1-2-3 Wildcats Neil Amato and Brian FitzGerald

An improbable, unprecedented high school basketball season had humble beginnings in 1996. East Chapel Hill High’s boys basketball team lost its first game. Playing a roster with no seniors, in a gym with bleachers on only one side of the court, the Wildcats were, as a first-year program, expected to take their lumps and build for the future. Even as their youthful roster started winning, opponents still took them lightly.

North Carolina had two area codes in 1993. By 1998, it had six. That growth included a new high school in Chapel Hill in 1996. East Chapel Hill High had an instant rivalry with the established school, Chapel Hill High. But long before those schools' basketball teams first met, a core of future Wildcats formed bonds at the Chapel Hill Community Center, on middle school teams, and in each other's driveways (trampolines optional).

Ray Hartsfield knew he wanted to be a coach. He learned from respected mentors at Chicago’s Harlan High School and then set off on his own, first as a football player at Prairie View A&M and later as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. Hartsfield’s background helped to form his style; he also grew as a coach along the way. The bear and the elephant mentioned in Episode 2? Those came out less often. Hartsfield was relatively new to coaching when hired in summer 1996 at East Chapel Hill, but even then, he had a calm on the sideline.Thanks to all of you for listening, commenting, rating and reviewing. We are loving the interaction. Don’t forget to listen to the end for this week’s trivia question and last week’s trivia answer.If you are liking the story, please share and subscribe. We are on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, TuneIn, Player.FM, or in the top results of the Google search “1-2-3 Wildcats podcast” (with the hyphens).
Need to get caught up on the story from the start? Here’s Episode 1. Want to talk East Chapel Hill hoops, answer our trivia questions, or share your memories of the Wildcats? Find us on Twitter at ECH Hoops Pod. Broadcast credits: TED/The Wooden Effect, WNNC, YouTube Executive producer: Brian FitzGerald Email the host: neilamato@gmail.com

Point guard Andy Jones could find teammates for baskets even when they didn’t know they were open. His precision passing was a key factor in East Chapel Hill’s success, along with quick hands on defense and calm under pressure. He might not have been known as a shooter, but when it came time to take a big shot, Jones didn’t shy away. Note, we have the "E" for explicit on here for one word, right near the end.
Thank you, listeners. If you're liking the story, please subscribe and share, rate and review. We are on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, TuneIn, Player.FM, or in the top results of the Google search “1-2-3 Wildcats podcast” (with the hyphens).
Need to get caught up on the story from the start? Here’s Episode 1. And the YouTube trailer mentioned in Episode 4? Here it is. Want to talk East Chapel Hill hoops, answer our trivia questions, or share your memories of the Wildcats? Call our Wildcats Hotline at 919 867-1319, or find us on Twitter at ECH Hoops Pod. Broadcast credits: WNNC, YouTube Executive producer: Brian FitzGerald Email the host: neilamato@gmail.com
 

“We played together almost every day of the year,” Brad Woolley says of the era when he and teammates Paul Kindem and Brian FitzGerald developed the bonds that made those three the nucleus of the first team at East Chapel Hill. Different players for sure, but all effective. Take a trip back, a Carolina Flashback if you will, to the days of beepers, the University Mall arcade, the Pizza Hut on Estes Drive, and of course the courts at the Chapel Hill Community Center. Come for the '90s memories, stay for a story about N.C. State legend David Thompson. 
Thank you, listeners. If you're liking the story, please subscribe and share, rate and review. We are on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and the top results of the Google search “1-2-3 Wildcats podcast” (with the hyphens). 
Need to get caught up on the story from the start? Here’s Episode 1. 
Want to talk East Chapel Hill hoops, answer our trivia questions, or share your memories of the Wildcats? Call our Wildcats Hotline at (919) 867-1319, or find us on Twitter at ECH Hoops Pod. Broadcast credits: WNNC, YouTube, BK productions Executive producer: Brian FitzGerald Email the host: neilamato@gmail.com Search Keywords: 123 Wildcats 1-2-3 Wildcats East Chapel Hill Wildcats Basketball Podcast High School Hoops 

Chris Hobbs was an immediate starter at East Chapel Hill, taking the court as the Wildcats’ center before he turned 15 years old. People remember his size, strength, footwork and soft touch on the court. They also remember him being approachable, a guy who was friends with everyone. Teammates, coaches and others reflect on the life of Chris Hobbs: tea parties, dance moves, dessert deliveries, memorable games and more. Need to get caught up on the story from the start? Here’s Episode 1. Want to talk East Chapel Hill hoops, answer trivia questions, or share memories of the Wildcats? Call our Wildcats Hotline at (919) 867-1319, or find us on Twitter at ECH Hoops Pod. Broadcast and music credits: WNNC, WTVD, Clemson Tigers Network, Nikki Meets the Hibachi Executive producer: Brian FitzGerald. Email the host: neilamato@gmail.com. Search Keywords: 123 Wildcats 1-2-3 Wildcats East Chapel Hill Wildcats Basketball Podcast High School Hoops