Kansas High School Basketball  History Part 2                 Updated  May 10, 2012   Kansas Basketball History

The Two Tournaments - Kansas University Open 1912-1915
                                        Kansas High School Athletic Association  1912-1915
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   Kansas University Open 1912                      March 15, 16        Robinson Gym 

                                                                                                         Team                         Coach                     League

   CH: Baldwin  36  Reno County  32                                           1. Baldwin  (18-4)          Emil Liston            INDEPENDENT 
   SF:  Baldwin  48  Winfield          32                                           2.  Reno County (17-2)  H. Streibeck          ARK VALLEY
   SF: Reno County  37  Iola        20                                             3.  Winfield (?-?)            J.W. Gowans         ARK VALLEY
   QF: Baldwin  50  Garden City  18                                             4.   Iola (19-4)                W.P. Harriss          INDEPENDENT
   QF:  Winfield  35  Buffalo  25
   QF:  Reno County  38  Newton  18
   QF:  Iola  30  Lawrence  29   
   1R:  Garden City  2  Seneca  0  !
   1R:  Baldwin  46  Eudora  18
   1R:  Winfield  34  Atchison  14
   1R: Buffalo  34  Burlingame  13
   1R:  Reno County  34  Salina  25
   1R:  Newton  29  Kansas City  13
   1R:  Lawrence  94  Bonner Springs  6
   1R:  Iola  58  Marysville  7
   Preliminary: Winfield  28  Halstead  25

SCORES SOURCES:  University Daily Kansan   Lawrence Daily Gazette Buffalo Advocate

Reno County Roster: Fred Frisch, Hilmar Appel, Ralph Shamhart, Charles Rehm, Willie McFarland, Leon Gibbens, Fulton Davidson, Frank Wocknitz
Baldwin Roster:  Ed Kinzer, Clair Kernes, Elbert Wright, Ray Trotter, John Dean, Alfred Runyan, William Hobbs, Avery Kitterman

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  Kansas High School Athletic Association Tourney 1912         March 8, 9      Kansas State Teachers College - Emporia

   CH:  Reno County  28  Halstead  18                                     1.  Reno County  (17-2)        H. Streibeck       ARK VALLEY 
   SF:   Reno County  46  El Dorado  18                                   2.  Halstead  (12-6)               L.F. Bracken      ARK VALLEY
   SF:   Halstead  35  Emporia  25                                             3.  El Dorado  (10-2)             Elmer Wiley       SCBL
  QF:   Reno County  27  Clay Center  22                                4.  Emporia (6-4)                   Unknown            INDEPENDENT
  QF:   El Dorado  35 Normal HS (Emporia)  28
  QF:   Emporia  31  Buffalo  19
  QF:   Halstead  26  Baldwin  21
  Preliminary:  Clay Center  29  Winchester  15

 
Scores Source: One Hundred Years of Hoops, Edited by Carol R Swenson, KSHSAA c 2011

  
AKA the Congressional District Tournament as Kansas had eight Congressional Districts. Districts conducted elimination tournaments or selected a representative.
  1st District:  Winchester  2nd District:  Baldwin  3rd District:  Buffalo  4th District: Emporia  5th District:  Clay Center  6th District: No Representative  7th District: Reno County
  8th District:  Halstead & El Dorado. Normal College High School of Emporia was the host team and was allowed to compete , but was barred from winning any honors.

  In 1912 a new tournament began that was sponsored by the newly formed Kansas High School Athletic Association *. Eight teams qualified either through an elimination district tournament or by appointment of the district association. The 6th district did not send a team, so the 8th district basketball hot bed was allowed two representatives. The Normal College High School was the host for the tournament and was allowed to compete with the understanding that they would be ineligible for any honors. 1

   The first KSHSAA tournament was held March 8th and 9th at the Kansas State Normal College gymnasium in Emporia. The gym was new in 1910 and was similar to the Robinson Gym built by Kansas University. The second floor housed a large gym floor for the exhibition of basketball. Above that on the third floor was a running track that also served as a viewing area when basketball games were being played. The fans would stand or lean against the inside rail of the track and look down to the 2nd floor action or sit in the 500 seat capacity stands in the east end. 2

   Reno County won the association cup and is recognized today as the first official state basketball champion.
3 However, the Kansas University Open was still thought of as the Kansas State champion in 1912. Tournament manager and Kansas Coach W.O. Hamilton declared that the Lawrence tournament was "one of the most stupendous affairs ever attempted in the basketball world." Fifteen boys teams played over two days for the first place trophy. 4

