for the last 30 years. Coach Cleveland has worked diligently with the young people of Dimmitt through the basketball team and many other ways and has accomplished many, many records! I know that he has brought Dimmitt many precious moments that we will never forget! I would like to recognize this man as truly an outstanding person and a high-class citizen! Sincerely, Jeff Bell"

"To whom it concerns: I would like to submit Mr. Kenneth Cleveland for Citizen Through the Years. Kenneth came to Dimmitt, Texas in 1962 and has been basketball coach for this many years in Dimmitt High School. He has touched the lives of many, many kids through these years. I think he has been a stimulating force to many boys both in sports and also everyday living. Kenneth is a very dedicated, Christian man and is really an upstanding individual in all that he does. So I would nominate him for Citizen Through the Years." -Bill Birdwell

"I feel that Coach Kenneth Cleveland should be Citizen Through the Years because of the tremendous positive contributions he has made to the city of Dimmitt in his years as a resident there. Down through the years, the words "basketball" and "Coach Cleveland" have become synonymous with the city of Dimmitt. It is most likely that Coach has done more than any one person to put Dimmitt on the map. As a player on his first (if not his greatest) team, I have had the pleasure of knowing Kenneth for a number of years. His dedication to his players and others seem to have grown with time and he is never too busy to share a smile. The greatest compliment I could pay Kenneth is this: If I could choose but one man to entrust the athletic upbringing of my own son, Kenneth would be that man. In closing, I would like to say that I appreciate the opportunity to express my opinion. I know this is a great honor and one that I am certain Coach is worthy of. Sincerely, Dwight Cathey"

"Kenneth Cleveland is truly a success story. He is a successful coach, educator, and citizen of Dimmitt, Texas. He has dedicated his life in building young men and women through athletics. He has come in contact with many people during his twenty-five years in Dimmitt and because of this, we are better citizens. He not only teaches basketball, but also about the game of life. Kenneth Cleveland is a living example of what he stands for. Sincerely, Bill Sanders"

"It is a distinct honor to support the nomination of Kenneth Cleveland as Dimmitt's 1988 Citizen Through the Years. Coach, as he is known to the community, has been one of the most stabilizing forces behind the continued success of Dimmitt as a community. He has trained the current and future leaders of our town. As one of those in a leadership position, I can attest to the high moral background which Coach instills as the basic foundation for life in all his proteges. He also stresses maximum performance, not at a price, but with a sense of accomplishment. Often, this has resulted in visible victories in his profession, but more often has resulted in not so visible victories in the lives of people he has touched.
Within Coach's profession, he has been highly recognized by those within and outside of his profession. This recognition and success has reaped untold benefits and recognition to our small rural community. This recognition far outweighs the material deeds that we so often look to reward.
Because Kenneth Cleveland has spent a lifetime dedicating himself to the youth of our community, he has probably not been visible within the normal community circles. Again, we must look to the products of his profession to see the great wealth that one man can give to an area. Since that wealth is our leaders, then we must recognize the source of our resources. Coach is our source for now and the future. I urge you to recognize the intangible value this man has been to our community by bestowing the well-deserved Citizen Through the Years Award to this builder of character. Sincerely, David Schaeffer"

"I would like to nominate our coach, Kenneth Cleveland for consideration for Citizen Through the Years. Lawyers and attorneys all over Texas know about Dimmitt and Kenneth, especially around the Coleman, Texas area. Kenneth has been a credit to the coaching profession and would be a worthy recipient of this honor. Thank you, Jack R. Miller"

"We would like to nominate Kenneth Cleveland for our Citizen Through the Years. He is someone who has been an ambassador for our city and county for as long as he has lived here. Not only has he been an example to the people who live here, but also to everyone he meets on the basketball court and off. His qualities that have made him a successful coach also qualify him for a successful citizen of our town-- a drive to give the best he has--and ability to make his players give their best--dedication and endurance--loyalty--respect for other people. We believe it would be an honor for our town to have Coach Cleveland representing us as our Citizen Through the Years. Thanks, Norman and Kim Hays"

"He has brought recognition to the town of Dimmitt by his and his basketball teams' many appearances and accomplishments in the state tournament. He has shown our children what hard work and fair play can accomplish. He is respected by coaches and administrators throughout the state of Texas."

"I have known Kenneth Cleveland as a coach, teacher, golf partner, and most of all, friend. I feel he has been one of the biggest assets to our community and at the least is most deserving of this award." -Kent Lindsey

"We the undersigned would like to nominate Kenneth Cleveland for Citizen Through the Years." -George Rasor, Richard Wood, Clifford Smith, Ray

"I would like to nominate Kenneth Cleveland for the award of Citizen Through the Years. Kenneth has made a significant contribution to our community in a quiet way. His basketball program has put the town of Dimmitt on the Texas map. The most important thing he has done is not his win-loss record, but the development of young men that have come through his program. He has developed character, leadership, work-habits, discipline, integrity, and many other attributes. These young men continue to play a most important part in our community." -Eddie Sutton

"I would like to nominate Kenneth Cleveland for Citizen Through the Years. Kenneth has been a positive influence on Dimmitt High School, Castro County, the state of Texas and especially the young men he has coached and is now coaching. He has given me a lot of enjoyable moments and a lot of pride in my school and city." -L.H. Myatt

"I would like to express my full support for Kenneth Cleveland as a candidate for "Citizen Through the Years." I truly believe that his contribution to our young people and to the pride for our community has been immeasurable. His influence has given so many of our young men some constructive activities to participate in and some goals to shoot for. The accomplishments of our athletic program have brought our community together and given us all some additional pride int eh fact that we live in Dimmitt. Kenneth has always been looked up to by the young and old persons in this community. The fact that he is still living in Dimmitt demonstrates the pride he has for living in this community. He always works hard at his job and he always acts in a very professional manner. He always has a smile and a handshake ready for me every time I see him. I'm proud to support him for this honor." -Layne Myatt

"Kenneth Cleveland-- a name synonymous with Dimmitt basketball since 1960; he has brought publicity and fame to our little city and the area, and we are grateful to him for that, but most of all we appreciate him for the training and good influence he has been and is to our boys. Money cannot pay for the extra time, dedication, and example he was and is to our sons, and by nominating him as Citizen Through the Years, we hope to express part of our appreciation."

"For Citizen Through the Years, I suggest Kenneth Cleveland, who is a teacher and coach at Dimmitt High School. Kenneth has turned in a very good job every year for over one-fourth of a century. I take for granted that the task was not as simple as it has looked to some of us on the concrete seats in the west stands at the Dimmitt Middle School. I remember well a speech in the school auditorium at the Lorenzo High School auditorium fifty-seven years ago by the President of Howard Payne University. The theme of the speech was, "O, Consistency, Thou Art a Jewel." It is on this basis that I make my suggestion on behalf of Kenneth Cleveland for the Citizen of the Years Award." -J.O. Seale, Mattie Seale

"In the 26 years Coach Kenneth Cleveland has been a citizen of Dimmitt, he has touched all of our lives in a positive way. He has filled our gyms, our trophy cases, our hearts with pride and our minds with success. Our economic climate changes from year to year--but Coach puts a winner on the floor every year. He makes winners of us all. That is why Coach should be Citizen Through the Years."

"I am pleased to submit the name of Kenneth Cleveland for consideration as Citizen Through the Years. Not only do you hear great things about Cleveland and Dimmitt away from the community, but you learn to appreciate what you sometimes take for granted. Of Coach Cleveland, here are a few of the comments that I have heard over the past sixteen years away from Dimmitt: "Cleveland sure is a classy guy," "Cleveland is not only a good coach, but a grand gentleman," "Dimmitt is sure lucky to have a man of his character and abilities." I must agree with the statements, but add that, I have been extremely fortunate that Kenneth Cleveland came my way as a teacher, coach, and mostly, a friend. Thank you for your consideration of this individual as Citizen Through the Years. Sincerely, Max Newman"

"I nominate Kenneth Cleveland, athletic director and basketball coach at Dimmitt High School, as Citizen Through the Years. Kenneth has been head basketball coach for a period of time in excess of 25 years. During such time, he has brought notoriety to Dimmitt through the success of his basketball teams. In traveling down-state, I find that more people associate Dimmitt with their basketball program than they do with our strong agricultural and economic base. For such accomplishments, I feel that Kenneth Cleveland would be a worthy choice for Citizen Through the Years. Yours truly, Jimmy L. Ross"

"Brings positive statewide recognition to the city of Dimmitt. Has made winning a way of life in Dimmitt. Instills a winning attitude in the young people he works with. Honored by his peers statewide. He has helped prepare young people for leadership positions in our community. Also provides our social life for five months each year. He provides counsel and guidance through Christian leadership while reinforcing high moral standards to all young people that he works with." -Stanley and Geneva Schaeffer

"I am writing to support Kenneth Cleveland for Citizen Through the Years. As a lifelong resident of Dimmitt, I have known Coach all of my life. he has personally influenced my life and my family's in a very positive manner just as he has many others. I realize we often think Citizen Through the Years must be a person who has been an influential civic leader and worker. On the contrary, Coach has dedicated his entire life to education, sports, and the development of our youth. But what better can you give a community back than strong youthful leaders for tomorrow? As an ex-student of his, I still regard him as one of the most dedicated and caring teachers in our school system, and I feel honored that my son is privileged to have him both as a teacher and coach. He promotes strong Christian values in our youth, along with a desire to do the best they can. In addition, coach has promoted our small town throughout the state by building an excellent boys' basketball program in Dimmitt. It has brought financial support and recognition to our school for many years. Most of the citizens in this community have spent numerous hours of enjoyment in the gym either as a spectator, participant, or both. I feel Kenneth Cleveland is truly an asset not only to our school system, but to our community. He is and will continue to be a good citizen through the years. Sincerely, Allan Bradley"

"I would like to support the nomination of Coach Kenneth Cleveland as the 1988 recipient of Citizen Through the Years Award. Other than his great success as an outstanding coach, please consider his success as an excellent teacher, molder of young men and women, and family supporter. He has been an asset to our community in many ways. Consider the spirit that has bonded our city and county from his many successful years as coach and teacher. I was well aware of Kenneth Cleveland before moving to Dimmitt in 1967. I knew of him at Sonora and I attended college with some of his players and students. Many are well aware that he could also have made his contributions elsewhere, but he elected to stay in Dimmitt. Citizens Through the Years Award was founded for just a person as Kenneth Cleveland. Please consider bestowing this award on this fine gentleman for 1988." -Robert J. Minnick

"I think Kenneth Cleveland should be awarded the Citizen Through the Years honor because of his dedication to the youth of Dimmitt. His guidance and dedication have molded the lives of many young people and is evidenced by the fact that many ofh is former students still ahve the direction and desire he instilled in them while coaching. Kenneth Cleveland has put Dimmitt, Texas on the map." -Robert McLean

"I would like to recommend Kenneth Cleveland as our Citizen Through the Years. Coach Cleveland is in his 27th year as basketball coach in Dimmitt; this alone speaks very highly of any coach. He has touched the lives of many students at Dimmitt High School. Coach Cleveland's basketball teams, over these many years, have given Dimmitt more positive recognition than anyone or anything. Dimmitt is well known statewide because of this man and the students who played for him. I feel that Kenneth Cleveland would be an excellent choice as Citizen Through The Years. I would like to see us honor this individual for all of the positive contributions he has made to the young people of Dimmitt, our school, and our town." -Gene King

"I would like to add my support to Kenneth Cleveland for the 1987 Citizen Through the Years. Even though I am a relative newcomer to the community, Coach Cleveland's reputation and basketball program has been known to me for many, many years. His coaching and guidance is reflected in many of our young business and professional people today. I also feel that Coach Cleveland has done as much as anyone over the years to draw attention to our community. For these and many other reasons, I again offer my support to Kenneth Cleveland for Citizen Through the Years." -Ray M. Bain

Articles and Stories

Coach Cleveland's 'Boys' Keep His Legacy Alive, Lance Lanhert

Steve Myatt is a Gruver Lady Hound through and through. Twelve years as the girls' basketball coach of the red and black will do that to a soul.
But when Myatt makes that long-awaited walk to find his coaching chair on the Erwin Center floor in Austin this morning in the Class 1A Division I Championship game at girls' state basketball tournament, a slide of Dimmitt will beat in his heart.
In particular, Myatt will give a wink to the heavens toward "Coach" as he coaches his first state tournament game.
"Oh, no doubt," Myatt said. "Coach will be in my heart. He and my dad (J.H.) are my role models."
Coach to Myatt is Kenneth Cleveland.
Cleveland was the gray-haired, bespectacled, easy-going gentleman and builder of the Dimmitt Bobcats boys basketball program for 32 years.
Clevelan's coaching record was an eye-opening 887-277, winning state championships in 1975, 1982 and 1983. He guided the Bobcats to 27 district titles before he was killed when struck by lightning May 16, 1993.
Well, Kenneth was the co-builder of that Dimmitt program. Libby, Cleveland's wife, was there every bounce of the basketball. Her orange slices at halftime for "their boys" were as much a help to Dimmitt's success as that class 2-3 zone.
Myatt moved to Dimmitt as an 8th grader and was a senior on the Bobcats 1975 state championship team.
"I have always compared Coach to John Wooden, honestly," Myatt said of Cleveland, almost as famous for his non-shouting sideline behavior as his wins. "His demeanor. His view on success. His view on life. He was such a devoted family man and such a good person. He was always concerned about his boys. And we were hist boys even when we became men."
Cleveland's "boys" have been busy.
Myatt has Gruver in the girls' state tournament for the first time in school history. This is Myatt's first chance to participate in a tournament game since good 'ol 1975.
A sophomore guard on the 1975 Dimmitt team will also be on the sidelines in Austin toady when Johnny Hampton takes his seat as an assistant for the Canyon Lady Eagles.
Tuesday night, former Dimmitt players John Smith (Dimmitt class of 1983) and Jerry Schaeffer (class of 1977) were coaching in the regional quarterfinals.
Smith's Amarillo High squad fell to talented Cedar Hill in the 5A playoffs. But Smith is making a name at AHS. he led the Sandies to 28 wins, third-most in school history with a junior-oriented team.
Schaeffer's Pampa squad was dumped by Frenship in 4A. But Pampa's ability to get to the third round of the playoffs with 12 losses was one of the great coaching jobs in our area this year.
Adding to the list of Cleveland's "boys" coaching in the playoffs is Jeff Bell (Class of 1978). Bell's Brock boys team was in the 2A regional quarterfinals last night.
Of course, current Dimmitt boys' coach Alan Steinle--who joined the Dimmitt coaching staff under Cleveland in 1982-- has done "Coach" proud the past 10 years in keeping the flame of class and integrity burning. Plus, the winning. His Bobcats reached the state tournament in 2001 and 2002 and made the area round of the playoffs this year.
Myatt, Smith and Schaeffer said playing under Cleveland made it seem like the coaching profession was the No. 1 job in the world. Some of Cleveland's sayings still stick with the former Bobcats.
"I always thought he had the coolest job around," Myatt said. "Coach Cleveland's influence on me was how you become a dedicated player. Playing to your potential, even if you lose, was more important to him than winning. And you never get too high, or you never get too low. He was about constantly trying to improve."
Myatt said since he is a girls' coach his influences today include coaches like Canyon girls coach Joe Lombard and West Texas A&M women's coach Bob Schneider.
Myatt's moment in the sun today will have added pleasure. His daughter, Cassie, is a key junior player for the Lady Hounds. His parents and brother, who still live in Dimmitt, are in Austin watching the championship game.
"I might kiss the floor when I get on it," said Myatt, his speech at rapid fire when he talked.
One thing is for sure today. While Myatt's Xs and Os might not include Coach's 2-3 zone, the foundation of the Lady Hounds run to state is one he learned from Kenneth Cleveland.
"I always felt like they created a family atmosphere for basketball," Myatt said. "Libby was our second mom. I try to do that with my team. And I fall short of that. But that's my goal. We (former players) talk about how we don't measure up at all to him.
"Our 25-year anniversary (of winning state) was in 2000. Seeing all the Dimmitt exes there, all those players and coaches coming around to talk. It was very evident that one man had a tremendous influence. No doubt Coach's coaching legacy is alive."

Article: Dedicated to The Kenneth Cleveland
Legacy

Ken Cleveland has been called the John Wooden of Texas high school basketball by more than a few who knew him. But, most folks from Dimmitt looked at John Wooden as the Ken Cleveland of college basketball. Whatever your perspective might be, the comparison is actually a compliment to both of these great basketball coaches. Though Coach Wooden performed his magic on a much larger stage, the similarities between the two men are remarkable. Both were humble, polite gentlemen on and off the court. Both were devout Christians who were most proud of their families. Both were outstanding players in high school and college inspiring teammates with their hustle and skill. Both could take a group of individuals and mold them into a united overachieving team without raising their voices or using profanity. While deep-rooted competitiveness drove them to outstanding achievements, both displayed a calm, poised confidence that was mirrored by their players. Most of all, both had the kind of life-long impact on those around them that every coach dreams of. In short, these two great men were the standard by which all other coaches were measured.
Kenneth Cleveland was born and raised in Coleman, Texas, where he was a four-year letterman and all-state basketball player. Ken was also a four-year letterman in football, a district champion tennis player and an outstanding student and school leader. However, the most important event in his life took place while he was in 5th grade. A new girl named Libby Pegram moved to Coleman and she accidentally hit Ken in the nose with a baseball during recess. They became friends and a life-long partnership developed; neither ever dated anyone else. After high school both Libby and Ken enrolled at the University of Texas where Ken played basketball on a scholarship. After their freshman year they were married, and for the next three years Libby worked, and Ken played basketball. Both got their degrees and Ken was co-captain and All Conference for the Longhorns. Their first teaching jobs were in Sonora. While Libby taught 43 third-graders, Ken coaches Varsity basketball and assisted with all other sports. Daughter Beth was born in June and Libby and Ken went to Southwest Texas the next two summers to get their Masters degrees. After three years in Sonora, Ken saw Dimmitt play in the state championship game at teh final four. After learning that the job was open, he applied. Both Libby and Ken took pay cuts to move to Dimmitt in the fall of 1961, but it was a basketball town and they put down roots. Daughter Vicki was born that year and son Kevin followed two years later. While his family was growing Kenneth Cleveland was quietly building a basketball dynasty that displayed savvy on the court and showed class everywhere they went. In 1967, the Bobcats returned to the final four where they were runners-up. Over the next 26 years, they made ten trips to Austin--winning state championships in '75, '82, and '83. During Coach Cleveland's 32 years at Dimmitt, the Bobcats won 27 district championships. His career won-loss record was an amazing 887-277, which ranked him 9th nationally. Ken had no plans to retire any tiem soon so one can only imagine what the totals could have become. The 1983 team nicknamed the "Awesome Bunch" on which son Kevin starred were 38-0 class 3A state champions. They could play with anyone regardless of class as they beat several teams in higher classifications during the season. They beat 2A state champ Morton four times that year and Morton coach Tony Mauldin remembers "Our people cheered for Dimmitt and their people cheered for us, even though our games in Austin were hours apart. It would be easy to hate someone that beat you four times, but because Coach Cleveland and Dimmitt were such a class act we respected them as a team and as a community."
While the Dimmitt Bobcats became a household name in basketball circles all over the state, more than victories were the result of Kenneth Cleveland's leadership. His positive outlook and genuine interest in all people won the admiration and trust of everyone. Those that benefited most were his boys, as he referred to all of his players through the years. A high school friend who also attended UT with Ken and Libby said "Kenneth was the most humble man I knew. You would never know that he was a great athlete or championship coach by the way he acted. Everyone was his friend. I miss him greatly."
Coach Cleveland performed every assignment he was given to the best of his ability. He was an excellent classroom teacher who cared very much about each student. In later years, when he became athletic director, he would mingle with all the studetns rather than stay hidden in his office. "He was as joy to work with. He always supported and got along with everyone," said a Dimmitt administrator of Ken.
Ken Cleveland's list of honors are too long for this article, but he humbly accepted many through the years giving credit to others. What were most important to him were his family and his players. His influence and example are illustrated by the number of former players who became successful coaches carrying on the Dimmitt magic and Coach Cleveland's amazing legacy. The list includes John Smith, Amarillo; Jerry Schaeffer, West Texas A&M, Rocky Rawls, Bronte; David Land, Denison; Jeff Bell, Brock; Larry Birdwell, Lorenzo; Steve Myatt, Clarendon; Johnny Hampton, Canyon; Blake Brown, Wayland Baptist University; David Bellinghausen, Fort Worth; and son Kevin, Wayland Baptist University. Dwight McDonald coached briefly at Palo Duro before becoming a Lubbock attorney, and former assistant Alan Steinle now continues the Bobcat tradition at Dimmitt. Another associate, Richard Wood was hired by Ken to revive the girls program and led the Bobbies to a state title in 1993. He now coaches in Lorenzo.
Son Kevin coached at Dumas and at Wayland Baptist University for ten years before moving on to other challenges in the business world. Kevin knows his dad is proud of him as long as he does his best and is happy. "There will never be anything like Dimmitt Bobcat basketball again. It was a unique experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything," says Kevin.
Jerry Schaeffer graduated from Dimmitt in 1977 and coached for 18 years at the high school and college level. From the time he was a second grader, he and his friends began living to win the approval of Coach Cleveland and to someday be Bobcats. "I am 46 years old and I have a picture of Coach on my desk. Each day I hope that he is pleased with me," says Schaeffer.
Jeff Bell, another former player, won back to back state championships as the coach at Brock. He says "Coach Cleveland is the reason I became a coach. He is my hero. I think of his example every day. Words cannot express the gratitude and love that I have for him."
Steve Myatt played on Coach Cleveland's first state championship team in 1975. When his Gruver girls made the final four in 2003, he said "Coach will be here with me in my heart." When the 1975 team was honored at the 2000 state tournament, Steve was interviewed for an article about the team. He named every player down to the last substitute and also named the value of each player to the team. "That was how Coach Cleveland taught us to play. Always together, everyone contributing, everyone important. We worked, played, won and lost as a team," said Myatt. "I have tried to mold my teams in the Dimmitt tradition."
Carrying on the Dimmitt tradition is a job no one can understand better than Alan Steinle. He was Kenneth's right hand man for ten years as his assistant. After serving as head coach at Canton, he was brought back to follow his mentor. "I would never have chosen to follow Coach Cleveland had I not been a part of his program for ten years," said Steinle. "I will do my best to continue what he started and perfected for 32 years. Doing their best is all Coach ever asked of anyone." Continue the tradition is what he has done by taking the 2001 and 2002 Bobcats back to Austin.
Steinle's leadership became necessary in the spring of 1993 when Kenneth Cleveland was struck by lightening at a golf course in New Mexico. His amazing career was cut short and the town of Dimmitt, along with basketball coaches and fans across Texas were stunned and saddened. Many who attended Kenneth's funeral estimate the crowd in excess of 3000. Mourners filled the Dimmitt gym to overflowing as people gathered to remember the man who had such a positive influence on so many. The Dimmitt school board voted unanimously to name the gym where the varsity teams play in honor of Coach Cleveland. They also added that if another gym is ever built, it will bear Ken's name. They want to insure that the people of Dimmitt never forget.
The goal of this article is to help thousands of coaches across Texas know and remember Kenneth Cleveland as well. He was the second president of TABC, serving in 1977-78 and was inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame one month before his death. Two TABC scholarships are awarded in his name annually. In 1988, he was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association's Hall of Honor, a special honor for a basketball coach. His memory will live on through these annual reminders. But, those who knew him best will be guided for the rest of their lives by his example. Former player Dwight McDonald says "we learned from Coach that no job was too big, no opponent to tall, and that there was no game that couldn't be won. Anything could be accomplished." Jim Ratcliff, another former player from an early Dimmitt team, remembers three things he learned from his coach: teamwork is more important than individual honors, practice every chance you get so you will always be prepared, and never quit learning and striving to be better. No team put those words to practice better than Kenneth's final team in 1992-1993. They started the year 2-11 and went 3-2 the first round of district play. But in the second round they went 5-0 and became district champions. Forget the 13-15 season record. Coach Cleveland's guiding hand had done it again and kept alive a Dimmitt tradition.
Kenneth Cleveland's legacy can guide us all if we will just follow his example. Shortly before his death, he told a pastor friend in Dimmitt that his life was so complete that if the Lord took him he would be ready. As son Kevin said, "He may have been ready but we weren't. It's a sadness you can't imagine and a deep hurt that will last a long time. But, the way he lived his life won't allow us to be bitter. It's a time to celebrate what he's done."
Granddaughter Lacy Buckley summarized what basketball fans, former players, colleagues, and friends across Texas are sure of. "The chance of being struck by lightening is one in a million. That's what Granddaddy was, one in a million."

For Our Coach

Basketball-- whenever this word was mentioned, the name Coach Kenneth Cleveland inevitably was not far behind. Known to all as the passive coach with his trusting towel around his neck and water bottle in hand. Coach Cleveland was more than a basketball coach; he was a legend and respected pillar of the state. There was never criticism but always a word of encouragement. as much as this team struggled, he always instilled the Dimmitt Pride and Poise. He taught the basketball team more than the game; he taught us how to be leaders, and most of all, the act of cooperation even through the most difficult times. With all the success in the past or with all the success he had achieved; people began to wonder whether the tradition would be kept alive this year. Even Coach wondered. His stay in the hospital proved that. But this team, led by this awesome man, was not going to let the tradition die. Through his extreme determination and desire to continue his flawless years as coach, we had a winning season and the 18th straight district title. It takes one heck of a man to do this and if anyone could, itw as Coach Cleveland. Coach has endured many years here in Dimmitt. All the words in the world could not express how much the man and the coach was loved by all. However, we all know a legend never dies. Therefore, we are only paying tribute today for his life, not his death. For old coaches never die, they just call time out. See ya Coach! We love you!

Much More Than a Legendary Coach, Roger Clarkson, Globe-News

When Kenneth Cleveland took over the Bobcats, Dimmitt already had a reputation as a basketball town.
When Cleveland's tenure at the Bobcats' helm ended after 32 years, Dimmitt could proudly claim the title of "The Best Basketball in the Land."
Under Cleveland's leadership, Dimmitt blazed a trail of excellence through Texas high school basketball history.
Cleveland's career record was 887-277. At the time of his death in 1993 at age 57, that was the ninth-best record in the nation.
Cleveland innovated.
Cleveland inspired.
Cleveland won.
But most of all, Cleveland scored victories while conducting himself and his teams with the utmost dignity and respect for the opponent. Cleveland never had a true enemy, his players revered him, and Dimmitt treasured him.
Dimmitt won the state title three times under Cleveland. The Bobcats reached the state tournament 10 times, won 27 district titles and missed the playoffs just five times in his tenure at the school. Dimmitt never finished below second in league play, and almost 30 percent of his teams went to state.
Norman Hays, who played for Cleveland in 1973, recalled one instance at a state tournament when an unknown basketball fan brought a ball for Cleveland to sign. The ball contained autographs of coaches from John Wooden to Bobby Knight to Red Auerbach. Only three high school coaches had ever signed the ball. Cleveland was No. 3.
"He was well respected around the state, and the country for that matter," Hays said. "He was a great, great man and a great, great coach, and everybody knew it and respected him for it."
Possibly Cleveland's greatest flaw was he was color blind. And he was superstitious to boot. His wife, Libby, always bought his clothes. Prior to the 1974-75 season, she bought Cleveland a pair of bright orange-and-white checked bell-bottom polyester pants. In those days, bell bottoms and polyester stretch pants were popular fashion, although the bright orange was a little unusual.
Cleveland wore the pants to the first game and won. He continued to wear the pants to every game, although he never knew exactly what color they were. Libby never told him.
At some point in the season, a fan told him what color the pants were. But by then he had won so many games wearing them, he did not want to tempt fate and try some different pants. At the end of that season, Cleveland won his first state championship at Dimmitt.
"My gosh he was superstitious," Libby said. "If he was winning, he would keep on wearing the same thing until he stopped, no matter what it was."
Beyond the basketball numbers, Cleveland molded more than two generations of young men.
"He was always very cool," Cleveland's son-in-law and former player Darrell Buckley said. "He was always in control. He never got flustered and he always had a way of calming you down when things were going wrong. That kind of helped us as we got older. If we were faced with a tough situation, we would think of what Coach Cleveland would do."
Cleveland loved basketball. He worked tirelessly in his office, in the film room and in the gym. At church every Sunday, he would diagram basketball plays on the services bulletin. He sat up all night watching film in bed, which irritated Libby to no end. When he was a lifeguard at the Dimmitt swimming pool, he would take a clipboard and sketch out his team for the next season.
Immediately after the scoreboard clock clicked off the final seconds of the last Dimmitt football game, Cleveland would check his watch. That meant it was officially basketball time.
Cleveland never had an off-season. Even if Dimmitt had no games to play, he opened the gym and observed players, former players and future players in pick-up games almost 24 hours a day.
That tireless dedication to the program paid off with wins. The more Dimmitt won, the more established the tradition became, and the harder Cleveland worked to strengthen it.
"Coach Cleveland was a man ahead of his time," current Dimmitt coach Alan Steinle said. "He was pressing full court and playing an aggressive zone way before anybody else did."
Cleveland preached simplicity on both sides of the ball. On offense, Dimmitt's players wanted to defeat the man in front of him and take a good shot. On defense, Dimmitt played an aggressive 2-3 zone similar to a matchup designed to allow no open shots.
"He never yelled and hollered. We never ran wind sprints. We never ran lines," Buckley said. "We didn't have to. We knew what we did wrong, and he didn't have to say a word."
If a player did do something wrong on the court or in practice, Cleveland had an excellent method of expressing his displeasure.
"He would just stare at you," Hays said. "His stare would scare the death out of you, and you knew you'd better get things right. He didn't have to say much."
During the off-season, Cleveland did not like taking the team to out-of-town camps or playing summer leagues. The best workout for Dimmitt could be found in Dimmitt. The town bred more all-state basketball players than a swamp breeds mosquitoes. Each summer and during Christmas, former players migrated to the high school gym each day for hours and hours of pick-up ball. One set of former all-staters would leave the floor only to be replaced by another set. Cleveland believed that his current players could not find a greater challenge than to test their skills against those who had worn the Bobcat colors before them.
"Even after you graduated, you still tried to impress him," Buckley said.
Cleveland would watch and digest the action. He would not leave the gym until the last game of horse had been played and often that was well after midnight.
Basketball was always part of the Cleveland family. Buckley played for Cleveland from 1972 to 1974. He later married Beth Cleveland, and his nephew, Derek, is a guard on the current edition of the Bobcats.
When Kevin was a youngster, Cleveland put up a Nerf hoop in the living room, and Buckley and Kevin would go to war shooting at the toy basket. The door where the hoop hung still bears the scars of those battles between brothers-in-law.
Cleveland's children always hung around the court. Road trips were family outings for the Clevelands. But once the girls got old enough to draw interest from the guys, Beth and Vicki were banished from the team bus, especially once Beth and Darrell started keeping company.
Kevin sat on the bench for every game, holding his father's clipboard. At practice, team members played with him and sometimes used young Kevin as a bowling pin for sport.
"Once you're a Bobcat, you're always a Bobcat," Kevin Cleveland, Kenneth's son, said. "The key to the program was that all the ex-Bobcats felt like they were part of the team, even if they didn't play any more. You always had a place with the program, and you still do."
Kenneth Cleveland had several opportunities to leave Dimmitt. Bigger schools and colleges called often with offers he could not refuse, but he did.
Once established, Cleveland always had a reason to stay. He always had a class coming up which he thought would be outstanding. His children - Beth, Vicki and Kevin - grew up in the school. He coached children of his former players. He even coached a grandchild of a former player.
Cleveland considered the entire town of Dimmitt his family. He never wanted to go anywhere else. When Cleveland died, the entire community mourned like it had lost its father.

