BY MIKE LONDON
SALISBURY POST

STATESVILLE — Brian Hightower grew up in Atlanta with a burning desire to succeed in sports.

Hightower’s name was ironic — he was actually a low tower with no size to speak of — but he made up for physical limitations with an intensity level comparable to that of a mongoose staring down a cobra. Eventually, he earned a scholarship to Catawba College and made it count. He became the starting second baseman for an Indian team that rolled to a school-record 35-3 mark in 1992.

That was the good news. The bad news was that Hightower was so wired, so intense, so obsessed with sports that his mother had pretty much ruled out ever having a daughter-in-law.

“Mom figured,” explains Hightower, “that I’d never find a girl who was right for me.”

In a way Mom was right. Yet, in another way, Mom was wrong. What she hadn’t factored into the equation was that an equally fiery, sports-crazy soul-mate might find Hightower.

That’s precisely what happened when Addie Holbrook graduated from Wingate University and became the assistant girls basketball coach at Statesville High prior to the 1999-2000 school year. When Holbrook arrived on campus, Hightower had already put in two years as Statesville’s baseball coach.

Actually, Holbrook was returning home to the scene of her prime. She’d been a great player for the Greyhounds (more than 1,500 career points). She was also a very good one at Wingate, where she’d battled back from a torn left ACL her freshman year to become All-SAC. Holbrook was a hoops heroine, partly because she could shoot, partly because she played ball with the fury of a hurricane.

Given Holbrook’s outgoing nature, it was only a matter of time before she bumped into Hightower. The only question then was would they be polite — or would they fight? Catawba-man Hightower, who gives up several inches to Holbrook, courageously asked for a date with the willowy girl who had starred for the Indians’ biggest rival.

When he asked her out, she didn’t punch him out.

Instead, she said yes.

And a little later she said yes again when Hightower wondered if maybe she’d like to get married.

“D-Day,” announces Holbrook, “was last December 9th.”

Now, Holbrook, who assumed the reins of the girls varsity last season, and Hightower make up a rare husband-wife team. Avery and Ruby Cutshaw at North Rowan come to mind, but there are few couples around who teach and coach at the same high school.

“Yeah, we pretty much live our lives at Statesville High,” says Hightower.

They say opposites attract. Holbrook says that’s hogwash.

“Everyone says Brian and I are just alike because we’re both so competitive,” she said. “My mom likes to say her children are, well … passionate about sports. That’s a nice way of putting it. I am a very, very intense person. I’ve been known to get fired up in the heat of the moment.”

“Yeah, she’s gotten T’d up (been assessed a technical foul) and I’ve gotten thrown out,” grins Hightower.

Holbrook actually laid claim to her first technical when she was still an assistant. That doesn’t happen every day.

But you have to understand that Addie came by her zeal for athletics honestly. Her baseball-batty daddy was dragging her to trading card club meetings when she was 6. He made her stand in line to meet Mickey Mantle when she was 4.

At 24, Addie still hasn’t burned out on sports. She loves athletics so much she didn’t miss a Statesville American Legion baseball game last summer (Brian was an assistant coach). And, let’s face it, a couple of those weren’t pretty.

In fact, Holbrook kept the scorebook. Of course, math teacher Hightower returns the favor by calculating stats for the girls basketball team.

Fall is perhaps the best season of all for this competitive couple.

“Yeah, because we’re on the same schedule,” says Holbrook. “We ride to school together. Then, after school, we run and lift together. He works out his baseball guys and I work out my basketball girls. Then we ride home together.”

“I love it,” says Hightower. “Addie’s so supportive. I can’t imagine it being much better.”

Of course, there are times when those aggressive genes start acting up. When that happens, don’t expect either one to show — or seek — any mercy. And it might be a good idea to get out of their way.

“We’ll go down to the gym and play 21,” says Hightower. “Let’s just say Addie doesn’t get any free layups on me.”

Holbrook doesn’t exactly let up, either. And the brunette can still find the net. Rumor has it she nailed 27 straight 3-pointers the other day.

“She’s won about 100 straight H.O.R.S.E. games from me,” admits Hightower. “Hey, the girl can shoot.”

“Brian hasn’t beaten me in two years,” Holbrook confirms cheerily.

The pair’s hoops competition recently expanded to the homefront when they purchased one of those county-fair games where you see how many baskets you can sink in 30 seconds. No comment from Hightower as to who’s been coming out on top, but we can make an educated guess.

Then there are those times when their one-on-one fun takes the form of voice-raising competitions in the bleachers at sporting events.

“Like when Wingate played the Catawba women in the SAC basketball tournament last season,” says Hightower. “I cheered loud as I could for Catawba.”

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In their first season in the 3A North Piedmont Conference, Holbrook’s prospects are brighter than her husband’s.

Holbrook’s got all 11 of her girls back and one of them is 6-foot-2 center LaQuavia Roseboro, who’s drawing Division I interest. Holbrook’s looking forward to taking on the Rowan teams and A.L. Brown. Especially, she’s looking forward to taking on North Iredell, which is guided by Kent Blackwelder, her old high school coach.

Hightower, on the other hand, has landed in a conference with East Rowan, a likely preseason No. 1 in 3A, loaded West Rowan and a veteran A.L. Brown team.

“It’ll be tough,” said Hightower, who took his squad to the Catawba Easter tourney last season. “Kannapolis pounded us last year. West has great young talent. East — people said they were down last year. Heck, I wouldn’t mind being down like that.”

Hightower says Statesville has talented individuals but no numbers.

“We didn’t have a jayvee team last year and probably won’t this year,” Hightower says. “We look at this season as a big challenge.”

But then, that’s pretty much how Hightower looks at everything.

“Brian competes every day,” chuckles Addie. “One day he came in and said, ‘Hey, let’s see who can eat dinner the fastest.’”

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .