A Tribute to Greg Underwood of Vallonia, Indiana

If you attended Salem High School in the late 70’s and early 80’s, you knew Greg Underwood. Maybe not personally, but he was hard to miss: tall, dark-haired, good-looking kid who moved with athletic grace and had a million dollar smile. When he stepped onto the basketball court, there was magic. Greg, a point guard, was a marvelous basketball player with a powerful shot, graceful athletic moves, and strong leadership skills. In my mind’s eye, I can see him charging down the floor as he brought up the ball, forceful and determined, a scoring plan swirling in his brain. It was a joy to watch him play.

I met Greg when he was a student in my Senior English class. English was not his favorite subject, but he was polite and cooperative. He quickly learned that I knew nothing about basketball plays or tactics. Greg liked to kid people and he was totally amused that he knew something that I didn’t. We joked about that a lot, all year. Mrs Arnold, his freshman English teacher, and I often traveled to his away games together. I am happy to remember that Greg knew his English teachers admired and supported his success.

My step-son, Steve Bedwell, another SHS basketball record holder, became friends with Greg in the 1978-1979 season. “I was on the floor,” Steve said, proudly, “when Greg made his first appearance as a varsity player.” Steve was a senior and Greg was a freshman. Many times, Greg was a welcome guest in the Bedwell home and many times Steve drove out to northern Washington County, the Mill Port Knobs, to take Greg to and from practice and games. In my Apple home, Greg was a HERO. My middle school son, Jimmy Apple, loved basketball and Greg was all that Jimmy wanted to be as a player. We attended all of Greg’s games and Jim worked on modeling Greg’s moves and shots. We were there on that glorious night when Greg scored 1000 points and the game was stopped for a picture. We glowed with pride when Greg completed the season in 1982 and set the Salem High School scoring record.

Greg set many SHS records and still holds several SHS records. He scored 1110 points and is now the second leading scorer in Boys Basketball at SHS. He holds the season and career records for assists: 143 and 477. He shares the game record for steals: 8 and holds the career record: 197. He shares the game record for free throws: 15. He holds the record for game free throw percent: 15-15. Those records were set from 1978-1982—almost 40 years ago, a strong indicator of his powerful basketball skills. If you talk to Coach Jerry Warriner, you would learn about even more scoring records that are not up on the SHS record board in Brooks Memorial Gymnasium.

Sometime after he graduated, Greg married his sweetheart Gina Bowman and they had a son named Josh. Josh and his wife Mallery now have two young children. Greg and Gina’s family was part of a large and loving extended family. Later Greg began preaching at a small church in northern Washington County. He was so successful that the church grew and grew, attracting hundreds of members. Eventually, they built the spacious and beautiful Faith Southern Baptist Church on North Highway 135.

Greg worked at a number of enterprises, one of which was well-known in Salem. He and some friends purchased the pizza recipe from a couple in Brownstown. Using that recipe, they opened Main Street Pizza in Salem. Eventually that business was sold to another SHS basketball player, Tommy Weeks.

Greg was taken from us far too soon. He leaves an example of a life well-lived in service to God, to his family, and to his community. He was a man who inspired the young. So many boys and girls watched his games and dreamed of playing like Greg. He set an example for young and old alike with a happy marriage and a strong family life. Greg built a large church family, bringing love, salvation, and Christian fellowship to many. As an athlete, Greg’s success inspired our community and later as a man of God he enriched his community with love and care. His passing leaves an aching void. So many of us, friends and family, will miss him always. We both mourn his passing and celebrate his life and work.

** In 1987, Jimmy Apple, broke his hero’s scoring record.

Jim’s Latest Publication

Jim’s latest publication:

Chapter 5–“Buddhist History in Tibet”
Dr. James B. Apple, University of Calgary

Wiley

The Wiley Blackwell Companion 
to East and Inner Asian Buddhism

edited by Mario Poceski

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7h7gAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA104&ots=1Immh-mOt5&sig=3ZUuGwlvQGNxESM-QPnglbXLRSw#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

 

Jimmy Apple Shoots Hoops

http://www.salemleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=370&ArticleID=4576

Apple’s hoops career comes full circle
This photo, captured by former LPC Editor Cecil Smith in October of 1986, was taken prior to the start of Apple’s senior season, when he averaged 31.1 points per game for the Lions and was the second leading scorer in the state that year. Apple was an AP All-State selection, an Indiana All-Star and Academic All-State. He set 22 Salem basketball records including career points (1,745), points in a season (645) and points in a game (51). He started 85 consecutive games and scored in double figures for 35 consecutive games. He was three times all-conference and was the first SHS player to receive the Everett Dean Sportsmanship Award. A three-year letter winner at William & Mary, he scored 1,017 points in his collegiate career. Apple led the Tribe in three-point percentage and remains high in many of the school’s shooting categories. He has a doctorate in Buddhist Studies and is an assistant professor at the University of Calgary, Canada. His wife, Dr. Shinobu Apple, also teaches at the university. See page B-1 for additional coverage.
This photo, captured by former LPC Editor Cecil Smith in October of 1986, was taken prior to the start of Apple’s senior season, when he averaged 31.1 points per game for the Lions and was the second leading scorer in the state that year. Apple was an AP All-State selection, an Indiana All-Star and Academic All-State. He set 22 Salem basketball records including career points (1,745), points in a season (645) and points in a game (51). He started 85 consecutive games and scored in double figures for 35 consecutive games. He was three times all-conference and was the first SHS player to receive the Everett Dean Sportsmanship Award. A three-year letter winner at William & Mary, he scored 1,017 points in his collegiate career. Apple led the Tribe in three-point percentage and remains high in many of the school’s shooting categories. He has a doctorate in Buddhist Studies and is an assistant professor at the University of Calgary, Canada. His wife, Dr. Shinobu Apple, also teaches at the university. See page B-1 for additional coverage.
Jimmy Apple: 1984-87: SHS records held at graduation
• Career Points: 1745• Points in Season: 645• Single Game Points: 51

