Newspapers, GRASS ROOTS AND COCKLE BURRS; LaSalle, Louisiana
Submitter: Jack Willis
Date: 29 Sep 2004
Source: Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal "Grass Roots and Cockleburrs"
Source Date: 06 Mar 2002




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"Sparky" Wade: Jena's Giant; Part III
         The short man has long been an enigma in sports, mainly because he
appears to be much less that is required, not enough to adequately do the
job, of stature that serves notice of lacking, a combination of
contradiction and paradox that would normally leave a fan or coach expecting
a little bit more, a concoction of bantam ingredients that doesn't seem to
measure up. But...Malcolm "Sparky" Wade defied this vivid description of
insignificance...the feats he performed were larger than life its self!
      From a telegram received from Al Kabaker, a Chicago newspaperman on a
news service wire, he tells of the prowess of the Jena lads and predicts
more victories for the Juggling Giants. Excerpts from the wire state: "More
than 3000 fans here today cheered Jena to victory over Clovis, N.M. in their
first round game in the National Inter-Scholastic Basketball Tournament.
Final score was 49-21. The Giants displayed expert shooting ability at the
very outset and were never in danger of losing. Malcolm " Sparky" Wade
constantly maneuvered the ball into scoring position, either by the dribble
or accurate passing. The stocky little Jena guard sank six field goals.
Their next opponent is Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday at seven o'clock."
      The Giants defeated Lakeland, Fla. by a score of 41-15, and on Friday
afternoon were paired against a team from Brunswick, New Jersey. Jena came
out on top 30-23 and that victory put them in the semi-finals against
Corinth, Kentucky. The Kentucky team was rated as one of the finest teams in
the tournament, but they fell prey to Jena's "Juggling" Giants by a score of
20-15. This put the Giants in the finals bracket of the most prestigious
high school tournament in the nation against the Athens, Texas team, and
they had breezed through the tournament defeating all of their opponents by
a two to one margin.
    The Athens team, who had won 11 consecutive titles prior to this
tournament, proved to be more than the Giants could overcome, largely
because Team Captain Everett Warner had been injured in the New Brunswick
game, and was unable to play. The final score was 22-16. "Sparky" Wade was a
unanimous choice in making the All-American team.
    On April 7th, 1930 the Giants arrived in Olla aboard the
Missouri-Pacific railroad line. There they were met by a large delegation of
citizens from Jena, and a motorcade from Olla conveyed the team down the
dusty gravel road to the LaSalle Parish Courthouse. The building and grounds
were packed and jammed with locals come to pay homage to the team.
    Mayor A.D. Flowers gave the main welcome home speech. Professor Eli W.
Plummer stated that the boys conducted themselves in such a gentlemanly
manner, that they drew praise from all their opponents for their excellent
sportsmanship. The team was later treated to seats of honor at the Jena
Lions Club Annual Banquet held at the Hotel Melba.
     "Sparky" would go on to graduate along with two other "regulars",
Everett Warner and "Rip" Johnson. Ernest "Pud" Doughty was elected Captain
of the Giants for 1930-31.
    Malcolm "Sparky" Wade' s arrival at LSU was about as inauspicious as
could be imagined. He got off the Trailways bus with a dollar in his pocket,
and some sandwiches his mother had put together, wrapped in a red bandana
handkerchief.
     Right off the bat he got into a dispute with Head Coach Harry
Rabenhorst. "Sparky' went to his dorm room and started packing his grip. He
had enough scholarship offers that he didn't feel that he had to stay at LSU
so he boarded a bus for Dallas and Southern Methodist University. He went
ahead and enrolled, and later in the fall semester he started basketball
practice with the SMU team, who was glad to have him on their team. His
reputation had preceded him.
     But basketball season was also fast approaching on the campus of LSU,
and when Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long called up Coach Rabenhorst to see
how the basketball team was coming along with that little old boy from Jena
on the team, he didn't like what the Coach told him.
