What most fans didn’t know was that some incredible things were happening on the junior varsity squad that year. Under the tutelage of Assistant Coach Ned “Chief” Streety was the emergence of Karl Godine, Craig Reggins, Madison Lane, and Carl Belcher along with James Howard, Steve Mitchell, Floyd Patterson, Lawson Jackson, Edward Miles and Charlie Ross. “Chief” was a strict, no nonsense coach that toughened up those guys. This would be an integral step in preparation for the 1974 & 1975 title runs. Craig Reggins stated, “Coach Streety taught me how to control my emotions on the court. I give him so much credit for me getting called up to the varsity at midseason.” Playing on the junior varsity team as a sophomore really helped Godine, as his confidence and basketball IQ soared. Furthering Karl’s development was the summer he spent tutoring under former Kashmere standout Ephraim Griffin. Ephraim stated, “Karl had all the attributes to be a talented player. I mainly tried to work with him from a mental standpoint to increase his basketball knowledge. I explained to him the importance of developing a strong off-hand which would enable him to attack the defender’s front leg, left or right.”
The quest for the 1974 title began that summer as they gathered for pickup games at the school with former Kashmere players and other athletes from across the city. Through those workouts, friendships strengthened, and they developed their strong will to win at all cost. The Rams served notice early, as they started the season scoring 146 points in their first game. After winning the first five games, the Rams lost to Houston Sterling 116-106. They went on to win the next six games, before losing a heartbreaker to Clear Lake 78-73. Coach Weldon Drew’s inexperienced squad, which consisted of four seniors and nine juniors, began to jell after that loss. The starters were senior guards Michael Stanton and Craig Reggins along with juniors Jarvis Williams, Carl Byrd, and Karl Godine, along with Lanis Hayes, the key sixth-man on this deep squad.