Fifty-four years later
The Hall of Fame records the 1983–84 Bobcats as District 10-AA champions, Region 5-AA champions and sub-state winners. That run sent Greenbrier to the Class AA state tournament at Vanderbilt Memorial Gym — the program's first boys basketball state appearance since 1930.
The Shoe That Flew
One of this season’s most memorable stories lives in the trophy case: a high heel belonging to Betty Jo Wells, known to generations of students as Ms. JoJo.
The mounted inscription says the shoe was thrown at an official over a missed call during the 1984 state tournament run. It does not identify the particular game. The shoe remains a tangible link to the passion surrounding that Bobcat team.
Wells was inducted into the Greenbrier Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025. Her plaque recognizes 34 years as a substitute teacher and eight years as city judge.
MS. JOJO & THE SHOE THAT FLEW →The road to Nashville
The Hall says Greenbrier won 26 games — the most by a boys basketball team in school history — and advanced through district, region and sub-state play to earn the state berth.
HALL TEAM STORY ↗TSSAA final
TSSAA's official 1984 Class AA bracket lists Greenbrier at 26–9 entering the state tournament and verifies the quarterfinal final: Austin-East 67, Greenbrier 46 on March 22 at Vanderbilt Memorial Gym.
TSSAA 1984 TOURNAMENT ↗Official state-tournament game
| Date | Opponent | Final | Result | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar. 22, 1984 | Austin-East | 46–67 | L | Vanderbilt Memorial Gym |
Austin-East reached the state semifinal before losing to eventual champion Kirby.
Hall roster
- Willie Hodges · manager
- Chris Villines · manager
- Kerry Drury
- Mickey Elder
- Junior Thaxton
- Chris Hughes
- Roger Hulsey
- Jeff Conquest
- Mike Ballard
- Gregg Crain
- Scott McLean
- Jimmy Whitman
- Jimmy Eidson
- Troy Smiley
- Ronnie Clinard
Two state appearances
TSSAA's Greenbrier championship history lists exactly two boys basketball state-tournament appearances: 1930 and 1984. Together they form a 54-year line through the program.
SEE BOTH STATE TEAMS