East Iberville Basketball Dominates Elite Tournament Thrillingly

Forty years in this industry would make some people believe that some events in this line of work seem less exciting, but nothing is further from the truth. I thought about that as I stood on the sidelines of the basketball court at the Burton Complex for the first appearance by East Iberville boys basketball team in a state championship game. Those events usually have a certain aura for the obvious reasons, but something much more poignant crossed my mind as I began snapping pictures for the event.

I thought about the days I covered this school when I first entered this field, and it was the coach that particularly came to mind. As I stood on the sidelines, I looked at the crowd of East Iberville fans – several hundred, maybe even a thousand – who made the 160-mile haul down I-10 to Lake Charles. To the best of my knowledge, Bob Grace wasn’t in attendance.

I had seen him late last year when East Iberville named the basketball court in his name — a very fitting and richly deserved honor. I first met him in 1986, and many times I sat in the old Sunshine High School gym, in the same complex that will soon be the former St. Gabriel City Hall.

The gym was as “old school” as “old school” could get. The lighting was mediocre at best, and the climate control was loud, rickety fan and heating system. It was very hot and muggy during summer activities and cold enough to store meat during the winter months.