    Schools were charged a $2.00 entry fee and admission money was collected to defray expenses for the visiting players. Most were housed with local residents or fraternities. The recruiting aspect for the fraternities helped the cooperation from the Greek houses. 5

    The preliminary games were played on the cross courts (50' x 45') in the same manner as the 1911 tourney. The finals were played on the big court with a 70' x 45' dimension. 6

    Lawrence accepted all comers for this tourney, but some teams ended up being horribly overmatched in the tournament draw. Bonner Springs was buried 94-6 by Lawrence. The Lawrence team's domination of the center jump practically eliminated any possessions for the Bonner Springs five and they were unable to record even one field goal. 7

   On March 16, 1912 the Baldwin boys under the coaching of Naismith HOF Emil Liston defeated the champs of the KSHSAA tournament in the Kansas University Finals. Ed Kinzer, Clair Kerns, Elbert Wright, Ray Trotter, John Dean, Alfred Runyon, William Hobbs and Avery Kitterman composed the roster for the Baldwin team.
8

   * The Association was formed in the fall of 1910. 9 Conversations among educators and superintendents in these formative years centered on the problems of the high school athletic teams. The first high school football teams in Kansas often supplemented the roster with town boys (graduates or boys not enrolled in high school). This practice was openly agreed to by the competing parties. Bill Hargiss , an early football coaching pioneer, played on a high school team that had very few students enrolled for studies on the roster. 10

      Superintendent A.I. Decker of Humboldt reported in a conference at Emporia in April, 1910 that in his county the use of non-student rosters became so bad that few high school students were participating in sports. The schools in his county formed a county association to make sure only students enrolled in the high schools and making passing grades would be allowed on high school rosters. He reported to the Emporia group, "Some teacher of the school must be in charge of the team in contests and in practice. We must eliminate commercialism, not give rewards. The athletics of Kansas schools should be ... in control of the school men of the state. Only in this way can athletics be purified." 11

     A small voluntary group of 50 schools was formed in the fall of 1910 with the hope to consolidate the ideas of Decker and others into a statewide organization. The Athletic Association grew rapidly to as many as 500 members by the early 1920's. 12

1.  Topeka Daily Capital, March 8, 1912, 2
2. State Normal Bulletin (Emporia), April 22, 1910, 350
3.  Topeka Daily Capital, March 12, 1912, 2B
4.  University Daily Kansan, February 27, 1912, 4
5. Ibid
6.  Ibid
7.  Ibid, March 16, 1912, 1
8.  Ibid, March 19, 1911, 4
9.  KSHSAA, "About the KSHSAA", http://www.kshsaa.org/Public/General/AboutTheKSHSAA.cfm  (October, 1910)
10 Clark Oberheide, "The Life and Legacy of H.W. 'Bill Hargiss 1887-1978"  http://www.oberheide.org/hargiss/1887%20Youth/His%20youth.htm  (March 2009)


11 State Normal Bulletin (Emporia), April 22, 1910, 344
12
One Hundred Years of Hoops, Edited by Carol R Swenson, KSHSAA c 2011

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  Kansas University Open 1913                      March 14, 15                             Robinson Gym

                                                                                                     Team                             Coach                     League

   CH:  Reno County  30  Halstead  23                        1. Reno County (26-1)   H. Streibeck         ARK VALLEY
    SF:  Reno County  41  Lawrence  24                       2. Halstead (16-4)          E.E. Tippin            ARK VALLEY
    SF:  Halstead  26  Independence  18                      SF  Lawrence (12-7)        Boltz                       INDEPENDENT
   QF:  Reno County  30  Baldwin  23                          SF  Independence (18-4)  Yingling                 INDEPENDENT
   QF:  Lawrence  36  Winfield  22
   QF:  Halstead  45  Wichita  24             
   QF:  Independence  29  Chanute  22
   2R:  Reno County  62  Seneca  16
   2R:  Baldwin  38  Downs  24
   2R:  Lawrence  50  Kinsley  28
   2R:  Winfield  24  Iola  23
   2R:  Halstead  32  Cawker City  18
   2R:  Wichita  35  Moundridge  13
   2R:  Independence  35  Atchison  18
   2R:  Chanute  24  Newton  22
   1R:  Reno County  40  Burlingame  8
   1R:  Seneca  48  Marysville  31
   1R:  Baldwin  62  Norwich  18
   1R:  Downs  59  Bonner Springs  16
   1R:  Lawrence  36  Ellsworth  20
   1R:  Kinsley  72  Oskaloosa  16
   1R:  Winfield  47  Olathe  15
   1R:  Iola  60  Sylvan Grove  9
   1R:  Halstead  41  Holton  13
   1R:  Cawker City  48  Burlington  11
   1R:  Wichita  48  Severance  6
   1R:  Moundridge  30  Kansas City  17
   1R:  Independence  45  Edwardsville  15
   1R:  Atchison  39  Waterville  24
   1R:  Chanute  57  Anthony  17
   1R:  Newton  50  Pleasanton  22

