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. 4
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