    Meanwhile in the athletic dorm on the SMU campus "Sparky" was just
getting dressed after practice, when a teammate said, "Malcolm Wade, you're
wanted on the pay phone dawn the hall. "When "Sparky" asked who it was, the
teammate shrugged his shoulders and said, "He says he's the Governor of the
State of Louisiana." "Sparky then thought Uh, Oh!
    He picked up the receiver and got on his tip toes to speak into the
swivel mouthpiece attached to the phone box and said, "Yes, Governor." The
voice on the other end was highly agitated, and the opening lines were
punctuated with a string of expletives. Long told him he had 36 hours to get
on a Greyhound bus and get back to LSU!  It was either that or he said he's
send a bulldozer to Old Jena and cut the road into so that every time his
"pore ol' mama" came to town, she'd have to swim. "Sparky" told me that he
knew he meant it.
    In February of 1934 one account tells of "Sparky" leading the whole
Southeastern Conference in scoring. Writer Ralph McGill, writing in the
Atlanta Constitution, of Atlanta, Georgia, where the Southeastern basketball
rally was held during the past several days, had this to say about
"Sparky."  He said that "Sparky" Wade; Jena's contribution to Southeastern
Conference basketball knows more tricks than Huey Long, another Louisiana
celebrity. His article states: "Sparky" Wade, the conference's leading
scorer is the Thespian of the hardwood floors, familiar with the 12
classical attitudes and is a born entertainer.
    "He is at his best before a large and responsive audience. He is the
best shot in the conference for L.S.U. and was reared in the small city of
Jena, La.  Their team twice went to the National Scholastic tournament is
Chicago where Wade was the sensation. He introduced legerdemain to
basketball."
   The L.S.U. sophomore is ambidextrous-really. He can put both hands behind
him, holding a baseball, and throw with either hand-letting you try to guess
which. He throws equally well with either hand, baseball or basketball,
which is admittedly an advantage. He had the gallery in stitches the first
time the team went to Chicago, because he demonstrated great prowess in
stealing the ball from opposing players time after time."
    "The amazing thing about Wade is that he was not considered a very good
shot until his senior year. Prior to that he was a classic team player with
his dribbling and passing off to teammates, so they could shoot."
    The late Dennis F. (Pete) Burge, a LSU teammate of "Sparky's and former
principal at Baton rouge had the following observations about "Sparky."
    "He was a natural-born showman, and in addition to having split vision
and exceptional ability, he was particularly known for his dribbling.
Because of his size he delighted in making monkeys out of his opponents, the
bigger and taller, the better! "Sparky" spent hours in the off-season, the
middle of the summer or whatnot, working on his ball-handling techniques. He
came by his trick dribbling and his ability to be a showman by much diligent
hard work.
    Coach Harry Rabenhorst, who enjoyed a 42-13 record during the three
years the mighty mite played for him had this to say in praise of "Sparky."
"The greatest little man basketball has ever seen. Once when I was scouting
the National tournament in Chicago, Jena wanted to freeze the ball. "Sparky"
dribbled by him self for a minute and 45 seconds and no one could touch the
ball or tie him up. That was before the centerline and "Sparky" went up and
down the whole court dribbling the ball. Sure, he was cocky, but then he
could do anything he said he could. For a little man, he was the greatest!"
    When he was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, "Sparky"
had this to say, "I'm not as great as they say I am, I have to stretch to be
5' 8" tall. I was just a little country boy from Jena when I came to LSU,
and anything I've accomplished, I owe to the fine people of Louisiana who
encouraged me and have never forgotten me. But...you know basketball is the
silliest game in the world. You have 10 guys, and only one basketball, and
if I have the ball, who can beat me? Courageous, inspirational, prophetic
words from Jena's Giant, Malcolm "Sparky" Wade.

GR&C (3-06-02) Jack Morgan Willis