Score Sources:  University Daily Kansan  Lawrence HS Yearbook  Lawrence Daily Gazette  Lawrence Daily Journal-World  Baldwin Ledger  Halstead Independent  Kinsley Graphic  Seneca Courier-Democrat
                                   
Severance News

ROSTERS:  RENO COUNTY - Percy Griffin, Wilber Detter, Herbert Mueller, Frank Wocknitz, William McFarland, Hilmar Appel, Leon Gibbens, Leonard Green, Charles Koehm, Fred Frisch.
                       HALSTEAD - Albion Ruth, Howard Bard, Karl Kaiser, Ward Lehman, Henry Willm, Elmer Detweiler, Eugene Lehman, Gregory Oliver.
                       LAWRENCE - Harold Reed, Art Lawrence, Woodman Gibson, David Luther, Samuel Hunter, Ivan Wilson, Ed Todd, Harold Lytle.

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Kansas High School Athletic Association Tourney 1913         March 21, 22      Kansas State Teachers College - Emporia

    CH:  Reno County  49  Normal College HS (Emporia)  27               1.  Reno County  (26-1)             E. Streibeck           ARK VALLEY
     SF:  Reno County  38  Salina  17                                                       2.  Normal College HS (9-3)     H.J. Campbell        INDEPENDENT
     SF:  Normal College HS (Emporia)  23  Iola  17                               3.  Salina  (16-1)                        Ralph McCarroll   SOLOMON VLY
    QF:  Reno County  38  Emporia  15                                                    4.  Iola (15-6)                             W.P. Harriss          ICPL    
    QF:  Salina  48  Halstead  44  *  
    QF:  Normal College HS (Emporia)   v Bye (Independence Dropped Out)
    QF:  Iola  35  Easton  17
                                               * Overtime

      
Scores Source: One Hundred Years of Hoops, Edited by Carol R Swenson, KSHSAA c 2011

         OFFICIALS:  Arthur Schabinger  Wayne Granger, Amos Brenemen

         ROSTERS:  RENO COUNTY - Percy Griffin, Wilber Detter, Herbert Mueller, Frank Wocknitz, William McFarland, Hilmar Appel, Leon Gibbens, Leonard Green, Charles Koehm, Fred Frisch.
                                NORMAL COLLEGE HS - Harold Simpson, Richard Clow, Kappleman, Irl Hendrickson, Ralph Samuels, Earl Godsey, Carey, Finley
                                SALINA:  Charles Corsaut, Harley Ladd, Wallace Parker, Leslie Maxwell, Roy Boyer, Arnold Jones, Ralph Todd, Ralph Van Trine, Clare Niquette
                                IOLA:  Kent Dudley, Kirk Badgley, Howard Lawyer, Howard Ritchey, Wendell Lenhart, Frank Zieglar, True Ford, Russell Brown, Harry Sheue.

    The KU Invitational remained the prestige event in 1913. The fledgling association conducted their district qualification tournament the weekend before the KU event. There was no way to conduct their State tournament in direct competition with the Lawrence gathering, so it was held after that event on March 21st and 22nd. 1

      Hamilton of Kansas gleefully announced that the Kansas University event was the "biggest of its kind ever held in the world." Thirty-two teams competing for the title over two days required two games to be played simultaneously in the early rounds.  As in the past, these games were played in less than normal regulation time. 2

