1960-1961                                         Return to Year-by-Year            HOME    Updated 3-17-2010

STATE CHAMPIONS  CLASS AA: Wyandotte  CLASS A: Chapman  CLASS B: Americus  CLASS BB: Wilsy

                 This group was known as the best Hayden basketball team to that date. Mike Unrein was a Junior on this team and would be named ALL-STATE in his Senior season. Pete Townsend had developed into the team's leading scorer while playing the post position. Donahue was an experienced court leader and Bartley was a hustling number 2 guard. Larry Krische was an excellent shooter and "ball hawk". The bench was loaded with Sterling (Jr), Charay (Sr) and Schultz (Sr) contributing to a 17-1 regular season record. 

                  Dick Fensler's  PREP PARADE column reviewed the success of the team as they stood 10-0.  "When the ball is tossed at the center circle to begin a Hayden  High basketball game it's head for the basket and the devil take the hindmost for the Wildcats. The penchant for getting to the basket as fast as possible is drilled into Hayden basketballers from the time they enter school until their final game as seniors."

                        Fensler goes on to quote Coach Bueltel's explanation of his system.  "We start them as freshmen and teach them to run. Then all the way through their high school careers we continue to stress the running game. By the time they are seniors they only think about getting the ball and going for the basket. "  He explained to Fensler that he coached this way , "because that's what the kids want to do, and that's what the fans want to see.  People don't come to the games to see me, they come to see the kids. Under my system by this time of the season my chief role is merely one of guidance and of seeing that the kids know when we are scheduled to play. I'm no more important than the bus driver."

                      Top wins of the year included a packed house win over Topeka High at the "dungeon" and a blow out win over Rockhurst.

                      Mike Unrein had one of his best games in the 75-66 win over Topeka High.  Unrein scored 29 points and grabbed 24 rebounds and Trojan coach Jack Dean admitted, "Unrein was what beat us."  Coach Bueltel praised Unrein's practice habits and added, "You never have to tell him anything more than once. If he has a bad night, he's out working the next day.  He doesn't quit when the season ends in March either. He works all year on basketball."

                      Rockhurst was a top ranked team in Missouri and undefeated when they came to town to play Hayden.  Pat Caldwell (6'6") center lead the team and would go on to fame as an NAIA All-American at Rockhurst College. There was tremendous interest in this game that had originally been scheduled for tiny Hayden East gym. A fan that wanted to see that  game, as TDC columnist Dick Fensler explained ,  had to " #1 be directly related to the archbishop, #2 know the custodian who'd sneak you in the back door or #3 be a member of Ken Bueltel's immediate family."  In order to handle the crowds, the game was moved to Topeka High - but Bueltel quipped, "Speaking as a coach, I'd like to play them in my basement with my wife refereeing." (Coach saved Hayden East as a game venue for Wichita Kapaun's visit to Topeka.  He just was not able to find another gym that weekend....?)

                       The Rockhurst game was truly a stunning upset due to the winning margin of 85-61. Rockhurst players definitely underestimated Hayden and were never able to recover from the 50-25 half time bulge that was built on Hayden's defense and running game. Rockhurst coach Jim Ryan admitted his players loafed at the start , but thought they still had enough talent to pull it out.  "But I'm not sure now that we could have won, no matter how well we played".                       

                         The team drew a bye in the Regional Tournament and faced a determined Topeka High team that clobbered Hayden 71-48. This was just an occasion of an opponent playing at the peak of their game and absolutely nothing going right on the Hayden side. ^ Hayden regrouped enough to defeat Lawrence for 3rd place, but had to watch Washburn Rural with Ron Paradis upset Topeka High in the championship game for the Class AA Tournament berth. Hayden had defeated Washburn Rural twice during the regular season.

SOURCES: TDC, TSJ (Reporters - Dick Fensler PREP PARADE & Bob Hartzell SCHOOLBOY SCENE)

^ John Donahue recently stated that the Trojans came onto the court for warm-ups with their home uniforms (white w black & gold trim). They assumed they were the home team because they had won their 1st round Regional game as the visitor. Hayden was officially the home team and was also wearing white (they had the best record and drew a bye in the first round). The officials made the Topeka High guys change into their visitor uniforms and John said they came out mad as hell for the beginning of the game. That started the unexpected blow-out that ended Hayden's chance for a State Tournament berth in 1961.  

Sources: TDC, TSJ, HYB

Top picture: Pete Townsend & Fr. Davern with a tournament trophy.                                 Newspaper clipping from Donahue family scrapbook.

Bottom photo shows Krische wrestling for the ball.

Newspaper clipping below from Donahue family scrapbook