In the honor of Coach James Bolden, for his years of service and dedication at Sparta Georgia Hancock Central High School.

I am Coach James Bolden and this is my baseball web page that covers Hancock Central High School’s baseball program in Sparta, G.A. from 1974 to 2007. I attended Voorhees College in Denmark, SC and also received a Masters Degree in Special Education from Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. When I first came to Hancock County I taught at South West Elementary school where I developed a football team and a baseball team for two years and we played different schools in these two sports. All of these young men played baseball for me in high school and most of these young men became outstanding baseball players. I was hired as the Head baseball coach by Elmore Warren, the principal of Hancock Central, in 1974. In my first meeting with Mr. Warren he offered me a position as a assistant coach but I refused the offer. One of the reasons was because Warrenton County High principal and Prince Edward County school system in Farmville, V.A had offered me a Head coaching job in baseball. Which turned out good, because he called me back and gave me the head coaching job. I know we both enjoyed this decision, because I watched him at many ball games rooting us on to many wins at our ball park as well as on the road. He was a outstanding person, a great principal, and a family man who knew how to get along with all types of people and cared so much about all of the students at Hancock County. As for myself I enjoyed taking HCH Baseball players all across Florida, Virginia, South Carolina and the great state of Georgia. Also I need to say a few words about Nicholas Antoine, our Athletic Director and assistant principal of Hancock Central. He was a strong man that believed in strong discipline for young people and also teachers . Mr. Antoine and I sometimes didn't agree on how I coached my baseball program, but that changed when his son started playing baseball for Mercer University in Macon, Ga. One thing for sure, I agreed with how he ran our high school because as I see it now our black boys and girls could learn from the way our school was run. During that time you would see more black males finishing some type of school after four years of high school and not cutting the fool in the classroom. This goes for black females also. I also would like to tip my cap to Lovett Brown who helped me dearly. During my first summer program, he helped by taking us to play baseball in his family van on many Saturdays and Sundays in hot Ga during the summer of 1975. Mr. Brown also served on the Board of Education, was an outstanding HCH alum, and also booster club member. His picture will be posted on this web site along with what he has to say. The main players on my first team were Wilbert Ruff CF/C, Johnny Brown P/OF, John Barnes P/OF, Joseph Walls 2B, Claude Harper SS, Richard Garble 3B, Donnie Webb C, Marvin Smith 1B, Billy Barnes P/OF, SD Harper P/OF, Leon Walls OF/INF, Michael Thomas, Tommie Davis OF, Larry Harper Infielder, and Donnie Webb Catcher. There were more boys on the team, but these were the ones who only won six ball games during the 75 high school season came back during the 76 season and won a total of 18 ball games and only losing one regular season game to Wrens High School and two to T.W Josey in the Sub Regional playoff because of a poor coaching decision made by me. If I had listened to my boys we would have been in the State Playoffs my second year after taking over a team that had only won one baseball game in nine high school baseball seasons. Wilbert attended Voorhees College and became a parole officer for the state of GA. Johnny Brown became an account in Atlanta and played baseball for Clark College. Claude Harper attended Florida A&M where he played center field. Marvin Smith attended Voorhees and played baseball and basketball. Richard Garble attended Voorhees College, finished Cum Laude and retired from the prisoner system work force. Jospeh Walls attended Voorhees College and retired as an Air Force officer. Micheal Thomas played football in college for one year at Johnson C Smith College in North Carolina. S.D Harper attended Voorhees College for one year. John Barnes attended Clark College for one school term and played baseball for the school.

Years Coach Bolden coached and his Win/Loss Record.
During my 36 years of coaching at HCH I averaged 15 wins per season for 33 years and the last three years (11)(9)(3). Overall my record was 500-220.

Plague South 	West Raiders   Junior High Football 1973
Plague South   West Raiders   Junior High Baseball 1972 and 1973
Coach of the year Hancock Central High       1976
Plague for Service Rendered To Hancock Central High 1978
Coach of the year Hancock Central High     1984
Out Standing Leader Ship Trophy St. Mark Church Sparta, G. A 1985
Coach of the year Hancock Central High       1985
Coach of the year Hancock Central High        1987
Coach of the year Hancock Central High        1988
Coach of the year Hancock Central High        1992
Coach of the year Hancock Central High       2003
Coach of the year Hancock Central High        2004
Some of the many Coaches I have high respect for 
Coach Robert Sapp retired 1999 Middle Georgia / Georgia University 
Coach Ron Fraser    retired   1992 Miami University 
Coach Jimmy Lewis Harlem High   Harlem, Ga.  A super high school coach.
Coach Jerry Kindall   retired 1996    Arizona University
Coach Eddie Ashley Southwest Macon High Baseball now he is the Athletic Director for Macon Georgia Public school system.
Coach David Horton retired Coach at Bamberg Ehrhardt High Bamberg, Sc for 44 years won 889 games and lost 220. He also won 8   (1`State Championships during this time
Baseball Newspaper report of some of HCH Baseball Games