      One of the new schools that swelled the KU brackets came all the way from Osborne county. The Downs high school boys left early Wednesday morning by train to arrive by late afternoon Thursday in Lawrence. They stopped along the way to allow other teams on board like the raucous Cawker City team that started their cheers early on in the train ride. They stopped in Manhattan for a tour and marveled at the Kansas State Agricultural College. School reporter and varsity member Donald Davis reported, "The people of Kansas (may) not realize what a splendid school they have here." His description of the trip showed the enthusiasm of boys on their first trip out of their area of the state. This was part of the allure of the Lawrence tournament in that any school could compete if they could find a way to Robinson Gym. 3

      As for playing in the tournament, Davis explained that the team without a coach was happy to win one game and lose honorably to Baldwin. "Aside from seeing two of the best colleges in the world, (we) won a game and gained a lot of practical knowledge. The summary of the whole thing seems to be WE DIDN'T WIN, BUT WE LEARNED A LOT." 4

     Officials for the games were Hoover of Baker University, Ed Van der Vries of Sedan and former KU player Phog Allen. The Kansas tournament's roster of players and officials often contained future Hall of Famers. No more famous name in all of basketball was an interested spectator for the finals between Reno County and Halstead. Reporters spoke to Dr. James Naismith at the gym about how the game of basketball began. 5

     He told them about the winter of 1891 at Springfield Training School in Massachusetts. The footballers were not taking any interest in the gym work. The routine work with dumb-bells and Indian Clubs was "exceedingly irksome to them", he explained.  He went about devising something that would challenge the wits of the football players and still provide physical conditioning in the winter months.

    That December they tried a "de-horned version" of football, but it was still too rough. Soccer and lacrosse games were attempted, but the gym they used was too small for indoor versions of those sports. He then returned to the football game and noted that tackling was the roughest part of the game. He prohibited tackling by prohibiting the man with possession of the ball from running with the ball. He was only allowed to pass the ball or attempt a shot at the goal. Everyone else playing in the game was not restricted in movement.

    He then needed to devise a goal different from the football goal line. He came upon the idea of making a horizontal goal. He said, "The ball instead of being thrown forcibly would have to describe an arc before it entered the goal." After some experimentation, it became obvious that the goal had to be elevated above the player's head, since otherwise defenders would simply camp around the more conventional goals.

   Naismith then described the first goal used for the new game. " I went to the janitor and asked for some sort of a box. It just happened that he procured a couple of baskets ( such as peaches are shipped in) about eighteen inches across at the top. We nailed these up on the gallery which happened to be just ten foot high." He explained that the name "basket-ball" stuck to the game ever since and the official height of the goal remained ten feet. The early players of the game at Springfield carried the game with them on summer vacation to their homes all aound the country. 6

    Reno County was victorious in both tournaments.

1.  Emporia Daily Gazette, March 24, 1913, 1
2.  University Daily Kansan, March 13, 1913, 1
3.  The Downs News, March 20, 1913, 1
4.  Ibid, 4
5. University Daily Kansan, March 13, 1913, 1
6. Ibid, March 16, 1913, 7


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Kansas University Open 1914                      March 20, 21        Robinson Gym   

                                                                                                      Team                             Coach                     League

CH:  Lawrence  35  Reno County  25                                     1.  Lawrence       (20-1)      Julius Uhrlaub         INDEPENDENT
SF:   Lawrence  33  Iola  13                                                     2.  Reno County (27-2)      Arthur Whittaker    ARK VALLEY
SF:   Reno County  58  Winfield  42                                        SF  Iola  (10-7)                     W.P. Harriss           INDEPENDENT
QF:  Lawrence  37  Ellsworth  15                                             SF   Winfield (10-10)            Will French             ARK VALLEY
QF:  Iola  40  Kansas City  12
QF:  Winfield  37 Clay County  22
QF:  Reno County  29  Great Bend  27 *
1R:  Lawrence  2  Trego County  0 !
1R:  Ellsworth  63  Garfield  23
1R:  Kansas City  49  Summerfield  9
1R:  Iola  36  Downs  18
1R:  Winfield  31  Wamego  26
1R:  Clay County  31  Ashland  26
1R:  Reno County  32  Atchison  24
1R:  Great Bend  27  Bonner Springs 22
Preliminary:  Winfield  39  Havensville  9  
Preliminary:  Wamego  33  Sterling  22
Preliminary:  Bonner Springs  30  Scott City  21
Preliminary:  Great Bend  43  Fairview  14
Preliminary:  Atchison  27  Dodge City  21
Preliminary:  Reno County  33  Baldwin  16
Preliminary:  Garfield  2  Mankato  0  !
Preliminary:  Ellsworth  2  Fort Scott  0 !
Preliminary:  Lawrence  35  Macksville  15
Preliminary:  Trego County  2  Longton  0 !
Preliminary:  Iola  30  Chapman  21
Preliminary:  Downs  32  Burlingame  23
Preliminary:  Kansas City  52  Sylvan Grove  7

Score Source:
Lawrence Daily Gazette, University Daily Kansan, Lawrence Journal-World, Iola Daily Register, Ellsworth Reporter

Officials:  "Phog" Allen,  "Red" Brown,  Ed Van der Vries, Hoover    Score Keepers:  Ralph"Lefty" Sproull, Ray Dunmire, Laird.

