Norlina High School
High School (grades 9-12)
Norlina High School did not have over a hundred students in grades 9-12, I consider them all friends. Some of us went to collage together and some I see when I visit Norlina or go to a class reunion.
Norlina did not have a school bus so for school activities like ball games the parents would drive us in their cars. Quite often Mama or Daddy would take us to play ball.
I played football and basketball in high school and was named all conference in my senior year. I played baseball in elementary school but did not play in high school. I was afraid of the baseball when batting. I played end in football, offence and defence. In basketball I played forward.
Collice Moore was a real good football player at Littleton High School. Collice got a schlorship and was a good football player at State. I think Collice was all conference at State. Collice was also the brother of Robert Moore, Jean Myrick Moore, husband. My senior year in high school we were playing Littleton and Collice was my blocking assignment. Collice was the middle linebacker and I was the offensive end. I was going to put a real good block on Collice, I hit Collice in the midsection with all I had, I felt his arms on my chest and the next thing I knew I was laying flat on my back and Collice made the tackle. Some of the things I remember are (1) One game I scored four touchdowns, I think we were playing Rich Square. (2) We were playing Warrenton and I was running an end around play a Warrenton player had been blocked and a believe the blocker was laying one his leg's. The Warrenton player raised up and tried to tackle me as I ran by, I ran over him and broke his leg. I believe his name was David Mustain.
In basketball I remember that I scored 26 points in one game, Carl White, also on my team, scored 26 points in the same game, I don't remember the school we were playing but it was a school in Person County near the Virginia line. The school was out in the country from Stem.
The first part time job that I had that paid was working at Overby's Grocery store. I suppose I was in the 9th grade when I had this job. I don't recall how long the job lasted or how much I was paid. For some reason I think the pay was 50 cents and hour. In this job I would take and assemble orders, add up the cost and sometimes deliver the order. Mr Overby had a bicycle with a small front wheel and a big basket. Sometimes a customer would call in an order or come to the store and pick out what they wanted and if they needed to I would deliver the order to them. Mr. Overby lived across the street from Mama and Daddy and sometimes I would mow their lawn. Mr. Overby was also Bubba's granddaddy.
A few summers when I was in high school I had a job helping Clitty Hawks put in tobacco (harvest tobacco) the job I had doing that was a primer. A primer goes out in the fields a breaks the leaves of the stalk and puts them in a tobacco slide. That job paid $5.00 a day and it was hard back breaking work, particular getting those first one or two primings where the leaves were on the ground. We would start work soon after sun up, take about 2 hours for lunch and work to near dark. I can remember times when I primed tobacco and the went in the barn's a hung tobacco from the tier poles and then leaving and going to football practice.
The next job I had in high school was working at Norlina Supermarket. I would work where Mr. Dowling, the Manager said, but I was generally assigned to the meat market. This was a Saturday job. Mr. Johnny Hunt was the butcher.I worked their my senior year in high school and probably part of my junior year. Harold Stegall, one of my class mates, worked their also. Harold mostly worked in produce.
Collice Moore was a real good football player at Littleton High School. Collice got a schlorship and was a good football player at State. I think Collice was all conference at State. Collice was also the brother of Robert Moore, Jean Myrick Moore, husband. My senior year in high school we were playing Littleton and Collice was my blocking assignment. Collice was the middle linebacker and I was the offensive end. I was going to put a real good block on Collice, I hit Collice in the midsection with all I had, I felt his arms on my chest and the next thing I knew I was laying flat on my back and Collice made the tackle. Some of the things I remember are (1) One game I scored four touchdowns, I think we were playing Rich Square. (2) We were playing Warrenton and I was running an end around play a Warrenton player had been blocked and a believe the blocker was laying one his leg's. The Warrenton player raised up and tried to tackle me as I ran by, I ran over him and broke his leg. I believe his name was David Mustain.
In basketball I remember that I scored 26 points in one game, Carl White, also on my team, scored 26 points in the same game, I don't remember the school we were playing but it was a school in Person County near the Virginia line. The school was out in the country from Stem.
The first part time job that I had that paid was working at Overby's Grocery store. I suppose I was in the 9th grade when I had this job. I don't recall how long the job lasted or how much I was paid. For some reason I think the pay was 50 cents and hour. In this job I would take and assemble orders, add up the cost and sometimes deliver the order. Mr Overby had a bicycle with a small front wheel and a big basket. Sometimes a customer would call in an order or come to the store and pick out what they wanted and if they needed to I would deliver the order to them. Mr. Overby lived across the street from Mama and Daddy and sometimes I would mow their lawn. Mr. Overby was also Bubba's granddaddy.
A few summers when I was in high school I had a job helping Clitty Hawks put in tobacco (harvest tobacco) the job I had doing that was a primer. A primer goes out in the fields a breaks the leaves of the stalk and puts them in a tobacco slide. That job paid $5.00 a day and it was hard back breaking work, particular getting those first one or two primings where the leaves were on the ground. We would start work soon after sun up, take about 2 hours for lunch and work to near dark. I can remember times when I primed tobacco and the went in the barn's a hung tobacco from the tier poles and then leaving and going to football practice.
The next job I had in high school was working at Norlina Supermarket. I would work where Mr. Dowling, the Manager said, but I was generally assigned to the meat market. This was a Saturday job. Mr. Johnny Hunt was the butcher.I worked their my senior year in high school and probably part of my junior year. Harold Stegall, one of my class mates, worked their also. Harold mostly worked in produce.