Sixty Seconds, Benny Baker, Eastland County Roundup

This week, in Dimmitt, Texas, there was a funeral for a 58 year old man, Kenneth Cleveland. The Abilene Reporter News called him a Texas coaching legend in high school basketball. He was the fifth winning-est, active coach in Texas, and the ninth in the nation. As head coach, his teams have won 27 district titles in 32 years, the last 18 in a row. Coach Cleveland, I was glad I had the opportunity to know him. His lief was shortened by a lightening bolt in the mountains of New Mexico. Many were in Dimmitt to say farewell and to say thanks to the Coach. The service, appropriately, will be in the school gym. His life was a challenge to excellence, a challenge of a winning attitude.
None of us are promised tomorrow. Toady is the time we have been given by God. Don't take life for granted today. Take some time to write a note, give a hug, share some love and take some time to encourage someone to excellence. For most of us, we will have tomorrow but as we are reminded at times such as these, today is all that we have. Let's not take it for granted, use it wisely and to His glory.

Coach Mauldin, as quoted in the newspaper

Cleveland was able to instill those characteristics into his players like Rocky Rawls, now coaching at Bronte. Mauldin, the coach at Abilene Christian University, coached at Morton when it was in the same district with Dimmitt. He says Cleveland got more out of his players than any coach he'd seen.
"He could take a player with lesser talent and find a role for him," Mauldin said. "This year's team was a good example. I think they lost something like 11 straight games, but he brought them together at the end and they won district.
"But what is so hard for me and my family about losing Ken is the association we had off the basketball court. There was a big rivalry between our two schools, but we were able to remain the best of friends. I learned a lot of basketball from him, not only by watching his teams play, but by talking to him. A lot of my substitution patters I use came from him.
"In 1983, we were in different classifications and both of us won state. Dimmitt went 40-0 that year and beat us four times. They played for the championship that morning and we didn't play until that afternoon. But when our team walked into the Drum (the Erwin Special Events Center), the Dimmitt fans were lined up by a railing and cheering for us. There were a lot of times our people would root for them at Austin and they'd do the same for us."
Cleveland's son, Kevin, hired last week as the new Wayland Baptist basketball coach, worked in Mauldin's basketball camp at ACU two years ago.
Holmes, now the McMurry head basketball coach, formerly was at Brownfield. His Cubs met Dimmitt five times, losing three. Not many schools had a winning edge on Cleveland.
"I got to coach with a legend (O.W. Follis) when I was at Lemesa and I got to coach against a legend (Cleveland), so I consider myself a lucky guy," Holmes said. "Once they really beat us and most people wouldn't have liked that. But after I got to thinking about it and who had beaten us, it didn't bother me as much. Coach Cleveland was a class act."

Letter to the Editor, Jeff Bell

Dear Editor: As we all know, basketball season is upon us one more time. I am very excited about this season as I know all basketball coaches are. On the other hand, I have great sadness in my heart about starting this season. For 32 seasons, a great man graced the hardwood with pride and poise. This tremendous man was full of compassion, character, and he was the most humble man I have ever known. I always called him, "Coach." I had too much respect for him to call him by his first name, even while working under him. I had the true privilege and opportunity to play for, coach against and coach under one of the greatest high school coaches of our time, Coach Kenneth Cleveland of Dimmitt High School. This letter will not even begin to do this great man justice, but I would like to try anyway. Coach was my friend, mentor and someone I could always count on. Everyone who played for him, coached against him or just knew him as an acquaintance loved and respected him. We lost Coach Cleveland to a tragedy last May, and it has been exceptionally hard on so many people because of the great impact he had on our lives. I miss him very much, but I carry so many warm memories of him with me every day. Coach taught us so much more than just how to play basketball. he taught us about having pride, poise, love of life and to play to the best of our abilities. WE loved him because he took great interest in all of us. Coach, we miss you and we will never forget you! Yours in basketball, Jeff Bell, Head boys basketball coach, Liberty Hill High School

Letter to the Editor, Avalanche-Journal, Jim Broome

For 14 of the past 17 years, I have served as Secretary of the Lubbock Chapter of the Southwest Basketball Officials. My main responsibility is the scheduling of basketball officials for junior high and high school games on the South Plains. During my tenure as secretary, it has been my great privilege to schedule officials for many great men and women coaches, but none so great as Coach Kenneth Cleveland of Dimmitt High School. Coach Cleveland coached at Dimmitt for 32 years. During this period, Coach Cleveland took his teams to 887 wins, 27 district championships, 10 state tournaments, and three state championships. He ranks 9th nationally in total number of wins. All of Coach Cleveland's wins would mean nothing if one didn't know him as a gentleman. He was a gentleman on the court as well as off. Win or lose, coach Cleveland was so dignified and honorable. the state of Texas and this area will surely miss this truly great man. -Jim Broome, Lubbock

A Dimmitt Basketball Player Is...

- A champion, a winner, someone special and a gentleman, all in one.
- The best student possible, one that doesn't expect the teachers to give them their grades-- they earn them.
- The most polite, the most cooperative of any students in school.
- A leader in the school and not a trouble-maker.
- One who is not afraid to say, "Yes sir" and "yes mam" with respect.
- One who gains recognition by being outstanding individuals and basketball players.
- Is a confident player, but not a show-off and know-it-all
- One who shows people how good he is--and not tell them.
- One who abides by the training rules--whether it is during season or not.
- One who knows the no smoking, no drinking, no drugs rule--and in addition, knows that getting the right amount of rest, eating right, and taking care of himself in general, is part of basketball.
- One who knows he has an obligation first to himself, then to the team to do everything within his power to follow the training rules, and be the best player he possibly can.
- One who looks forward to work-outs, and doesn't miss one for any reason.
- One who gives 100% in every work-out in order to reach his potential.
- One who thinks that basketball is the most important activity in school for the next 4 1/2 months.
- One who plays the game as gentlemen.
- One who doesn't make excuses for losing.
- One who treats the officials with respect.
- One who pats his teammates on the back and encourages them.
- One who realized there are only 5 players on the floor and these will be the best 5 most of the time.
- One who realizes that if he is a bench warmer, he is just as important to the success of the team as a starter, and that he contributes during work-outs.
- One who when it is all over, can look back and say, "I did the best I could--and it was all worth it."

Profile of a Coach, M.E. Cleavinger, Jr.

Today is Kenneth Cleveland Appreciation Day, officially so by virtue of Mayor Bradford's proclamation. but more important sentimentally because of the desire of players, past and present, and a host of friends and well-wishers who wanted to do something to say "thank you" for the eight loyal, faithful, rewarding years that have been given to us. I cannot resist the temptation of a pun at this point to say that I have been a Cleveland fan for more years than Kenneth has birthdays-- the Cleveland Indians, in baseball, the Cleveland Browns, in football, and now, the Cleveland Bobcats in basketball--all the way. This has never before been divulged to Kenneth. We play golf together and it is always a pleasure, but in the fall of the year, he is not too interested in playing if his team, the Dallas Cowboys, are on t.v. because he just assumed that all red-blooded Texans are Cowboy fans. Playing golf with Kenneth is much like playing golf with a Ronnie Parker or a Jim Pickens-- when you "goof" a shot, you don't give vent to your emotions. With him, there are other, better ways of confronting those annoying little dissatisfaction. There is another lesson I learn playing golf with Kenneth-- and it is the same lesson that coaches and teams all over Texas have had to learn--and that is how to take defeat.
In 1961, when John Ethridge resigned as basketball coach at Dimmitt High School, a young man, not well-known here, in fact, not known at all, let it be known that he would like to be considered for the job. In checking out his credentials, along with numerous other applicants, several of whom were well-known and respected, it became evident that the application of one, Kenneth Cleveland, should be explored further. The credentials were excellent--letters of recommendation were profuse with praise, this fellow had one of these "can't miss" labels, in the judgment of those who had worked with him. it fell the lot of Alvis Fuquay to do the sleuthing in the places where Coach Cleveland had been-- the home town of Coleman, his school- Texas University, his then-present location, Sonora. Needless to say, Fuquay's visitation not only strengthened Kenneth's application, but virtually brought to a halt any further search for a coach. And so, it was that Kenneth and Libby came to Dimmitt in strange surroundings, facing fans that were somewhat skeptical, knowing full-well that the coach who was leaving here had been imminently successful. It takes courage to step into that kind of situation, but courage is just one of the numerous attributes of Coach Cleveland as he had produced consistently winning basketball teams.
What a record he has produced in eight seasons with the Bobcats-- an overall 188-78 win-loss figure; seven district championships, five bi-district titles, played in Regional finals four times, state finals one time. The other schools of District 2A would gladly welcome a re-shuffling to get Dimmitt into another area of combat.
It has been a privilege and pleasure over the years to observe the coaching profession from several different vantage points of experience. Inevitably coaches, like players, become objects of scrutiny--weighed, measured, compared. This is as much a part of sports as the games themselves and any coach who is sensitive to scrutiny just should not be there. No one but sports enthusiasts can fully appreciate this, but it is just human nature that sooner or later one begins to create an image of the composite coach-- the ideal, the put-together man who has it all-- the profile of a coach--and somehow or other, in my own impressions of this imaginary character, it seems appropriate to visualize there, super-imposed in the background, the profile of Kenneth Cleveland.
In this business of coaching, the first area would have to be the basics-- the fundamentals- knowledge of the game, the ability to teach, to analyze--working constantly, studiously, progressively, not only to keep abreast of developments, but to innovate new patters of play. It does not take an astute observer to know that Kenneth Cleveland excels in all of these areas.
There are many coaches who have achieved success, maybe even great success by concentrating almost totally on these basics. But I believe that there is an area beyond this, somewhat of a fringe area of coaching, that Kenneth has exploited, both consciously and unconsciously, that has brought him into the higher echelons of the coaching profession.
There is a rapport in the player-coach relationship here that defies description, but it is indisputably a Cleveland "trademark." It has been my observation while listening to the recordings made by various players, that the boys were trying so hard to be eloquent, trying to find just the right words to express their feelings, to say what they wanted to say, and not quite being able to do so. And this is no reflection because there was so much in evidence that undertone of love and respect, which understandably aws difficult to put into words.
I do not know if Coach Cleveland has ever reduced to writing a creed which embraces his philosophy of coaching, but whether he has or has not, there is unmistakably a pattern of conduct for both player and coach: consistent, demanding, equitable, and it involves a mutuality of responsibility between player and coach. And thus, we see Kenneth in the role of the confident, the counselor, always showing that personal individual concern for every member of the squad--unassuming, unpretentious, humble, a gracious winner-giving credit to the players first, a gentlemen in defeat--searching for an answer wherein he might have failed the team. Defeat has the inescapable, ugly habit of coming at the most inopportune times and it precipitates crisis sometimes which must be handled delicately and yet with positiveness. And, here you see Kenneth, the finality of defeat unquestionably bearing down heavily on his own shoulders, going from player to player with that friendly, consoling pat on the shoulder, the picture of a man standing tall and straight. These are the things which, in my humble opinion, produce the rapport that exists between player and coach. These are the things which the boys talk about when they attempt to explain what Coach Cleveland has meant to them.
The role of Coach's wife is sometimes precarious, somewhat dubious, sometimes even problematic with certain types of people. With Libby, it is none of these, although surely there must be times when she wishes that she might share some of the attention away from the basketball court, the team, the schedule, and the numerous ramifications. Completely loyal, always boosting the team, doing this and that for the boys, running errands for Kenneth--sharing the joys of winning-- consoling in defeat. This is Libby- truly a wonderful asset to the success story of the Kenneth Cleveland:
This is a great day for the Cleveland family--for Libby and Kenneth and three fine children-- Beth, Vicki and Kevin. To paraphrase a quote from a very great speech by an equally great man, the words that are said here today will quickly be forgotten. And we know, too, that gifts are fragile and they too will pass away, though we hope that that the gift will bring you many happy hours of enjoyment, but the spirit of love and esteem and the admiration that have been manifest by this occasion will endure as treasured memories for many, many years to come. Kenneth would you accept this gift as a token of appreciation from your friends of this community. And may we extend every good wish to you and your family in the years to come.

K - is the knowledge he taught and shared
E- is for Enthusiasm for each task to attend
N- is for the phrase used by all, "He's neat"

C- is for the Christianity he displayed for all
L- is for the Love he had for fellow man
E- is for Educator he ranked with the best
V- is for the victory to which he taught to strive
E- is for Enjoyment in everything he did
L- is for Listening to a young voice with a ready ear at request
A- is for the Amusing, fun-filled life he lived
N- is for Nurturing to students he gave
D- is for Devotion as a teacher, coach, husband, father and friend

Kenneth Cleveland: The Man

Libby Cleveland

"What do I miss? I miss sharing my day, my thoughts, my happy moments, my sad moments-- my successes and my crises, my uncertainties, my worries, my hopes and dreams, and I miss working together in the yard-- at the cabin-- at the gym-- at school. I miss planning--doing and going--bicycling--traveling--unfulfilled plans of camping trips, train rides, a Las Vegas trip.
I miss seeing Kenneth on the golf course waving to me--his advice when I'm upset--his need to talk to me about his problems--his confidence in me--his compliments--his pride in what I accomplished--his patience when I fouled up. What will I miss? Hearing him introduced and feeling so proud of him--the excitement he had about every new team--the plans we worked on together--choosing uniforms, planning signs and posters, fixing up his dressing room, painting signs, riding on the team bus, fixing the towels and juice, standing at the dressing room telling the boys good luck and a quick hug from Kenneth before the game-- the excitement of the challenge of each game-- running out on the floor to hug him after the game--even washing the suits and towels.
I'll miss him at school in the hall, sharing math problems, drawing posters, dancing at the prom, listening to his concerns of his boys and their grades. I'll miss him watching Kevin coach at Wayland--Jacy playing in the 8th grade--Caitlin ski---Adam, Bryan and Eric grow up-- I'll miss our planning surprises and sharing news of Beth and Vicki- playing golf with Darrell and visiting with Charles.
We shared everything and always have since the 5th grade. We had our first date to the 8th grade banquet. We met and walked to school every morning during high school. Our dates were walking home after basketball games. We have been a couple--Kenneth and Libby since we were 10 years old. Everywhere Kenneth went, I did too. Sometimes I was the only coach's wife-- but that was what we wanted. Kenneth was either at the gym, at home or at the golf course-- no one ever resented or regretted basketball because that was Kenneth-- we loved both.
What do I remember? I remember hitting him in the eye with a baseball in the 5th grade. True love that lasted forever. I remember sitting in every class in front of him-- our lockers side by side-- hours waiting for him in the gym-- playing tennis together. I remember the excitement of college basketball and being a young, penniless married couple at U.T. 2 hamburgers for a dollar and the $1 drive-in Longhorn movie were a big night out. I remember graduating-- our first job-- buying a washing machine-- I remember when Beth was born we both cried with happiness. I remember our juggling babies--summer school, and of course, golf to get our masters degrees. I remember our first job in Sonora-- and the big decision to move to Dimmitt and take a pay cut in 1961. Vicki was born a month after we moved. I remember the excitement Kenneth had for a group of freshman boys who went to state when they were seniors. I remember the pride of playing at Gregory Gym and the huge supportive crowd of Dimmitt people.
I remember how each day revolved around basketball. We were a team-- a pair-- independent but very dependent on each other-- like Andy and Barney-- Kenneth was Andy-- calm, cool, patient-- and me-- nervous, excitable, over-anxious like Barney. I remember how excited we all were for our 3rd baby. We were so sure it was a girl--we didn't even have a boy's name. Just in case--on the way to the hospital--we chose Kevin.
I remember basketball was the common denominator in our family-- I remember Kenneth's pride in all our children and their athletic achievements. He was so proud of Beth going to Texas Tech to play--Vicki's track in the Jr. Olympics, state and OSU-- and Kevin's love and accomplishments in basketball. He was not as proud of what they could do--as he was for their love and dedication they had for doing their best. He never criticized or pushed. He helped, advised, guided, and encouraged. He praised more for attitude dedication and improvement than for records or medals. I remember Kevin and Kenneth in the final state game in Austin-- 38-0-- a coach and father's dream come true.
I remember standing proudly when Beth received honors for her basketball awards. I remember our holding hands tightly as we watched Vicki run in the Jr. Olympics and at the state track meets. I remember Jacy at 4 years running out and holding on to Kenneth's knee during an important introduction. I remember Caitlin running to sit in Granddaddy's lap during crucial games. I remember Kenneth's pride in Adam at basketball camp and Bryan's phone calls to wish Kenneth Luck and Eric being the 3rd generation Cleveland for basketball. I remember how thrilled we were when a certain skinnier young basketball player-- Darrell--became a much-loved member of our family. I remember driving to Lubbock and back during a terrible ice storm and blizzard to get a Friona game film developed. after looking at the film, the team did improve and ended in Austin as state champs. I remember roofing the cabin together and putting up sheet rock on the ceiling-- a true test of love. I remember crying together with joy at winning games, babies being born, at Kevin being named coach at Wayland, and in sorrow at Jim's stroke--when Robert, Danny and Jeramy died. I remember seeing and hearing hundreds of people tell me Kenneth was their hero, their best friend, their inspiration, their guide. I didn't realize the widespread impact he had made. I feel very humbled and then very proud of him. I feel we were blessed with a unique love which resulted in a warm, loving family and a lifetime of doing what he loved with people he loved. Basketball was Kenneth's road to happiness, accomplishment and service-- I always knew we loved and needed each other. I was proud of him and now I want him to be proud of me."

Sandy Howard

“I just spent last evening with Libby reminiscing about my childhood, her, coach and their influence in my life. Boy, do we have stories! It was an incredibly uplifting ending to this Dimmitt visit.
Unfortunately, I only got to spend summers in Dimmitt, but I will never forget the sound of his golf shoes when he walked into the pool after a round of golf. Golf shoe sounds=Coach. He is a person who had one of the greatest influences on my life (Libby, you’re on that list too!) I still tell stories about him—and let’s just say the Cleveland’s took me under their wing sometime in the ‘70s.”

Dina Paetzold

“Okay, it was the summer of ’77 (3rd grade) at the Country Club. High school boys had been picking on Kevin, teasing him and trying to get him to kiss me. I got on my bicycle and was peddling away. Kevin called me so I looped around the circle drive and Kevin stuck a golf club into the spokes of my bike. I went head over the handle bars (I was wearing my swimsuit). I was bloody and sobbing, and Kenneth scooped me up and carried me to the pro shop. He cleaned me up, covered me in Band-Aids and wiped away my tears. He loaded up my bike and drove me home. Good memories, huh!”

Rich Behrends

“Not only was Coach Cleveland a great coach…man could hit a golf ball. I remember Kevin one day challenged his dad to see who could hit the golf ball further. So just outside the country club door, right next to the practice putting green, they both launched golf balls onto the driving range just before closing one night. They both sailed it past the 150-yard marker. I had never heard a 1 wood crack that loud before. The apple didn’t fall that far from the tree. What a couple of great competitors.”

Kyle Wise

After growing up around Coach Cleveland, I thought him immune to being irritated. Then, I was in his his freshman math class (I was impressed he was as good at math as basketball!) Jo Beth Bates asked a question. As Coach answered this detailed math answer, Jo Beth turned around and started talking to someone. I saw Coach get irritated that day. That was funny. Even so, I found him to be one of the most level-headed and stable people I knew.

Carrie Rogers

“What a great coach and man he was.”

Caitlin Buckley, granddaughter

I am in my second year at Texas Tech and I love it. I am majoring in Human Development and Family Studies. Right now, I am a junior by hours and will graduate next May. After that, I am going to go to grad school and get my post bachelor’s in education and get my teaching certificate. I would like to teach 2nd or 3rd grade. So—those are my plans for now!
I am really enjoying all of my classes and think that this is the perfect major for me. I am dating a guy from Muleshoe who is a student coach with the offensive staff on the Texas Tech football team. I so wish that he could have met grandaddy. He wants to coach football after he graduates and I know that grandaddy is a huge inspiration to him. I took him to Nanny’s house and showed him “grandaddy’s room” with all the plaques, pictures and memorabilia. He was in awe and didn’t want to leave. He gives Nanny a huge amount of respect because he thinks that the Coach’s wife contributes immensely to his success. I wish that I would have been older and could have remembered all that Nanny did for him. She always put the team and Grandaddy’s needs first. She still does so much for Grandaddy even today. She will do anything to ensure that Grandaddy’s legacy, dreams and respect will never be forgotten. I hope that someday I can be as great of a coach’s wife as Nanny is.
It is so hard for me to believe that Grandaddy has been gone for 11 years. It seems like yesterday when I can remember him coming to get me out of Mrs. Rogers 1st grade class to go to the game. I rode the bus to almost every game and sat on the bench right beside grandaddy. I don’t know why I remember this particular game, but I can remember him sitting down and explaining the fundamentals to me and from then on, my love and respect for the game just blossomed. Before every one of my games in the Cleveland gymnasium, I stopped and looked at the section devoted to him. I would read all of the wonderful things about him and continue to play for myself.
To get through my year, I would just tell myself to play for grandaddy. On one of the plaques, his basketball style was described as a “never say die attitude.” This is what I tried to do. Grandaddy played in number 11 and so did I. I know that he wore the number well and I had to wear it with pride and represent class. I hope that Grandaddy is as proud of me and of who I have become as I am of him. I was Grandaddy’s little girl; we just have this indescribable bond that only we could feel in our hearts. I cherish every memory that I have of grandaddy. It is so hard for me to fathom that this wonderful man was a huge part of my life. As hard as it is for me to have been there when Grandaddy was killed, I am the only one who was with him when he left for heaven. Thank you so much for letting me pour out my heart to you."

Vicki Fretwell, daughter

"Hi, Rick, my name is Vicki Cleveland Fretwell and Kenneth Cleveland is my dad. For months, I have heard from Mother and Kevin about this article and how wonderful you have been. I can't tell you how much this means to my mom. To us all, but especially to my mom. She truly lost half of herself when Daddy died. She had been with him for so many years as you know, that his sudden death was incomprehensible. But, very, very slowly, she pulled herself up and has become a tower of strength, determination and will to live her life fully and with Daddy in mind every day. He would be so proud of her. She was a wonderful person with Daddy, but has become a different wonderful person now! I am so blessed to be a part of them both!
My brother, Kevin, truly lost his best friend when Daddy died. He spent some time looking for meaning without Daddy, but because he is so much like him, Kevin battled his way up into a successful job in the car dealership world where he is very much respected and admired. I am so proud of him, and I love talking to him on the phone--he sounds like Daddy!
My sister, Beth, has raised two beautiful daughters who knew Daddy more than I did in the last years. They are all humble, thoughtful people who all have Kenneth Cleveland's qualities.
I live in Houston, teach Algebra at Cy-Fair High School, am married, and have two wonderful boys. My older son, Adam, is a decathlete who is being highly recruited to run track in college (he is a senior at Cy-Creek). My dad would be so proud of his work ethic in sports, and his determination to be the best he can be. My other son, Bryan, is 14 and a freshman at Cy-Creek, and is the comedian and champion paintball player of the family. He is not interested in sports, and is his own person--and is the one who keeps us all laughing and grounded in stressful times. Daddy would love his sharp sense of humor and quick wit. He would "get a kick out of him."
I teach at Cy-Fair High School where a basketball coach, Barry Townley, tells the freshman basketball players about my dad. I teach a lot of his freshman players, and he tells the kids about my dad's success. Coach Townley has never met my dad, but had heard about him and his success in basketball for years before Daddy died. It is an honor that means more to me than he will ever know.
Adam, my 18-year-old son, had a job delivering Mexican food and one delivery was at a guy's house, and they started talking about the guy's bird dogs and then hunting. The story went to where Adam hunts, and he said he hunts pheasants/geese where his mom used to live in the panhandle of Texas. Well, the guy knew my family and played for my dad years ago. He proceeded to tell Adam what a great man he was. So, even in Houston, years later, somebody had a story to tell about Daddy, and to his grandson at that. What a special story for Adam to hear. I could go on for hours, but I need to go to bed for my early day at school tomorrow. I have been meaning to e-mail you for a long time and, as I read the article tonight (my 43rd birthday), I knew I could not put it off any longer. What a great birthday present your article was. Thank you for your kindness, sensitivity and for keeping my dad's name and legacy alive."

Terry Ellison (Secondary School Teacher and Jr. High Assistant Principal, 1971-1985)

"Zelda and I moved to Dimmitt in 1971. We loved living and teaching there. One of the most enjoyable activities while there was watching Dimmitt High School basketball, coached by Kenneth Cleveland. We have more memories than we can write down. One year, at the end of a game against Morton, Libby leaped over the rail like she always did. This time, however, her college ring that she wore on her little finger caught on the rail. She was hanging by the ring. I quickly grabbed her, and Ewell Kelly pushed her up until we could get her finger loose. Libby was taken to the hospital where they cut the ring off her finger and put in twelve stitches. Oddly enough, none of us involved remembers who took her to the hospital.
Coach Cleveland set a life standard that most cannot reach. He was a wonderful coach and a good Christian husband and father."

Zelda Ellison (Dimmitt Middle School Teacher, 1971-1985)

"When Terry and I moved to Dimmitt, I was not a sports enthusiast at all. I was greatly surprised at myself when I caught up in the basketball craze in Dimmitt. It was not long before I could not wait for the next game. I loved watching Kenneth's calm style of coaching those ever-so-close games! The stands were filled with frenzied fans, our stomachs literally churning from excitement, while Coach Cleveland led his team time-after-time to victory over other talented teams. He was utterly amazing! what I usually did before each game was to buy a Sugar Daddy (candy on a stick). Then, I would gnaw my way through the stress and tension of the basketball games. (Surprisingly, I DO still have my teeth). Every game was so fun!
There are pictures that remain quite clear in my mind. When our daughter, Tiffany, was a baby, we would fix her a little space on a blanket with some toys between the seats. She handled all the noise very well and let her parents enjoy the games. We watched Kevin Cleveland grow up on the basketball court when he and the son of Abernathy's Coach Irlbeck played a little one-on-one at halftime. I absolutely LOVED to watch Jim Birdwell's jump shot. I thought it was just beautiful! I can still see Rocky Rawls dribble down the court and John Smith and Kevin making 3-pointers. My favorite year, of course, was the 38-0 year. And how about that winning shot at the state tournament when, at the buzzer, our final shot hit the rim. we all thought we'd lost the game. If I remember correctly, Mary Nell King had lowered her head in dismay and missed seeing her son, Phil, reach up, and tip it for the win!
Terry and I appreciated Kenneth Cleveland and his gentleman's style of coaching. He had a class about him that only a few coaches have exhibited. He brought out the best in his players and he put Dimmitt, Texas, on the map. To the boys on his teams: Thank you for entertaining your fans through the years and making us proud. To Libby, Beth, Vicky and Kevin: To this day, we love you all."

Kevin Cleveland, son

"Where do I start and end? Here are some of the 'greatest hits.'
1. Being a manager for the Bobcats with Ricky Hunter. We would go to the dressing room a few minutes before halftime and prepare the orange juice and orange slices. Then, we would set up cups like bowling pins and use one of those small basketballs that the players tossed into the stands as a bowling ball and bowl.
2. 1975 overtime game between Dimmitt and Friona at Levelland. 1982's 3-overtime game between Dimmitt and Denver City at the Regional finals.
3. My fourth grade class with Mrs. Wohgulmeth was right at the entrance of the gym. The lawn chairs were set up and people began arriving at NOON for Dimmitt-Morton games. Unbelievable feeling of anticipation looking out that classroom window. When the final bell rang, I would sprint into the gym and save a few seats on the front row.
4. I remember Dad's clipboard and yellow pad with the workout schedules handwritten on it.
5. I remember the final buzzer of the final game of football season signaling that basketball season had begun.
6. I remember staring at the stat sheet that the assistant coaches kept during the games. I was really young, but stared at the "shot chart" from when Danny Ebeling went 18 for 18 from the field. 18 X's with circles around each and every "x."
7. Sunday afternoon half-court games against the exes and Dad sitting in the chair leaning back against the wall.
8. Jeff Bell's left-handed off-the-glass shot from the wing. Jim Bradford grabbing every rebound. Rock Rawls doing everything he did.
9. Dad talking to us before getting off the bus for the road games.
10. #1 Press, #2 Press, and sometimes #3 Press
11. The post-game get-togethers at our house where Smith, Avis, Ewell and Nell, Gene and Mary, etc. would come over and snack and visit.
12. The packed house at every single game and especially those when we played Morton, Abernathy, Friona, etc. The popcorn smell when you came into the gym on game night.
13. Fighting through the crowds in the parking lot at Plainview when we played Littlefield for the district title in 1982. It was so full of people trying to get in that we barely got in.
14. Watermelon and swimming after playing at night in the summers. Dad keeping the scoreboard during those summer games and hitting the buzzer every twenty points for substitution.
15. Crying at the free throw line in Austin in the last seconds of 1983 because I did not want it to end.
16. Three sweatbands on each arm and socks pulled up to the knees.
17. Norman Hays wishing me good luck prior to every game.
18. John Smith's perfect shot form, John David's shot blocking and rebounding, Jeff Watts scoring and rebounding, Fermin's defense and taking charges, and 38 perfect games.
19. Of course, everyone was great-- but my favorite players, I have to list:
1. John David King, John Smith, Jeff Watts, Fermin Gonzales, Keith Gregory
2. Danny Ebeling
3. Mark Summers
4. Rocky Rawls
5. Dwight McDonald
6. Paul Langford
7. Jim Birdwell
8. Jerry Schaeffer
9. Craig Williams
10. Johnny Hampton
11. Darrell Buckley
12. Keith Crum
13. Emilio Arce
14. Jeff Bell
15. Jim "Windex" Bradford, cleaning the glass

Halley Bradley Steinhilber

"He was an amazing coach and man. I have so many great memories of him and how much he even taught me when I was one of the only girls going to his boys' basketball camps. What a legacy he left and how many lives he touched. Thank you, Lord, for sharing Coach Cleveland with us all."