ROSTERS:  LAWRENCE - Art Lawrence, Woodman Gibson, George Woodward, Ivan Wilson, Samuel Hunter, Dave Lupher, Howard Laslett, Rudolph Uhrlaub.
                       RENO COUNTY - Fred Frisch, Merle McFarland, Wilbur Detter, Percy Griffin, Clarence Whittaker, Earl Bressler, Paul Alexander, Roy Edwards, Donald Baker.
                       IOLA - Kirk Badgley, True Ford, Harry Sheue, Roy Anderson, Frank Clark, Wendell Lenhart, Arch Hall, Russell Brown.
                       WINFIELD - Joe Heit, Gene Beck, Guy Cross, Floyd Muchmore, Milt Dixon, Ray Pierpont, Frank Sidel, Fred Jenkins.

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Kansas High School Athletic Association Tourney 1914         March 13, 14       City Auditorium - Newton, KS

CH:  Lawrence  25  Reno County  23                                          1.  Lawrence (20-1)                   Julius Uhrlaub      INDEPENDENT
SF:   Lawrence  35  Wichita  16                                                    2.  Reno County  (27-2)            Arthur Whittaker ARK VALLEY
SF:   Reno County  41  Normal College HS (Emporia)  28         3.  Normal HS-Emporia (12-3)  Charles Phipps    INDEPENDENT
QF:  Lawrence  51  Hill City  32                                                   4.  Wichita (?-?)                         Harry Buck         ARK VALLEY
QF:  Wichita  42  Montgomery County  28
QF:  Reno County  50  Salina  35
QF:  Normal College HS (Emporia)  60 Leavenworth  24 

Scores Source: One Hundred Years of Hoops, Edited by Carol R Swenson, KSHSAA c 2011 *
                           Newton Evening Kansan-Republican 3-14-1914

* Except a few scores in the book were in error or failed to note OT periods. For example, the quarter-final Lawrence-Hill City was reported at 51-32 in the Newton newspaper and KSHSAA source for this game was determined to be in error. Future corrections will be sourced in the manner shown above. KSHSAA is the default source for the scores for all KSHSAA sponsored tournaments. 

  OFFICIALS: Wayne Granger, Ray Culter

  ROSTERS:  LAWRENCE - Art Lawrence, Woodman Gibson, George Woodward, Ivan Wilson, Samuel Hunter, Dave Lupher, Howard Laslett, Rudolph Uhrlaub.
                         RENO COUNTY - Fred Frisch, Merle McFarland, Wilbur Detter, Percy Griffin, Clarence Whittaker, Earl Bressler, Paul Alexander, Roy Edwards, Donald Baker.
                         WICHITA:  Harold Youngmeyer, Walter Osborne, Edwin Wells, Harry Knight, Andrew Baird, Earl Bressler, Russ McVicar, Don Meeker, Richard Treweeks

     KU Invitational manager Coach Hamilton welcomed twenty-nine teams to the 1914 tourney at Robinson Gym. He told the University Daily Kansan, "It is a big job, taking care of that many boys, but it is worth it. Eight members of the Freshman basketball squad this year were in the high school meet and many others probably were attracted to the University by their visit here." He went on to urge students to help entertain the visiting athletes. 1 The recruiting aspect of this event was beginning to annoy the other college institutions around the state. This would lead high schools,  many with administrations staffed with graduates of colleges other than Kansas University,  to push for consolidation of the tournaments with the KSHSAA in charge. 

