Kansas Prep Basketball History Part 3 Updated April 15, 2012 Kansas High School Basketball History by Patrick Macfeee
Part Three: Kansas High School Association Consolidation 1916-1920 * = Overtime ! = Forfeit
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1916 Kansas Invitational and KSHSAA Tournament Combined March 17-18, 1916 Robinson Gym Lawrence, KS
Team Coach League
CH: Newton 51 Iola 48
*
1. Newton
(18-2)
Frank Lindley ARK VALLEY
SF: Newton 41 Atchison
22
2. Iola
(25-2)
W.P. Harriss EKBL
SF: Iola 43 Arkansas City
15
SF Atchison
(7-5)
C.S.
Miller
INDEPENDENT
QF: Newton 39 Dickinson
County 25
SF Arkansas City (12-5) J.L.
Robinson ARK VALLEY
QF: Atchison 37 Leavenworth 20
QF: Iola 27 Winfield 14
QF: Arkansas City 16 Lawrence 12
2R: Dickinson County 28
Rosedale 14
2R: Newton 28
Ellsworth 14
2R: Atchison 18
Moundridge 16
2R: Leavenworth 25 Randall 16
2R: Iola 38 Bonner Springs 13
2R: Winfield 32 Kansas City 19
2R: Arkansas City 37 Washington
9
Officials: Ralph Sproull, L.V.
"Red" Brown, Gene Back, Ed Van der Vries
2R:
Lawrence 20 Fowler
10
1R: Dickinson County
32 Parsons
17
Officials ALL-STAR TEAM
1R: KC-Rosedale 25
Spearville
9
1R: Newton 36
Holton
7
1st Team: Forrest DeBernardi
(C) IOLA
1R: Ellsworth 16
Quenemo
12
Orrin Brown (G) IOLA
1R: Atchison 19
Baldwin
11
Frank Jones (F) NEWTON
1R: Moundridge 31 Greeley
18
Otto "Zeke" Kliewer (G) NEWTON
1R: Leavenworth 33 Morrill
5
Frank Sidle (F) WINFIELD
1R: Randall 21 Lecompton 12
1R:
Iola 30 Seneca
13
2nd Team: Earl Nelson (G) IOLA
1R: Bonner Springs 2 Coldwater 0
!
George Jennings (G) WINFIELD
1R: Winfield 24 Larned
9
Phil Strauss (C) NEWTON
1R: Kansas City 44 Sylvan Grove
8
Robert Dunham (F) IOLA
1R: Arkansas City 33 KC-Argentine
6
Harold Alyea (F) ATCHISON
1R: Washington 23 Osage City 16
1R: Lawrence 16 Lyndon 7
1R: Fowler 41 Merriam 40
Preliminary: Winfield 33 Burlington 12
Preliminary: Larned 22 Lawrence-Oread
13
KSHSAA BRACKET
Preliminary: Kansas City 19 Macksville 13
Scores Source: "One
Hundred Years of Hoops" KSHSAA 2011 except as follows
Iola-Seneca : Lawrence Daily
Journal-World, March 17, 1916, 1
Atchison-Leavenworth: Atchison Daily Globe, March 18, 1916, 1
A
merger of sorts between the two tournaments was established in 1916. Kansas
University was not willing to discontinue their open invitational tournament but
at the same time did not want to miss out on the participation from the rapidly
growing association members. The association could see that competition with the
Kansas University tournament was a losing proposition. The joint venture held at
Robinson Gym incorporated a separate KSHSAA championship bracket. A trophy was
awarded to Newton by the association for the victory over Dickinson County (aka
Chapman). The teams were placed in this part of the overall tournament by virtue of
winning district tournaments conducted by the KSHSAA. 1
Iola, the defending KU champion, tore
through the regular season with stars DeBernardi and Dunham leading the way to
several impressive wins. Late in the season Iola defeated Chanute 77-17 and
KC-Rosedale 79-18. 2 The legend of DeBernardi grew with the number of
nicknames he acquired in this season. He was known as "De",
"Red" (a reference to his reddish-blonde hair) and the "Blonde
Frog". The latter name referred to his domination of the center jump that
was required after every made field goal. He played mostly center during this
season and he was always a threat to tip-in missed shots. He was a natural at
feeding his able teammates like Robert Dunham who developed into a master court
player and possibly the best dribbler in the state. 3
Iola skipped their district tournament in order to play a game in Kansas City against Kansas City Central (MO). That team had another future All-American AAU player in Milton Singer. Iola lost the re-match from an earlier meeting in Iola, but considered the contest good preparation for the Lawrence tournament. Iola saw Newton as their main competition for the Kansas title. 4 That could have been another reason to stay out of the KSHAA district tournaments as they would have to play their closest rival in less than a championship situation. (Parsons won the district that Iola skipped). 5
Newton did compete in and win the association bracket and was able to defeat Atchison in the semi-final of the overall tournament to set the re-match of the 1915 final with Iola. 6 This contest had the most controversial conclusion of all the Kansas University championship games.
