Nobody will forget that night back in 1998.
Mario Welch treated Calhoun City’s court like a video game. Every dribble. Every drive. Every shot. A new level. A new challenge. And Mario kept leveling up.
By the end, the scoreboard told a story that no highlight reel could capture: 39 points, 11 three-pointers, and a Trojan team that refused to quit… fighting, clawing and living every second until the final buzzer.
Calhoun City came in 12-2, losses only to Tupelo and Nettleton. Bruce was 7-9, searching for a signature win, a statement. These teams had history. Calhoun City had beaten Bruce twice before, once by double digits and once in a dramatic late-game comeback at the Tri-County Tournament.
The first quarter was a battle. Calhoun City jumped out 5-0. JR Mays answered with three straight threes, giving Bruce its first taste of momentum. Calhoun City pushed back. But Welch struck first for Bruce with a three-pointer that gave them a brief lead. The quarter ended tied at 15, a sign of things to come.
Calhoun City leaned on size and physicality. They built a 12-point lead in the second quarter. But Welch, calm and confident, began to chip away. Mays’ perimeter shooting paired with Welch’s rhythm. By halftime Bruce was within striking distance at 37-29. Mario had 13 points. Jody Jennings and David Draine kept the Wildcats ahead.
But Mario was just getting started.
Then came the third. Bruce trailed by seven. That is when Mario leveled up to “Super Mario.” With 3:03 left he drained his seventh three-pointer. Five consecutive makes in the quarter. Only a half-court heave at the buzzer kept perfection just out of reach. The crowd was stunned. The court was alive.
By the fourth Calhoun City led 46-43. Welch hit another three to tie it. Bruce briefly took the lead. Then the Wildcats went on a run. 57-48 with five minutes left. The game seemed out of reach. But Mario refused to quit. Ten threes. Eleven threes. Under a minute remaining the deficit was two. Every second tense. Every possession critical.
The final possession. Welch drove, absorbed contact, went to the line. Fatigued, sweat-soaked jersey, bruised body. The first free throw came up short. The second hit the back rim. The third missed. Rebounded. Calhoun City held. Bruce’s final shot came up short. Time expired. 63-61 Calhoun City win.
Even in defeat the applause followed him.
Referees, opponents, fans, no one could ignore what they had seen. Mario Welch scored 39 points, hit 11 threes, and carried his team through a night that felt impossible. For one night he carried the Trojans through every level of an extraordinary game.
Mario Terrell Welch passed away in 2019 at 39 years old.
But his legacy reaches far beyond the court. To family, friends, teammates and fellow soldiers, Mario was a force of strength, heart and joy. During a deployment to Iraq with the 2nd Platoon, C Company, 4th BSTB, 10th Mountain Division, the “Ligers,” he lifted spirits and kept hope alive even while far from his newborn son.
Athlete
Soldier
Husband
Father
Mario served with courage and inspired with heart. In the memory of those who watched him play on the court and in life, “Super Mario” will always be remembered.
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