I was also named most likely to succeed, most ambitious and most musical my senior year. I suppose in a class of 22 someone had to take the honor.
I did not take a typing or a foreign language in high school. In retrospect, typing would be an asset.
I did go to the prom in both my junior and senior year and had a different date each year.
In high school the agriculture class would do some field trips and having contest to classify different types of soil or recognizing pest. Most of these field trips would also involve physical activities like running, high jumping broad jumping.
I did my homework either at the kitchen table or on the living room floor.
My parents expected that I would go to collage.
Other than athletic events my first experience away from school was our senior trip. We went to Washington DC and New York We visited the DC mall in Washington. New York was quite and experience with panhandlers and stuff, probably stolen items, being sold on the street The Stature of Liberty stands out as a major attraction.
To my knowledge Norlina has never had an alumni reunion but my graduating class has a reunion, I have never missed one and I always enjoy it and seeing and renewing old friends.
I walked to school grades 1-12; I was after my junior year in collage when I got my first car.
If I had to pick a favorite subject it would be mathematics I was not really good at math but I enjoyed it more than others. There were none that I did not like.
There were three male teachers in my high school, the coach, the agriculture teacher and the principal. They were all special for different reasons.
Bob Price was the coach, for football, basketball and baseball and the PE teacher. I have been told that he was a Ranger in World War II. I understand that he played football for Wake Forest University after service and that he was the punter for that team. I know he could certainly punt a football.
I recall one day in football practice after we had lost a game but were having a good practice he called the team together and told us that we were a week day ball club and come game time we were not worth a pint of cold piss.
He would give me a key to the gym or I could go by his room and get one so we all could have access to the gym to play basket ball.
Mr. Price was a batchelor. He lived in a room in a rooming house in Norlina. He spent a lot of his time searching for Indian relics. A hardware store ( at the old hotel) in Norlina had his stuff on display. It was the best I have ever seen. In about 1963 I had a boat and was fishing in the Roanoke River behind Kerr Dam. In going back home after fishing I pulled my boat over to the river bank between what is now US-1 and I 85 and started walking down the bank. I have no idea why I did this but all of a sudden I was in a lot of arrow heads on the river banks. I believe I picked up two or three quarts of arrow heads. I gave them all to Coach Price Later I started keeping Indian relics myself. A few years later I saw him and he offered me $15.00 for a couple of my arrow heads. I told him no if they were worth $15.00 to him they would probably be worth $150.00 to some one else.
I recall one day in football practice after we had lost a game but were having a good practice he called the team together and told us that we were a week day ball club and come game time we were not worth a pint of cold piss.
He would give me a key to the gym or I could go by his room and get one so we all could have access to the gym to play basket ball.
Mr. Price was a batchelor. He lived in a room in a rooming house in Norlina. He spent a lot of his time searching for Indian relics. A hardware store ( at the old hotel) in Norlina had his stuff on display. It was the best I have ever seen. In about 1963 I had a boat and was fishing in the Roanoke River behind Kerr Dam. In going back home after fishing I pulled my boat over to the river bank between what is now US-1 and I 85 and started walking down the bank. I have no idea why I did this but all of a sudden I was in a lot of arrow heads on the river banks. I believe I picked up two or three quarts of arrow heads. I gave them all to Coach Price Later I started keeping Indian relics myself. A few years later I saw him and he offered me $15.00 for a couple of my arrow heads. I told him no if they were worth $15.00 to him they would probably be worth $150.00 to some one else.
Clint Hege, the agriculture teacher was a member of my church and always showed interest and helped with activities.
I believe he went to NC State University. I do not know if he played ball in college but he was a real good baseball player. He played basketball with us some at the gym He was also on a semi-pro baseball team in Norlina.
I believe he went to NC State University. I do not know if he played ball in college but he was a real good baseball player. He played basketball with us some at the gym He was also on a semi-pro baseball team in Norlina.
W.O Reed was the principal of the school and he also taught several classes. I believe he was the physics teacher and probably taught some math classes.
In high school, grades 9-12, I took sixteen courses, the minimum to graduate. I believe the courses I took were 4 years of English, 4 years of agriculture, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Plain Geometry, Solid Geometry, Physics, 4 years of Physical Education. Football and basketball practice were after lunch at school, 5th and 6th period. Since I did not play baseball I had study hall the 5th and 6th period in the spring.
Lot’s of times Mr. Reed would come and get me out of study hall and send me uptown to the pool room, or other stores to remind people that may be skipping school to come back to school.
My high school annual shows the faculty as: Mr. W.O. Reed, Principle, Mrs. L.W. Locke, Mr. Clint Hege, Mrs. Virgil Hicks, Mr. Bob Price, Mrs. Esther Delbridge, Miss. Lucy Perkinson. Mr. Reed was the Principle and taught several course, Mr. Clint Hege was the Agriculture Teacher, Mrs. Virgil Hicks was the English teacher, Mr. Bob Price the Coach and PE teacher, Mrs. Esther Delbridge would have taught either Home Economics or Typing. I do not recall what Mrs. Locke or Miss. Perkinson may have taught.
Mr. Reed, Mr. Hege, Mrs. Hicks, Mr. Price and Mrs. Delbridge have been a part of the Norlina school system for many years.
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