AMHERST, N.H. /eNewsChannels/ — High school basketball took hold of one small town – Peerless, Montana – and author, Joe Puckett, recounts the story in “The Dream: The Story of the 1978 and 1979 Peerless Panthers” (ISBN: 978-0-9845494-0-5), a new book published by Aubade Publishing.
In the team’s 45-year history, it was the players from 1978 and 1979 that first qualified for the State Class C basketball tournament in Montana.
The story details 1957-1980 when the State Class C Montana basketball tournament was played in Helena. It also outlines the passing of the District 1-C basketball conference – once the most powerful Class C basketball conference in Montana – which today no longer exists.
Puckett recounts sharing a dream with his father, George “Tiny” Puckett; his twin brother, Jon; and childhood teammates to someday play in and win this State C basketball tournament for the town of Peerless.
The story begins in 1932, when Puckett’s grandfather, Forgey Reese Puckett, founded Peerless High School and ends with its closing in June 2009. Throughout its pages are numerous black and white photos that help to bring the story to life.
Mostly, this book is about dreams, rivalries, triumph, disappointment, passion and a love shared by a group of boys who never gave up striving for the one thing in their life that mattered most – playing in the State Class C basketball tournament.
Largely based on the author’s memories, events that occurred more than 30 years ago are pieced together with the help of a scrapbook that was meticulously maintained by Puckett’s mother, Faustine.
With many small schools in Montana either closing or being forced to combine with other schools, mostly attributed to the difficulty of the small rancher or farmer to make a living, it was this fact that served as the catalyst for Puckett to write this book – to preserve the memory of the Peerless community.
Laced with humor, small-town intrigue and anecdotes, most readers will find something to identify with in “The Dream.” It reveals just how closely one small town’s identity and social life are connected to high school basketball.
As a way of commemorating the fine Peerless Panther basketball tradition, former Panther players are gathering for an alumni tournament on June 25 and 26 in Scobey, Montana. Panther teammates from the 1960s through the 1990s will play a game to salute the memory of Peerless High School.
For more information, visit: http://aubadepublishing.com .
About the Author:
Joe Puckett is a former Peerless High School and Montana Tech student athlete. By his own admission, he says that this book is “unabashedly and shamelessly nostalgic.” In “The Dream,” he eloquently relays how simple life was growing up in the small town of Peerless in the 1960s and 70s. He currently works for the Department of Defense in Stuttgart, Germany, where he lives with his family.
About Aubade Publishing:
Aubade Publishing, founded by Vonda Puckett, is a sole proprietorship specializing in bringing authors into print for the first time. Aubade offers comprehensive publishing services that include: editing, book layout, cover design, printing, marketing, website development, online bookstore, press releases and storage and fulfillment. The Dream is $14.95 and available for purchase at: http://www.aubadepublishing.com .
This story was issued by Send2Press® Newswire (Send2Press.com) on behalf of the news source and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.
Story References: author Joe Puckett, High school basketball, Peerless Montana, The Dream, The Story of the 1978 and 1979 Peerless Panthers, ISBN 9780984549405, new book published by Aubade Publishing, State Class C Montana basketball tournament, Montana Tech student athlete, sports books.
