The First Baptist Church of McConnell Summer Basketball League, also known as “Godbyball,” has been around for a long, long time.

The league has been a forum for current and former area high school basketball players to hit the hardwood, stay in shape and hear the message of the Lord.

Godbyball just recently celebrated its 29th season of existence this summer.

The league began with four teams playing in different colored T-shirts at the Stollings Grade School Gym in 1982.

Godbyball has grown geographically over the years to include players from Logan, Boone, Wyoming, Lincoln, Mingo and Kanawha counties in West Virginia and also Pike County, Ky.

It changed from a winter league to a summer league 17 years ago when it expanded to the old Logan East Junior High School at Coal Branch.

This summer’s games were played in the months of May through August on Monday and Tuesday nights, with 15 teams participating in two divisions — the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Each team played a 12-game schedule.

There were more than 130 players ranging from middle school to a few “old timers” and one woman.

The average team consisted of eight members that played by high school rules.

The teams wore a preferred color with the name of a local business that gave financial support on the back side of the jerseys.

The purpose of the league is to occupy the youth of our area with a supervised, drug and alcohol free, wholesome, spiritual and recreational environment, according to league officials.

Each evening a Bible devotion was given between select games.

An extra event for the league took place on Friday evening, July 15 called the Midnight Madness.

The 14 teams participated in the 7-hour event with the Crawley Creekers team winning the league championship. The team consisted of: Jeremiah Butcher; Alan Miller; Adam Dingess; Matt Dickey; Mike Beagle; Dustin Woody; Daniel Dingess; and Derek Mazon.

Twenty-two of the young men participated in the annual All-Star Game including: Lower Division (Scottie Browning, Jimmy Vance, Jonathan Adkins, Kyle Fields, Bob Fields, Seth Barker, Danny Parsons, Brett Vannatter, Brian Vannatter, Marquise Perry, B.J. Warden, and Tyler Woolsey) and Upper Division (Adam Dingess, Adam Copley, T.J. Hoosier, Tyler Dunigon, Jon Bevins, Mike Coleman, Jody Harless, Gary Burgess, Jeremiah Butcher, and Timmy Rein).

The league is sponsored by a variety of people and businesses in Logan County including: John Dardi Distributing; Logan Bank and Trust Co.; Family Discount Pharmacy at Mt. Gay; Dr. Pete Short, DDS; State Farm Insurance, Steve Nichols, agent; Robert Kuenzel; Coal Mac; James Funeral Home; Southern West Virginia Physical Therapy; International Industries; First Place Screen Printing; Patty and Joe St. Lawrence; National Armature; Dr. Sean Senator; Dan and Dave’s Sporting Goods; Holden Machine; Service Pump Sales; Refab Company; Southern Elite; Baisden Brothers; Honaker Funeral Home; Electronic Labs; Timberwold Land; Dan and Daves; Trinity Health Care; Pepsi Cola; Refab Company; Coal Mac; and Fast Lane.

The league also received offerings and love gifts at the games for maintenance.

The Coal Mac Team won the regular season league title, finishing atop the league with a 12-1 record. The young men who played on the team were: Aaron Preece; Aaron Kelly; Jonathan “Bub” Godby; Gary Burgess; B.J. Picklesimer; Jody Harless; and Greg “Fuji” Wiliams.

The first-place tournament team was James Funeral Home for the third straight year. The members of the team were: Scottie, Steve, and Stevie Browning; Mike, Bryce and Trent Dalton; Greg Adams; Jon Bevins, and Drew Vess.

The league runner-up team was Coal Man.

Bryce Dalton won the Mr. Defense Award during the regular season.

The Rookie of the Year was Mike Beagle.

The Mr. Swat Award was given to Jon Bevins.

The Most Improved Player Award winner was T.J. Hoosier.

The Ron Vance Memorial Best Sportsmanship Award went to Adam Dingess.

The John Coleman Most Valuable Player of the League Award went to Greg “Fuji” Williams, who also won the Mr. Free Throw Award with 38 made shots during the regular season.

Jeremiah Butcher was the Mr. Three-Point Award winner as he made 56 treys for 168 points.

The Top Gun Award winner for being the league’s leading scorer was Adam Copley, who averaged 38 points a game and had 455 total points.

Stevie Browning, a current senior member of the Logan High School basketball team, was named as the Clyde Keaton Honorary Most Valuable Player Award for the post-season tournament.

Pastor John E. Godby said he appreciates all of the people who volunteered time to make the league’s season another big success.

“A lot of people volunteered time to keep the scorebook, the score clock, the concession stand and to referee,” he said. “Those people were Brenda Napier, Debbie Godby, Mimi Browning, Will Turner, Cliff Jarrett, Joni Godby, Claude Adams, Harold Peoples, Jody Harless, Greg Williams, John Gardner, Drew Martin, John Dardi, Scottie Ellis, Mike Tothe, Jimmy Lakatos, Steve Browning and Randy Robinette.

“A special thanks to those who donated money to support the financial needs of the league and to the Logan County Board of Education and Robert N. Lucas, principal of Logan High School for the use of the facility.“