Newton, under Coach Frank Lindley, was known for playing a hard-nosed zone defense.* DeBernardi was injured early in the game and was not much of a factor the rest of the game. The Iola Daily Register claimed that foul play by a Newton guard "turned the trick" that sent Red flying into the crowd. Still, Iola was ahead at the end of the half 26-20. 7
* Coach Lindley was one of several coaches
around the country who became known as the inventor of the zone defense. He was
one of the first to use it as his main defense. Coach Lindley abandoned the zone
after losing to Pueblo, CO in the 1926 University of Chicago National
Tournament.
8
When the team
scorekeepers checked with the KU official at the break, they discovered incorrect totals in
the official scorebook. Lawrence Cole was the official scorekeeper and when the
Newton and Iola team representatives pointed out the error, he made a correction in his record. 9
The Iola team hung on in the second half with a subdued offensive attack. DeBernardi could only score four points in the game. Newton was surging as the game wound down and they made several trips to the free throw line in the last few minutes. When time expired the Iola team and fans celebrated the effort by their squad that preserved a narrow 47-46 victory and tournament championship.
That is when Newton's Principal W.A. Sterba learned that the official scorekeeper Cole ( a Kansas University basketball player) had, in his view, tampered with the scorebook. He objected to tournament director Hamilton and a lengthy discussion took place. It is not recorded what was discussed, but it can be surmised that the protest centered around Cole's authority to make the change in the scorebook. The Iola Daily Register stated that it took forty-five minutes for Hamilton to decide that an extra period should be played to decide the contest. In the overtime period Newton was much stronger than the Iola five and the trophy was won by Newton 51-48. 10
A war of words continued for a few days after the conclusion of the tournament. Iola reporters claimed that there could be no glory for the Newton team because of the manner in which the victory was accomplished. "The game was literally purloined from the Iolans." was the verdict of the Iola Daily Register. 11 The writer for the Newton Evening Kansan-Republican bristled at that protest and fired back a few days later. He said the little country sheet was guilty of whining and "poor sportsmanship." He told readers, "How in the world a bunch of players with so much yellow in them ever won a championship last year is hard to understand." 12
Lawrence newspapers offered no further comment on the incident. They reported the long discussion and the decision to declare a tie at the end of regulation but gave no further details. Others pointed out that if Iola had better free throw shooting they would have avoided any controversy. 13 It is probable that the scorekeeper could have avoided a debate if he had conferred with the game officials and the tournament director when the scoring error was detected. Procedures for rule implementation were not always clearly stated in the rule books of the day. The game was new and each year brought situations that would force revision in rule interpretation.
1. University Daily Kansan, March 8,
1916, 1
2. Iola Daily Register, February 21, 1916, 1
3. Ibid, March 13, 1916, 8
4. Ibid, March 16, 1916, 8
5. Ibid, March 14, 1916, 8
6. Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, March 18, 1916, 1
7. Iola Daily Register, March 20, 1916, 1
8. Frank Lindley, "Basketball Theory, System and Style,"
ATHLETIC JOURNAL, January, 1937.