Carla King Sappington

"This e-mail does not pertain to Coach Cleveland as a basketball coach, but as I remember him as a Daddy to us all. So many times when Beth, Vicki, Tobin, or I were running around on Grant Street making mud pies and throwing them at cars--yes, we threw them at cars, Kenneth would ask very softly, 'You girls supposed to be doing that?' We didn't think twice-- we just stopped it and went on to something else. I can recall the day Beth Ann dropped a glass Coke bottle on the sidewalk. Her leg was cut and bleeding. Kenneth, calm as can be, just picked her up and took her home. You see, I had the privilege of knowing Kenneth as a father and neighbor. He was gentle, kind, and I trusted him. The only way my mother convinced me to take swimming lessons was because you and Kenneth taught them at the Dimmitt Country Club. He had a way about him that made a small child feel confident when she wasn't confident at all. I hope my story to you can give everyone a picture of Kenneth as a man who lived across the street from me, but made my life better. Kenneth was an example of how a father and husband should be. I thank him for that."

Lou Baker

"I never had the opportunity to have any basketball connection with Coach Cleveland, but I do know that he was one terrific dad and role model. I grew up with Vicki and spent a lot of time at the house. Libby and Kenneth were always around and they made anyone that was ever at their home feel like they belonged to them. I was very blessed to have had that opportunity.
I still run into people that find out that I grew up in Dimmitt and always make the remark about what a wonderful coach and man that Coach Cleveland was. He is greatly missed by everyone, but Libby was ALWAYS there for everyone and still is. She is a great lady!"

J'Lyn Ryan

"My first memory of Kenneth Cleveland was in 1971 when we first moved to Dimmitt. We lived in the Presbyterian manse across from the high school. Robin was a 4th grader. He kept after us to let him go to the gym because he saw other kids about his age going. Finally, Robert approached Kenneth and was assured that that was a good idea if he ever wanted to be a Bobcat! Being the worrier that I was, I kept quizzing Robin about the kids near his age; what the big kids were doing, etc. He told me all he knew since he was new in town. Finally, one day I said, 'Well, how does Coach Cleveland get anything done if all of you other kids are bouncing the balls and yelling?' He just shrugged his shoulders and calmly said, 'When Coach puts the ball under his arm, we know to hold the ball and get quiet.' Right then, I saw his genius with athletes! In fact, I used that technique in my own classroom from time to time--not just with basketball!
Our years in Dimmitt were such good ones and much of that was due to our prowess in basketball. It was nice to be from Dimmitt with the good reputation for a great basketball program."

Jo Beth Bates, 1977

"I'll never forget the look on Coach Cleveland's face when I approached him about the hows and whys there wasn't a girls' golf team in Dimmitt. Several of us in the infamous class of '79 decided this would be a perfect way and excuse to get out of school on those lovely spring days! He said to get some clubs together and go out and practice on the driving range. What? Practice! Anyway, Jean Bradford, Kathy George, Diane Love, A'Lann Truelock, and I put our plan into motion. Before we knew it, others were joining in--always the diplomatic, Coach told others they could play too. Shellie Minnick, Angela Ross, and others became the first girls' golf team of Dimmitt, Texas.
We looked like "rag-a-muffins"--we didn't think to get matching t-shirts or caps or anything--we lathered up in baby oil thinking it would be the perfect day for a tan! Boy were we wrong! It turned out to be the worst windy, sandy day of the year! We were covered from head to toe with dirt, oil, sand, you name it--It was Olton, Texas--sandhills--it was so windy that Coach and other coaches didn't even play their usual round while we played. It was so sandy that they even let us tee it up in the fairway with a tee!
We toughed it out and eventually became district champions that year! Watch out regionals, here we come! We loaded up the van and who knows why we put our golf clubs on top. Halfway to Lubbock--someone had forgotten to zip their bag and golf balls started bouncing and clubs were flying off the van! I thought Kenneth was going to finally lose his cool, but he just calmly pulled over and said, 'Go gather everything up!' You have to because we sure don't have extras for anyone! We barreled out of the van and looked like we were on an Easter egg hunt. I swear I saw him wiping the tears out of his eyes from laughing so hard at the scene on the side of the road.
We made it to Lubbock--finally--and played our little hearts out! We didn't come in last--but next to last! We joked with Coach and said, 'Are you in this for next year?' and with that wonderful, reassuring smile, he replied, "Sure-- and we'll even get team shirts for you!" We were extremely grateful!
The next year we made it to the regional again and came in 4th from last. Deep down, I think he enjoyed his crazy, out of the ordinary golf adventures with the girls! Those special times with him will be etched in my memory forever! Several of us still play golf today and love every minute of it. Thanks Coach!"

Kenneth Cleveland: The Coach

Alan Steinle

“Some coaches demand respect—or else. Coach Cleveland commanded respect (what a difference…) Kenneth (nervous habit) picking the back of his head until it bled…I remember…chairs around the floor…kids along the rail…radio announcers on the floor at midcourt opposite the score table…people in line to get a seat when the doors opened…the gym full by the JV game…every team no matter how bad their record, playing their tails off to beat the “Bobcats” (to put a mark on their season) because it meant so much to beat Dimmitt…Libby giving instructions to Kenneth on what to eat…then after scouting a team, we would go to eat and Kenneth would always say, ‘Don’t tell Libby what I had…’ That would ‘tickle Kenneth to death,’ one of his favorite sayings…”

Bill Gregory — Class of ‘74

“Dimmitt Bobcat Basketball. For those of us who were lucky enough to experience it first hand, we understand the true meaning. Then there are still many more that have heard about it and know it was something special. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with some bankers from Dallas and San Antonio. Somehow the question came up about where I grew up. Well, it was no more than a second after I said Dimmitt than one of the gentlemen said, ‘Oh yes they always had a fantastic basketball team led by that great coach.’ I cannot tell you how many times I have encountered similar conversations with people from all over.
Thoughts that immediately come to mind are the roar of the crowds, white and purple uniforms, bus rides, fantastic and loyal fans, scoreboards ticking down, Sunday afternoons at the gym, D Club initiation (ouch), and Coach Cleveland having us run lines. Ah, the good ‘ol days.
I actually started thinking about little influences that have stuck with me over 37 years since I met Kenneth Cleveland. To this day, I still get up each morning and take one of those great tasting chewable vitamin C tablets that Coach would bring around to the players trying to keep us healthy. Far above the little things are the major influences we received such as the desire to succeed, confidence, and willingness to work together with other people to accomplish a bigger goal. I consider myself so lucky to have been a Dimmitt Bobcat under the guidance of Ken Cleveland. That is something that can never be taken away!”

Bobby Baker — 1967-1970

“In 1964 or 1965, the exact year eludes me now, when in sixth grade, my family moved to 1014 Grant Street in Dimmitt, TX. Once we had settled in, my father built a basketball goal in the driveway, away from the house. His reasons for this were many, but the primary one was to eliminate the tennis balls, baseballs and golf balls bouncing against the house. Throwing, bouncing, and catching a ball were almost a constant around me from my earliest memories.
In the evenings, after getting home from wherever—and in just about any temperature—I would grab a basketball and shoot goals or chase bad shots or dribble (never did enough of this) for many hours on end. The goal was supported by 12-foot tall 4x4s so splinters, scrapes and bruises were all part of the activity. As my skills increased and my interest failed to dwindle, I spent more hours with the driveway basketball court.
In school, there was always talk about the great Dimmitt Bobcats and how they dominated district play. Many of the games played in our driveway, to a standing room only crowd in this person’s imagination, were about playing for the Bobcats. And making the winning free throw, or lay up, or rebound, or save from out of bounds, or any other spectacular play as the moment required.
We did not attend games during this time so I really did not know any of the players or coaches. I just knew these guys were all talked about by friends that were important to me.
Where we lived on Grant Street was the second house off the circle down from the new high school. Many of the people at the school would drive by while the driveway games were at a fevered pitch. There was one car in particular that came by every school day and the gentleman in the car would always wave or toot his horn as he would turn on Grant St. One day, he stopped at the end of our driveway and rolled down the window. Times being different, I walked over to speak with him. He told me to shoot more free throws and to move to the left versus always moving to the right. He said bye and drove off. This would happen a few more times with each bit of advice being different than the last. He also offered compliments and encouragement every time. Finally, one day he said, “You keep this up and some day you will play basketball for me.” I told my dad about it and he said it was probably Coach Cleveland—and it was.”

Brad Glenn

“I think for most of us who were part of the very special program that was Dimmitt basketball, it has had an impact on our lives forever. To be associated with anything that is successful, honorable, and character-building has a way of shaping your personality and instilling values that stay with you. I will always have fond memories of those days.
Basketball was my life for six years during junior high and high school. All I wanted to do was play for Coach Cleveland. I understood back then that he was a special person, but I don’t think I really understood how special he was. Through the years, my appreciation for both of you has done nothing but grow. Coach was one of those rare people who always did everything with honor, integrity, and the best interest of everyone around him. He inspired all of us to be better by teaching and by his example. I have never spoken to anyone who did not hold him in high regard. And you were always there to support not only him, but all of us as well.
It was wonderful being a part of a winning tradition and all the great memories that go along with it. It has brought me a confidence in my life that has allowed me to be competitive and successful. But most of all, I feel privileged to have known you both. You and Coach were the program. You were the reason we all wanted to be part of it and you were the reason it was successful. So, more than anything else, I wanted to say thank you.”

Brad Holcomb — Class of ‘84

“I was fortunate enough to see Coach do some of his best work in 1984. After the 38-0 team, our Bobcat team was made up of mostly JV players. We had no Jeff Watts, John David King, Kevin Cleveland, Fermin Gonzales, or John Smiths on our team. With the exception of Dwight McDonald, we had the athleticism of a chess team! Coach scratched a REALLY big sore on top of his head that year. I remember countless stories from that year—a lot of frustration. Somehow Coach got us into the playoffs and then really went to work. Dwight hit that shot at the buzzer against Abernathy, and Coach Cleveland had taken a bunch of JV kids all the way to the State tournament!
I was asked to write a paper in college about someone who had been a major influence in my life. I had no problem picking a subject. I don’t have that paper—I wish I did. I wrote about how Coach Cleveland had taught me so many important things—pride, poise, perseverance. I remember lessons he taught me about not just winning, but winning the right way.
That gym holds some amazing memories for me. I remember standing in warm-ups watching Ed Teal from Abernathy jumping through the roof on the other end. I remember Kevin and the ’83 team making their opponents look silly. My uncle Butch used to wait on me to come out of the dressing room after games. I talked to him right there in that gym one Tuesday night and he was killed tragically the next day. I remember being able to hear every word that Rick Bell screamed no matter how loud the crowd was. Great place. Great coach. Great man!”

Charles Mclean — 1967-1971

“Shower boys: We were working out and Coach told us to shoot our free shots, and our practices always ended with free shots. So—we shot and went to the showers. Coach came in and wanted to know what we were doing. He said, ‘Get your stuff back on and don’t even dry off!’ Have you ever tried to put your socks on when your feet are soaking wet? We worked out a little longer and practice was then over. Coach said, ‘The shower boys, line up!’ We were still running when everyone else left the gym.
First Cuss Word: We were playing in Dimmitt, there was a bad pass, but I didn’t think it was my fault. The buzzer goes off and someone substitutes in for me. Coach always saves a spot beside him when you come out so he could talk to you. I took it upon myself to go to the end of the bench—bad mistake. I could see Coach leaning over and looking at me at the end of the bench. He got up and was coming to me. He leaned over and looked me in the eye and said, ‘Do you want to play anymore?’ I said, ‘Yes sir.’ He said, ‘Then get your ass up here by me!’
My first Caprock Tourney in 1969: Coach took 5 of us sophomores off of the JV team…we all had duplicate numbers of the varsity so we had the dreaded tape out. At half-time, we were headed to the dressing room and Coach stopped us and said there wasn’t enough room in the dressing room, and for us to just stay out on the court and shoot. We were out there shooting and the fans were giving us the business in our taped jerseys; I would have felt a lot better if we had just stayed in the hallway.
Austin 1971: When we went to state in ’71, we got beat by Hughes Springs in the semis, so that evening, several people from Dimmitt were at our hotel. We went to their room, but we decided we were too close to Coach’s room. We took some adult beverages and decided we would go under the bridge on Congress Street—which was near our hotel. Everything was going fine; we were sitting by the river, minding our own business, until one of Austin’s finest spotlighted us. He informed us that this was the most dangerous place in Austin and told us to get back to the hotel and not to come down here at night. Unknown to us, they had locked the hotel entry doors at midnight so we had to get the bellman to open the door. I think he called Coach’s room because I don’t know why Coach would have been up at 2 a.m. We were coming down the hall, being really quiet, when his door opened and he was standing in the hall with that arm-cross of his. He didn’t say a word, but he didn’t have to. Right then, I had visions of the ‘shower boys’ and told those guys as soon as we hit the city limits of Austin, when we were leaving, that the bus was going to stop and we were going to run all the way home to Dimmitt.
Old Man in the Glasses: We were playing outside in Lubbock against a tech Fraternity. We were going to midcourt for the jump and one of the Tech guys said, ‘I’ll take the old man in the glasses!’ Ebeling and I looked at Coach and made eye contact with him. And we said, ‘Old man in the glasses?’ We started laughing, but Coach did not see the humor in this. We fed him the ball all night and he proceeded to ear that kid out! They were arguing amongst themselves who was going to guard this old man. After the game, Danny walked up to the kid and said, ‘You did a good job on the old man; he averages about 34 a game and you held him to 32!’
Football Coach: When I was a sophomore, Coach Cleveland was my football coach. He would literally draw plays in the dirt. One game, we needed a first down, he took a lineman and put a number on him and ran him in a dive play to get the first down. The Chicago Bears must have been scouting us because they used Refrigerator Perry the same way in the Super Bowl in later years. He was the best football coach I had, and I know he enjoyed coaching football; he made it fun and enjoyable.
Watching Home Games: I would go to watch the high school games and would go tell Coach, ‘Good Luck’ and Coach would always tell me he had an extra uniform for me. And I would say, ‘Coach, you don’t need me.’ Since Coach has been gone, I haven’t been to that many games; it’s just not the same without the ‘old man in the glasses.’ As Bob Dylan says, ‘These times, they are changin’
Respect: I look back at Coach’s career, of 886 wins and 278 losses, and I’ve looked back and you can look at every team Coach had, except for a few players, and we never had any blue chippers, and we didn’t have the 5-star recruits. We just basically had average ball players. I have come to the conclusion that Dimmitt won all these games because of the respect of Coach and the will of us not wanting to disappoint Coach. And his coaching ability of average athletes. I am very thankful that I got to play for him, and if I would have had boys, I would have loved for them to play for him. I will cherish all of the times I spent with him on and off the court and I know someday I will probably see him again, and I am going to take him up on that extra uniform!”

Tony Mauldin

"Some of my best memories are, of course, the great games we played, but in addition, just our friendship and respect for each other. I remember the year you guys went undefeated and won state and when we came to the drum for your semi-final game, one coach was talking about how they had beaten us 4 times. (He did not know that I was from Morton). I remarked that Dimmitt was just flat-out the best team at state. He then said, 'They don't look that impressive.' I told him, yes, then the next thing you know you are down 13 and the game is over. About that time, you guys went on a run and I was able to say, 'See!' Lead had gone from 2 to 13 just like that. Best part was when you guys won state before us and when we arrived at the drum to have Dimmitt fans lined outside of the drum cheering for us as we entered below into the arena. What great respect we had for each other.
Also, I remember when we were together at TABC in Waco and people were surprised how good friends we were. I told them that, of course, I want to win--but there is not a classier and better coach than Ken Cleveland. I do remember asking Ken what he attributed to his success. Of course, he at first tried to defer to his kids, but I said, 'No, Ken, other people have better players or just as good and don't get this out of them. So what is the difference?' He thought for a long time and finally said, 'I guess it is simply access to the gym. My kids always have access tot he gym and I guess they have instilled in them the desire to work and play all the time.' Some great memories."

Terry Young, Class of '75

"I've thought a lot about Coach Cleveland over the years. Particularly this year, since my son is a freshman at Canyon High School and is exhibiting a talent for basketball. I remember how Coach taught us the proper way to shoot, how he rarely raised his voice, how he loved his Texas Longhorns, how he quietly dealt with player issues so as not to unduly embarrass a young person. Those are some of the many things I remember.
I can remember driving a tractor while still in junior high and listening to the Bobcats play Ralls an thinking how awesome that was. I was just a farm kid--never been anywhere to speak of and never really gave it much thought. Then, I got interested in basketball. The Dimmitt Bobcats in the regional playoffs! How cool was that! I remember watching the varsity players when I was in junior high and thinking how I couldn't wait to play varsity. I also remember when we got beat by Friona at Friona. I think it really made us wonder if we were good enough to win district. Then, Coach analyzed the tape and showed us exactly what we did wrong. Of course, that was followed up by the triple overtime game in Levelland. As far as I'm concerned, THAT was the state championship game. I remember how he taught us, 'Don't allow yourself to be in a position for the other team to beat you with a last second shot. Play as hard as you can every minute of the game, make every layup, sink every free throw. Then, you'll take charge of the game and won't suffer a bitter disappointment.'He was a master of the game; there is no doubt. But more importantly, he understood how to motivate young players and get the best out of them. A lot of coaches are good tacticians, but they don't have the personal qualities like Coach did.
The joy of being on that team has provided inspiration many times over the years. As I grow older, I realize more and more the importance of that experience. Learning how to do what's best for the team. Mustering the discipline required to practice on days you just didn't feel like it. Learning that a big part of being successful is believing in yourself and simply putting in the work required to make good things happen.
I will forever be grateful to Coach Cleveland for being the man he was. His commitment to us as players was like a father to a son. I appreciate the many hours he kept he gym open, the way he taught the game instead of just yelling at everyone, the way he protected us through the process so we could reach the pinnacle of a lifetime. I wished every kid could experience what we experienced. It was truly a special time and I cherish it very much. There are only a handful of people in this world I truly respect, and Coach Cleveland is one of those people. Without his guidance and leadership, I would have never "lived the dream." I hope your book goes well and I would love to read it sometime. if you ever get it published, please let me know.

Tait Crow

"What an honor and privilege it is to get to share my story about the biggest legend known to high school basketball. Many before me were blessed to have Kenneth Cleveland as a coach and as a friend. but so many will never know what it was like to be around a coach such as Kenneth-- you see, I was one of the last.
Kenneth had a different philosophy of coaching than most. You could bet if you made a mistake, you were coming out. But instead of telling you what you should of done, Coach Cleveland always asked questions first. 'What did you see?' 'Why did you think that would work?' He was always sincere in asking those questions because he truly wanted to know if you were seeing something he wasn't. I can't ever remember a time when I was correct. He always won the question and answer game. After the first couple of times, you knew you better have a good answer because a question was definitely going to get asked.
Coach Cleveland built a dynasty full of tradition. My junior year, I broke my ribs during football and had to miss a few basketball games early in the season. One game I missed, we had traveled to River Road. After pre-game, we are walking back to the dressing room. Coach Cleveland and I are walking together and are the last to walk out of the gym. As we turn to walk down the hall, two older guys are standing there. Not knowing Coach Cleveland and I were turning the corner, one of them says to the other, 'There goes years and years of basketball tradition.' I looked at Coach to see his reaction, but all he did was grin. What a feeling it was to be standing right next to the person who created all of this basketball tradition.
Coach Cleveland never received any technical fouls that I can remember except for one. We traveled to Seminole to play. Nothing was any different in this game than the others he had coached before. He never stood up; he just sat on the bench and continued to scratch his head until it bled. One of the officials had made a bad call. As the official made his way by the bench, Coach Cleveland said, "Bad call, BOZO." That was all it took for the official to give the technical sign. As Seminole was shooting free throws, we had huddled up to get instructions from Coach Cleveland. Thinking we're fixing to get some good advice, he walks up to us and says with a grin on his face, "Well, men, I just made that guy's day." Not many people can say they have ever given Coach Cleveland a technical, but that day, I'm pretty sure that official was determined to make the list.
Coach Cleveland passed away at the end of my junior year. Basketball my senior year was difficult. I played the whole year being lost, angry and asking the same old question, "Why?" Often, I would ask him, "What am I doing wrong?" But my questions always went unanswered. I remember playing the first game without Coach Cleveland in the Kenneth Cleveland gymnasium. As I ran onto the court, all I could think about was, 'I hope I can just get through it.' I knew from that point on that basketball would never be the same. Coach Cleveland was one of a kind and the world would be a better place if there were more Kenneth Cleveland's.

Steve Myatt-- Class of '75

"Cleveland Gym will always be a special place to me, but to be honest--not anywhere close to being as special to me as Coach was. My first memory of Coach was when we still lived at Abernathy, and I did not even suspect that we would ever move to Dimmitt. J.H. took Layne and I to a Dimmitt playoff game (Bobby Baker!) at Abernathy versus Lockney, I believe. J.H. pointed Coach out when we arrived and said, "There is the Dimmitt coach, Kenneth Cleveland...he is the best coach anywhere."
Probably the best feeling I ever had was after the Christmas break of my 8th grade year. I had come to Dimmitt as the best player on Abernathy's team and couldn't even crack the top 10 at Dimmitt in the 7th grade. J.H. kept telling me to work very hard and try to impress Coach and catch his eye. It happened the first workout after Christmas break during my 8th grade year. Over the holiday period, I had worked SO hard and practiced in the indoor barn gym J.H. had made. Our barn had a heater, a cement floor, and a basketball goal that J.H. had put up. He cleaned out that part so we would have room to play. I practiced and practiced to try to learn how to shoot the ball like Mark Wohlgemuth and make moves like Kent Bradford. The first practice back after the break, I did well. Coach called me over after practice and said, "Steve, what did you do over the holidays?" I said, "I practiced basketball all day, every day, Coach!" And then he said a simple thing that is still with me: "I can tell how hard you worked, Steve." That's all it took. I was hooked. I was now a Bobcat! I still didn't start on the 8th grade team, but I played more. I didn't even start as a 9th grader on the freshman team, but I kept working, and kept getting more and more playing time. By my sophomore year, I started on the JV and spent all the time in the gym I possibly could. By my senior year, I had worked so hard for so long and dreamed of being a Bobcat and going to state, that it just seemed natural. Unbelievable memories!"

Steve Lunsford

"I remember the orange slices and orange juice. I used to think Mrs. Cleveland worked so hard at giving us little things--such as towels with our name on them, the yard signs, the jewelry boxes with 38-0 on it, and just letting us goof off in class on game day after we finished our work. I remember the crowd cheering and the stands being full for every game. I remember being one of the film guys the year before, yelling and cheering, not caring that we sounded dorky when the team watched it on Monday. I love being remembered for saying "CATS" instead of AMEN in the huddle before the game. I was so embarrassed, but when Coach asked the team who they wanted to shoot the technical free throw at the state championship game, the last point ever for that historic year, they all said, "CATS!" Thanks for the memories."

Rex Brown

"Wow! I am sure many more memories will come to me, but I remember being mesmerized by those glorious state championship banners, which were shaped in the state of Texas--and wanting so badly for my name and team to be up there with the others. Well...Cleveland High School had something to say about that; 57-56 in the 1986 finals. That one STILL hurts...and I can hear the Bell Brothers yelling, "Getting the Ball!" from the front row...and I can still see Coach Cleveland's University of Texas ring as our hands joined together in the huddle."

"Without a doubt, I would not be coaching today without Coach Cleveland's influence. He made an unforgettable and lasting impression on me as a young man. Aside from my parents, who are my biggest influences in life, I cannot think of anyone who made a greater impact on my life as a young person than Coach Cleveland.
I know my basketball teammates would agree that we all had a strong desire to play for, perform at a high level for and please Coach Cleveland in every way. We wanted to be the best team we could possibly be and maintain the long and rich tradition of Dimmitt Bobcat Basketball. We were all willing to sacrifice something to be the best.
Words I feel are synonymous with Coach Cleveland: respect, confidence, intelligence, passion, poise and love.
My networking as a coach reveals the same thing over and over: Everyone knows and respects the legend of Coach Cleveland. Many people have asked me about him and have said the 1983 Bobcats are the best team they have seen at the state tournament. I was there when the '82 Bobcats were honored. The standing ovation Coach and his team received was moving. I wish he could have been there.
These attitudes would not have prevailed had it not been for Coach Cleveland's coaching style and respect he had for all of us. aside from knowing a great deal about basketball, he also knew how to bring out the best in people and get them to play together for a common good and goal. Being a coach myself, I know this is not easy task. He did this all by rarely raising his voice, respecting his players, and knowing how to push just the right buttons at the right time.
I know if you asked anyone to describe a basketball utopia, images of Dimmitt, Texas would immediately surface. We had it all! We had the expectation of winning each time we stepped on the floor. We had a standard of excellence created by Coach Cleveland. We had a wonderful resource of ex-players to practice against. We had the spirit and tradition of previous teams to remind us of how important basketball was. We had the greatest fans. The best home court advantage imaginable. We had the front row gang. Rick Bell's piercing voice is as recognizable today as my 10 month old Riley's cries. We had the standard of chasing Abernasty, as my dad called them, Seminole, Perryton winning streaks, fantastic finishes, stunning defeats, heart-breaking losses, game-winning shots, trips to Austin, and we had you! No one was a bigger supporter than you! You were there very step of the way! Not just on game day, but year round. Best of all...we had fun playing the game and being a Bobcat.
We have hundreds of wonderful memories because we lived the ultimate basketball experience. Everything had a meaning and was filled with tradition and importance. The uniform, the court, our teammates and our coach are all still important to the Dimmitt Bobcats.
We have the memories of watchign some of the best teams and individuals play the game. My heroes in life: Roger Staubach, Earl Campbell, Larry Bird and the Dimmitt Bobcats. Just to name a few: Rocky Rawls...Coach Cleveland often said, "I could take Rocky Rawls and the 4 worst players in the gym, and still win!" Mark Summers...Jeff Bell...Johnny Hampton...Jim Birdwell...Dennis Veal...Keith Crum...Jerry Schaeffer...Kevin Cleveland....Phil King...John Smith. I hope the last game is a great one. That gym is the finest I have ever seen.

Ronnie Kenmore, Class of '67

"Before I get started with my basketball experiences in Dimmitt, I want to tell you a story about my wife, Connie and Kevin Cleveland. Connie began teaching at Richardson Elementary while I was in Vietnam. new to the community of Dimmitt, she did not know many people and the links to the Cleveland family. She taught a second grade class starting in January 1972. While she was giving a spelling test, a young boy told her while she was walking up and down the rows of second graders that he was born when Ronnie played ball. Not having a clue who this boy was and the weird statement during a spelling test made her wonder. After the class went to recess, she went to the teacher's lounge and told about the boy that made such a strange statement during a spelling test. Everyone laughed and began explaining the connection between Ronnie and Kenneth Cleveland--and his son Kevin.
I can remember that Connie and I had not been in Dimmitt too long and a bunch of us went over to the Cleveland's and watched our basketball films. That was a fun time together! My senior year, we finished football on Friday night and our first game was with Channing on Tuesday. That was one of three games we lost that year. by the way, Channing was the state champion in class B that year. The 2nd loss was to a class 5A team in the Plainview tournament and we fell to Hardin-Jefferson in the state tournament finals by a score of 59-51. What a great ride we had! Our team faced several te3ams that had more raw talent to bring out the best in each of his players. Our tallest player was 6'2" so due to our rather small-sized team, we had to press and run and gun. Hence, we were nicknamed the Prairie Bandits.
One of the best comebacks I can remember happened in the playoff game with Abernathy. We were down double digits with just under 2 minutes and won with the last shot. This game was played in Plainview and there was a rather high rail that separated the seating from the floor and guess what--Libby came flying over the top of that rail onto the floor-- I couldn't believe it!
Early on in junior high, we were taught and worked on fundamentals so when we got to high school, we were able to slide right into Kenneth's program. Not only was it hard work we put in during workouts, but we learned a lot having pick-up games. Even coach would get out there and play with us--and by the way, he could shoot that ball!
During the summer, several Ex's would be back in town and we would go to the gym and play basketball. There was never a problem getting a game up because we always had a key to the gym.
Our junior year, we were defeated in the regional finals and we were given the opportunity to go watch the state games. It was the best thing that could have happened as we dedicated our senior year to going to state--"The Big House." Playing at state is an experience that I will never forget. Even though we lost in the final game, we were winners in many other ways.
The real testament and influence of how Kenneth touched so many lives was displayed at his funeral. The whole gym was filled to capacity and the floor was completely covered with family, friends, and past Bobcat players. He was truly a Hall of Fame coach. What an honor to be a part of the Bobcat family! I will forever be grateful for Kenneth helping me with the opportunity to be able to go to college on a scholarship and get an education and meet my wife, Connie. Thank you for the memories!"