    Lawrence was the favorite for the championship of the Kansas University tourney. They had traveled to Newton and won the association's state tourney over Ark Valley powers Reno County and Wichita. Art Lawrence and George Woodward were the stars of this version of the "Black & Red". Reno County played the Lawrence five to a standstill before Gibson of Lawrence finally broke a tie with less than a minute left in the game. 2

   The small field of eight teams for the Newton tournament did not leave much profit for tournament organizers. They were very pleased that after all expenses, including travel for the participants, the net profit was $19.05. 3

   Only one team was able to defeat Lawrence in the regular season. Fort Scott was unable to raise the money needed to send their team to Lawrence. The Lawrence squad did benefit from a forfeit and several inexperienced opponents before bouncing Reno County once again in the final. 4

   RULE CHANGE: When a player knocked a ball out of bounds, or touched it last, a member of the opposing team would be allowed to in-bound the ball. Previously, the first person to touch the ball out of bounds would be allowed to throw the ball back in play without interference. 5 This caused desperate dives for the ball and general rough play. A ball that landed in the balcony could set off a mad scramble up the stairs to obtain the ball. 6

1.  University Daily Kansan, February 27, 1914, 3
2.  Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, March 16, 1914, 1
3.  Ibid
4.  University Daily Kansan, March 20, 1914, 1
5.  "Spalding's Official Collegiate Basket Ball Guide for 1913-1914" (New York: American Sports, 1913), 155 Comments on the College Basketball Rules.
6.  Joe Jares, 33

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Kansas University Open 1915                      March 26, 27        Robinson Gym          

                                                                                                     Team                             Coach                     League

 CH:  Iola  30  Newton  17                                                      1.  Iola  (26-1)                     W.P. Harriss            INDEPENDENT
 SF:   Iola  34  Winfield  18                                                     2.  Newton  (18-5)               Frank Lindley          ARK VALLEY
 SF:   Newton  35  Lawrence  15                                            SF  Lawrence (9-7)              Emil Young               INDEPENDENT
 QF:  Iola  26  Pleasanton  5                                                  SF  Winfield (11-7)              Frank Root              ARK VALLEY
 QF:  Winfield  25  Kansas City  13
 QF:  Newton  26  Atchison  12
 QF:  Lawrence  11  Dodge City  10
 2R:  Iola  32  WaKeeney  18
 2R:  Pleasanton  18  Onaga  16
 2R:  Winfield  32  Quenemo  14
 2R:  Kansas City  22  Chapman  19
 2R:  Newton  29  KC-Rosedale  11
 2R:  Atchison  24  Arkansas City  9
 2R:  Lawrence  18  Burlington  14
 2R:  Dodge City  19  Yates Center  15
 1R:  Iola  2  Wamego  0  !
 1R:  WaKeeney  33  Bonner Springs  5
 1R:  Pleasanton  21  Garden City  10
 1R:  Onaga  32  Peru  8
 1R:  Winfield  33  Morrill  10
 1R:  Quenemo  16  Hill City  13
 1R:  Kansas City  14  Oskaloosa  10
 1R:  Chapman  46  Walton  9
 1R:  Newton  21  Marysville  6
 1R:  KC-Rosedale  2  Reno County  0  !
 1R:  Atchison  34  Sylvan Grove  12
 1R:  Arkansas City  14  Baldwin  5
 1R:  Lawrence  2  Attica  0  !
 1R:  Burlington  35  Sabetha  12
 1R:  Dodge City  38  Eudora  20
 1R:  Yates Center  39  St. Mary's  17

SCORE SOURCES: University Daily Kansan, Iola Daily Register, Lawrence Daily Gazette  Newton Evening Kansan-Republican Arkansas City Daily Traveler

 Officials:  "Phog" Allen,  "Red" Brown, Bill Weidlein, Ed Van der Vries

ROSTERS:  IOLA - Henry Sheue, Earl Nelson, Russell Brown, Howard Ritchey, Forrest "Red" DeBernardi, Orrin Brown, Harry Cook, Robert Fife
                       NEWTON - Merle Norton, Arthur Darling, Glenn Brown, Phillip Strauss, Otto Kliewer, Bryce McCandless, Ralph Schanbacher
                       LAWRENCE - Dave Lupher, George Woodward, Gene Glahn, Herman Mueffels, Roy Gress, William Lowman, William Draper, George Hale
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Kansas High School Athletic Association Tourney 1915         March 19, 20       Kansas State Teachers College - Emporia

