1971 Cy-Fair Bobcat squad celebrates reunion

The 1971 Cy-Fair High School state-champion basketball team reunited for the 40th anniversary of its title during an Honor Night on Friday, in conjunction with the Bobcats’ district game against Cypress Springs High School.

Coached by Ronnie Truitt, the Cy-Fair state championship team compiled a 36-6 record in the 1970-71 season, capped by a victory over Wheatley in the finals.

Officially, the 1971 team won the state title, but it also was honored as the National Champion that year and was recognized as such with a banner last Friday.

The Bobcats were coming off a 1970 Class 3A state championship loss to Kerrville Tivy and ready to compete in the inaugural Class 4A division, the largest in the state, so there was plenty of motivation to return to Austin for a state title.

Cy-Fair upset Wheatley 72-58 at University of Texas’ Gregory Gymnasium. It was a rematch of Cy-Fair’s 66-52 victory over Wheatley during the regular season and a contrast of styles between the Bobcats’ methodical offense and the Wildcats’ uptempo style.

One of the most popular stories among the 1971 team is Bobby Metcalf’s half-court shot that helped the Bobcats pull out a 75-73, six-overtime, regular-season victory over Memorial.

A quintet of Cy-Fair seniors set the gold standard for fan support when they dribbled basketballs from the front of the Cy-Fair campus to Gregory Gym, 145 miles away on the UT campus.

The students dribbled the basketballs on the side of the road from Cypress to Hempstead. Their parents then picked them up, drove them back to Hempstead the next day, and the players continued dribbling on to Brenham.

The students and their parents continued the drill until they reached Austin on game day.

The players attended a reception during the junior varsity game on Friday and were introduced on the floor prior to the varsity game. Balfour representative Butch Milks designed championship rings for the team to purchase, as there were no rings given in 1971.