Scott Moran, Manager '65-66; Player '66-'68

"All of us have fond memories of people and events in our past. All of us have special people who come across our paths and impact us in significant ways. You and Kenneth have been two of the people in my life whose influence has been significant. Your lives were models of integrity, honesty and excellence lived out in front of very impressionable young students and an entire community. All of us looked to you both for guidance and direction ever since 1962, when you moved to Dimmitt. We who were your students and team members were richly blessed by two of the finest educators of our day. I was certainly not a great athlete having played only one year for Kenneth as a senior on the '67-'68 team. That team had a 26-9 record, 14-0 in district and lost in bi-district playoffs. I was a student manager for the '65-'66 team that went 25-12 and lost in the regional finals and on the great '66-'67 team that was 34-5 and lost in the state championship in Austin.
Kenneth liked the way I kept stats and in most games in the '65-'66 and the '66'-'67 season, I sat by him on the bench and he instructed me on rebounds, credits, mistakes, shots attempted and made, and points scored on. My folks missed very few games, so I watched as a youngster almost all teams.
Memory 1: TECH. The first memory I would like to share is sitting beside Coach Cleveland when he got the only technical foul I ever saw him get. Maybe he got others, but it is the only one I know about because I was there. He always showed incredible restraint and poise on the bench, seemed to never get flustered or angry--even when calls may not have been correct. In the year 1967, the '66'-'67 team that went all the way to the state finals had a fairly tough district game in Hale Center. Dimmitt won, but it was close and the game was not being called particularly well. I was sitting next to Kenneth, and he turned to me in a very controlled voice and said, "You know, Scotty, I just wish they would call it the same way on both ends of the floor." He wasn't angry, and he did not direct his words at the ref, but a ref who called a lot of our games overheard his comment to me and T'd him up! Kenneth just shook his head and smiled. If I'm not mistaken, it may be the only technical he got.
Memory 2: FLYOVER. Later in '67, that great team played a one-game district championship playoff game against Abernathy at the Plainview gym. My recollection is that we won by one point in the last few seconds. Again, I was sitting next to Kenneth and over the top rail of the stands, from about 9 feet above us, came flying out of the stands a very excited and quite athletic Coach's wife onto the floor. You hugged and kissed him and Big John Howell, Billy Glidewell, Kent Lindsey, Tommy Stafford and Ronnie Kenmore, the seniors on the floor at the end of that great game. Although you were still quite young and very agile, that bunch played about 4 or 5 one or two point games in a row on the way to state, and must have given a Coach and his wife a few gray hairs.
Memory 3: CHECKERS. Coach Cleveland rarely was beaten even by great players in a game of horse or 21. He was an amazing free throw shooter, and he would generally taken on all comers. He also loved to play checkers, and I recall Doug hays and I frequently challenging him to a game of checkers. I never beat him; How about you, Doug? Did ANYONE?
Memory 4: ALGEBRA. Not only was Kenneth one of the finest high school coaches in America, he was a superb math teacher. I wasn't an honor student, but my sister was DHS valedictorian in '65 and she said he was the finest math instructor she ever had.
Memory 5: FREE THROWS. I heard Kenneth say on more than one occasion taht there is a reason they are called "free" and you should be able to make them. Our '67-'68 team was a fair free throw shooting team, but Ronnie Huckaby and I needed extra attention at the foul line. I recall that Kenneth had us shoot free throws at the end of practice, after wind sprints and running lines because he said that is when you shoot them in a game--when you are tired and winded, not when you are fresh. So, he devised a drill whereby you had to make 100 free throws, and every one you made counted one point, but a miss counted minus two! So, if you do the algebra, you had to shoot better than 67% to be in the plus area, and to get to 100 that way was not easy. I recall being at the old gym (which was later named for Kenneth) one night late after practice as Huckaby and I were struggling to get to 100, with Kenneth patiently rebounding our errant shots and helping us count. Huckaby may have gotten to 100, but at about 9 p.m., Kenneth told me to head on home and that although I never got to 100, that he knew I would make them when they really counted.
The next week we played Olton at home in the only tough district game we had that year. Dough hays or Jerral Seale fouled out of that game and much to my surprise, Kenneth put me in with the score tied. The Olton coach must have known about my free throw shooting challenges because I was intentionally fouled. Kenneth called time out and just like in Hoosiers, winked at me and said, "These really count, and I know you will put 'em in the hole because I know how hard you've been practicing." I rarely made two in a row and rarely got nothing but net-- but with Kenneth's encouragement and wink, I hit two and got nothing but net. We won 60-58. Kenneth had great players and great teams, and although this was a very small achievement, it was the highlight of my limited career.
Memory 6: ENCOURAGEMENT. Kenneth was incredibly sensitive and kind. I was a very skinny, sickly student manager who suddenly shot up to almost 6'2" as a senior in '67-'68. All five starters off the great state final team graduated and our bunch was going to be a project. I went to Kenneth and asked him if I could try to play my senior year. He told me he would give me a chance and looked me straight in the eyes and told me I would probably play very little, but if I did precisely what he said, I would get to play. I recall him telling me to always keep my arms up in the 1-2-2 zone defense, not to shoot further than a free throw and only if I was wide open, and to go hard for every rebound and if I could hit 70% free throws, he would play me. I ALWAYS kept my arms fully extended in the 1-2-2 zone, I NEVER shot further than a free throw and only if wide open, I went hard for every rebound, and at years end, my free throws were at 69.4%, and two that really counted got Kenneth's wink.

Ricky Hunter, Class of '77

"At the time it happened it wasn't funny, but now looking back, I laugh every time I think of it...1977 senior year...we were in Canyon playing, at halftime we had 11 points-- that's right-- 11 points. Me and Kevin went in and set up the jello (like we always did)....the guys came in and a couple of them already had both hands full of the jello cups. Coach came in...and I promise I never saw him this upset...his face was red and he said (in a very loud voice), "THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST HALF OF BASKETBALL I HAVE EVER SEEN A DIMMITT TEAM PLAY...GET OUT THERE AND SHOOT!" That was it, and he said nothing else-- shortest halftime speech of all time. We made a run at them in the second half, but 30 points was too much to make up. One of the 3 games we lost that year. By the way, the 3 years that I was associated with the team ('75, '76, '77) there were 96 wins, 8 losses. I still dislike Morton...went through there last summer-- bad memories."

Randall Lunsford, '77-'78

"I was as skinny kid back then and wasn't very good at basketball, but the first game I remember made me really want to be a Bobcat. It was the triple overtime game between Dimmitt and Friona in 1975. this game was for the district championship and back then, only one team went to the playoffs. This game was more exciting than any I have ever watched before or since. My family went to the state tournament that year and watched Dimmitt beat Van Vleck in the old Gregory gymnasium. It seemed like every game of the playoffs was close, but the image of a cool Coach Cleveland was always prevalent during every game. After that, I wanted to play for Coach.
There are several other games that I will probably never forget. When I was on JV, we played at home against Morton and the gym was packed during our game, which began 3 hours before the varsity game. I watched as a very talented Dimmitt team lost to Morton and kept Dimmitt out of the playoffs. Dimmitt lost only two games that year, both to Morton, and didn't make the playoffs. Morton won state easily. Coach Cleveland never lost his composure and was gracious in defeat.
The very next year (1978), Dimmitt went to the state championship and was playing Whitehouse. They were heavily favored, but Dimmitt went into the 4th quarter with a 20-point lead. Dimmitt lose the game by one point and the players were devastated. Still, Coach Cleveland never lost his composure and was gracious in defeat.
In 1983, I witnessed an undefeated season for the Bobcats. They easily won every playoff game, but the games with Abernathy were very intense. Coach never looked nervous and never lost control of his temper. In the state championship game, I'll never forget Kevin and Coach hugging when Kevin came out of the game. That told me a lot about the father that Coach was.
As a player for Coach, I never heard him cuss. I very rarely saw him mad. During the off-season, he never minded us coming by to get the key to the gym so we could shoot. And he was still a heck of a player when he joined in on pickup games.
We also never ran lines or gassers. WE ran the full court press for 30 minutes a day and that's how you kept in shape. You always looked forward to practice as much as you did games. I wasn't good enough to play a lot my senior year, but it was an honor just to be on the team. You were always learning under Coach. I coached my boys in baseball and basketball for many years when they were young. I always tried to coach like Coach Cleveland, with composure and dignity, but I never could coach like him. I wished my sons had the privilege to play for him. He was a great basketball coach, and an even better man."

Patrick McDonald

"My first meeting with Coach Cleveland was when I was in 8th grade. I went to the gym on a Sunday with my big brother (at the time he was bigger). I shot the ball on the sideline while the high school kids played on the court and Coach watched them. I heard him ask who I was. Dwight told him I was his little brother. Coach came over and showed me how to shoot the ball correctly (I was shooting with both hands at the time).
The summer before my sophomore year, I jogged from my house to Coach Cleveland's house to get the keys to the gym and then jog to the gym, would practice for 5 hours and then jog back to his house to give him the keys back, then jog home. Toward the end of the summer, he gave me a set of keys to the gym, and told me I was going to get to play if I kept up the work ethic I showed over the summer. I have to assume it didn't hurt that I had grown from 5'6" tall from the last day of school as a freshmen to 6'1" as a sophomore. I remember being told by Coach that I would be on varsity. I really thought he was joking because the last year (freshman year) was my first year starting. (In 7th grade, I was the 29th player on a 29-player team). After about 10 games, I became a starter on the varsity. I remember being told by some of the seniors on the team to carry their bags. I refused and Coach Cleveland walked up and asked what I thought about it. I told him that they were seniors, and I respect that-- but I am a starter and they should respect that. Coach started laughing and walked away, and I followed him, leaving the seniors standing there. I remember asking coach to put me on JV to play with my classmates. They had lost only 2 or 3 games, and we lost a total of about 13 on varsity. Coach told me he wouldn't put me on JV because I would not improve. I just wanted to win; I hate losing. WE made it to the state tournament that year, losing to the eventual champions. The first game of my junior year, we played Hereford and won. I scored 4 points. I was happy we had won. On the bus ride home, we were all laughing and joking and Coach turned the lights on the bus, and asked me in front of everyone why I was so happy. Coach told me I was the leader of this team and I better step up and act like it. Scoring 4 points is nothing to be happy about. Then, he walked to the front of the bus and cut the lights out. You could have heard a pin drop. Coach began pushing me harder in practice, and I gave more because I didn't want to let him down. WE lost in the regional finals that year to Seminole by 17 points. Coach told us he was proud of what we had accomplished. I knew he was disappointed. During the summer league before my senior year, he put James Alexander and Jeremy Warren on my summer league team. We became very dominate. I really think the refs would give the other team calls to make games harder for us on purpose (by Coach's design). Coach had such a great sense of humor. I remember him and Coach Rasor walking down the hall one morning and taking a picture with Warren (my younger brother), and just before the picture was taken, they both turned around and put their back to the camera at the same time.
Before my senior year, Coach pulled me aside and told me that college coaches would be scouting me at games. Coach told me that Kevin (his son) ha been named player of the year for the state his senior year and he expected the same from me. I actually did achieve that goal, but had never thought about it until coach put it in my head to accomplish that goal. That year, walking into the gym on game days (usually by the end of the 1st quarter of the girl's game) was exhilarating. The fans packed into that small gym. The fans made you feel like you were some type of rock star. The atmosphere of that gym and the Dimmitt fans is hard to find even today at high school games. I remember having to do stretching exercises in the dressing room with the team led by Beth (Coach's daughter). I hated stretching and Coach knew it. Beth would always make sure I was participating.
Coach would tell us to close our eyes and envision the game before we played. To envision shooting free throws, and make them. To mentally play the game before the game. The overall atmosphere and mindset of a Bobcat player was just to BELIEVE. WE believed we could and should beat everyone. The system Coach Cleveland set up was all about Pride and Poise. It's amazing to me now. I have friends from college that I played with or against, and are now coaches. They have come to see me and asked how Coach Cleveland ran his practices, game day practices, and just the overall program to be as successful as he was. I tell them he has had some good players, a few great players-- but overall, a system that once in place it can't fail. Coach put a great coaching staff around himself, and made the community feel like they were a part of the team. The excitement level of Dimmitt basketball during my senior year (1986) and before then is still talked about all across Texas--even today!"

A letter from Patrick McDonald

"Hello, Libby, how are you doing? I'm doing just fine. I'm tired all the time! We get about 4 hours of sleep a night! All the time I was in high school and college I was a slacker. I did just enough to get by. I never studied, and I didn't push myself as hard as I should've or could've in basketball. I know I wasn't trying hard then, but for some reason, it didn't matter. It was like I knew I could if I tried, so why try. Now it's if I don't give 110% I won't have to worry about anything! Being in the army has made me grow up. I look for challenges now, and if I learned one thing in high school, it was Pride and Poise. I truly believe I can do anything I set my mind to with the help of God! In my mind, the thought of coming back not well and healthy is not a possibility! This is the biggest challenge I've ever faced. In high school, I never thought we could be beat. That's the Bobcat attitude that I grew up with. That's Dimmitt basketball! I never thought we could be beat, but I didn't fully prepare. You can rest assured that I am really prepared and ready to meet the challenge! The pride and poise I took onto the court shall be with me on the battlefield! Libby, I really appreciate the warm-ups you got my "thin hype." I love them to death! My grandmother told me you got the warm-ups, and put up some type of note or something for the kids to write. I really appreciate it! Mail is extremely valuable here! I'd like to write some of my classmates, but I don't have the addresses. Well, we're moving from this position in about an hour so I'd better end this letter. Tell everyone hello and thanks for me! You all take care! And don't worry! Warren and I shall return!"

"Hello Coaches, Yes, I'm in Saudi! The big beach party! It's very different! The days are very hot and the nights are extremely cold! We're 9 hours ahead of Texas time. I hope the war starts soon. This is truly a God-forsaken hell hole! I never really challenged myself in school or basketball. This...this is a true challenge! I haven't been able to shower for the past 3 days! Three will soon turn to 14! That's what we've been told. You were told to buy as many wet wipes as possible before we came. I got the last 6! They are going fast! We are to get hot meals every 46 days. We eat M.R.E.'s-- that's meals ready to eat! It comes in a plastic bag. Dehydrated everything! WE have a 300-mile road march in our tracks and then we'll be set. We'll be 23 miles from Kuwait! My company is set to attack the Iraqi's best men. My platoon is leading the company! Aren't I just a luck guy. we'll strike by air first. That should do in about 60% of them. Then, we'll roll through. The waiting is the hardest part! Tempers are escalating! Lot of people went AWOL before we got here! I'm not worried too much. The only thing I worry about is that I was 18 months old when my father was killed in Vietnam. My kids will be 15 months old on January 6th. Other than that, I have no doubts! I'm 99.99999% sure upon my healthy return! I saw Warren yesterday. His company was` running by while we were training. Well, it's late, and I have to get up at 0400! Good luck this season!"

John Brooks

"Dear 1983 Bobcats, I have a new wallpaper on my computer at home. I went to UIL Web site to get an update on the state tournament. When I saw the honor teams were the 1983 champions, well, I was pleased. So there is that picture of those good, old plain uniforms, George looking the same as ever, Steinle with long hair, and Kenneth with that shirt and tie.
After I downloaded the picture and put it on my desktop, I had to tell my wife who everyone was. Her comment over and over was, "Alan Steinle wore his hair that long?!" I was proud to be able to tell her everyone's names, tell her the story of how some of those Bobcats overcame some disappointments in 1980 and 1981 to win state in 1982, then kick the absolute crap out of everyone in 1983. And how that guy over there pulled a newspaper out of his trunks in Abernathy and is now the principal at Hereford High School, and that guy over there was the first-ever winner of the Leslie Cazzell Big Play of the Year Award for plunging a red-hot knife into Carl Irbeck's heart (and into Cletus as well!) in 1984, and how the movie "White Men Can't Jump" was based on this guy (John David) back here. Had to tell her that part wasn't altogether true, but it was close. Oh...had to tell her one of the most important cogs, Libby, wasn't in the photo, but ya'll couldn't have done without her.
Then I read Lance's column to her and told her that yes, the gym used to be open by about 1 p.m. every Sunday and no, you didn't HAVE to go there-- but if you wanted to be a better player you did, and if you were a former player you were supposed to go because the former players before you went and helped you become a better player.
Then I pulled out this cassette recording that isn't from 1983...it's from 1982. Oh wait, there was a small little play in there, of Fermin getting kicked in the nads by that guy from El Paso at the regional tournament. Anyway, she got to hear the OT game vs. Denver City and the stories about teh other games, the OT with Littlefield one year, and the next year Littlefield scared to play real basketball and Lonnie what's-his-face standing in the forecourt with the ball while I go back to my Thelma McMinn education and recite the Prologue to Canterbury Tales--in Middle English--for all those listeners on KDHN. I am so honored to have been a small part of that. Thank you for all of that, and for all the great memories of the past 25 years, and more years to come."

"I was watching a show tonight after the WCC championship with Gonzaga. It was ESPN's best buzzer beaters in the NCAA tournament. It got me thinking about some of my faves under Kenneth. Honorable mention goes to the 2002 Bobcats. I think he was watching from above to get the Bobcats through that season. Austin sherman won the Big Play of the Year Award for that shot against Shallowater, and that was the day my life realized I had been telling the truth about Dimmitt basketball. Ok, here are my choices. I'm not going to rank them. They were ALL good.
--Phil King, 1982. Kevin's shot was just a little short. Phil, portrayed so well by Woody Harrelson in "White Men Can't Jump," didn't have to jump. The lane had already been cleared. he got the rebound, put it in the hole. Like NC State a month earlier, Dimmitt wasn't supposed to win state. We had lost 10 games that year. Side effect: a month later, I am sitting in the Pit in Albuquerque. I was going nuts at the end of the game, but, hey, thanks to these guys, I had seen this before. So sorry Jim Valvano--the Bobcats did it first, and did it better. I mentioned this one first because it DID mean we won the state championship.
--Danny Ebeling, 1971. Dimmitt vs. Morton to go the playoffs. First sold out, SRO, keep-the-fire-marshal-out-of-here crowd at the Texan Dome. For all you youngsters, back in our day, only one team went to the playoffs. Morton was in the lead in the last minute. Elton Patton stole the ball and was on his way for a breakaway layup or dunk or something. Gib Weaver called him for traveling. Bobcats worked the ball around for about 30 seconds. Four seniors, one junior on the floor. Danny was the junior. The ball went to him at the top of the key. Jump. Shoot. Nothing but the bottom of the net. Side effect: Bobcats went on to beat the team that might have been best in the state in our class, Phillips, by 10 points in the regional finals. Side effect: When Christian Laettner did it for Duke vs. Kentucky, we could all say, "Hey, that was almost as good as that shot Danny Ebeling made..."
--Dwight McDonald, 1984. Playing Abernathy in the Bubble in Lubbock in the regional finals. Abernathy had won both games in district. Bobcats had won previous two state championships, but didn't have a prayer in this one. Right, Carl? Anyway...we hung around...and hung around...and it was a one-point game in the final seconds. Much like the deal with Danny in 1971, Dwight shoots and swishes. Dwight wins the Leslie Cazzell Big Play Award from Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame. Side effect: They almost did it again in the state semi-finals. New Boston won by one over the Bobcats on Thursday, 60-59; New Boston won by an easy 11 on Saturday to go undefeated.
--Any shot in 3 OTs versus Friona, 1975...which was good practice for any shot in 3 OTs versus Denver City, 1982. Ok, those are some of mine. There are some others: a shot in a game at the Caprock Tournament that helped ensure 38-0 instead of 37-1
comes to mind."

John Brooks, Continued

"Back in the olden, olden days, like the 1960s and even the 1970s, Dimmitt played high schools from towns which weren't even a spot on a map. McAdoo was good. Heck, they won Caprock before we did. (Speaking of Caprock, name the school which has appeared the most times in the finals. Here's a hint: they are NOT from Lubbock County.) McAdoo had this fella, Johnny Ray Watson. Oh, was he something. Played the piano and sang even better. Went on to become a singing evangelist, appeared with Billy Graham. Adrian--the Matadors! In their t-shirts, not jerseys--and Hartley didn't have football so they could start full-fledged practices as soon as school started.
Speaking of teams wearing t-shirts for jerseys: one of the big upsets no one talks about is the thrashing of Phillips in 1971. Phillips wasn't even a real town. It was a company town, owned by Phillips 66. Contrary to rumors you might here elsewhere, they did NOT recruit. They may have hired folks who had good players as kids, but they did NOT recruit. Just because this high school, virtually the same size as Dimmitt, produced Olympians and All-Americans and such does not mean they cheated. Nope.
Anyway, here was Phillips just beating the heck out of everyone. They had a guy almost 7-feet tall, Randy Jarnigan, who could play. They had another fella, 6'6" John Hill, who could play. Those were just two of a really, really good bunch. They had Ed Moore who could coach and who I would later find out was a really, really great guy.
But...he couldn't outcoach Kenneth. Randy and John and those guys may have out-heighted Dimmitt, but they couldn't outsmart or outplay the Bobcats.
Maybe no one talks about THAT game because Dimmitt just thoroughly crushed Phillips. No prisoners taken. None. Dimmitt's tallest was Kent Bradford. Ken was maybe 6'4" on a good day. I swear Max Newman grew six inches right after he graduated. No way could we stay with 'em, right?
Who knows, maybe Phillips could have gone to state and competed with the Royal twins a little more evenly--perhaps even beaten Hughes Springs. We'll never know. (Oops, had a pride and poise lapse there for a minute.)
I went to college with John and Randy (there is that Glen Whitis connection again!) When we met, they asked me where I was from. They only asked me once. They each shared with me how the biggest disappointment of their lives to that point was losing to Dimmitt in that regional final.
Ten years later, I am living in Plainview. John Hill is the baseball coach at Plainview High School. Ed Moore was the defensive coordinator for the Plainview football teams. There was one topic that was off-limits: Dimmitt 50, Phillips 40, 1971 Regional Finals.
Speaking of pride and poise, I have been almost thrown out of three basketball games. Closest I came was at a tournament in the early 1980s. I was on the radio--well, not really, I was on cable--doing a game from the Caprock tournament. The game before us was really chippy and one of the coaches was ejected for getting two technicals. The coach probably deserved 80, but what the heck.
Anyway, we are in the next game and the guy who had the run-in with the coach was one of our referees. We had a little patch there where if Kenneth was ever going to pull a Bobby Knight this was the time. The guy came on down past where I was sitting there at the Coliseum. Why I said this I don not know, other than it was true. "Hmmm, looks to me like maybe that other coach from the game before this was right." Oh, Mike Hunter was FURIOUS. "I'm going to throw you out of here. Now where are you from?" Mike was a pretty good official, but somehow this other guy had not only gotten under his skin, but had triggered something. I had just re-triggered it. Mike knew where I was from, but he asked em anyway. I told him I was from..Abernathy or Morton or heck maybe even Friona. That made him laugh. Made me laugh. he knew I had just storied to him, and I knew he knew I had just storied to him. We both also got another one of the Kenneth Looks: you two are crazy and I don't know sometimes why I have anything to do with you. It was a look most players had seen and, if they are lucky, never received it. Another one where Kenneth didn't have to say a thing. Like me and Mike, we knew he knew and we weren't real proud of it.
Like others, like the stare, like sitting next to him on the bench when he has just taken you out of the game and being ignored for a minute because he was so mad at you that if he had been less of a man he would have coached the life out of you at midcourt at a Dimmit-Morton game, he got over it quickly. Said--or didn't say--his piece and moved on. Kenneth carried fewer grudges than a thousand popes.
That doesn't mean he necessarily immediately forgot. In 1973, we had a great chance to beat Friona at Friona. This was the Friona team that went to the state finals in 1974 and lost to us in triple overtime in 1975. Anyway, one of the reasons was because someone couldn't hit a free throw. This was in the day before Hack-a-Shaq was popular, but this one person who shall remain nameless. His name was not David or Norman or Paul or Billy or Darrell--just think of the complications if it had been Darrell, and it would be remiss of me to fail to mention no animals were harmed in the writing of this, not even a pair of birdlegs!-- or even Gilbert Espinoza.
Next day, I drive over to the old North Grade School gym where the JV practiced. The varsity stayed at the high school. We had the JV practice then drove back to the high school. The varsity was still there. Shooting free throws. Word soon got around that when about 150 million free throws were made the varsity could go home. I went in and hung with the varsity managers for a while then went into the coaches office where I was included in more than one domino game. Every now and then Coach Cleveland would stick his head out and look.
A couple years later, there were oodles and gobs of freshmen. So many there were three teams at some points, playing in three different tournaments. One of them was this skinny kid with glasses who couldn't hardly play his way out of a paper bag. He was on the freshman C team, and those were about the only games he played all year. He was a two-time All-Stater named Rocky Rawls. Went on to play college ball. Went on to coach in the state tournament. Back in Rocky's days, of course, the big games were with Morton. We would beat them once, they would beat us once, sometimes they would win the playoff, sometimes we would win the playoff. Then the UIL decided to start sending two teams to the playoffs. Anyone else wonder how many more state championships we mighta coulda won if it had been that way, say, 15 years before. Anyway, Morton came to town. The gym was packed. We played those games for a couple years at the Texan dome, remember, because we could sell out the Texan Dome for a little 'ol district game.
The Dimmitt fans were sure we were best, but it would be a close game. The Morton fans were sure they were best, but it would be a close game. We were all wrong. We beat the crud out of them. Dan Smith, the Morton coach, furiously snapped his towel onto the floor and got T'd up ( I think it was by Jimmy Chennault, but it might have been Jerry Sarchet). Next day I was doing "The Trading Post" on KDHN. The Trading Post was sponsored by Taylor & Sons. "Here's our first item up for sale on today's trading post. It's a basketball team, pretty abused and badly beaten, please call Dan Smith at Morton High School." The phone rang during the first commercial break. It was the manager at Taylor & Sons, a good friend of mine whose voice went higher and higher as he got excited. "Brooks! What have you done? What are you doing? You can't sell a basketball team, you idiot," laughed Larry Rawls, Rocky's dad."

"Back in the olden days, and this was about 1971, the football team made a field trip to a Texas Tech home game. Coach Cleveland was driving our bus. I was sitting right in behind him, or maybe in the front right hand seat. Anyway, everyone was acting up pretty bad, and Coach Cleveland told everyone to simmer down or he was going to stop the bus and make everyone run, no questions asked. Just think of some of the people who were probably on this bus. Jerry Matthews, Charles McLean, David Nino. Pat Barrios. Rocky Kay. Hollis Annen. A bunch of comedians.
A few miles down the road, in the middle of the Sand Hills south of Springlake. Right in the area of the two curves, Coach Cleveland got that special smirky little smile. He pulled the bus over to the side of the road. This was very soon after they had repaved that part of the road through most of Lamb County. "All right, I'm tired of you guys not listening. Let's go." No one got up for a minute. Finally, someone did, and started jogging south. Greg Hall. Pat Barrios got out. He went over and made a big production out of pulling one of those brand new posts with the reflectors out of the ground. It was very funny: Coach Cleveland was laughing so hard I thought he was gonna bust a gut. He told Pat to get in the bus and let's go. But where was Greg? Not everyone remembers, I'm sure, that Coach Cleveland had a very special sense of humor. he inched the bus around the curve and there was Greg, crippled leg and all, jog-limping down the road. Coach kept the bus at a safe distance but was following Greg. He didn't speed up right away to get him...just down the road about 3 miles per hour for about a half mile. Everyone in the bus was, of course, yelling encouragement to Greg. Finally, again, enough was enough, and he stopped the bus long enough to pick up Greg and head down to Lubbock. Had to hurry. Couldn't be late. And hurry he did. A little too much of a hurry. For some reason, the DPS figured folks might be going a little fast trying to get to the game. Sure enough, we were."

"I remember one technical for certain. It was in Morton, and Dennis, the black official from Levelland, was one of the officials. This was the year of the big seat belt rule. Coaches couldn't get off their seat for ANY reason. NONE. Remember when Morton was in our district, they didn't have girls' ball for the longest time. So, we had a JV game, then a varsity game. Whoever the JV coach was at the time, and I think it was Alan, was still in the dressing room with his team. So Kenneth was out there with the Bobcats and about 1,000 intimate friends. Someone, and that player knows who he was, turned an ankle. Of course, Kenneth got off the bench to tend to his player. TWEET! That was a technical against Kenneth. We were all dumbfounded. I don't know what I said on the radio, but I am certain it wasn't nice. Some people don't realize that Kenneth didn't need to be remonstrate, especially toward officials. If he was disappointed in a play, a player, or an official's call, he simply put his head in his hand, looked down and shook his head. There was no greater rebuke for player or official.
Or member of a certain senior class. I won't mention the class, but I was in it. You acn look it up. Those of you who don't know might be surprised who else was in that class. Anyway, we had "D" Club initiation the night before. We had a lot of sweniors who lettered just that year, on top of the usual number of players who had lettered. If we had initiated all of the seniors, we would still be out there. We let them off the hook: they could bring us either $10 or a case of beer. (A bootleg case of beer was $10. Not that we knew anything about that. Someone told us--probably all those hellions from the Class of 1974). The usual number of cases of beer--several--were brought, because there were so many good and upright seniors that none of them would bring a case of beer, right? Right. Of course. So we were a little surprised when almost no one brought $10. Almost everyone brought a case of beer. We had beer at the initiation. We took the beer back with us to the fieldhouse (the old fieldhouse, over by the gym at the old football field). We had more beer than even a couple dozen high school guys could drink, so we invited everyone to help us out by drinking beer. Next morning, we are all in a daze at the end of first period when the ominous voice of Robert Ryan comes over the PA system. "We need all D Club members, old and new, to report to the gym immediately." Heck, no one knew why. It did dawn on me that I had said something about cleaning up all those beer cans right before I left. We walked into the DHS gym. There were no PE kids out there; there was no one except Kenneth. The football coaches were standing back along the bleacher-less east wall. We all sat down. Kenneth spoke. "I have never been as disappointed in a group of young men as I am this morning.." I don't know the rest of what he said. That was the most stinging recrimination ever. I have been divorced. I was fired for part of a day by Jerry Marvin at KDHN. I have been in other situations of disappointment and/or anger. Never, ever, have I been more ashamed of letting someone down. I also remember that by the time I got to the fieldhouse for 7th period, all the beer cans were gone. I also remember all those football coaches didn't come back the next year.
The other thing most of us know but may have forgotten was that Kenneth took out the stress on Kenneth--and particularly on the crown of his head. He would scratch the top of his head with one hand, and depending on the game, blood would be drawn sometime during the course of the night. Most nights, it would be drawn sometime in the first two minutes. Things would scab up before the next game, but those scabs would be gone shortly into the next game."

