Gary Griffin laughs when asked what he remembers about Joe Horne.
It’s a fitting reaction because Griffin recalls Horne, who was his industrial arts teacher at Lee High School in Columbus, having a great sense of humor and an ability to keep students interested in his classroom.
“He was a teacher who was never boring. He was never upset. He was always smiling or joking,” Griffin said. “As you came in the door, he was always joking. He may say a joke about you, but it was a joke that made you laugh as well.”
Griffin played basketball at Lee High and saw how Horne helped the program. Horne stayed involved with basketball in the city when Columbus High opened. His work as scorekeeper helped him stay in contact with Griffin, who served as an assistant coach to head coach Sammy Smith.
Griffin’s relationship with Horne has taken on a new meaning this year in his first year as coach of the boys basketball program. This weekend, Griffin and Columbus High will honor the longtime scorekeeper who died in 2003 with the 20th-annual Joe Horne Christmas Classic. The two-day, 16-game event will feature girls and boys games will feature some of the top teams in the state of Mississippi and in the Southeast.
Griffin said Horne always gave him words of encouragement at the start of a coaching career that is coming up on 20 years. He said last week that it was special to be in charge of the tournament named in Horne’s honor because he meant so much to so many people and he helped so many young men.
“He knew how to go from being funny to being serious,” Griffin said. “He told me to stay with it and to stick with it.”
Griffin said the contributions of people like Horne are instrumental in building a championship program. Griffin, who replaced Luther Riley as coach following Columbus High’s first Mississippi High School Athletics Association (MHSAA) Class 6A State title last season, said the Falcons have been fortunate to have men like Wash Stewart and Roger Joiner follow in the footsteps of Horne and help the program. Putting on a tournament like the Christmas Classic also takes a lot of support from the administration and community. Griffin praised everyone who has helped set the stage for this year’s event, and he feels confident the lineup of teams will help pack the Columbus High gym tonight and all day Saturday.
“The people on the outside don’t see the supporting cast,” Griffin said. “They just see the co-called head coach getting all of the publicity. In actuality, it is nowhere near that. There are a lot of people who take a lot of the stress and the work off the had coach.
“When you talk about a person like Joe Horne and all of the things he did, or the things Wash Stewart and Roger Joiner do, a lot of times people don’t realize these guys aren’t getting pair, or they’re just doing it out of the goodness of their heart because they really, really love doing it. They really, really love being around the kids and contributing. To them, they feel like that is their calling.”
Knowing Horne like he did, Griffin said he has felt a responsibility to live up to the standard Smith set for tournament and to honor the memory of Horne. He said work will continue to get the best teams from the state and the region to come to Columbus in future years so the event remains one of the best holiday events in the Southeast.
“I know I was at a disadvantage in terms of the late start of getting the Classic together,” Griffin said, “but I stayed steadfast and tried to make sure I got quality teams in and have quality competition so we can fill the gym up and we can enjoy some basketball on this vacation.”
The event will feature eight girls games and eight boys games. Tickets will be $8 both days. Griffin said the concession stand will be open and will feature plenty of good things to eat. He also said Columbus High merchandise will be on sale. He said there also will be a raffle for a special prize.
The Classic will kick off at 12:30 p.m. today with the New Hope High girls against West Lowndes. The New Hope boys will play Senatobia at 3:30 p.m., followed by the Columbus girls against Raleigh Egypt High, from Memphis, Tennessee. The Starkville boys will play Murrah at 6:30 p.m. The Columbus boys will wrap up the first night at 8 with a game against South Atlanta.
Action Saturday will be in the new and old gyms. The Senatobia girls will face Raleigh Egypt at 10 a.m. in the first game of the day. Other games featuring local teams on the second day are: the Noxubee County boys vs. West Lowndes at 2:30 p.m., the Columbus girls vs. Ridgeway at 5:30 p.m., and the New Hope boys vs. Columbus at 8:30 p.m.
The Murrah boys will take on Ridgeway at 7 p.m. Saturday in what is expected to be another marquee matchup.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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