Cass coaching legend, Seymour, passes away

The Cass High School boys' basketball coach that led the Colonels to their first two state championships in school history during the 1956-57 and 1957-58 seasons passed away this week. Coach Phillip B. Seymour was 88 and was living in Monroe, GA.

Photo: The 1957 GHSA Class A state championship trophy presentation in Macon. (L-R) Robert Cornett, Coach Phillip Seymour, Charles “Polly” Wilson, and Clyde Lowery. Cass won the Class A state championship again in 1958 and was state runner-up to Cochran in 1959.

Seymour arrived at Cass in the late 1950s and the fortunes of the Colonels' basketball program skyrocketed. He took over a team that had suffered a losing season the year before and propelled them to back-to-back state titles and a near miss in the third year.

This occurred in an era when only one team from each of Georgia's eight districts even advanced to the state tournament in the old Macon Coliseum, so the region or district tournament in basketball was crucial at the end of each regular season.

Seymour's 1956-57 team defeated Elberton, 64-59 to win the GHSA Class A state title, following an opening round win over Carrollton (63-37) and a 66-59 semi-final victory over Swainsboro. The following year (1957-58), Seymour's Cass boys won the District 7 title again. The Colonels then beat Winder-Barrow 45-40, topped Milton 47-29 in the state semifinals, and defeated Statesboro for the 1958 Class A title, 50-44.

A third straight state title was narrowly missed in 1959. Seymour's team made the state tournament with another District title and defeated Milton in the opening round 56-44. Cass then edged Winder-Barrow in the state semifinals 41-37 before falling in the state championship game to Cochran, 47-40.

The Meadows Funeral Home of Monroe, GA shared the following obituary. An online Guestbook is currently still available for leaving a condolence message at www.meadowsfuneralhomeinc.com .

Phillip B. Seymour

Phillip Burden Seymour, age 88, of Monroe, died on November 29, 2015. He was born in Bowman, Ga on July 31, 1927 to the late Augie Irene Burden Seymour and the late Jesse David Seymour. He is survived by his wife, Peggy Seymour of Monroe; son and daughter in law, Wade and Debbie Seymour of Monroe; daughter, Charlotte Seymour of Monroe; daughter and son in law, Martha and K.L. Conner of Watkinsville; sister, Sibyl Brooks of Monroe; grandchildren, Kennon and Reese Conner of Watkinsville. A funeral service was held on Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 2:00 pm at the First Baptist Church of Monroe with Rev. Glen Money and Rev. Todd Ware officiating. Interment followed at Resthaven Cemetery. Meadows Funeral Home, Inc. was in charge of arrangements. Please sign the guestbook online at www.meadowsfuneralhomeinc.com.