"My memories of Kenneth--and Libby, because you can't really have a story about Kenneth without including his help-meet (where did those folks come up with such good words as help-meet, and how better can you describe the woman who was there with and for and beside Kenneth forever)-- go back to when we first moved to Dimmitt.
I vividly remember my first Dimmitt basketball game in the winter of 1965. We had moved from another basketball-crazed farm town in Arizona. That one had a "real" gym, a roundhouse similar to, though smaller than, the Texan Dome. It had seats all the way round, and not a cold concrete seat in the joint. It had a full-length floor. It had so much seating they even had small-school state tournaments. Never did they have things like folding chairs on the floor; not once have they had to wedge 1,500 people into room for 800. I'm sure the fire marshal probably attended games.
As impressed as I was with our "real" gym in Arizona, the gym has never held a candle to the old North Grade School gym--Dimmitt Middle School Gym--Kenneth Cleveland Gymnasium. My real love affair with Dimmitt basketball, with Kenneth and Libby, started in 1966. My mom decided my sister and I should have swimming lessons. I'm certain that summer, and the summer of 1967, were the longest in the history of Cleveland-led swimming lessons. I'm also certain no kid has ever been as thrilled as was I with that 1866-67 basketball season.
That was the Prairiebandits, the first state tournament team for Kenneth in Dimmitt. I was in Betty Allsup's class in the sixth grade. Do you know where our class met? Right across the hall from the door that led not just to the home side of the gym, but the door that led to the dressing room of THE BOBCATS. For a ten-year old, this was bigger than the Beatles. Heck, Tommy Stafford lived right down the street from us! I got see him and all the others when they came to the gym for games. The varsity officals met and changed in OUR CLASSROOM. They couldn't play games without us! Much more than the basketball was the importance of those swimming lessons.
Through that first summer, the summer of '66, Kenneth and Libby spent all thsi time with this fat kid who did more floating than swimming. Finally, he was able to do some swimming, albeit in the "baby" pool for the most part. Then, it was the summer of 1967, and I was finally swimming in the next section over at the city pool behind the junior high. The last day of lessons, Kenneth coached and prodded and pleaded for me to do the unthinkable. Dive off the low dive into the DEEP END. I couldn't do it. Kenneth had already dried off and changed, but it didn't make any difference. He jumped right back in the pool, urging me to get over my fears and negativity and do what it took to get he job done. Kenneth always led by example. He jumped back into the pool for me. Little did I know that he always jumped back into the pool for everyone, for anyone, without thinking twice bout it. He just did it. Other coaches knew just as much about Xs and Os and such. Other coaches could run the press. God knows others could coach up post players better. But no coach, ever, anywhere, would jump into the pool like Kenneth. Did I jump in the pool. Oh, what a good story it would have been if I had. But I didn't. I'm scared of heights. Want to see me sweat? Get me on the second step of a ladder. Did that deter Kenneth? No. There would be others who wouldn't jump in the pool, but that never stopped Kenneth from being there.
So fast forward a few years (Libby doesn't even know all of this story until now). Graduated in 1973 from DHS. Went off to college. I went to Hardin-Simmons, but I wasn't going to tell Kenneth or Libby about it because I was this stubborn, 17-year-old kid and I was going to do this MY way. I had already talked to the coach down there, and we had made arrangements for me to go to HSU and be a manager for the basketball team. The coach was this gentle man who had spent much of his coaching career in a town about the same size as Dimmitt. His name was Glen Whitis, and one of his players back when he was a young high school coach was this skinny, glasses-wearing kid named Kenneth Cleveland. One of my greatest disappointments in life was not getting to know Coach Whitis any better, if for no other reason than to get the whole scoop on Coach Cleveland and Libby. Coach Whitis was killed in a wreck that summer. It took the whole fall semester to get things straightened out at HSU. I got to know, really know, people like Harvey Catchings, who went on to gain fame as the father of Tamika. I got to know, raelly know, people like Steadman Graham, who went on to gain fame as Mr. Oprah Winfrey. But my life is less because I didn't get to spend much time with Coach Whitis. Forward to another year. 1975. I missed most of that 1974-75 season away at school. I almost missed the rest of the seasons, too. I drove from Abilene to my mom's house, and pulled up just as my sister was getting home from school. "Come on, and get in the car, we gotta go to Levelland," she said. I knew what was going to happen: we (we ARE all we) were going to play Friona for the right to go to the playoffs. Remember, there was none of this 14 teams from each district going to state or anything like that. One team. So we went to Levelland. You know the story. WE won. Bob Owen, the principal at Friona, almost died from a heart attack. I almost died, too. Exhaustion plus flu plus mono. Next thing I knew, we were playing in the regional finals that evening in Lubbock. I talked Dr. Lee into discharging me from the hospital (who is going to let a week or so of unconsciousness stand in the way of a game?) and I went to Lubbock. My first duty as a full-time employee at KDHN? Operating the board for that first state tournament game in 1975. I had the keys to the candy store. Oh, did I. Better than Dilletante chocolate. Better than even a Mars Bar--with almonds. I had the unique opportunity to be the play-by-play guy for Dimmmitt basketball for the next 12 years. Folks forget how good the Bobbies were during much of this time. Dimmitt might have had only the second-best girls team in the county, but we also had the second-best girls' team in the state in our class. Unfortunately, it usually depended on when we got to play teams like Slaton on how far the season went, either the regional semis to the finals.
Most of those years we also had at least the second best boys team in the state, and often it didn't matter what classification you were talking about. All those Dimmitt v. Morton games. Having the infamous coach of the Abernathy boys saying a cuss word right into my microphone while informing an official about his officiating skills. Cussing on purpose on the radio for the first time while explaining Phil King had a hell of a game up in Pampa v. Perryton for bi-district. (This does not include the time I cussed accidentally during one of those Dimmitt-Morton games..stuff happens.) Who woulda known in that 1981 loss in that big old barn in Pama that things were going to get a lot better, even for Mr. King?
With the keys to the candy store, I got to learn a lot of things. I got to learn who was really a good basketball official and who wasn't. More importantly, why. Heck, there is one official (all shall remain nameless) who may well have officiated more Dimmitt wins than anyone who may have had as little personal respect from Kenneth as any official anywhere. However, outside of Kenneth's office, you would never ever know anything other than this guy was the best official anywhere in the world. It wasn't that Kenneth complained about him, or them. Just one or two words and you knew. (The officials name was NOT Dennis..)I can truthfully say I never ever ever heard Kenneth put down a player. Publicly. That does NOT mean players were not excoriated, chewed out, bawled out, cajoled or anything else. But it was behind the closed doors of a dressing room or the closed doors of the coach's office. Sometimes it did not take a cross word or even the threat of a cross word. This was a guy who would jump fully clothed into the middle of the swimming pool for you. Why, even if you were some snot-nosed 17-year-old kid full of vinegar, would you not want to do the same for him?
I did hear him put down a coach or two. In my experience, nothing made Kenneth more mad than a lazy coach. Sure, some coaches were better than others; however, some were just lazy. Lazy coaches made Kenneth the second-maddest I have ever seen him.
Think about the seasons for a few minutes. No particular order, and if I left you out it wasn't really on purpose.
1. 1967. A bunch of overachievers who were hustlers, took care of the ball, shot the ball well, played defense like their lives depended on it. More than any others, the Prairiebandits may have been more like Kenneth than any other team.
2. 1971. Gosh, what a team. Took a couple major college and NBA players to stop them. Lots of good seniors, yet it took a shot by a junior to get then into the playoffs in the first of the big games at the Texan Dome. In fact, that playoff game set the record for largest crowd ever in the Texan Dome. (WE won't talk about the phantom walking call by Gib Weaver..)
3. 1973. Why 1973? My senior year. All those guys were afraid they would be Coach Cleveland's first team to not finish at least second. One Thursday morning in Plainview early in the year set a record for points against one team that was there forever, with 115. I swear even I scored, and I wasn't there. I think I was in Wolfforth with the JV.
4. 1975. Perhaps the best of the three-team slugfests with Dimmitt, Morton and Friona. First state champions for Coach Cleveland.
5. 1976-1977. Perhaps two best teams and neither got past Morton in the playoff for the playoffs. Gosh, it was fun to be 20 years old and talking about these guys on the radio.
6. 1978. Team took worst screwing ever by a Dimmitt team in the state tournament.
7. 1982. Who'd a thunk it. In those 10 losses, there were a couple times this team looked like it had never seen a basketball game, much less won one. And they won state.
8. 1983. One game, one game, was close. Caprock Tournament. John Smith from the corner. It was against Lubbock High, wasn't it? Other than that, bring on all the teams, we don't care who.
9. 1984. Of course, Abernathy was the best team on the planet. Just ask Cletus and Carl. Oh wait, McDonald from the top of the key...Bobcats win! Even better from this team was the loss at Abernathy. I would bet the Abernathy folks never brought newspapers to the gym after that game, all thanks to Richard Dauceda, Brad Holcomb, etc. My question: did Coach Cleveland know about the newspapers you guys had in your trunks. And then dang near had the three-peat!
10. 1985-86-87. How good were these guys? Very, very, very good. I remember once at state in a semi-final loss. Final stats: Bobcats shot 19.9% from the field, In worst analysis of career, Coach Cleveland said, "That is probably the worst any team will shoot in this tournament." It was, until the next game, when Gonzales shot 19.6%.
After that, I went away to Hereford and became part of the network. If you have spent any time away from Dimmitt but near a team the Bobcats were going to play, chances are you were part of the network too. The network, broken down, was this: you kept a shot chart. Who shot from where, credits for things like hustle just like those credits given by people named Birdwell and Land and Raso and Steinle and so many others over the years.
I was in Hereford for several years, then off in Arizona and off in La La Land. Landed back in Dimmitt, and went to the funeral for the Rev. James Alexander, Jamie's dad. I was sitting there when all of a sudden there was this, "Hey, move over, I need to sit by an old friend." It was Coach Cleveland. After the funeral, we spent hours catching up on stuff and stuff and stuff. Thank God we did. Not long after, he was gone. But he's never been gone.
I moved up to Washington state. This will surprise many of you, but I became a basketball official. (Yes, they are really desperate!) I was doing a game at Mountlake Terrace High School and got to talking with one of the assistants. I could tell he had not grown up in the Northwest. Where he went to high school wasn't really important. Where he went to college was, and what that college coach told him was really important. Turns out the guy went to college at Abilene Christian and played ball for a fella named Tony Mauldin. Some of you probably remember Tony as the good-looking coach at Morton. This guy was shocked that someone else knew Tony, knew Tony and his wife Janice had served as missionaries. The guy asked me where I was from, and I told him. He got real quiet. At Kenneth's funeral, Coach Mauldin and I sat together, having gone into the gym through that door right across from Betty Allsup's classroom. I then drove Coach Mauldin to the gathering at the Senior Citizen's center. On the way, we talked and while we were there we talked. Then, we talked some more on the way back to his car, parked about 10 blocks from the gym that would soon bear Coach Cleveland's name. Seems a few years later, to some kid who didn't know Kenneth Cleveland from Grover Cleveland, Tony Mauldin shared about his old coaching opponent/friend with a kid who was a scrub on his Wildcat teams. Shared mostly because the kid was going to go into coaching. So here was a guy 30 years younger than me who had never met Coach Cleveland, sharing the stories he knew and soaking up all the stories he didn't know. That, as much as anything, is the legacy that is Kenneth Cleveland."



Norman Hayes

"When the state tourney was moved to the drum, I have tried to make as many tourneys as I could. When Dimmitt would go, I would always stop by and pick up Coach, Darrell and Kevin after Dimmitt's game and drive them to the drum. This was good because Coach had a parking pass right next to the drum. The years Dimmitt didn't go, I would meet them in Austin. I'd drive us to the drum, with the parking pass again. Every year, we would be at the bottom of the drum and every year there would be several people walk by and say hello to Coach. We would always ask him, 'Who was that?' and he would always say, 'I don't know' with an embarrassed smile. One year, we were in between games and this man came up to Coach with an old basketball and asked Coach if he would autograph it, which Coach did. We then looked at that ball and it had the Who's Who of basketball coaches names on it: Red Auerbach, John Wooden, Denny Crum, Dean Smith, just to name a few. I can't remember what the man said about the high school coaches that had signed it, but there weren't many. The man did tell Coach he was extremely happy that he had Coach Cleveland's name on that ball. I wished I knew where that ball was right now! And, of course, while in Austin, we would have to eat at Burger King a few times; I have always thought coach had stock in Burger King because he would eat there often. It was a good time to spend with Coach at the tourney, and he introduced us to betting on the total halftime and end of game scores that I still do today."

"1975 had lots of memories. One of the most memorable games in Bobcat history. The triple overtime playoff victory against Friona, Coach's first state championship and then there was...those orange checkered, bell-bottom, polyester pants with matching orange shirt, white shoes and wide, white belt that Coach wore from that playoff game through the state championship game. A little superstitious, were ya Coach?"

"Irvin Kimmins, Superintendent of Phillips High School, sent a letter to the UIL in January of 1975, saying that Dimmitt was having illegal workouts during the Christmas break. He was my uncle and the Sunday before Christmas we would have my dad's family for dinner. Well, every year he would sneak off to the gym and stand in the doorway. Coach knew him and would always signal him to talk, but he never would. Then, Kimmins would come back to the house and go on and on about how we are cheating by having illegal workouts during Christmas. In 1967, his son played on a Phillips team that was loaded; my cousin was 6'6" and most of Phillips was tall any way. The Prairiebandits beat them at regional finals and the same thing happened in 1971. We beat Phillips in the regional finals. Every year I would have to listen to him complain about us. One year, I finally argued back with him. I asked him, 'What do ya'll do in Phillips about workouts?' He said we practice during the allotted class time. I started laughing. You mean you only work out an hour a day. He said they had an extra 30 minutes so I said, 'I understand it all now.' I told him our gym is never locked, if it is we go to Coach and he will give us a key. The gym is USED in Dimmitt, and as far as the Christmas workouts, the majority of the people that are there that day are EXES, and watches no coaching at all. I did tell him he's already coached all of us enough by now that we already have it down. That's why Dimmitt is so good is because the gym is accessible and that the players have enough respect for him that the exes feel like we have to be there, shoot we Wanted to be there. Ebeling, Charles McLean, Darrell and I didn't miss many Sundays or summers for 17 years. Jim Bradford, Jerry Schaeffer and a few others would also be there after they had graduated. Anyway, I said if you'd open your gym you might beat us one day; one Christmas I gave him a Dimmitt bobcat pennant.
Anyway, one Sunday after Christmas I was at the gym and Coach asked me to go to his office with him; there he gave me a letter from the UIL. I thought, 'Oh crap.' I read it and sure enough he turned us into the UIL. I couldn't apologize enough, but Coach said it's okay and not to worry about it. I told Coach that he is jealous of our program so much it really got to be quite funny listening to him go on and on about Dimmitt. Coach told me not to mention this to my parents. I got home and mother and I were in the kitchen and I decided to tell her. My mom never got upset often, but she was plenty upset. She got right on the phone and called him. I think the only words he got in were, 'Hello, Ruth, how are' and she let him know that he is invited to Dimmitt to celebrate Christmas with my Dad's family and to have a good family time. And that if he felt he had to sneak off, several of told him he would go out there with him, he always wanted to go by himself. She just echoed what I had told him--that the boys in Dimmitt wanted to play basketball, and they wanted to because of Coach Cleveland and if the gym hadn't of been opened, there are plenty of goals all around town that we would have been playing on. She told him that she appreciated the fact that coach loved his boys so much and that coaching wasn't his job--it was his passion. And she then told him that he is welcome to come back for Christmas dinner in the future, but if he is going to sneak off to they gym and come back and go on his rant about us cheating, he wasn't welcome and she hung up. I was like, 'Attaway, Mom!' He never came back to another one. Fast forward to march 1975, Austin, Texas...Dimmitt won the AA State Championship for Coach's first title. That made it even sweeter. I sent my uncle some newspaper clippings and wrote him a note telling him what's possible if you would open up your gym and show the boys that basketball isn't just about shooting and rebounding, but having a desire and passion to want to play every minute of the day. Also, I mentioned it wouldn't hurt to have a Coach like we have either..I told him Phillips can't have him. The UIL did not agree with Mr. Kimmin's remarks. And for the next 18 years, the gym was opened on Sundays and Coach was there leaning against the wall enjoying the many, many games to 10 by HIS boys, past and present. Man, I miss those days."

"When I played and then after that sitting on the front row for the next 20 years I wanted a new gym and we were always so disappointed when the bond would fail. Looking back, I am sort of glad we didn't get a new gym. It was crowded; dressing rooms were small and those concrete bleachers. But I bet if you ask any former player now if they would trade playing there over a new wide spacious gym, I am betting the majority would have rather been in the old gym. Opposing teams hated coming to Dimmitt, mainly because they knew they were going to get beat, but they really hated our gym. WE didn't have wood, we had concrete. Wood bleachers will splinter, some are not real sold, strong, sturdy, reliable, ok they could be cold, but that's why you had a stadium seat. Coach Cleveland's teams were like concrete, and his defense would make the opposing team cold! Come up with memories of the gym means you have to tell about every time you went into the gym. Every game was a memory; of course, the Morton games are the best. Getting to the gym 6 hours before game time and when it was allowed, having the folding chairs surrounding the floor. But then memory of The Gym means only one thing to me: Coach Cleveland.
I still can see the image of him on the bench bending over and tugging at his socks. And the image of him standing with towel over his shoulder and hands on hips glaring at an official or if you made a mistake you got the glare. And when you would go to the gym for any game, you would walk in the west door and there he would be right there against the wall at the corner of the baseline and sideline. The ones that were here lived through a magical time, for me I remember from 1967, the team that every Coach Cleveland team was based on, till 1993. I can not think of anywhere else that had as good of a run as Coach Cleveland and the fans of Dimmitt basketball had. when I moved back to Dimmitt for good in 1979, the front row was where I wanted to be. We exes would play the year's team every year, and the reason we did was because of Coach and we all still wanted to play good for him. When we move into the new high school, the gym will be very nice and I am sure a wonderful place to play, but for me, I am glad I saw what I did and the games that I saw from the old gym. The best Coach ever sat on that bench for 30 years; that's where my memories are and I love the memories of Dimmitt Bobcat basketball coached by Coach Kenneth Cleveland. And the image of Coach and the gym; that is the last place we saw Coach was at that gym.

My 5 Favorite Teams:
1967-- The Prairiebandits; they were the blueprint for every Dimmitt team to follow. Defense, run and gun, and of course, it's Dimmitt--there will be so me shooters on the court.
1975-- Heart and determination and the best press defense; they would suffocate you; just look at their 2 state tourney games.
1978-- Mentally tough and tough as nails. Exes games against them were knock-down drag outs.
1982-- The monster is about to be born.
1983-- 38-0; no doubt the best ever! I never wanted this season to end. Top 5 in my book as the best ever in Texas, any classification that I have seen at the state tourney.

Jerry Schaeffer

"Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday nights--you'd better be there. Why wouldn't you want to be there? Basketball all night long. Wasn't on Ebling's team, but you could play against him on any given Monday, Tuesday or Thursday night. For Dimmitt kids, that was like taking on Jordan. It was the epicenter of basketball in the summer. The hours were sacred. The court was sacred and the games meant as much as the Caprock Tournament (which meant more to Bobcats than championships meant to other schools). Every basketball personality was going to be there sooner or later. Joe Lombard showed up eventually. I remember the day Bobby Baker came. Kent Bradford would come rarely in the summer and he was so strong. Some boys from Morton drove over once or twice. Some older ex's would show up to get showed up (had to add that). Mo Cheeks came once. The Morton Superintendent showed up once and the gym cleared. The girls used to show up a little (made it nice to be there and work hard and do well). Ewell Kelly was always there...kept the clock, talked to coach, listened to Coach, supported Coach and did anything for Coach. I remember Travis Hampton standing quietly in the corner watching. My dad came. Libby came marching through with business of some sort to do. Coach Cleveland was always there. I heard he started taking a night or two off when the grandkids came, but before that and as long as I can remember back, he was there. sitting on that chair-- I'd give $500 for that chair--leaning back, watching...and praising-- "good shot," "nice pass," "atta boy." We came to make it, we stayed because we loved it, we worked hard because he aws there! There were sometimes watermelons there. There were some near fights there (Darrell challenged all of us at least once). There were romances and flirtations on those nights. There were clandestine swimming parties planned there. Boys became men there. We met God there. We found ourselves become nuance players there, in a part of the country that couldn't spell nuance. We learned to think the game there. By the time we were JV'ers, we understood basketball better than most coaches in the panhandle. We carried out his vision there. We supplied the mortar that maintained the dominance in that gym. Some of us made a name in that gym. To those who showed up religiously, those names are immortal: Baker, Ebling, Bradford, Kevin, John David, Craig Williams, Birdwell, Myatt, Sanders, Langford, Gregory, Buckley (who got about 100 times better as an outsider). I remember a summer night when Darrell shot 28 for 32 from the field. It didn't matter when you got good in Dimmitt because Dimmitt basketball, be it in the summer or season, was more important than titles and trophies. You could become a legend after you graduated if you came to the gym. When I became a coach, I started summer programs. I over-thought things and struggled to get kids to come, but I finally figured it out-- Coach was always there. His family was there. He was ALWAYS there! That's what did it. I went and they came. It was never quite as romantic and epic as at the gym in Dimmitt, but it helped.
That was the best of my youth. I wouldn't go back and try to live the painful lessons of my youth, but if you gave me a shot at one more summer going up and down with those guys I loved and hated and worshiped and lost to and beat...I'd do it in a heartbeat. Somewhere in my conscience, Coach Cleveland sits in the chair silently tolerating my shortcomings and praising me for "just anything" I manage to do right."

"I love feeling again those emotions (filtered through age now) surrounding memories of Dimmitt basketball. The experience is so significant to all of us. Dimmitt Basketball, I suppose, for many ex's like me, is one of the formative, sacred institutions of our lives. Coach Cleveland, you, Sunday afternoons, Tuesday and Friday nights, the Caprock Tournament, the packed gyms, the community commitment is foundational in our understanding of excellence. We're fortunate to not have to search for examples of self-sacrifice, commitment, dedication, unity, greatness, poise, pride, humility, togetherness, tradition, and success. What is difficult, for many of us, is finding words and actions that reach the level of gratitude we feel. Our lives were unalterably and profoundly affected by being lucky enough to have been one of his. Thank you, Libby, and thank you, and thank you for all you gave us, and gave us, and gave us. We don't say it enough, but we all love you."

"In retrospect, it's easy to identify qualities in people from a distance that you couldn't identify when you were with them. Coach Cleveland was intimately aware of my character defects--immaturity, self-centeredness, ego, attention-seeking, etc, BUT, looking back, he spoke to me as if I were a completely mature, responsible person. I think he was one of those guys who looked for the best in a person and addressed that part of them in hopes to draw out that best. I know people tend to forget the bad and remember the good, but I don't recall Coach Cleveland being critical. Now, he certainly let me know on several occasions that he was disappointed in something I may have done or not done. On the whole of my memory of conversation with Coach, I remember them as horizontal (he didn't speak down or vertical to me). I guess to bring out the best in his players, he spoke to the best in them. It makes perfect sense now."

"Coach Cleveland was a good basketball player into his late 40s/50s. I played on his team and against him many times. He was a master of controlling the game with his mind. An example of this, I remember, was: when you were playing opposite of Coach, and you helped off of the man you were guarding and double-teamed Coach, he would look at you and say, "Where's your man?" Now, you had a few choices to make at that point: 1. You could turn to find your man, in which case Coach shoots the ball while your head is turned away. 2. You could leave Coach to run back to your man, in which case Coach would use your running body as a moving screen for him to penetrate all the way to the basket. 3. You could stay with Coach and forget about your man, in which case Coach (who was a GREAT passer) would beam a pass to your man standing wide open. After the play was over, and any choice you made was wrong, Coach would be grinning slyly at you, forgiving you, but warning you with a competitive look that seemed to say, "You sure you want to guard me?"

"My dad told me I watched Junior Coffee in that gym; I was just two. I do remember watching Bob Bradford and I caught the basketball bug watching John Howell and the 1967 Prairiebandits. I always loved the way Don Nelson became so integral to the team. I can close my eyes and get immediately back to that cream-colored, popcorn smelling "you're about to get your butt kicked" gym. I remember a traveling Harlem Stars team that came in for some fundraiser and Mark Clevinger taught those guys how to be deceptive with the ball-- he made them chase him for a minute or two and they got mad at him cause he stole the show. I remember Tuesday and Friday nights being the epicenter of social life in Dimmitt. I used to meet my latest 3rd grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, etc girlfriend at the game and we would hold hands and everyone would talk and I would be distracted by what was happening on the court...and what happened became like an elixir I knew I had to have. I remember the Holy Spirit catching fire in our crowd during close games and everyone would stand and in perfect unison, with blood-shot eyes, at the top of their lungs, with hoarse breath scream, "GO CATS GO!" and it must have sounded like a death anthem to our opponents and their fans and parents. I remember the aura of that gym and the undeniable mystique of the place that other coaches feared and opponent players felt like was a mecca, where if you dared try..you just might reach immortality; many a player from other teams drowned in that mecca and died a valiant death, eyes confused, body dejected, sweat pouring down, wondering, "How did this happen to me?" That's ok, son, it's happened to a lot of people. Now, I meet those guys 20, 30, 40 years later and their old and fat and they laugh with pride at playing on a team that got their tails kicked at Dimmitt. My sense of hero came alive in that gym first with players, then, as I lived at home with parents who admired Coach Cleveland so much, with Coach Cleveland, then Libby. My dad knew that if I ever was exposed to excellence, the supernatural, once in a lifetime kind, it wasn't going to be because I worked hard at home or sought jobs around town. He held up Kenneth Cleveland and the excellence he exuded, demanded, constructed, held on to, corralled, protected, polished, displayed, spoke about, reminded us of, cultivated, lead, and maintained. I began to watch Coach from the stands and develop a messianic devotion to the man. Like some do, I back slide occasionally, and like a good shepherd he left he 100 and came after me to restore me to the herd..what an honor. I finally made it to that gym floor- the most sacred piece of ground in that town..in the world. Never lost a game in that gym. Looked up in the stands and saw everyone who mattered cheering for my team. Looked into the eyes of every player of every team we beat and knew it was just a matter of 32 minutes..sometimes, most times it didn't take that long. Subconsciously, I learned what a devote wife and mother does when her husband and sons are embattled..she watches over with forceful concentration, providng whatever might be needed--nourishment, encouragement, admonition, love, expectancy, always, always, THERE. I married someone like Libby...thank God. Eule Kelly, Clyde Demron, Bill Stevenson, John Brooks, John Lantz, Rick Bell, and so many more are attached to my memories of that gym. Loved it, it was such a formative place. Long gone but never forgotten."





Neal Weatherford

"The memories of my Dimmitt basketball days are of the friendship with all of my teammates and of Coach Cleveland. Every time I got on a court to play a game for fun or just shoot the ball, I would always think of them. They were all a great bunch of ball players and more important, they were great friends. Even when we had played our last game in Austin and my heart was feeling heavy, I knew that we were the best team and that was because of the caliber of players and coaches on that team. I was and still am proud of being able to have been called a member of the Dimmitt Bobcat Basketball team. So, to the past and present players and coaches, good luck and God Bless you all."

Noris Cole, 1979

"First of all, I want to thank you for teaching me how to swim. One story that I have always thought about happened my junior year, which was the '79 team. We had finished practice in preparation for the Snyder tournament. Everyone was excited about getting to stay overnight. I remember the last thing Coach Cleveland said was that there was to be no gambling on this trip. That caused a lightbulb to go off in everyone's head. Needless to say, our overnight trip turned into a full-blown casino. Early the next morning, we faced a team from El Paso that was primarily all short Mexicans. They ran a four-corner stall the entire game and beat us 32-18. It was embarrassing. OUr team was really good that year. We suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to Seminole in the regional finals. And, of course, Seminole easily won state."

Warren McDonald

"Coach. That's what I always called him. Rarely did I say, 'Coach Cleveland.' Just Coach. I came to Dimmitt as a brash, 15-year-old kid from Dallas who had known about Dimmitt basketball because my brother Dwight had played for Coach, and my other brother Pat was currently playing on the team. Coming from the big city, I thought I would show these country boys something about how to play basketball; and even though I had heard about this Coach Cleveland, I wasn't sure he was all he was made out to be. If he was so great, why wasn't he at a big school somewhere in Dallas where real basketball was played and where real players were from? Great theories from a 15-year-old who had it all figured out! Needless to say, I didn't wind up showing them country boys anything that they didn't already know, and that Coach, well, let's just say that was the first of many misjudgments in my life. Kenneth Cleveland made an extraordinary impact on me, not just on the basketball floor, but even more in my life away from basketball. Even after I left DHS, I still kept in touch with Coach through letters and phone calls. I wrote letters to him from college when I was having a hard time adjusting to college basketball, and I wrote to him when I was serving during the Gulf War. He was always there for me. I was devastated when I heard about the death of Coach. I immediately thought to myself, 'How will Libby ever make it without him?' because I have always though of them in the singular: Coach and Libby. My pain was as much for her as it was for myself. At his funeral, I told myself to be strong for Libby because I knew she would need all of our support at that time and she might not be able to hold it together if she saw everyone breaking down. That was another of my misjudgments. Libby was the rock for everyone that day as she comforted and supported all of us, especially me. I remember my brother Pat not being able to go to the funeral because he was so devastated by the death of Coach. He didn't even want to be in Dimmitt on the day of the funeral. During the time that our community was going through one of its most difficult times, she showed a grace and elegance that held that little community together, reminiscent of how Jackie Kennedy led the country through the grieving process after President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. I will be forever grateful to her for that. There are a lot of stories and memories taht I could share about Coach; funny stories and special moments, but I prefer to keep them to myself. I believe that Libby knows the fond relationship that Coach and I shared. I will tell you this; when I think abuot the people I have let down in my life because of the choices I have made, Coach and Libby are defintely on that list because I know that they both had a strong desire to see me do better for myself thatn I have. I started off by telling you about a man I called Coach. He was far more than jsut a coach. He aws a wonderful husband to Libby, a great father to Vicki, Beth, and Kevin and I know he was an awesome grandfather to his grandchildren because it had to be great for them to ride on the bus with us all the time to basketball games. He was a community leader. He was well-respected and loved by all who knew him. Yes, he was much more than just a coach. He was Kenneth Cleveland. I think I won't refer to him as Coach anymore. That just doesn't encompass him enough, doesn't give you a total understanding of who he was. So, from now on, I will simply refer to him as Kenneth. People who didn't know him might not understand, but the people who did know him will know the affection that simple word has on us still today: Kenneth.
IF IT IS TO BE...IT IS UP TO ME"

A letter from Warren

"Coach and Libby, how are ya'll doing? Fine, I hope. I am doing just fine. I am trying to get adjusted back to military life. I've been back for five days and I am slowly getting things back to normal. I am really sorry that I didn't get an opportunity to come by and visit before I left, but needless to say, I had a million things to do before I left and I didn't have nearly enough time.
I just want to take this opportunity to thank both of you for everything that you have done for me. Libby, you have given me wonderful advice time and time again. I am sure sometimes you felt that maybe it wasn't doing any good, but you saw something in me that you thought was worth all the trouble, and for that I am forever grateful. A lot of people would have given up on me, but you never did, and i can't thank you enough for that.
Coach, you have been a perfect role model for me, and thousands of other young men. I have learned a lot by playing for you, talking to you, watching you and listening to you. You have given me so much just by being yourself, and I have given you so little in return. I hope one day I will be able to do something to show my gratitude. Both you and Libby have done so much to help me become the person that I am. I just wanted to thank both of you for helping me. I will be forever grateful to you. Thank you. I guess I will close for now. I have to start getting my uniform ready because I have an inspection next week. They didn't waste any time welcoming me back, huh? Take care and I will write again soon."