9. Iola Daily Register, March 20, 1916, 1
10 Ibid
11 Ibid
12 Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, March 22, 1916, 3
13 University Daily Kansan, March 20, 1916, 1
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1917 Kansas Invitational and KSHSAA Tournament
Combined March 16-17 1917 Robinson Gym Lawrence, KS
CH: Newton 58 Wichita
27
1. Newton
(15-3)
Frank Lindley ARK VALLEY
SF: Newton 26 Winfield
15
2. Wichita
(16-3)
John Barnes ARK VALLEY
SF: Wichita 41 Atchison
27
SF Atchison
(10-7)
Ray Dunmire NEKL
QF: Newton 23 Parsons
4
SF Winfield
(12-7)
Frank Root ARK
VALLEY
QF: Atchison 17 Belle Plaine 19
QF: Wichita 20 Hazelton 14
QF: Winfield 23 Bushton 21
2R: Newton 27 Emporia 8
2R: Parsons 17 Iola 15
2R: Winfield 27 Gardner 9
2R: Bushton 30 Macksville 8
2R: Atchison 15 Arkansas City
14
Officials: Ralph Sproull, ________________________
2R: Belle Plaine 31 Preston
19
2R: Wichita 22 Eudora
15
Officials & Press All-Star Team
2R: Hazelton 27 Lecompton 3
1R: Atchison 35 Dodge City 30
1R: Arkansas City 45 Effingham
5
1st Team: Harold Youngmeyer WICHITA
1R: Belle Plaine: 21 Kansas City
17
Don Meeker WICHITA
1R: Preston 25 Mankato
7
Edward Miller NEWTON
1R: Wichita 26 Lawrence-Oread
9
George Jennings WINFIELD
1R: Eudora 15 Halstead
4
Clement Dodd PARSONS
1R: Hazelton 26 Wellington
12
1R: Lecompton 26 Goodland
8
2nd Team: Lester Reber EUDORA
1R: Winfield 35 Baldwin
3
John Dotson NEWTON
1R: Gardner 16 Sterling
9
Fred Lighter DODGE CITY
1R: Bushton 28 Potter
6
J.B. Brown NEWTON
1R: Macksville 20 Perry
2
Lewis Tharp WINFIELD
1R: Newton 39 Winchester 4
1R: Emporia
23 Cawker City 12
1R: Parsons
26 Salina 9
1R: Iola Bye (Ellsworth declined)
Preliminary: Dodge City 27 Merriam 17
Preliminary: Arkansas City 18 Lawrence 16
Preliminary: Belle Plaine 2 KC-Rosedale 0 !
Preliminary: Kansas City 35 Reading 7
Preliminary: Mankato 2 WaKeeney 0 !
Preliminary: Wichita 30 Glen
Elder 7
Preliminary: Eudora 25
Greeley 6
Preliminary: Halstead 22 Bonner Springs 10
Preliminary: Hazelton 32 Osawatomie 10
Preliminary: Wellington 2 Clay Center 0 !
Preliminary: Lecompton 10 Larned 9
Preliminary: Winfield 16 Alton 12
Preliminary: Baldwin 17
Washington 8
Preliminary: Gardner 20 Bucklin 10
Preliminary: Sterling 32 KC-Argentine
15
KSHSAA BRACKET
Score Sources: "One
Hundred Years of Hoops" KSHSAA 2011 except as follows
Newton-Wichita/Newton-Winfield
/Newton-Parsons: Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, March 19, 1917
Parsons-Salina/Emporia-Cawker City/Baldwin-Washington/Wichita-Glen
Elder/Hazelton-Lecompton/Belle Plaine-Preston/Eudora-Greeley: Lawrence
Daily Journal World, March 17, 1917
There would be no re-match between Newton and Iola in 1917. Iola's great player DeBernardi moved to Kansas City, Mo where he resumed his high school career at Northeast High. 1 Parsons knocked out the Iola boys in the KSHSAA bracket . 2
A record forty-six teams entered the combination Kansas Invitational and KSHSAA tournament. Kansas University continued to host the event. Coach Hamilton gave a speech to the high school coaches prior to the tournament that advanced the quality of the players with not so subtle hints as to where they could play college ball. He told the coaches "that if the best players in the high school tournament would play together on one team they could easily win the Missouri Valley Conference championship every year." 3 The University Daily Kansan went on to remind their student readers to do their part in attracting the hometown high school athletes to make the trip to the University each year. The competition between the university teams was heating up in basketball and student help with hosting the players was expected and helped the organizers handle the administration of the huge tournament. 4