 CH: Wichita  41  Iola  31                                                                                                                   1.  Wichita  (?-?)          John Barnes      ARK VALLEY
 SF:  Wichita  24  Moundridge  22                                                                                                     2.  Iola  (26-1)               W.P. Harriss     INDEPENDENT
 SF:   Iola  35  Norton  22                                                                                                                  SF  Moundridge (?-?)    C.B. Vernon     INDEPENDENT
 QF:  Wichita  37  Normal College HS (Emporia)  12                                                                      SF  Norton  (?-?)            Unknown          INDEPENDENT
 QF:  Moundridge  37  Reno County  32 **
 QF:  Iola  38  Chanute  17
 QF:  Norton  41  Leavenworth  23
 Preliminary:  Norton  19  Ellsworth  16 

Consolation Bracket
  SF:   Reno County  22  Normal College (Emporia)
  SF:  Chanute  2  Ellsworth  0  !
  Finals:  Reno County  25  Chanute  11

 OFFICIALS:  Harold Culter, Raymond Culter, Lamar Hoover  TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR:  H.W. "Bill" Hargiss

  ROSTERS:  WICHITA - Frank Copeland, Don Meeker, Marvin Harris, Russell McVicar, Janoul Freeman, Andrew Baird, Bruce Meeker, Harold Youngmeyer
                         IOLA - Henry Sheue, Earl Nelson, Russell Brown, Howard Ritchey, Forrest "Red" DeBernardi, Orrin Brown, Harry Cook, Robert Fife
                         MOUNDRIDGE - Jonas Voran, Milton Dirks, Erwin Buehler, Roy Parks, Ernest Krehbiel, Fernand May, Otto Dirks, John Graber
                         NORTON:  - Harry Knapp, Victor Lofgreen, Roy Wynne, Joe Casey, Ross Casey, Frank Durham, Ray Bright

  KSHSAA ALL-STARS:  Roy Wynn (C) NORTON, Harold Youngmeyer (F) WICHITA, Howard Ritchey (F) IOLA, Don Meeker (G) WICHITA, Earl Nelson (G) IOLA.

       Most followers of the high school game conceded that Iola had the best team in the state during the 1914-15 basketball season. 1  They were undefeated and had a young player. Forrest "Red" DeBernardi   who would develop into one of the most celebrated AAU players of all time. He was a college All-American at Westminster (MO) and a five time AAU All-American. He was an early inductee to the Naismith Hall of Fame. 2

       He could play all positions on the floor even as a high school player. "Red" played mainly the forward position during this season and supported many of the upper classmen with assists for easy goals as he always drew an opponent's best defender. The veteran members of the team were Orin and Russell Brown, Howard Ritchey and Captain Harry Sheue. 3

       Despite playing the heavy favorite role at the KSHSAA tournament at Emporia, Iola lost the final game to Wichita of the Ark Valley League. The Iolans had a more difficult time with the Norton five led by Roy Wynne than they had anticipated. Russell Brown missed most of the final game with Wichita.

       The participating schools praised Bill Hargiss of the Emporia Normal College (Emporia State) for his management of the tournament. But, the financial reward for the association was a disappointment. 5

      Iola re-grouped to win the big tourney the following week at Lawrence. Another Ark Valley team, Newton, was not able to recover from a tougher schedule of games and Iola was determined to prove they were the best in Kansas. 6  

      The faults of both tournaments began a discussion that would lead to consolidation in 1916. Newton was the champion of the Ark Valley and had defeated Wichita twice but was not allowed to compete in Emporia because Wichita defeated them in the district qualifier. 7 Then Wichita stayed away from the Kansas University tourney as they most probably felt they did not need to prove themselves once again after defeating both Newton and Iola. The size of the Lawrence tourney began to be questioned by some. First and second round games were being played in two ten minute halves  without a half-time break. 8 These games did not go off without some confusion. Garden City and Peru played an entire half before they found out they were playing the wrong opponents. Garden City took the floor without rest from the Peru scrimmage and lost to Pleasanton. Peru followed with a loss to correct opponent Onaga. 9

1.  Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, March 15, 1915, 6
2.  Arthur A. Mollner, Interview by George A. Hodak for Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, Westlake Village, California, May 1968. He states that DeBernardi was the only man to win AAU All-American honors at every  
     position. 
3.  Iola Daily Register, February 22, 1915, 6
4.  Ibid, March 22, 1915, 6
5.  Ibid
6.  Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, March29, 1915, 1
7.  Ibid, March 15, 1916, 6
8.  University Daily Kansan, March 24, 1915, 1
9.  Ibid, March 26, 1915, 1