Nate Nelson

From the time I was a little boy, Dimmitt basketball was a huge deal.
--My first memories were of Mark Summers in warm-ups with his afro! He was slamming the ball with ease, and my friends and I swore that he was at least 8-feet tall.
--Jeff Bell, Rocky Rawls, and Jim Birdwell with the fast break. I was always impressed at how they could make a pass behind their back while going full speed.
--Road trips as a boy to and from out-of-town games with tail lights as far as you could see going back to Dimmitt. I tell anyone who will listen that I grew up in a Texas equivalent of the movie "Hoosiers."
--Coach saying a prayer in the locker room just before we went out for introductions.
--Going to the state tourneys with my dad, and sitting at the press table while the Bobcats were playing.
Coach taking a rag-tag group to the state tourney in 1984. We were picked to finish fourth in the district and ended the regular season 17-10. We weren't supposed to go to bi-district, but we won it. WE weren't supposed to go to Area, but we won it. WE definitely weren't supposed to go to regional, but ended up beating Abernathy with "the shot heard around the world"! If we had gotten a couple of breaks in the state semi's, we very well could have won state, too.
--The game at Abernathy in 1984. Arnold (the trainer) came to the locker room and told Coach that the Abernathy fans all had newspapers, and they were going to start reading them while the Bobcats were being introduced. Coach told Arnold to go pick up as many newspapers as he could, and we all waited until he returned with two arms full. One by one, as we were being introduced, we took the newspapers onto the court and started reading them ourselves! The Abernathy fans didn't know how to react, but they all put their papers down. Meanwhile, our fans were going crazy!
--Morton/Dimmitt rivalry. For years, THAT was the state championship game--being played in our gyms!
--Hanging out with my dad after the games to get interviews, then listening to him type the story at home way past midnight because the Castro County News was going to press the next day. He was as passionate about it as anyone!
--Watching game films and the way Coach analyzed and graded each team. We were very prepared to take on any opponent.
--1975 tourney-- I was in 3rd grade, and it was the last state tourney at Gregory Gym. There was no more room in the stands, so I stood outside the door with a bunch of other Dimmitt fans watching what I could of the game!
--The send-off breakfasts before we left for Austin. The whole team showed up at the Expo at 5:30 a.m.!
--Playing on Sundays--couldn't believe that I broke Darrell's nose one week and Coach Steinle's the next. Hopefully the pumpkin bread that my mom made for ya'll made up for the injuries!
--Phil King's buzzer beater-- best ever!
--Playing with the 1983 team during the playoffs. I was so fortunate to be a part of that, and I'm glad that I was able to ride on their coattails.
--PRIDE and POISE are terms that I use to this day when I coach my kids' teams.
Dimmitt has better fan representation each year at the state tournament than any other Texas town. I love catching up with everyone each year. We all share an experience that very few have the food fortune of experiencing. No matter how long it has been, or how often we see each other, Dimmitt Bobcats are all still family."

Mark Summers

"I have had the opportunity of playing in some of the loudest and largest basketball venues during my basketball career. The Kansas University Allen Field House, with a capacity of 17,000, at the time was one of the largest on-campus basketball arenas. Rupp Arena, home of the University of Kentucky, with an official capacity of 23,000, was the largest arena every built specifically for basketball in the United States at the time of its opening in 1976. Madison Square Garden also refers to itself in its advertising campaigns as "The World's Most Famous Arena." NCAA Midwest Regional's in the New Orleans Super Dome, once the largest fixed domed structure in the world, basketball seating capacity of 55,675. Freedom Hall seating capacity, 18,865, home of the University Louisville.
But Cleveland Gym on game night was just as big and as loud as any. The locker room door would swing open. The crowd would be on its feet, stomping and yelling, "GO CATS GO," "GO CATS GO!"

David Williams

"My name is David Williams and I am currently the boys basketball coach at Plains High School I'm writing this letter in regards to an incident that happened to me two years ago when I was coaching in Oldney, Texas.
My team was not playing up to its potential and I was a little down in the mouth. At any rate, we had a big game against Holliday that night and we had beaten them earlier in the year, but I felt very nervous about this home game. Feeling down, I called a friend of mien that was a coach and just happened to have played basketball for your husband. I told him my situation and he told me to be overly confident and cocky before the game in front of my players. Then, he told me to do something I'll never forget. He told me about how your husband used to write down the final score of a game about to be played, and then put it in his desk drawer. He also added that, according to most, he was always either right on the money or only a few points off. This intrigued me and needed all the help I could get, I took this advice. Oddly enough, after writing down my predicted score (Us-56, them 52), i felt the confidence that came from guessing on what I felt would be a win. After putting up the slip of paper, I forgot all about it. WE went out and won a hard fought game by a score of 56 to 48. I later looked at that piece of paper and saw I was only 4 points off of the actual score. It was as if Coach Cleveland was right there.
I was always a fan of Coach Cleveland because I grew up playing ball in Seminole. In 1985, I was a part of the team that beat Dimmitt to go to Austin after the regional final. The next two years, Dimmitt went on to defeat Seminole in the 1986 Regional Championship (I believe that was Coach Cleveland's 700th win). and in Area in 1987, my senior year. We always hated Dimmitt, but highly respected Coach Cleveland!
I gained a new respect for your husband after the score-guessing incident (I still have the piece of paper). but most of all, I wanted to write this letter because no matter what anyone says or does to Texas High School basketball, Coach Cleveland will always be remembered and respected by those he coached, coached against, and touched in a million other ways. I wish you all of God's blessings and want you to know you and "the coach" have made a difference in this world."

George Rasor

Here are my memories:
1. Standing next to Kenneth on the north end of the gym during any game he wasn't coaching or calling and visiting and laughing about any number of things; not always basketball and him trying to sneak a Reese's Peanut butter cup without you seeing him.
2. Probably during my last year to coach, the U.S. was at war in the Middle EAst and we had some of our former players serving at that time. (I know Warren McDonald was). I am not sure who we were playing, but both teams, boys and girls, met on the floor between the two games and "I'm Proud to Be an American" was played over the loud speaker. I was standing by Kenneth and tears were streaming down his face.
Neither of these have much to do with thrilling victories or devastating victories or devastating losses, but they are precious memories to me because that was who Kenneth Cleveland was: a great man that loved what he did and who he was around and who was a great American patriot that loved his country.
I am so proud to say that I worked in Dimmitt, I taught and coached in Dimmitt, I got to coach with Kenneth Cleveland, and most of all, that Kenneth was my friend. No anecdotes or stories can adequately describe Dimmitt basketball or Kenneth Cleveland. The closest description of Bobcat Basketball is "Pride and Poise." You can't describe Kenneth with one word, but if one comes close, it would be "gentleman." Though even that word leaves much unsaid. Like many, I love Dimmitt Bobcat basketball and I loved Kenneth Cleveland."

Gene Bradley, 1959-1962

"The 1961-62 basketball year started off with four returning starters from a team that went to state the year before Kenneth Cleveland came to Dimmitt. The only person we lost was Junior Coffey-- the four returning starters were: Michael Calvert (junior), Jim Ratcliff (junior), Kelton "Turk" Cates (senior), and myself, Gene Bradley (senior). Dwight Caffey was the fifth man. Having a new coach, we didn't know what to expect, but as the year went on, we knew we had a very special coach.
In those days, my sophomore, junior, and senior years, we had to have a three-game playoff and one team went to district. Dimmitt won all three playoff games! Dimmitt and Tulia were arch rivals; they were the two power houses of the district. We split district and had to have a three game playoff to decide who would represent our district. We both won a game and the third game, we played at the Dimmitt Middle school gym, and we were one point behind, with six seconds left to play. Jim threw the ball to me; I dribbled down the court, with four seconds left, I threw it to Turk at mid-court. Turk, just inside midcourt, shot and made the basket for the Dimmitt Bobcats right as the buzzer went off. Back in those days, that shot was only worth two points, which made us win by only one point. With that, we made it to the playoffs. Not playing to the best of our abilities, we lost by three points in regional playoffs. To this day, the Tulia boys on those teams continue to tell us Bobcats that they had the better teams, but we had the BETTER coach.
Coach Cleveland always stayed cool, calm, and collected. He went on to become one of the best coaches in the nation. Dimmitt was envied for having such a great coach. Coach Cleveland touched the lives of many people."

Garland Coleman, '92-'93

"I have a few distinct memories of Bobcat basketball and Coach Cleveland:
1. When I was 6 years old and was picked to be a "player" for the Bobcat send-off breakfast for the boys going to state. I will never forget the honor that aws and getting to meet the players and Coach Cleveland. It was from that time on, I wanted nothing more than to be a Bobcat basketball player, and I knew I would be. I lived on Cleveland Street in Dimmitt.
2. Every summer, Bobcat basketball camp was the one thing I looked forward to. I went until Coach Cleveland said 'No more, you're starting high school next year.' Then, I helped.
3. I never got to truly play under Coach Cleveland. I was moved up to varsity for the playoff his last year though. But the memories I have of practice are many. One of my favorites is when we were about to play Floydada my junior year ('92-'93 season). I was playing JV and going against the varsity and I have got a few rebounds from the varsity and finally Coach got upset and yelled, "Gary is wearing you out on the boards..." No one knows why I was called that, I mean Floydada's star that year was Gary Henderson, but who knows. However, most guys in that gym that day still call me Gary when I see them today.
4. Saved the best two for last. I have one of the last 2 Pride and Poise 10,000 shot club shirts handed out by Coach Cleveland, Justin Newman has the other. He gave it to us in early May of '93. I will cherish that shirt forever!
5. My most cherished memory: I was the first recipient of the Kenneth Cleveland Memorial Scholarship. I still to this day consider this one of the greatest honors I have ever received. I looked up to and respected Coach Cleveland so much- that to be able to be the award recipient means the world to me.
Even with this list of my memories, there is so much more than one person describing Bobcat Basketball, Pride and Poise, and Coach Cleveland. It is a legacy that lives on today. When I tell people I am from Dimmitt, most say, 'Hey, they are pretty good at basketball' and I just have to smile!"

Felton Issacs, '67-'72

"What a great honor and privilege it was getting to play for a great program and legendary coach.
--1967; My first state tournament at Gregory Gym (Prairiebandits)
--1967-68; Jr. High Basketball (the beginning of our legacy)
--1969; Crane beating us in Regional Finals
--1970; Bi-District playoffs; dressing with the varsity. Beginning of many wars to come with Morton Squaws.
--1971; Being part of the 51st State Championship Tournament Team (Cardiac Kids) and going 33-3; The battles with Morton, Ballinger, Phillips and Hughes Springs.
--1972; Disappointment of senior year, losing to eventual state champions (Morton Squaws) and going 25-6.
--Pleasure of coaching undefeated Little Dribbles Team (Rocky Rawls and Thompson Mayberry).
--The many treasured trips to Gregory Gym and Frank Erwin Center to see legendary Dimmitt teams.
--All the wonderful memories of Libby and Coach. The traditions and legacies you taught each of us."

Dwight McDonald

"I just finished reading the article by Lance. I had to take a moment to clear my misty eyes in order to write you guys and let you know how special we were and how special each of you is to me. Kevin was right-- at the time, we really did not realize what an accomplishment it was, nor did we realize what a special group of young men we were. We were just playing ball and enjoying the fun that we derived from a sport we loved and trying to live up to the legacy that was laid before us (not wanting to disappoint Coach is obviously included in the mix).
I want each of you to know that it is indeed an honor and a privilege to have had the opportunity to grow up in Dimmitt, especially with ya'll as my teammates and more importantly, my FRIENDS. I also know that there are not enough words to explain the good fortune we all had to have been coached by one of the GREATEST of ALL TIME, even though we never had that feeling about him because to us, he was simply...COACH. I am fortunate beyond belief to have had the opportunity to view greatness up close (Coach and the 1983 Bobcats). The lessons I learned from both of you are with em today in my professional life and will be forever. I'm sorry for being so sappy, but I wanted each of you to know that you are special to me and will be for the rest of my life. THANK YOU for providing one of the cornerstones and building blocks for whatever accomplishments may come my way."

"Where to begin? That gym and that town hold so many wonderful memories for me! I remember:
- Hank Lynn working the door
- The smell of popcorn as you entered
- Coach on the bench, calm as ever, unless you screwed up, then the pulling of the socks. OH NO!!
- Watching Jeff, Rocky, and Dennis playing Morton while I was sitting on the rail ( I hate to admit this, but I tried to kick one of the Pattons as he was inbounding the ball).
- The loudness of that gym and the even LOUDER voice of Rick Bell.
- Seeing my granddad sitting on the visitor's side near our bench.
- Laughing to myself when people talked about our "home court advantage" and seeing the disbelief when they were told that we never practiced in that gym.
- The reverence we had for the gym floor as kids. Never stepping on that floor in street shoes.
- All the battles with the exes. Including my broken wrist thanks to Charlie. Coach driving me to the hospital in his little blue pickup. Him telling me he just knew someone was gonna get hurt as hard as we played and me telling him he didn't have to hit every bump between the gym and the hospital.
- The anticipation of the game that carreid through in the Lord's prayer before every game.
- Going by Coach's house to get the key to open the gym on weeknights or Saturdays.
- NEVER once wondering whether we would win a game. I just KNEW we would win EVERY game, even my senior year.
- Norman, you are correct. I wouldn't trade playing in our old concrete gym with the insulation in the rafters for anything. I grew to know and respect the history that was made there and am proud that I was able to see first hand what PRIDE and POISE were all about. Those are lessons that carry me to this day and I am thankful to all of you Bobcats that helped teach me those life lessons, so I think it is only fitting that Dimmitt get a new gym. New doesn't necessarily mean better, just different. We all know that there will never be another Coach, and that history and those memories of the gym nor Coach will never fade."

David Land

"Many Dimmitt basketball memories have stayed with me throughout the years. I recall one of our Plainview games, this particular game played in Plainview. We were behind most of the game, however, came back to win. However, the most impressive and memorable fact was playing against Jerry Sizemore (NFL Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle). His body (and head) were twice the size of any of ours and we were not real fired up about blocking him out. I am not sure any of us touched him all night.
I remember the Floydada incident where a certain smaller Floydada player chose to constantly kick and irritate me. I was very tolerant throughout the first half, but the second half did not turn out so nice. I guess that was the only game which I was ever thrown out.
I remember the 1968 season when we lost to Midland Carver in bi-district and how bad we felt because we let Coach Cleveland down. I remember telling him how sorry I was after the game and we would make him prouder the next year.
I recall the 1969 regional championship game vs. Crane. We kept saying one person couldn't beat us. Tommy Jones proved us wrong. They went on to the State Tournament and I think he still holds the record for most points scored at the tournament. They played two games in those days, even though they lost the first one.
I remember the one and only time we played man-to-man defense. We were playing Abernathy and pretty far ahead so Coach Cleveland told us to try and play man-to-man. After a few minutes and a close scare, we stopped doing that. Funny the things we remember.
During the 1967 season (Dimmitt made a state tournament appearance), one fact was somewhat funny but true-- if Ronnie Kenmore's hair was muffed or messed up in any way, we would lose. Fortunately, that did not happen very often.
I have always thought that what happens during the halftime of a close game more often that not determines the outcome of the game. Libby always had jello, orange slices, toast, chocolate and cokes waiting for us in the dressing room. I think I enjoyed halftime more than any other time. So, if my philosophy is true, we owe many victories to Libby.
I can't count the number of close games that I would look into the stands and see Libby's head in her hands. She couldn't stand to watch. I don't think she was superstitious, but I guess she didn't want to take any chances either.
I remember the Friona district playoff game in 1975. It was a very exciting game and as most thought, turned out to be the real state championship. The game went into 3 overtimes. I remember after the second overtime wondering if we would foul everyone out or maybe, would this game ever end? Probably the most emotion-packed game ever. We won and made it to the state tournament and eventually won the state title. It was during the first game at the state tournament that Brad Sanders received a knee injury that made him miss the championship game. Coach Cleveland and I talked about who would play in his place. I thought we should go with the sophomore that was playing really well. Coach Cleveland thought we should go with the senior. Of course, we did what he suggested , and as usual, glad we did. Victory is sweet."

David Bellinghausen, '68-'69

"Thank you for the postcard regarding the memories of the 'old gym.' I was a little surprised when I learned several years ago that Dimmitt was goign to build a new high school. My first thought was "Oh no! What about the old gym?" Here are some memories I have of the old gym:
1. The opportunity to play basketball in Dimmitt as a Bobcat under Kenneth Cleveland.
2. I remember watching Junior Coffey playing basketball for Dimmitt 1959-1961. He went on to play professional football in the NFL.
3. I was a member of the Bobcat team in 1968-1969 to score 100 or more points in two games in the 'old gym.' I believe we were the first team to do this.
4. Finally, I was able to return to Dimmitt as a Coach and to coach teams in the 'old gym.'
I will be very anxious to see this book of the "Bobcat Years."

Clint Summers, '64

"Dimmitt Basketball-- those two words evoke so many significant memories of my high school years, and my life, in Dimmitt, Texas. During those days, every young athlete could hardly wait until it became his turn to play on the varsity basketball team. I was no different. I watched every upperclassman as he performed for the school My dad, Elbert Summers, had played basketball for Dimmitt during his high school days; so even at a young age, we never missed a game. My summers, filled mostly with hard labor on the farm, were interrupted and highlighted by our evening basketball scrimmages. No one had to make us go-- it was just something you did, if you wanted to play at our school. The competition was pretty tough, even at our small school.
My four years in high school were 1961-1964. I think Coach Cleveland became the head coach my junior year. I didn't get to play that year unless the outcome of the game was not in doubt. If I recall correctly, we had a good season, but lost to Denver City in the bi-district playoffs.
In 1964, I finally got my chance to start on the basketball team. We were expected to have a good team, but probably not as good as the year before. Coach Cleveland had just taken over from a successful coach and a successful program, but he was unproven at this point, and I'm sure under much scrutiny by the loyal townspeople. The season started okay for us, but not up to Dimmitt standards. As I recall, we had won some games, but lost some we were expected to win.
A significant event occurred after the Floydada game early in the season. We were soundly defeated. After the game, in the dressing room, we were very upset with ourselves. I remember Steve Woods and myself were particularly upset because of the play of the Floydada guards who had each had a great game, and we didn't, offensively and defensively. Jack Nichols thought that Steve and I were upset with each other. For the sake of the team, he reported the incident to Coach Cleveland. Coach immediately came into the dressing room, and he was obviously very angry and upset--probably for several reasons, but team dissension was certainly one thing on his mind. I remember being so spellbound by his remarks that I was motionless. My trousers were halfway on, and they stayed that way for several minutes until he finished his speech and left the room. We got a severe tongue-lashing, and the seniors (3 of us) were kicked off the team until we convinced Coach that we really wanted to play basketball for him. As Coach Cleveland left the room, he slammed his hand on the blackboard. It left a greasy imprint of his hand--and no one erased it. It stayed on the blackboard for at least several days, maybe longer and served as a reminder of the challenge he made to us that evening.
Of course, I wanted to play basketball, so after three days, I told the Coach that I did, and I was reinstated on the team along with the other two seniors. This is not an opportunity that I would miss. Whatever it took. The team was now different. We were all more focused, determined, and playing much better basketball. A misunderstanding, among other things, had completely transformed our team. I believe the incident made a difference. It was the benchmark experience that changed the outcome of our season.We played Floydada several weeks later in the Caprock Tournament, and we beat them by 20 points. They came with the same team we played earlier, but we showed up with a different team.
As the season progressed, we continued to improve, employing the Coach's strategy that best fit our team-- run, run, run. We didn't have any tall players. I think our center and forward were maybe 6'1," but we did have speed, and we could make layups. Every game was like a horse race. Steal the ball and look for the outlet pass, and we were off to the races. It was particularly fun for the guards. I didn't have a great outside shot, but I could make layups--Coach made sure of that. Opposing teams hated to play us twice. They might beat us once, but Coach Cleveland seemed to be able to come up with a game plan that usually equaled victory for DHS.
We had a particularly difficult time getting past Morton in our district. They had such a good team and coach, but we finally beat them in a playoff game. I remember having to make some free throws late in the game to win, but we were playing with a lot of confidence in our team and our coach. Another example of "Don't make us play your team two or three times." As was the case many seasons at DHS, the whole town was excited and attended every game. Now that I think about it, there wasn't much competition in the City. Dimmitt was mostly a farming community, but a great place to grow up as a kid and play high school basketball.
We entered the regional playoffs and lost to Canyon High School, who went on to be the State champion for our division. I think we went further in the playoffs than we expected, but expectations at Dimmitt, even then, were high.
Playing basketball for Coach Cleveland was one of the highlights of my high school career. He was a humble man, but he knew basketball, and he also knew something about people. I remember on so many occasions when we were behind or it was a tough game; thinking, I want to win this game for Coach and for this city. Over the course of the year, our relationship with Coach Cleveland changed to one of admiration and adoration. He was a good role model for us as basketball players and especially as men.
The rest is history. Coach Cleveland became a legend. Dimmitt had so many outstanding players and successful teams during his career. I'm sure he had many opportunities to coach at larger schools, but he really distinguished himself at our school. I am so thankful that I got to play for Coach and in such a good program with such a rich history. My only regret is that I moved to Houston after college, and I was not able to see very many games or keep up with teh program. However, my mother sent me the local newspaper, and I wenet to Austin every tienm Dimmitt was there for state playoffs. Libby, thank you for asking me to write down my thoughts. It has been such a joy to go back in time to such an exciting time in my life. I don't know how many tijemsj I have watched the movie, "Hoosiers," but it's been many times. The movie reminds me of DHS basketball and especially the old gymnasium. God's richest blessings be upon you and your family. P.S. I'm still mad about not being allowed to keep my basketball jerseys!"

Jack Bradford, '67-68

"We all consider ourselves lucky to have had Kenneth as a coach, teacher, and mentor. He taught us so many things about life on and off the basketball court. He inspired all of us to do our best no matter if we won or lost. Everyone on the team was given a chance to play. I remember when we were playing in the 1967 State Tournament in the old Gregory gym and I was the only junior on the team. I didn't expect to get to play because the game was pretty close, so I had a great seat on the bench to watch the game. In the 3rd or 4th quarter, Kent Lindsey fouled out and Coach looked down the bench and said, 'Jack, get your warm-ups off, you are going in the game.' I was so shocked I nearly said no, but there I was, playing in the STATE TOURNAMENT! I hadn't been in for a minute or two when we got a rebound under their basket. I took off running for our basket, then someone threw me the ball at mid-court. I thought, 'OH NO,' here I am all by myself and I have to dribble, run and make a lay-up! Luckily, all went well, and I always appreciated that chance Coach gave me to play at State. I want to thank you, Libby, for always being there to encourage us to do our best. I always remember you bringing oranges to the locker room during halftime. You and Kenneth were great coaching partners, and I appreciate both of you for all you did for the team. Let me know when the book is ready so I can read other stories and comments from DHS players."

Jack Howell

"I had an article written by a sports writer for the Austin Newspaper in 1967 when we lost in the finals at the state tournament. He said the kid that played the post position the best in the tournament was a 6'2" kid from Dimmitt, but that no colleges would be calling to recruit him because of his size and his inability to fast break the court. Kenneth told me later that coaches did call him later for films and how he taught that position."

"When John's class were freshmen and Kenneth had began to work with them when he could, John said to me one day, 'Coach Cleveland thinks I am not very fast and that I need to play post.' I said, 'No, John, coach Cleveland does not think you are slow, he knows you are slow, but he can teach you to go from the free throw line to the basket quick and right.' John could not run, he could not jump, he could not see well. To me, Kenneth's greatest accomplishment was what he did with the least amount of talent. A coach-able kid was a gold mine for Kenneth."

Jim Killingsworth, '63

"New coaches always bring normal anxieties to a team. But Coach Cleveland came to Dimmitt as I approached my sophomore year, and the anxieties never materialized, because he made us comfortable from the very beginning. He created a "want to" attitude toward our goals (high from the get-go) and his calm demeanor was reassuring as we learned fast-moving basketball. Those were some of the most memorable days of my youth. Each time I spoke of Coach throughout my lifetime, it was with the highest respect.
Memories: Being an underclassman, we had to play against Junior Coffey in scrimmages. What difficult training that was! In those days, I remember Coach having to choose his places for team meals...when Junior Coffey was refused service in Austin, Coach took the entire team to another place in order to keep us together. I remember running the bleachers, the sprints, and the blisters. Mike Calvert was our big-man (all of 6'4" or 6'5")...what a difference from post players today. We had to deal with tragedy as a car accident took Harold Golden from our team. Growing up in a small town with 1 red-light, two drive-in diners, the Carlisle Theater and a drive-in theater, was a blessing in disguise."

Jim Wright

"One of my memories of Dimmitt basketball was sitting down on the court during a Morton and Dimmitt game when I was in the 4th grade, and my feet actually being out on the court because the chairs around the court were almost touching the out of bounds line. there is also the memory and honor of sitting on the gym floor for Coach Cleveland's funeral; it was very moving for me. That gym is full of many wonderful memories that we all cherish. Best wishes to all."

Joe Lombard

"We played several outsiders tournaments back when Kenneth was in his early 50s. I was amazed at how good a player he was as a 50-year-old. He could shoot the set shot really well and still could "threat the needle" with pinpoint accuracy with his passing. He also liked to win.
It seemed to me that Dimmitt won far more games on last second shots than any other team. I was coaching the boys as well as the girls at Nazareth in '84 and '85 seasons. I only got to play against Kenneth's teams once with our boys team and I treid several times to get them to play the Swifts. Guess what? We finally met in a game at the Reece Air Force tourney in Lubbock; and Dimmitt won on a last second shot.
Another thing that stands out when thinking about Dimmitt basketball was the father-son combination on perhaps Dimmitt's best ever team. You had Kevin as the great player and floor general, and Kenneth as the great coach teamed up as a great father-son duo. As it turns out, that senior season for Kevin, that team was unbeatable."

Joe Bob Sanders

"Kenneth was the best basketball coach in the state of Texas, but his knowledge of football was just below that of basketball. I played JV football half of my sophomore year and half of my junior year. This was probably my most enjoyable of my football years. These games were always fun, win or lose. Kenneth liked to draw ploys up "in the dirt." They usually worked. He would figure out what the opposing defense was trying to do and counter attack. My junior year, the 1965 football team was 0-9 when we played Olton. Kenneth told me that if I would cut back as soon as I got through the line of scrimmage, I would score. Sure enough, he was right. The Bobcats beat Olton that night."

Jim Ratcliff, '61-'63

"It is a pleasure to share with you the relationship and respect that I had for Coach Cleveland. In late spring 1961, Coach Cleveland was hired to be the high school boys basketball coach in Dimmitt. The first time I met Coach Cleveland and had an opportunity to visit with him, I was most impressed. We talked about the players that were coming back, what type of offense and defense we were used to playing, and he asked my opinion about the upcoming season. He was very excited about being in Dimmitt, and he expressed he was going to do everything possible to continue the success of boys' basketball.
The two years I played for Coach Cleveland were some of the best times I had in my basketball career. He was an exceptionally smart coach. He realized that each team had its own strengths and weaknesses. From this information and knowledge, he would adjust to his talent and get the most out of each player and team. I believe that this is one of the main reasons he was so successful over so many years in Dimmitt.
In the spring of 1963, we had finished our basketball season. I needed to try and get a basketball scholarship to go to college. Coach Cleveland called me into his office, and said that he had contacted Coach Phil George at San Angelo Junior College and arranged for me to get a tryout for a scholarship. I went to San Angelo for the tryout and got a scholarship to play basketball. I played and lettered two years at San Angelo Junior College. In 1965, San Angelo Junior College converted into a four-year college. I stayed and got my degree in accounting and graduated with numerous awards and honors. Also, I graduated with the first class from Angelo State College.
I will always be thankful and appreciative of what Coach Cleveland did for me. His coaching made me a better player and because of his recommendation to Coach George, I was able to get a college education.
There are several things that Coach Cleveland taught me that have been most helpful in my personal and professional life:
- To be successful, it takes a team effort.
- Take the extra time to practice and study so that you can perform at your best effort.
- Love and enjoy your family, your career, and take advantage of the opportunities given to you."

John King

"I remember a childhood of Tuesday and Friday nights and a long list of players I idolized. I wanted to be just like those guys when I finally got to play for Coach Cleveland. Finally getting to play for Coach Cleveland: Sunday basketball. Sitting in church just wanting it to end so we could get to the gym. Playing against all the "old" guys and thinking, "Will Darrell ever miss?" I think a few of those guys still think they beat us once in a while. Sorry Norman, never happened :-)
Riding the bus into Dimmitt after winning state. It seemed like the whole town was there! I never wanted that feeling to end. I can honestly say that from my perspective, I was privileged to play with the greatest group of guys and the greatest coach ever. Those memories are still priceless twenty-five years later.
The front row crowd. Man, they were noisy and I don't think I ever thanked them. Darrell and Beth, Sue Rita and Layne, Danny and Sharla, the Bell brothers...
Seeing the opposing team realize that nothing they heard about Kevin was hype. Here's this kid who's not that tall and sort of skinny. During warm-up, they wondered what the big deal was? Then the game started and in a matter of minutes they figured it out. We watched teams change up their defense time after time before realizing the truth. They couldn't stop him. That was sweet.
Winning the tournament in 82 at the last second. Yeah, that was my brother. I could do this forever, but I better stop. One last thing: 38-0. 38 will always be my favorite number."

Johnny Merritt

"There are so many great memories I have of Coach Cleveland, you, and your family-- and playing basketball as a Bobcat. From the Sunday scrimmages to the jello, everything was just great.
I have spoken in high school classes many times over the years, and have taught kids, students, and adults in Sunday School. I have consistently used two lessons from Coach Cleveland repeatedly in my teaching. One relates to the fact that regardless of who we were playing--whether a 3A school or a 5A school, it never occurred to me that we would lose. I always thought we would win--which we did most of the time. The other lesson I have used very effectively in motivational talks is the 1978 Whitehouse defeat in the state championship game. I do not have time this morning to write out my presentation--but will do so in the next week or so.
I cannot tell you how much you, Coach, and your family mean to me and taught me about life. In fact, one thing that has stayed with me is Beth's comment relating to my lack of ability as a senior to make a free throw. She said that "Johnny just needs a tablespoon of confidence." She was right."

John Smith

"This has been great; all of us who played for Coach Cleveland and the Dimmitt Bobcats have special memories that many athletes and teams can't fathom. I was blessed to be in Dimmitt. Coaching 19 years, I always wished for IT. IT started with the atmosphere as a young boy, standing in line at the games, hanging out with Kevin and watching my childhood idols play. In Dimmitt, you grow up playing on the NERF hoop in the kitchen imitating Darryl Buckley, Paul Langford, Jim Birdwell, Wayne McKee, Bradford, Rawls and Bell--plus many others. I remember walking out of elementary school and getting in line for tickets. IT also carried an attitude of having confidence in your game, belief in winning and a responsibility of what it meant to wear a Dimmitt uniform. Thanks to Coach for instilling that in us from a young age. IT meant having a community that supported you all the way, from the front row to the rafters, and wherever we played. Looking up in Austin and seeing a sea of purple pride. That is priceless. The after game gang that paraded through the locker room shaking our hands, except for Mr. Ryan, he always popped us with his seat cushion. I knew something was special when I was in the 8th grade, maybe 9th, and it was Christmas Day or near it and the gym was full with players from the past. I don't remember how many all-state players were there those days, but it showed me what IT meant to be a part of Dimmitt Basketball. Some of my most fond memories were the Sunday afternoon games, the Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday games to 100. Darryl, Norman and Charlie were always there making us better. I searched for 19 years as a coach to find former players with the dedication of Darryl, Norman and charlie and never found them. Thanks to you and to all of you who took pride to make us better.
To Coach Cleveland, he was the maker of IT:
He knew what to say and when to say it, he gave me a confidence that still carries on today, and you wanted to please him and couldn't wait to play for him. Even after long film sessions, especially our junior year, there was something there that just made you want to be the best. He coached you in a way that doubt or second guessing never entered in .Ir remember the coach from Littlefield telling me one time that his assistant had drawn up more than 50 plays on us; when I said we had no plays he was amazed, but that goes back to Coach and teaching us how to be a team and play for something bigger than us. Some other memories:
- Filming with Keith Gregory when we were freshmen
- I still owe Kevin about 150 Cokes from shooting games we played
- The purple chair in the high school gym
- I remember playing Abernathy on a Saturday afternoon and when I arrived, I had to park over by the elementary school. As I walked to the gym, I passed numerous people saying no one else was getting in, so we will listen to you on the radio. That is IT.
- GO CATS GO
- PRIDE AND POISE
- Whipped Jello and Cider during math (I am sure we were learning a mixture ratio or something)
- To Libby, thanks for your support and care for all of us as sons, all the signs you painted, the Texas Dome always looked like home.
- No program in the state can match what Dimmitt had in that ole concrete gym with the poised coach. That was IT."