• Highest Season Average; 31.1 [2nd in state his senior year]

• Career Free Throw Percent: 83.5

• Made Field Goals in Game: 19

• Steals in Game: 8

• Field Goals Attempted in Season: 466

• Field Goals Made in Season: 245

• Free Throws Attempted in Season: 185

• Free Throws Made in Season: 164

• Made Career Field Goals: 665

• Career Field Goals Attempted: 1330

• Career Free Throws Made: 415

• Career Free Throws Attempted: 497

• Career Games Played: 88

• Career Games Started: 85

• Consecutive Starts: 85

• Consecutive Made Free Throws: 34

• Highest Career Points per Game: 19.8

• Most Double Figure Games: 75

• Consecutive Double Figure Games: 35

10 varsity letters (4 each in basketball and track, 2 in cross-country)

Everett S. Dean Outstanding Sportsmanship Award [first recipient]


By CHAD FLEETWOOD
Leader-Democrat Staff Writer

You can’t talk Salem High School basketball without Jimmy Apple’s name eventually coming up. He enjoyed the kind of high school career kids that grow up in small-town Indiana dream about, and capped his senior season by being selected as an Indiana All-Star, the same year that all five of Marion High School’s starters made the team. Apple averaged 31.1 points per game during the final campaign of his high school career, second best in the state in 1987, and he held just about every record in the SHS books when he graduated. By all accounts, the kid could flat-out shoot a basketball.

Apple was one of 18 former Hoosier high school standouts recently honored as a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2012 Silver Anniversary Team.

Jerry Warriner, who was the Lions’ head coach during Apple’s tenure, said his star sharpshooter started garning attention from a host of college coaches during his junior season.

“A lot of college coaches looked at him. He became the second player ever at Salem to tally 1,000 or more career points, and finished his career with 1,745-and he played during an era when all field goals counted for two points. There was no 3-point line back then,” Warner explained. “A lot of the scouts that came and watched him said we needed to get him 30 shots a game his senior year, and he didn’t shoot that much. He obviously took his share of shots, but he didn’t come close to shooting 30 times a game.”

Warner said he didn’t start Apple the first couple games of his career “because he was a freshman and we wanted him to earn it.” Apple did just that when he hit a last second shot to beat West Washington in the third game of his freshman year. He started every game after that, 85 straight contests altogether.

Warriner said he knew what kind of player Apple was going to be long before he ever made it to high school.

“We were neighbors in Fair Acres at one point, and there was a goal in the cul-de-sac in front of my house. He was out there in sixth grade shooting every day. We woke up to the thud of a basketball hitting the backboard and went to bed hearing that same sound,” he laughed. “It’s always nice to see kids with that kind of potential coming through. You had to run him out of the gym. He was just such a perfectionist in everything he did.”

Apple’s work ethic carried over from the court to the classroom. He graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and was co-valedictorian of his class. When it came time to decide where he attend college, he settled on William and Mary. Though he chose schools based more on academics than athletics, Apple enjoyed a successful collegiate basketball career. He scored 1,017 points and earned three letters as a member of the Tribe. He has a doctorate in Buddhist Studies and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.

Warner taught at SHS for 37 years and served two coaching stints from 1980-88 and 1998-2000. In all those years around student-athletes, Warner said those like Apple are few and far between.

“It was an honor to coach him, he was just one of those players that come along every now and then. He was always for the team…I really think he would have forsaken every one of his individual awards to win.”

He and Apple are still in touch, and Warner attended the ceremony and banquet and said Jimmy stops by to visit when he’s in town, as many of his former players do.

Apple said his experiences at SHS helped shape him into the man he’s become.

“I am very thankful for the education I received at Salem High School. I had a number of excellent coaches and teachers who influenced me in a variety of ways as a student-athlete. What immediately comes to mind is the habit of daily discipline to accomplish small goals that have the potential to result in larger accomplishments,” he explained. “Whether studying academic subjects or practicing basketball, I always had a number of training routines that helped to refine my skills. The coaches and teachers I had at Salem influenced me to improve myself on a daily basis.”

Apple said being selected for the IHSAA’s Silver Anniversary team was a humbling experience.

“It means a great amount to me to be selected for the Silver Anniversary team. Indiana has a great heritage of high school basketball and I am very grateful and thankful to be a part of that heritage. In my memories there is nothing like Indiana High School Basketball-the devoted fans in the stands, the high school band playing live music, the wood floors, the smell of popcorn, and the intense atmosphere of playing basketball in large arenas are things I will always remember, he said. “When I was at the awards ceremony in Indianapolis, I was so thankful that I was in the presence of all these great Indiana basketball players and that my parents, family, and former coaches were in the crowd to witness the event.”

In hindsight, he said academics and athletics demand a large measure of mental toughness.

“Learning and studying has been a part of my life since I was a young child. Both academics and athletics are tough, highly competitive, and take a lot of hard work. Both involve a great amount of mental training and that is perhaps the most difficult thing-developing mental qualities such as perseverance, patience, and fortitude that enable one to gain victories in life.”

 

Jimmy Apple….Athlete—-Dr. James Apple….scholar

Jimmy Apple, Athlete---Dr. James Apple, Scholar

Reach for the Stars, Jim

Jimmy Apple, Indiana All-Star, 1987