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Weekly 150: Trezevant Devilettes

Remembering The 1974, 1976 State Champs

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Let me start by saying that I am not taking anything away from the Lady Rebel championship this year, but I wanted to take a few moments to remind and/or make our readers aware they were not the first female basketball team from Carroll County to win a state championship.

The honor of the first goes to the 1974 Trezevant Devilettes, who won a second championship in 1976. TSSAA Hall of Fame Coach Richard Welch led those young ladies.

Welch coached at Westview, Trezevant, Atwood and West Carroll. His teams made the state championship series nine times. Coach Welch had a record of 747 – 141 and was named coach of the year nine times.

One of the female basketball players in Carroll County, Debbie Joyner (McKnight) was on the 1974 and 1976 team. In 1976 she was named to the all tournament team and was name tournament MVP. According, to the archives she is the only eighth grader at the time to play in a state tournament.

She was selected to the Carroll County Sports Hall-of-Fame in 2010. Other accolades include 5,078 career points with All-West Tennessee and All-State Honors.