John Lantz

"In June of 1967, Kenneth hired me to be junior high coach in Dimmitt, Texas. He told me that we were not going to plan any of that zone defense in basketball that I liked so much. In a couple of years, Kenneth told some friends that I had converted him to my way of thinking on defense.
One time, Kenneth, Roy Blair, and myself went to scout a bi-district game at Midland Carver High School at their home court. The team from Denver City and the three of us were the only white people in the gym. They were selling chances on a TV set. We bought chances but never heard if we won or not.
It is a little known fact that Kenneth was an excellent football coach. In the fall of 1967, when we started two-a-day workouts in football, I discovered myself how good he was. He was an outstanding punter and taught many of the Dimmitt boys to punt. He was the Junior Varsity coach and he wanted a trick play for every game. I think he won more football games than he lost.
Here are some other little known facts:
- When basketball practice started, I lost my golfing buddy until basketball season was over. Kenneth loved to play golf, but when basketball started, he would hang up the clubs until the end. He said if the boys could give up their time to come practice, he could give up his time on the course to be with them in the gym.
- In the summer of 1967, they opened the Dimmitt Country Club. They didn't do a very good job. Members paired off in groups and finished making the greens. Kenneth and I were assigned the number 5 green to finish and help get the course going.
- Kenneth and his assistant coaches would bet among ourselves on the points that would be scored in the half of a game or total points in a game. It would only be for a quarter or for fifty cents, but it added a lot of fun to it.
- He never cut any boy from the team. He kept all boys that would stick it out. If he had a chance to put them in at any point during the season, then he would.
- As a matter of fact, the first game the boys broke 100 was against Ralls and all the subs were in when that happened. Kenneth didn't like to run up the score so he had pulled all the starters out. They had played really good. He had put all the subs in and they still broke 100.
- Kenneth had a sweet tooth. When the gang headed to New Mexico to play golf and Libby didn't come with us, Kenneth made sure we had sweets. We would stop to get supplies. The rest of the gang would head for the basics like milk, bread, sandwich meat and such. Kenneth headed for the candy and cake aisle. He didn't seem too concerned with the other, but wanted to make sure we had candy and cake.
Over the years, there were many exciting moments working with Kenneth as one of his assistant coaches."

Keith Gregory

"Thank you for getting us all together to share such wonderful memories of Coach...and you! How great it is to be reminded of all these great moments. It's so cool and interesting that when we all share these, we all have the same emotions attached to them, and how it affects us all to this day! I have read all these memories with tears and have felt so blessed to have been able to re-live them with you all-- a true blessing in my life to this moment..it's something coach and Libby have given us and continues to shape who I am..who we are today. Wow, like everyone else, I'm thinking, 'Were do you start?' All the moments and thoughts everyone shared have come back into my mind--here are a few more:
- Being a pine brother, I spent a little time behind Coach while he talked to the players on the bench. I will never forget being so worried about seeing blood on Coach's head..and feeling the need to seek medical attention for him, but not having the courage to bring it up!
- Listening to Rick James, Superfreak and Earth Wind and Fire on Kevin's silver, one-speaker boom box on the bus, every trip...she's super freaky..yow...
- Seeing Libby up on that what seemed to me to be rickety scaffolding, painting Pride and Poise in the gym at every spare moment.
- Coach wrapping my sprained, what Phil called, elephant ankle so tight I thought my foot would pinch off at any moment
- Playing "Empire of the Overmind" on the 'high-tech' computer on the cart in Libby's room while eating pumpkin bread on game days...remember that old computer? No graphics, only cold, green letters...and everything had to be typed out.
I've been thinking about this project, and the impact Coach and Libby had on me..so much to say...
Work Ethic: My perception of work ethic was always there..from home, parents, etc., but Coach and Libby took that and added the clarity of what that meant-- fundamentals, dedication, not being perfect, just being all you can be...this put something in me I have used every day since. The concept of Pride and Poise was also defined to me in concrete ways...Pride in who I was, pride in who I was privileged to be in an organization with--this great bunch of brothers I grew up with, an insight into appreciation for who they were as well...pride in the level of love and the quality of direction Coach and Libby gave us. Poise in tough situations we would face...the tough crowds we played in front of, poise that would overcome being behind, poise to never let the setbacks cloud our judgment of what we needed to to.
Every day since? Well, the influence of Coach and Libby helped give me the ability to take pride in even the smallest steps of progress--what to most seems insignificant, can be seen as some of the most rewarding and celebrated. Poise in being able to take situations and keep your composure, focus, and find that spark to keep the goal in mind, like the map on the wall with a line running from Dimmitt to Austin. That spark came from seeing the love and dedication Coach and Libby had for basketball and for all of us. I'm so thankful I have these memories to re-live with you all. Thanks, Coach and Libby for teaching me things that really matter!"

Kelly Moore

"I hope this is not too much and I think I could write a book too. Please forgive my rambling. Because my dad was the Principal and was also good friends and co-workers with you and Kenneth, I got to spend so many days watching Ken Cleveland work even before I put on a purple and white uniform.
I also have so many great memories from the golf course. Coach C was our golf coach as well. So, I spending some time working on this and even if you don't put any of it in your book, I still will have a great time recalling a truly great teacher, coach and friend. Here are some random thoughts and memories:
- I may have been one of the most fortunate kids ever to grow up and play for Dimmitt High School. We came to Dimmitt when I was in the 4th grade and my dad was the high school principal. Many days, I rode the bus to the high school and ran to the gym to play and wait for my dad to finish up his day. I shot thousands of balls standing on the side during practice and watched my heroes practice under the direction of a great man, Kenneth Cleveland. I had a front row seat to watch great players like John Howell, Bobby Baker, Kent Bradford, Jerry Seale, Jerry Brady and David Land--just to name a few, play every day. These were my heroes and my aspiration was to play basketball like they did.
- I remember the going to out of town games with my dad to watch the Bobcats play. I remember on a cold night in Hale Center when we came out of the gym after the game and had a flat tire on Dad's Volkswagen station wagon and had no jack. Jerry Brady and David Land and a couple of others picked up the front end so dad could put the spare tire on.
- I remember Jerry Brady reaching into the tank and grabbing the lobster at the Zuider Zee in Lubbock after a playoff game.
- I remember Coach Cleveland telling David Land, almost daily, that if he was going to pass the ball to Seale, he had to look at him. David was a great passer and would hit Seale in the face about twice a week with a perfect pass while looking away.
- There were so many summer nights and Sundays when we played against some of the best players to ever put on the Bobcat uniform. And one of the best out there was always Coach Cleveland. It was really exciting to get to play on his team. He never missed and always made you look good. And everybody got to play somewhere in the gym. You were somebody special when you made it to the big game on the south end of the gym.
- Of my basketball playing days, I remember starting our senior season with Coach Cleveland having no idea how we might do. But after we lost the first game by one point to Levelland, he said, "We will be ok."
- Libby Cleveland coming in the gym at the end of practice with jello and Vitamins.
- My junior year when you would let us go to the gym, on some days, during class, on game days to shoot free throws. Yes you did.
- My senior year I spent most of my time on the bench next to Coach Cleveland, heard him yell at Brad Sanders not to shoot just before it went through the hoop. Brad would quick shoot from the hip before anybody knew what happened.
- I remember Libby hiding around the corner in the Dimmitt gym because she could not watch. She would peek around the corner from time to time.
- I remember chairs around the floor on big games and no room to run or stand.
- Some players had a key to the gym because I got it for them. But most days, the gym was not even locked and the balls were never put up. But none of them ever disappeared.
- My sister Melissa knocked me to the floor after the last buzzer at the state finals game.
- As I remember, in the Gregory gym, we ran down through the crowd to get to the floor. I may be wrong.
- Travis Hampton, Steve Myatt, and I went to the state tournament, by ourselves our junior year and watched every game. I remember watching Friona get beat in the finals and knowing that our friends from Friona had everybody back for our senior year.
- I don't remember if we did this or if I saw the Bobcats do this in a prior year-- but, once the Bobcats came out to warm up before the game in Morton and started shooting their layups on the same end where Morton was warming up. Coach Cleveland knew the rules say, the visiting team gets to choose which goal to warm up on. It threw the Indians off and the Bobcats won the game.
- Libby, I will never forget going to so many golf tournaments with Coach C. We had a decent team, won district every year and Coach C took us to tournaments every week. We put in a lot of miles in that Vista Cruiser station wagon ya'll had. What great fun we had.
- We always had to help Coach C find his golf tees in the grass because he was color blind.
- All the days working at the country club, cleaning the pool with him, teaching swimming lessons, and playing golf.
One of my great honors was when I was home spring break of my senior year at ACU and saw Coach C at a track meet in Hereford. He asked to come back and coach at Dimmitt. After talking to my dad, I took his wise advice and declined the offer. Dad said, 'The Lord himself was not wanted in his own hometown.' And there was not a job for my life.
I always told people that knew basketball that I was from Dimmitt, Texas and they knew that I knew I had a great basketball base because of Kenneth Cleveland. Libby, in my 20 years of officiating basketball, I had instant respect because of who I played for. I remember walking into the gym one night to call a regional playoff game for Dean Weese. When I introduced myself to him he said, 'When I picked you as my choice from the officials list, I knew only one thing about you. I knew you played at Dimmitt for Kenneth Cleveland so I knew you knew basketball.' What a great honor."

Larry Birdwell

"These are some of the things I remember from my days of coaching with Kenneth:
1. Kenneth and I were sitting on the bench at Dimmitt while the team warmed up before a big game--probably Morton. He leaned over to me and said, 'Larry, when you become a head coach you will find out that the distance between the chair you sit in and my chair is greater than the 6 inches between these 2 chairs.' Man, was he right.
2. One time, there was a Dimmitt football coach that was mad at Kenneth and Ken told me 'There are two things that a coach can do that make people dislike you, win too much or lose too much. I choose to win.'
3. We were playing Morton at Dimmitt when Rocky, Jeff and Jim were seniors. A rumor had started in Morton that Dimmitt was going to open the gym early and let Dimmitt fans in so there would be no seats for the Morton fans. Well, Kenneth and I went to the gym at about 1 p.m. to get the video camera ready. It looked like the whole town of Morton was lined up outside the gym. As Kenneth and I were trying to get inside, he and I were accused of butting in line. Since Kenneth and I did not care that much for Morton, that didn't go over very well with Kenneth or myself.
4. Libby, I don't know if you know this or not. Kenneth told me not to tell you because he was on a diet, but he and I would go into the school cafeteria after workout each day and eat cake and government peanuts. We would talk about workout and/or the big game coming up. Man, I miss those days!
I will never forget those days and the older I get the more I miss them. I never appreciated the time he and I spent together until I was older. My family feels as if they know Kenneth because I talk about him all the time. If I am a good coach, it is because of Kenneth giving me a chance to coach with him and all the things I learned from him. I learned X's and O's from him, but the greatest thing I learned from him was how to work hard."

Jason Long, '88-'89

"I can tell you that Coach Cleveland was such a positive influence in my life; it is truly a shame that I never got the chance to tell him thank you. I was overseas serving in the military at the time of his tragic death. I have only made it back to Dimmitt a handful of times over the past 20 years, but I often think about the wonderful basketball years in Dimmitt.
My first close-up basketball experience with Coach had to be when I was maybe 11 or 12 years old (1980-1981). It was during his summer basketball camp. I was probably only a 5th or 6th grader at the time, but even I knew that Coach offered something special. I received a couple of certificates from that camp--free throw shooting and dribbling skills I think were the two contests I won. I ran across them recently along with the grading sheet for the week that graded all aspects of basketball (free throws, passing, dribbling, lay-ups, etc). I was so proud of my accomplishments from that camp. I knew then that I would dedicate myself to improving my basketball skills so that I'd be able to play for him someday. This time-frame coincided with the great teams that he had in the early 1980's with Kevin Cleveland, Jeff Watts and Phil King only to mention a few. I wanted to be considered part of that elite company of Dimmitt Basketball stars that played for Coach. Literally, from that time forward, I did anything and everything I could to impress Coach. I know that he was the driving factor in why basketball became so important to me. I wanted to impress Coach more so than my parents.
Even today, whether I'm coaching my son's basketball team or playing myself (I still play once a week at a local school with a bunch of 'old' guys) I feel that the fundamentals of the game and the desire for the game were instilled by Coach."

Jeff Bell

"I found your note in my spam and sure am glad I did. Let me tell you that gym is a shrine in my eyes. Like the old Gregory gym, Boston Garden, on and on. I loved the gym, the dressing room. It meant you were part of one of the greatest if not the greatest tradition in Texas schoolboy history. Wow! My heart lies in the old concrete gym because of the players I grew up idolizing. Players like John Howell, Jerry Brady, Tommy Stafford, Mark Wohlgemuth, Danny Ebeling, Derryl Buckey, Craig Williams, Wayne McKee, Brad Sanders, and my all-time favorite, Max Newman. There were our teams and of course Kevin's teams. How awesome to have those great memories. My favorite memories were when we played Morton. Do you remember how the fans lined up at noon to get in. That was special! Not many people can experience what we got to experience. It was all do to our leader, our coach, the one I idolized more than anyone. Then, there was you! Always the nervous one, but always our 2nd mom! Always our protector, always the one to be there in case we needed someone to talk to. And yes, coach giving me those words of encouragement made me want to please him more than ever. The gym will always be in my heart and no bad memories, all great memories. If only I could go back for one more game! Those were special days for us all. It made us become what we are today. You are right, basketball live in my heart and always will. I often wonder what if I had grown up in a different town what my life would have been like. i tell you god put my family there in Dimmitt for several reasons. One reason, basketball, because God knows the difference a game and certain man and woman can do to influence kid's lives. Thank you for sharing this with me and for being the greatest of them all. Love to you and may God bless you Libby Cleveland. By the way, we are 9-0 in district and 21-6 overall and this team I have reminds me fo the old Dimmitt Bobcats with all of the heart they play with."

"I have been thinking a lot about Coach lately so I decided to just write you. How lucky we all were to have him as our coach. The man who never got rattled. The man who we would all run through the wall for. The true belief and true faith we had in him. How lucky I was to grow up in a time with the greatest coach to ever grace the floor. A man who was so far ahead of his time but never acted like it. A man who could build a team out of nothing and make them champions. Now that is a coach! How fortunate I was just to be a small part of all of those wonderful teams. Every player that played for him in some small way feels like they were one of the best to ever play at Dimmitt because of his way of making you feel like a champion. I have now coached for 22 years and have now been lucky to win state 2 times. I still want to be half the coach he was and to be able to have coaches respect me like they respected Coach. He earned their respect through his demeanor and through his character and through the pride and the poise he had all of his teams display. My youngest son Jake wants to coach. I tell him of a coaching legend. A man who was a humanitarian. A man with class. I tell him to be like the legend and you will always be successful. How fortunate we were that Coach moved to the small town of Dimmitt in 1962 and established the finest high school program ever assembled. Now that is a coach! He did it with talent and he did it with no talent. He could just coach. He was a man that did not care for plays. He taught his players how to play instead. He did not need stars. Everyone was a shining star for the Bobcats. Oh! How that man loved his family and would always be there for them. I know that most of all! He loved his kids and grand kids! He was a man's man. he is the legend of all legends as far as I am concerned. If not for him, I would not have pursued my dream of being a coach. He helped make my life a dream. I will never ever forget the man who taught us all about life. I still miss him."

Kelly Moore

The bus rides to “away” games were boring. Idle talk and homework. Occasionally, school officials would throw more than one team on a bus, which could make the trip more interesting. But putting the cheerleading squad on the bus worth the Varsity boys team, well, probably not the best idea, but it happened late in the 1978-79 season, and it made for one of my favorite memories of Coach Cleveland.
Playing for Coach Cleveland, everyone had a well defined role. My job was to hustle my butt off on defense. On offense, my job was to get the ball to the shooters. I was a point guard, a short point guard, one with an ugly, less than confident shot. I knew this, and all was okay. Coach Cleveland had found a way to make the most of my limited skills, and it resulted in a starting job, and plenty of playing
time. The fact that I was in trouble if I shot the ball during a game, that was just a function of being a role player for Coach Cleveland. Averaging about one point a game was something I was comfortable with, at least until the bus ride with the cheerleaders. It was late in the fourth quarter, and the game against Littlefield was well in hand. The starters were on the bench and it was garbage time. For a guy who had scored 8 points (about 7.2 points above my season average), you would think I would have been ready to call it a night, and enjoy watching some of my buddies get some well deserved playing time. Not the case this night. When Coach Cleveland stood up and yelled my name, no one was more surprised than me. But the words he shouted after my name, were words I thought I would never hear. “Kelley… get in the game, AND SHOOT THE BALL!” The cheers and smiles went up and down the bench, as I went to the scorer’s table to check into the game. I even got a smile and a high five from the guy I replaced. A well kept secret before and during the game, Coach Cleveland had learned of what had transpired on the bus. You see, I had a seat on the bus near Jo Beth Bates. Jo Beth was probably one of most
liked girls in school. She was everyone’s friend, but short on dates, despite being a cheerleader. When it came to kidding, she could dish it out, and she could take it. She was dishing it out on the bus. A few verbal jabs came my way, and my foolish pride got the best of me. Jo Beth questioned my low scoring average, as only she could do, and the result was a claim I could score ten points that night. I was so cock-sure I could score ten points, a bet was made, and anything less than ten points meant I would have to take Jo Beth on a date, and not just any date, a date to the Boston concert in Amarillo.
As I passed Coach Cleveland on my way to check in at the scorer’s table, he had the biggest grin on his face. He was really enjoying the moment, so much so, he threw a jab Jo Beth’s way by commenting “A date with Jo Beth Bates, shoot the ball Hill!” For Coach Cleveland, basketball was serious business, and games were the most serious part of the business, regardless of the score. But on this rare occasion, while a game was still being played, he reminded us again what a great sense of humor he had. And he managed to include the entire team, the cheerleaders, and as
it turned out, a portion of the fans, in showing what a fun loving guy he could
be.
A couple of footnotes to this story. I didn’t score
the 2 points I needed, despite having the ball on a couple of fast breaks. It’s a testament to the unselfish team concept that Coach Cleveland instilled in his players, because on both fast breaks, I passed the ball to a teammate who had a better shot. It was so ingrained in my training from Coach Cleveland, even faced with the prospect of taking Jo Beth on a date, I gave up the ball to an open teammate, just as we had practiced for many hours. Of course, Jo Beth claimed that my failure to take the shot was
just my school boy crush on her. When I picked her up the night of our “date” to the concert, she soon found the ride to Amarillo a bit crowded, because my best friend, Tim Fewell, accompanied us. I couldn’t give Jo Beth unbridled freedom to describe our “date” to our classmates."

"My “welcome to Dimmitt Basketball” experience happened when I was on JV. We had a home game against Morton. The JV game was not a big deal, but the Varsity game was scheduled for later that night, and was one of those huge, all important district games. Coach Cleveland made a rare appearance in the JV locker room before the JV game, to let us know that we would probably have a little more crowd noise and involvement than our typical JV game. Although he tried, nothing could have prepared us for our entrance to the floor for the pregame warm-up. We lined up, and
trotted out on the floor in typical fashion. What awaited was the most deafening cheering I have ever heard … ever. The gym was packed, the crowd was going nuts, so much so, I couldn’t feel my feet hitting the floor as we ran out. I mean, we were just trotting out to go through pregame warm-ups! I couldn’t feel anything for about the first quarter , is was just numb, head to toe, from the overwhelming noise level. I had seen the gym packed for these games, but until this moment, I had never experienced it as a player. I knew then, I was part of something special. Even though I was on JV, I was playing for Dimmitt High School, for Coach Cleveland,
and I was part of a program that had the attention and support of an entire community."

"I realized it to some degree at the time, but full appreciation came later. Basketball was just a tool used by Coach Cleveland, a tool he used to mold boys into young men, a tool he used to prepare us for life. When he talked about poise and pride, he wasn’t just talking about how to handle adversity on the basketball court, he was teaching us how to handle the inevitable challenges of life. For his many teachings, about poise, pride, the value of teamwork, the value of hard work and
dedication, as well a respect for others, I will be forever grateful.
Libby, thanks for all the support you gave to Dimmitt basketball over the years. I don’t think any of the players will ever fully understand how much you gave of yourself to help Kenneth and the basketball program. P.S. One of my favorite memories of practice was the jello you brought to us after we finished shooting end-of-practice free throws!

Jerral Seale, '67-69

"Dimmitt basketball is one of my earliest memories. My dad took David and I to a game in the old one-sided high school gym, approximately '55. I never forgot the excitement. Later, experiences were enhanced totally from you and Coach's arrival.
Fifth grade tryouts for the "half time" games was a pressure-packed and exciting day. After one of these games, our group was being cautioned by our P.E. coach, Mr. Wilson, that we must stop the "hully gully" play we were exhibiting or we would risk losing the opportunity to play. As I was trying to determine exactly what "hully gully" was, Coach Cleveland appeared and calmly, but with much conviction, explained how we could and would begin to correct this. Coach did not miss an opportunity.
I'm afraid I may have missed saying thank you Libby for sending me to Coach's gym office (6th grade) with a note for him. You knew I had interest in purchasing a pair of Converse All-Stars. Money was never better spent. Just being in that office with Coach, with all the aura of accomplishments and possibilities, cemented my desire to be a Cleveland Bobcat. Because of that, I know I spent more time working on those "Mike Calvert jump shots."
Since leaving Dimmitt, I have been asked more than once how Coach did it. I always tell them the same thing. Coach said you just had to score on basket more than the other team. Most people do not understand the amount of work Coach invested in that basket! How he always managed to get extraordinary results from ordinary boys (no slight to all the great players I watched and played with) year after year set him apart. I remember he emphasized the importance of teamwork with individual effort responsiblity as part of it.
Thinking of the great '66-'67 team. I remember watching practice and observing the determination of the subs (they would have started anywhere else) challenging the best five I had ever seen play. I knew Coach respected them...they were bringing something to the team. Yep, with the managers, fans, janitors, and players he wanted to share the enjoyment of work, effort and success. I certainly enjoyed (more than words can express) my respect and gratitude to you (for all the support and vitamins too) and Coach. Also to my '67-'68 and '68-'69 team and memories.
Work to get open; shoot when you are; pass when you're not; hustle, hustle hustle. Still works. Thanks Coach and you too, Mrs. Cleveland."

Jacky F. Dunn, '65-'66

"Your homework assignment for the Dimmitt Bobcat basketball team coached by "Coach" Kenneth Cleveland is not an easy task. Years of memories, tearful thoughts pulling at your heart strings, is hard to put into black and white. Even some of the private conversations when Coach became our father on numerous occasions, became lessons we never shared with anyone else, not even fort his book. It's as if the "Coach" himself is standing over us prodding us to finish the task.
Before I start, I want you to know how much I appreciate your efforts to contact me and to allow me to be part of your memories just like you and your family has been to me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation last week. It was so good to hear your voice and to find out your children and grandchildren are doing so well. Outside of the memories about Coach, I want you to tell Kevin this story because Coach may not have been around to tell him. When you mentioned Kevin's words about the kids not being the same, the school not being the same and the parents not being the same, it put em back many years standing next to Coach. Coach told me those same words, "These kids are not the same!" he had just finished coaching in the All-Star game. I think it was at Ft. Worth, Texas, but I do not remember the year. He was discouraged about the prima donna attitude of the kids he had coached that night and how difficult they were to coach. He was relieved that the game was over. I think that was the only time I ever saw sternness and disappointment in his face.
Maybe I should start by writing the same words that every ex-Bobcat that played and gave their heart and soul to your soul-mate, Coach Kenneth Cleveland, will write to you. Motivator, Hustle, Commitment, Teamwork, Determination. "We will beat them with conditioning we will do today," Friend, Father. NEVER give up, Trust, Pride. A book could probably be written about each of these. These traits of the Dimmitt Bobcats were the thread of the spirit that instilled the bond of success, then and now for each of us.
My first exposure to Coach was not in the gym, but on the football field. My junior yaer--in the fall of 1964--after not participating in the sports my freshman and sophomore years, I became a team member of the Dimmitt Bobcat football team. I played defensive and offensive end. Coach was the offensive end coach. His 100-yard "wind sprints" were a sign of things to come. The word commitment bbecame evident and stuck with me during those hot summer days. Football ended quickly for me during the spring of 1965. A torn cartilage in my knee necessitated surgery in the spring of 1965. The orthopedic surgeon allowed me to play basketball while wearing a brace on my knee during my junior year. His words to me were, 'You can't hurt it anymore; it's already torn, we will fix it in the spring.'
Coach allowed me to come out for basketball with the agreement that I would not be given any special consideration with regards to everything the team did to prepare for the season. Coach fitted me in a knee brace that had metal bars on both sides of my knee, taped my knee every day and my memories of Coach began. There were times during that first year that it seemed like I spent more time in the whirlpool than I did on the court. During that first year, I also developed a bad case of shin splints. The tape, shaving my leg, tough skin and pain were a part of my daily life. Coach went to a coaching clinic and came back with the answer for both of us as I am certain he was tired of taping my leg every day. After three days utilizing the exercise program he outlined for me, the shin splints disappeared never to return. The highlight of my junior year was the day Coach allowed us to all line up and see who could touch the rim. A few of us were able to and this made him smile. My junior year was spent on the B team, learning everything Coach taught. In April, the orthopedic surgeon who did all eight of E.J. Holub's knee surgeries, removed the cartilage. It was like a miracle not to have any more pain. By the summer of 1965, it was time to go to work. In a small town in West Texas, there is not much to do unless you have been taught by Coach Cleveland to love, eat, and sleep what he called "roundball." We called it summer league...he called it getting ready for next year. By that year, I was the youngest disc jockey in the state of Texas. I would take down the flag during the last couple of songs, close down the radio station, KDHN in "Big D-Dimmitt, Texas" on the run to the gym. Each night, we played for 3 hours. It seemed like we never got tired. Coach was "honing" us even then--conditioning, winning at all costs and above all teaching us to protect the basketball. You see, Coach had been a special player at the University of Texas, having been named to the second team All-Southwest Conference as a guard. He could "pick your pocket" quicker than you could imagine. The summer leagues were all-out wars, not fouling type wars, but developing all of your skills. He gave us the advantage even on those long nights out. With him on the court playing against us, it made all of us better. We all admired his ball handling skill sand his "sweet shot." I can still see him shooting those perfect form, two-handed jump shots. He was GOOD!
By the fall, it became evident that I would no longer be a football player. My best friend Bob Bradford who had starred on the basketball team the year before refused to play football. This was a great opportunity for me. Up until that year, one of the requirements to play basketball was that you also had to play football. Bob was able to convince Coach to waive that rule and allow him and me to go to the gym for basketball instead of the field house for football. After much discussion, Coach agreed to this proposal, with one stipulation: Bob and I had to agree to complete a daily workout regime. We had it taped to the wall and we followed it to a "T." I never knew it was possible to climb to the ceiling rafters in the gym by way of a single large rope. After we finished Coach's outlined workout, we played one-on-one the rest of the afternoon. Coach would come by after football practice to check up on us and make certain we were living up to our end of the agreement. We spent so much time in that gym that Coach finally gave us a key to the gym. By the time the football season was over and the basketball season officially started, we were in great shape. Bob was already on the top of his game. I think Coach was even surprised at how well Bob was playing.
The season got started and so did the gut-wrenching conditioning drills. Coach loved the words "to the line and back, half-court and back, to the end and back!" Over and over! His drills were designed to make us the last one standing at the end of every game we played. Every practice included these drills that instilled confidence that no one was going to beat us by being in better shape then we were. Coach preached "block out" and "full court press" like there was no tomorrow. We listened, we learned and we executed.
My first game as a Dimmitt Bobcat was one I will never forget. It was our first game of the season. Coach allowed me to start as Bob and I were so far ahead of the other players. My assignment was to guard the starting center for Chandler High School. He was 6'5" and seemed like a mountain man to me. He made All-State in their classification the previous year. I was so excited and it had been drilled into me to keep him "off the boards." To this day, I am not sure of how I did that night, but the next day Coach could not believe the bruises on each of my hips were the size of softballs.
Our first home game came with a valuable lesson that I have never forgotten and probably a number of us have learned this lesson one way or another with Coach. I think it was the first time Coach sent in a substitute for me. I came back to the bench upset because he had taken me out of the game. Coach stopped me and said, "Jacky, I am the coach here!" I never questioned anything he ever did or said from that day forward.
Another memorable night was at Tulia, Texas. This was the town where I had torn up my knee the year before. On one particular play, I had gotten free on the baseline with the basketball. I dribbled all the way across the three-second lane to the other corner. I thought I was too far under the basket to shoot. Coach called timeout and told me, "Jacky, you can practice dribbling in practice tomorrow. you need to score." The great thing about that particular game was that it was against one of our arch rivals. After the game (which we had won), and as we were leaving their gym, their team had changed into their workout clothes and were getting ready for a late-night practice.
As the season progressed, the other players became better and better. John Howell, a junior, took over for me at center. Bob just got better and better. He was next to impossible for any team to stop. Robert Lindsey, who was also a senior and who had helped anchor the team the year before as one of the starting guards, helped lead our team as the juniors gave us the speed and fire power needed to take us to the next level. The juniors were really coming together, literally, as several of them donned a new "do." Several of that group showed up at practice with blond hair. Though obviously shaken, Coach allowed them to play their determined brand of Bobcat basketball with their new look. I am not sure if it was before or after this incident when John Howell promised all of us a new "English" type hat, which was his favorite and his personal signature style, if we could win a particularly big game. We did and he did.
During that fall, each of us got to witness a child prodigy who was destined to become one of the greatest players to pick up a basketball in Texas. During practice, Coach's pride and joy, his 2-3 year old son, Kevin, would chase rolling basketballs around the gym. He was part of our family and we were part of his. Kevin subsequently became All-State and his senior year his Bobcat basketball team defeated a powerhouse team from Houston, Texas in the state finals to become one of the only teams in Texas history, regardless of its size or classification, to ever complete the season undefeated. I was privileged to be present to witness how that Dimmitt Bobcat team literally demoralized and soundly defeated a team the press described as having said, "Just wait until Dimmitt has to play this team from Houston!"
Our team set the stage for teams to come. If I remember correctly, someone coined the term the "cardiac kids" to describe the 1965-1966 Dimmitt Bobcats. Our games were always suspenseful and invariably came down to the wire. Our teams had the reputation to be able to win games the way we were coached, with determination, exquisite conditioning and with teamwork. We were fortunate to win the district and bi-district championships. we also won the first game of the regional tournament which put us into the finals as one of the final eight teams in Class AA during the spring of 1966.
Our team was not as big, seeing as there were three of us who were 6'2". We played in the AA conference which was comprised of 293 teams. We were beaten in the regional finals by Crane, Texas. Their team had three 6'6" players, including Bob McKay who eventually became an All-American tackle for the University of Texas football team. But it was a freshman guard, who as a senior set the scoring record in the state championship game in Austin with 61 points, who proved to be the difference in our game as he scored 24 points that night.
During that game, Coach taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life: trust. With the game on the line and only minutes to play, Coach put me in the game. I have never remembered what he said to me as I left the bench. All I can remember was that I had to keep their big center "off the boards" as they were shooting free throws and we were ahead by three points. As the shot went up and struck the rim, I screened the center off. I can still remember the contact with his left him, the referee's whistle blowing and the look on my teammates' faces. The player I fouled made his free throws and we subsequently lost our trip to Austin by three points.
One year was unbelievable, memorable, filled with honors and accomplishments. Ours was a building block year to pave the way for the juniors to make it to the state tournament the next year. Bob Bradford received the ultimate recognition by being named to the All-Regional and All-State teams. The lessons taught and learned during that year were not just x's and o's but lessons that have molded each of us into who we are, how we raised our children, lives we too have touched through the years.
There were three seniors on the Dimmitt Bobcat team of 1965-'66. All of us had been friend since childhood. All of us committed to being the best we could be. Robert Lindsey was one of the starting guards from the year before. He gave us the leadership that our team had to have and yes, even the ultimate sacrifice as he too joined the blond hair brigade that brought our team together. Three seniors, Robert, Bob, and myself are now doctors--not bad for the senior class of '65-'66.
All of us remember the days, the reasons we all seemed to migrate back to the gym during Christmas holidays to renew friendships, to see Coach and Libby, to feel those feelings that somehow Coach was able to kindle in all of us-- the love for the round ball.
Coach Kenneth Cleveland was our friend, our confidant, our mentor, our math teacher, our morale support, our father and our "Coach." I would be willing to bet that when you talk to other ex-Dimmitt Bobcat team members that each will tell you that the qualities of leadership, team play, never give-up attitude and the attributes above describing "Coach," we learned from one man: Coach Cleveland. In closing, Libby, thanks for giving us your love, thanks for being our mom, thanks for allowing Coach to be our father and mentor. His life has touched us all and lives you cannot even imagine. Thanks for the memories and one more chance to live the dream through his memory!"

