South Girard Gym Named In Honor of Former Basketball Star
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The newly renovated gymnasium at South Girard School in Phenix City has been named in honor of a former school basketball legend.
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During the 10 a.m. ceremony members of the Phenix City Board of Education were joined by alumni of South Girard School and elected officials of the City of Phenix City as honor was paid to Dr. James Patrick.
Dr. Patrick was described as a living legend by those in attendance. The 81-year-old was a key player on South Girard's basketball team during the 1965-1966 season when the then high school won a state title.
Phenix City Superintendent Randy Wilkes mentioned during the ceremony that the move to name the gym in honor of Dr. Patrick began in March and has taken six months to get to this point.
Dr. Patrick was a team leader on the South Girard team which won the Alabama Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AA state title for Black Schools. During the time the championship was won South Girard served as the high school for African Americans in Phenix City. The team finished the season with a record of 49-4.
Dr. Patrick was inducted into the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. He has held numerous coaching positions over his career including serving as head basketball coach at Fort Valley State University and serving as an assistant coach at Columbus College, which is now Columbus State University.
The Phenix City Schools livestreamed the ceremony on their Facebook page as the new gym was dedicated in honor of Dr. James Patrick.