"Thanks for your kind words. You forgot the common denominator. It was Coach. He was the one that taught us how to channel all of that energy and learn that control. When I was coaching the 10-12 year old boys in the Boys and Girls club basketball league, I preached, "cool heads win games!" That was so indoctrinated into my head that it had to come from Coach. We used the same presses, the same offenses and the same defenses. That's the team I was telling you about that scored 70 points in games that had 6 minute quarters. I had a young man who was on that team who I saw when he was in college. He told me, 'Coach, I want you to know that I still block out! I have never forgotten how you coached me to do just that!"
Coach made basketball fun. We all learned. He gave the cardiac kids the heart of a lion. The passion and desire to win, to be better than everyone else. When we were seniors, a few of us also made the golf team. We went to the district tournament at Abernathy. After we finished our golf matches, Robert Lindsey, myself and another player, I can't remember who, wound up in the Abernathy basketball gym. We played the very players we had beaten to make it to regionals. We beat them again. Barefooted.
Bob and I like to think that we helped make two other All-Staters from Dimmitt. Allan Webb and Debra. Coach Culpepper had us come to the gym during our school day and workout with them. Our job was to teach them to use their hips, to block out, to be aggressive and to develop their skills against us. We think it worked. I aws at the all-star game when Allan beat the college players at free throws. I am not sure if Coach taught her his technique. I was great at technique. It was responsible for me taking second in a college-wide tournament at East Texas State University where I played basketball as a freshman. I shot 43 out of 50. The guy that won made 49/50.
Did I tell you that our medical school basketball team won the National Medical School Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa? It was really great to be able to contribute to that championship. They televised the six on six girls state basketball championship while we were there (1975). It's hard to believe I have eben a doctor for 34 years!
Coach always taught us the little things that become big things in critical, close ballgames. One of my favorites was that you did not have to come down with the rebound if you could control the trajectory of the basketball. My teammates always knew to look for the basketball to come their way from a "tip out to your teammate!" as Coach used to call it. It was not a personal statistic rebound, but a VERY effective in-flight pass to start the fast break. Another favorite was how he taught us to take a charge. This particular play was so effective because it was just as effective as a blocked shot while placing the other player in foul trouble. We loved to do that because it made the other player look bad and become less aggressive.
I helped the high school in Oklahoma where I practiced for several years with their high school summer basketball league. They had college players playing in that league to stay in shape. One evening, there was a player from the University of Tulsa that was playing against our team. He was 6'7" and all muscle. He came flying down the court and was going to dunk the ball. One of my players was in the three second zone between him and the basket. I called out for him to take the charge. He stepped out of his way and, of course, the other player slammed the ball. I immediately called timeout. The players came over to the huddle and I said to him rather sternly, "Why didn't you take the charge?" He said, "Coach, if you want to take the charge, YOU take the charge. I am not going to get killed by that guy!" I immediately thought of Coach Kenneth Cleveland and me and all of the players laughed and agreed. During another game that summer, I was able to use another lesson Coach had taught us, how trust can bring a team together. Our teams were put together so that there were good players on every team along with the younger, not as good players. Toward the end of the game, I had our substitutes in the game and as you would expect, they started to lose the lead that our better players had built up. It came down to a very competitive last few minutes with lead changes, etc. The starters begged me to let them go back into the ballgame. I told them, "No. This would be an opportunity of a lifetime for some of our players. This game is theirs to win or lose!" Almost instantaneously, our team became a team. The starters were standing on the sideline cheering on their teammates. We won on a last second shot and the starters rushed onto the floor as if their teammates had won the state championship. It was a great feeling. Coach probably had that feeling many, many times over the years! Libby, it has really been fun reminiscing during these past couple weeks. Sometimes its' really sad. I still can't make it all the way through Amazing Grace in church without thinking about Coach and getting teary-eyed. I, too, miss him!"

Kent Bradford, '69-'71

"Playing basketball in Dimmitt in the 1960s did not start in high school. Beginning in elementary school, we all shot baskets in our driveways and worked on our moves. When organized play started in junior high, we could hardly wait for the opportunity. My memories are less about the games themselves than about all the Saturday and Sunday afternoons that we spent at the gym. Looking back, it is rather remarkable that we could go by the coach's house and get a key to the gym and go spend all afternoon by ourselves playing ball in the junior high gym.
This continued in high school, when Sunday afternoons were reserved for pickup games at the high school gym. During my high school years, I spent every Sunday from about 1 to 5 or 6 p.m. playing basketball year round. In the summer, we also played one or two nights a week in the heat after work, usually followed by a surreptitious dip in the city or country club swimming pool. The great thing about the Sunday afternoon games was that when we were short on players, Coach Cleveland would play with us. He wouldn't play if there were enough kids, but we learned so much watching how he played, how smooth his ball-handling was, how deceptive his passes. As as post, I loved playing with him on my team, as he could make the most beautiful inside passes, putting the ball exactly where it was easy for me to go to the basket.
My sophomore year, I played on junior varsity, but Coach let me suit up for enough varsity games and travel with team enough to get a "D" letter. It was really a gift, but I always appreciated his doing that. I quit football after my freshman year to focus only on basketball so I appreciated his encouragement in helping me recover from double knee surgeries after my sophomore year and work on improving for the next year. In the spring of my freshman year, after football and basketball season, my knees were giving me a lot of pain and I wanted to opt out of track. Coach Hedrick (one of the few people in my life that I cannot and will not forgive for some of the things I witnessed him do) refused to allow this, and kicked me out of the field house. Coach Cleveland, who was athletic director then, told me to just come to the gym during that period and set me on weights and exercises to strengthen my knees rather than forcing me to run, which doctors had advised me not to do. I am eternally grateful to Coach Cleveland for the way he offered me that opportunity and all the subsequent time he invested in helping me do the best I could with what meager physical and mental talents I had been given.
My junior year, I had grown to 6'2" and got to start on the varsity. I didn't have a lot of confidence then, and focused mainly on defense and rebounding, leaving the scoring to Bobby Baker and Mark Wohlgemuth. We had a good year, but still didn't progress far in the playoffs. After the season, over the Memorial Day weekend, Bill Sanders organized an attempt to capture the basketball continuously for 80 straight hours. We would play regular 8-minute quarters with five minutes between quarters, 15 minutes at halftime, and 30 minutes between games, and just continue to do this around the clock for 80 hours. I don't know how we thought we could do this, but Bill was very persuasive, even though we had no idea how we would feed ourselves or take care of any of the logistics. But we got underway on a Friday evening with some recruited friends to be referees and to wake us up at the appointed times. Of course, our mothers came to our rescue and organized food brigades to supply us, and by the time that we came to the last game of the 80 hours, over three days later, the stands were full of local supporters and well-wishers. It was a remarkable experience, and a very strange one in the middle of the night when we would pass out immediately during the breaks and be shaken awake by our handlers and pushed back on the court. but for the last game, we recovered our strength and put on a pretty good game for the spectators. And for me, that marathon was a turning point, as I was going to be a senior the next year, and I realized that I could play with anyone. The confidence I gained from that experience had a lot to do with any success I had the following year. I think that our record was subsequently broken, but the patch on my "D" jacket commemorating that event is still one that am quite proud of, not only for what we as players did, but also for how people came together spontaneously to support us in the effort. That's what basketball in Dimmitt was like in those days.
My senior year, we won a close game on a last second shot by Danny Ebeling over Morton in bi-district, won at Regional, and got to go the the state tournament in Austin. We got beat in the semifinals by Hughes Springs, which remains a disappointment to this day. They had a 6'6" sophomore named Lynn Royal, and having beaten Phillips at Regional with a 6'9" post man, I was feeling pretty cocky about our chances. I thought that my vast experience and subtle moves would be sufficient to overcome the pure athleticism of this youngster. Unfortunately, a photo in the Castro County News captured what was for me the low point of the game, when I thought I would make a quick turnaround jumper from the free throw line. I turned quickly and jumped, and Mr. Royal leaped from the baseline and cleanly stuffed my shot, as was so explicitly shown in the CCN photo. I looked over at Coach Cleveland, who made a motion to me that I should have faked him and gone around, and I certainly agreed with him at that point. I had done that earlier in the game, cleanly faked him in the air and gone up for a shot under the basket, when his brother had similarly leaped from the other side of the lane and blocked that shot. So, I had tried both options, and perhaps experience was not going to be enough to beat them both. Mentally, I was deflated, and the rest of the game was not my best. We lost by 10 points, and I think I scored 10, when my season average was 21, so if I had had an average game, we would have won. I guess it is an indication of how important those exper4iene were to us that I still remember details like that.
But Dimmitt basketball in that era was not about the players, it was about the coach. When a team is consistently winning, regardless of the players that come and go, it is clear that the quality is coming from the coaching. The attitude of extra effort, of coming to the gym on the weekends and evenings, of giving young kids the responsibility of taking school keys to use the gym and expecting them not to do stupid things wit them, those all came from Kenneth Cleveland. He seldom or never raised his voice, but he never made us run for punishment, he always taught us better ways to do things and how to improve. That look of disappointment on his face when you did something wrong was enough, as we all wanted to live up to his expectation. It was an honor to have played for him. To play basketball for Kenneth Cleveland and to be in the band under Ralph Smith were the best things about Dimmitt High School in those days, and I feel privileged to have been able to experience both."

Danny Ebeling

"I don't know where you start to talk about Coach Cleveland. He made basketball playing a lot of fun. I couldn't wait to get there, and didn't want to leave. He was in the gym all the time. When practice was over, he'd let you stay as long as you wanted. We'd hang around and shoot and play a game or two of "horse" with Coach. Coach probably won a game or two, but I don't want anyone to know it. He might have even given out a key or two to the gym...to some people. Coach didn't have to yell at you to get what he wanted. He would put his hands on his hips, stomp his foot, and you were sick. You knew you had messed up...you knew what he wanted you to do. He didn't have to say or do anymore than that. I also remember traveling with Coach. While most teams had a traveling bus, we had a traveling station wagon. Coach would take the five starters in the station wagon. Newman would ride up front with Coach. Kent and Mark were in the back seat with doss and me in the back, lying down. We went to nearly every game that way. I had great respect for Coach for the way he coached and how much fun it was." P.S. Tell Norman it was Frenship...NOT Floydada!

Anonymous

"When I was a senior at Lubbock Coronado, we were playing in the second round of the Caprock Holiday Tournament against Dimmitt at Lubbock Municipal Coliseum. During the game, I tore my right anterior cruciate ligament, ending my career. Dimmitt upset us that day by two points but it was what happened after the game which will stick with me forever. Already on crutches, I remember sitting in a somber dressing room after the game when Coach Cleveland and his entire team entered. Without saying a word to anybody, Coach Cleveland came up to me and shook my hand and told me how sorry he was to see that happen to me. Not only that, but every member of his team came up to me and shook my hand. I was very touched by the gesture and to this day it has remained a significant memory. I would have never thought about it had Dimmitt just gone to their own dressing room. Instead, Coach Cleveland thought it was important enough to visit me. Not only was the guy a winner on the court, he was a genuine person and a gentleman off the court."

Jacky Nichols, 1962-1964

"I remember vividly the first day of practice with Coach in 1962. I was a sophomore and as a freshman, I had gone to the state finals with the Jr. Coffee team. Coach Etheridge took me along because I was tall and made the stats look good.
I remember us talking about this new coach and that he could never be as good as Coach Etheridge. I don't remember exactly when the shift to Coach occurred but it did sometime during that season.
This was the year of Kelton Cates and Gene Bradley (you should guilt him into contributing-- he has many locker room stories.) It was a year of a few nail-biters, the most vivid being the last second ahlf court shot made by Kelton that won the district title in that gym.
I don't remember how far we got that year, maybe to the first round of regional...but we were jazzed and hated to see the season end.
Unrelated to basketball, I'm not sure how many people knew that Coach was a very good punter and he taught me well. I actually got two scholarship offers as a punter.
Perhaps the most fun we had in the gym was during the off season when we would practice with various alumni. This is where we learned just how good Coach was. I remember when Jr. Coffee came back that first summer and watching Coach play with him. Needless to say, we regulars didn't stand a chance against Jr. and Coach.
Another interesting character during this time was Ronnie Buckmaster. Ronnie was the team manager for the Jr. Coffee team, but loved to play basketball. He actually was very good and was a very active participant in the off-season alumni games. He loved to guard Jr. Coffee.
1963 was the year of Michael Calvert, Jimmy Killingsworth and James Cowell, among others. Another nail-biting district game was won when Jimmy Killingsworth stole the ball in the last seconds that allowed us to win district. We lost in the Regional final to the big Canyon team.
1964 was the first year of the "new" school and the practice gym. We were at the "old" gym only for games. This was the year of Clint Summers, Jacky Nichols and Landol Frazier. We lost in the regional finals again to the still huge Canyon team who went on to win the state championship that year. Oddly, I don't have any memories of nail biters that year.
1964 was a pivotal year for Coach. One of the first things he did when he started was to work with the grade school kids. That year, he had the freshman team of John Howell, Kent "Buzzard" Lindsey, Ronnie Kenmore, Ray Bradley and Tommie Stafford. I remember watching the play as a freshman--that was the first time I began to see how much influence Coach had over these boys. This group made it to the state finals in 1967, but lost to the huge Hardin-Jefferson team."

Jim Bradford- Manager, '71, Senior, '78

"I have been hesitating in trying to write down some of my thoughts about Coach Cleveland. How can I truly and correctly express my feelings for a man that I tried to impress since I was seven years old?
It started with my brother Bob when he played for coach and I was just a little kid trying to shoot baskets on the goals on the sidelines. If all the goals were taken, I would start shooting baskets through the old chin-up bar on the north side. I would bet that there were more basketballs through that bar than there were chin-ups done. One of my early memories were when the team would have a pre-game meal at our house, the players had ties on and had a blazer to wear also. My mom seemed to serve many meals for all the teams.
Coach would always give me a pat on the head or say hello when I saw him at the gym. When brother Jack was playing, I remember thinking that Jerry Brady was the biggest and strongest man I had ever seen. My bathroom at my house was on the far east side and if I stood on the toilet and looked out the window I could see if the gym lights were on. If they were on, I would head that way and usually someone was shooting or there was some pickup game and Coach would be around somewhere.
When brother Kent and the 1971 team went to state I worked as manager and was able to sit on the end of the bench. I remember watching Danny Ebeling make the game winner in Levelland and also watching Lynn Royal jump higher than anyone I had seen before to block Kent's shot in Austin. I cried so hard after that loss that I got a nose bleed and ruined my fancy white pants and purple shirt.
I will always attribute Dimmitt basketball success to Sunday afternoon and the summer nights of full court games. Coach never said that these were mandatory practices, but we all knew that you better let him know why you were gone. During these games, you might be playing against four all-state players at one time. These games were how someone would make the team or be one of the starters for the next year. The ex players or outsiders always took pride in giving the current team a good thrashing. We knew that the '83 team was going to be special early in the summer of 1982. That team lost very few games that summer if any. You could always count on coach sitting in his chair next to his office or running the clock during the summers. I can remember there being twenty maybe up to thirty players at the gym on a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday night. It did not matter if you were a 14-year-old, nervous wreck or a crusty veteran that played for coach 20 years before, if you made a great pass or made a great shot or made a great defensive move, you would always look over towards coach to see if he saw it. We as players never stopped trying to impress coach with our effort.
When I was a senior in '78, we always knew we were going to Austin. I remember riding the bus home from Morton after we beat them there by about 13 points. Coach told me that he was surprised how easy we handled Morton. I told him that I had been looking forward to beating Rusty Lamar and his team ever since playing those pick-up games on that chin-up bar many years ago.
The thought of losing that state championship game to Whitehouse by one point still gets my blood pressure rising. The worst part of the losing was that I felt like we let the town down and we also let coach down. I sure wanted to bring a championship back to the Bradford home. Whenever I see a list of his state championships, I always figure we let on emore slip away. Coach promised us that if we won state that we could eat at teh fancy Austin restuarant called the Magic Time Machine; somehow those burgers at McDonalds did not taste the same. Libby, I would like to thank you for making each one of us feel special. Playing basketball for Dimmitt and Coach Cleveland allowed us to feel that we were special and also put additional pressure on us to carry on the tradition of Poise and Pride. Working hard to achieve your goals is not a bad lesson to learn while you were in high school.
May 16, 1993, is the day Coach died; it is also the day Sally and I brought our daughter Wendy home from the hospital; she was born two days earlier. It is ironic how dates can be full of sorrow for some and full of happiness for others. It will be both for me."

Jerry Matthews

"Coach Cleveland could communicate without speaking. You knew when he was upset by the way he pulled on his socks. You knew that he wasn't going to let you lose by the look in his eyes during timeouts. Some coaches use intimidation, some use fear, with Coach Cleveland, you worked hard because you wanted his respect and approval. You truly cared what he thought. He didn't win because he had the most talent. I doubt that he ever truly had the most talented team. He won because his players wanted to win for him. His players never thought they would lose because they always had him there. They always felt they were supposed to win because they play for Coach Cleveland. It is truly a remarkable man that can command the respect of 16,174 18-year-old boys through a 30-year period simply by being himself."

Herman Moore

"I was shocked and saddened to learn about Coach Cleveland's death. My heart goes out to you and your family. Waves of emotion and memories from almost 35 years have flooded my mind. I hope that some of these memories will be of some small comfort to you. It will certainly help me to share them. In 1958, I was a sophomore on Sonora's basketball team. Coach Cleveland's arrival was a welcome relief from the harsh treatment we had received from Coach Lamb, his predecessor. Coach Cleveland instructed us and encouraged us rather than cussing us and hitting us. I admired his ability to play the game and his ability to show us what we should do. Much of what Coach Cleveland said has stuck with me. I remember his stories about UT basketball. I recall his telling about guarding Jim Swink, the TCU All-American football player, and I remember his stories about Jay Arnette. He told me that he was shocked when Jay Arnette dunked the ball on a break away and practically stuck his elbow down the rim. Before that, Coach had no idea that Jay could even touch the rim. I remember weekends when Coach would open the gym, and we'd have pickup games with Jackie Rosser and George Johnson. I remember how he could strip the ball away and how he could shoot the eyes out of the basket. I remember how he could wrestle the ball away from a tall rebounder by jumping and contacting the ball as the rebounder brought it down. I remember how he said to box out and feel your opponent's position with your posterior. I remember his admonishing me to be "tough-handed" after one of my frequent fumbles. Other memories are connected to Coach Cleveland's playing in the semi-pro league. I watched them at least once and was impressed by the run-and-gun style of Coach Cleveland and Delnor Poss who coached at Menard and later at Big Spring. A black man named Sunshine gave their team most of the rebound support they needed. I believe Coach Milby Sexton played on that same team. One night after I had missed several key free throws, Coach Cleveland told me that he had missed 8 free throws in a row in his last game. That really encouraged me. Coach Cleveland built our confidence. He said that free throws were mainly concentration. He told us to "think the ball in the hole." I did my best to follow his instruction. Coach kept records of various aspects of the game. At the end of my senior season, Coach Cleveland told me that I had shot 88% from the free throw line. That meant a lot to me. I remember tournaments and road trips on the "golden goose," our school bus. I remember the post game meals and the late arrivals from Del Rio. I remember how hard it was to get up for school after a Tuesday night road game. I remember that Coach Cleveland would drive the bus and would personally drop us off at our house if we didn't have a ride. I remember Coach Cleveland's takign some of us to watch the state tournament in Austin. I remember Buna's winning and impressively completing an undefeated season. I remember being tremendously impressed by their passing ability and by the way the East Texas schools shot their jump shots. I remember being very thirsty in a hot Gregory gym. One of the most enduring memories of that state tournament was of watching Junior Coffey play for Dimmitt. I guess that was a factor in Coach Cleveland applying for the Dimmitt job. Coach Cleveland took an interest in my football performance. Several times I overheard him asking another coach how I'd played and if I'd had any good runs. I appreciated his encouraging me with football even though it meant I would be behind at the beginning of basketball season. There was one time I felt bad for Coach Cleveland during football season. Coach Cleveland was sent to scout Ballinger's football team. One of their key players, Dalton Halfmann, was hurt and didn't play the week Coach Cleveland scouted them. The next week Ballinger beat us 56-0 and Dalton Halfmann ran wild. Coach Turner berated Coach Cleveland for not mentioning Halfmann in his scouting report and for not diagramming their halfback trap up the middle. I was really angry with Coach Turner for criticizing Coach Cleveland in front of us. AS always, Coach Cleveland took the criticism with grace. I really admired him for that. From a distance, I've kept up with Coach Cleveland's record at Dimmitt. What he achieved at Dimmitt is remarkable, and I was especially happy to see that Dimmitt won state when your son was a senior. That must have been a very poignant moment for your family. I'm sorry that we at Sonora didn't do much to enhance Coach Cleveland's record. We didn't have much talent, but I'm glad that he came our way. He left an indelible mark on my life. In my eyes, he was every bit as successful as a human being as he was as a coach. I still go back to Sonora several times a year. My dad died about two years ago, but my mom still lives there. She said that many of the long-time Sonora residents were very saddened by Coach Cleveland' death. On my trips to Sonora, I often drive by the old gym. In my memory, I can still hear the basketballs thumping, the squeaking of tennis shoes, the smells of the dressing room, and feel the elation of one of our rare wins. I remember again the way we would shoot baskets after practice. I remember how he would encourage us to "make on to quit on."

Robin Ryan

"My father had just taken the high school principal job and we moved to Dimmitt in the summer of 1973. The bobcats had just played in the state tournament the previous season. I was a fourth grader. It was early November and I was at the high school in the gym after school during a varsity practice. I did not know Coach Cleveland's rule about holding the basketball when he was talking. The rule was a touch of genius. When Coach talked, everyone had to hold the basketball and listen. It not only kept him from yelling over the noise, but it caused everyone to pay attention to what he was saying so he would not have to repeat his instructions. I was playing a game of 1 on 1 by myself; throwing the ball against the wall, catching it and driving to the basket. I remember hearing it...faintly...and then louder and louder. I finally understood when everyone in the entire gym yelled, "Hold the ball!" at me. I turned and Coach was staring at me--with that look. It scared me to death! For the next eight years, he never had to tell me again.
Later that year, I played Little Dribblers. It was always an honor when Coach Cleveland refereed the games. Think about it; the head coach of the most notable high school basketball program in Texas refereeing Little Dribbler basketball on Saturdays! We always played harder when Coach was there. We knew he was watching us and making plans for success for years to come.
When I was in 7th grade, the Bobcats won the state championship. I was at every single game that year. I got to go tot he dressing room to congratulate the players after each victory. That championship set the expectation for Dimmitt basketball. Everyone knew we could make it to the state playoffs every year.
I still remember the day in 9th grade when he first addressed our freshman team. We were in that small freshman dressing room before the first practice when he came in and mentioned working hard and team work. What i remember most though was his explanation of "Pride and Poise." It was the hallmark of Ken Cleveland's teams. "Pride," in being a Bobcat and the expectation of success that goes with it; and "poise," understanding that in every situation (playing a 5A team, playing Morton in a packed gym, etc) to calmly go about the business of playing the game to our very best, and with honor. He taught us to perform under pressure-- at all times. Coach Cleveland lived and modeled "pride and poise" and I remember them in my personal and professional life today.
Two men have influenced my life more than anyone else: my father and Coach Cleveland. I am actually surprised about how often I think about Coach. In addition to pride and poise, he taught me the value of hard work and discipline: practice on Sundays, during the summer, and "turn out the lights and lock the gym when you are through." He taught me kindness. One time, he brought me home and helped me hobble inside after a severe ankle sprain. And perhaps most importantly, he taught me to believe in success in every situation, no matter the odds. If Coach could get a bunch of farm boys from Dimmitt to develop a basketball dynasty through hard work, dedication and high expectations, it could be the recipe of success for any endeavor. These are the lessons I try to pass along to my children. I miss Coach Cleveland. But, like any great educator, his legacy lives on."

Larry, fellow coach

"Thank you so much for the card and kind words. I am getting to coach in this All-Star game because of the things that Ken taught me. I still remember coaching with him the THSCA All-Star game in Dallas. I was so young and I didn't realize how big of a deal that was, but man it was fun. I still wear the ring I got from coaching in that game and I remember the day Ken gave me that ring. I really miss the old Dimmitt days and would love to do it all again. I really enjoyed talking with you at the state tournament. It was good to see all the players off that great team. It was really good to see your family and to see how it has grown. Ken would really be proud. The relationship I have with you and had with Ken means so much to me. Well, I better go. If I can ever do anything for you or you family, just let me know. I hope to talk to you soon. My thoughts are with you and your family."

J. Martindale

"Thank you for including my comments on Dimmit basketball for your book. I too am a basketball addict, it was stamped into my soul and in 1942 I “touched” a basketball for the first time. Then I either played, coached, or refereed until 2001 when kidney failure forced my retirement. That’s 59 years and thousands of games.
My school was in “cotton country,” Samnorwood, and basketball was the big thing for us. Our school and basketball was the fuel that energized over ½ of Collingsworth County. Dimmitt School is much the same and officiating for you all was a joyful challenge. In reflection I remember always being treated respectfully by all your coaches, players, administration and fans. I have good memories of officiating there for you and respect “Ken” and the program he built.
The Amarillo officials always rode together to games and talked rules and situations all the way. When we arrived we were as ready as anyone for the games to start. In fact I enjoyed the games more than anyone in the building.
Some light moments at your place sometimes occurred during the selection and approval of the game ball in the referee drawing area. Your ref-dressing area was either a coach’s office or a nearby classroom. That room had solid windows on the street side. We started our preparation to dress but could not get the window shades to close. Being quick to decide, we turned out the lights, dressed in the dark and went to “work.” Everything was fine until later when some of our “buds” said we worked in the dark on the floor while officiating too!
One night you all got your worst beating at home in history, so I was told. The spread was 40+points and after the game Ken came to our dressing room and very aggressively pointed at us and said “We need officials like you all in games like this.” We accepted that compliment and gave him one of equal value when we told him, “Well Coach, Dimmitt sure had the right coach tonight.” He just smiled and “wished us well down the road.”
That’s kind of the way I remember him. Win or lose, he always was respectful to me and to the officials that I’ve seen that worked for the Dimmitt program.
Seems to me you folds still have a right to be proud of your programs. Ken was a class guy as has been obvious by your school and community support of that basketball program. Support like that is difficult to beat.
Libby – use any or none of this as it fits your needs- good luck also, correct my mistakes.
Note: I received a kidney transplant Aug. 19, 2008. It works great and I seem to be doing quite good."

Landol Frazier

"My first memory of Coach Cleveland took place when I was a sophomore in high school. (1962-63) I played on the freshman team but worked out with the varsity. Coach Cleveland came the next year and placed me on the junior varsity so I would have more playing experience. Our senior year, with only three seniors on the team, Dimmitt was picked last in the district (1964). The team and Coach Cleveland knew what he had to work with. After losing quite a few games, Coach started us off on a fast break offense – a run and shoot defense and a full court or half court man to man defense. We started beating some good teams with the exception of 1-A McAdoo. We lost to them three times. Most of our confidence came from Coach Cleveland’s belief in us which in turn made us all winners. We had a GREAT season. Didn’t go all the way but lost to the state champions (Canyon) in Lubbock.
Coach Cleveland took a bunch of rag-tag boys, drew out every ounce of talent that they had and made them all winners. For that reason and his coaching ability made for a great season and something I will always remember. He and that team (1963-1964) are still in my heart today.
“They called me Fuzz”"