Newton repeated as champion of the tournament winning both 1st place cups. This time there was no question as to who had the best team in the state. The final was a huge blow-out victory over their Ark Valley foe Wichita. Frank Lindley drew praise from the press for perfecting a style of play that rolled over every team in it's path. 5 Coach Lindley was known for his thorough training methods. The players began their education in this system from Lindley disciples in the elementary schools of Newton. Competition for varsity spots was intense and only those left with talent and, more importantly, devotion to Coach Lindley's principles made the team. If they faltered, others could fill their position with little loss of quality. 6
The fact that communication between coach and player was forbidden at any time during a game did not matter to the Newton club. Some critics over the years suggested that Lindley, or his bench, gave signals to the team from the sidelines in violation of the rules. 7 The truth was the Newton team was so well drilled in a minimal variety of effective set plays that coaching from the bench was not needed. 8
1. Northeast High School Annual, Nor'easter
(Kansas City, MO, 1917) 118-119
2. Lawrence Daily Journal-World, March 17, 1917, 6
3. University Daily Kansan, March 19, 1917, 4
4. Ibid, March 13, 1917, 6
5. Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, March 19, 1917, 6
6. Curtis Buller, comp, "Can't You Hear the Whistle Blowing?: A
history of Newton High School Basketball The Years 1914-1958 & 1979"
(Denver, Sid Gates, 2008), 17-18
7. Ibid, 269
8. Ibid, 270
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1918 Kansas Invitational and KSHSAA Tournament Combined March 22-23, 1918 Robinson Gym Lawrence, KS
CH: Arkansas City 38 Newton
35
1. Arkansas City (14-5) Ivan
Trusler ARK VALLEY
SF: Arkansas City 20 Winfield
17
2. Newton
(20-2)
Frank Lindley ARK VALLEY
SF: Newton 37 Sedan
20
SF Sedan
(?-?)
Byron White INDEPENDENT
QF: Sedan 29 McPherson
24
SF Winfield
(14-5)
Will French ARK VALLEY
QF: Newton 39 Emporia 17
QF: Arkansas City 34 Macksville
4
QF: Winfield 23 Iola
12
Officials: Phog Allen, Red Brown
2R: Sedan 19 Wichita 18
2R: McPherson 20 Larned
10
Officials & Coaches All-Star Team
2R: Newton 28 Parsons 15
2R: Emporia 12 Hays 9
2R: Arkansas City 59 Argentine
6
1st Team: John Dotson NEWTON
2R: Macksville 25 KC-Rosedale
21
Edward Miller NEWTON
2R: Winfield 36 Baldwin
5
McCarty ARKANSAS CITY
2R: Iola 19 Linwood
11
Edmund "Chop" Cairns WINFIELD
1R: Sedan 22 Kansas City
21
Arthur "Ox" Kahler ARKANSAS
1R: Wichita 14 Eudora 6
1R: McPherson 22 KC-Turner
15
2nd Team: R. McSpadden SEDAN
1R: Larned 26 Bonner Springs
18
Ed Curtis ARKANSAS CITY
1R: Newton
26 Topeka
12
Walt Rogers NEWTON
1R: Parsons 2 Reno County 0
!
Albert Benfer NEWTON
1R: Emporia 18 Solomon
10
George Gardner ARKANSAS CITY
1R: Hays 25 Lawrence 14
1R: Arkansas City 27 Lecompton 5
1R: KC-Argentine 2 Powhattan 0 !
1R: Macksville 27 Merriam 11
1R: KC-Rosedale 23 Horton 18
1R: Winfield 37 Lawrence-Oread 0
1R: Baldwin 25 Leavenworth 8
1R: Iola 2 Williamsburg 0 !
1R: Linwood 2 Viola 0
!
KSHSAA BRACKET
Score Sources: "One
Hundred Years of Hoops" KSHSAA 2011 except as follows
Arkansas City-Macksville : Arkansas City
Daily Traveler, 3-23-1918
Newton-Topeka: Topeka Daily Capital, March 23, 1918
The dominance of the Ark Valley League of basketball teams continued in 1918. Three out of the four semi-finalists came from the group led by Newton. Newton was the champion of the league and their continued success fueled the race by other league schools to keep pace. Newton was a major hub for the Santa Fe Railroad and fans from the other towns on the Santa Fe line would travel by rail to watch their teams road games. The tough competition and atmosphere of these league games gave the Ark Valley teams an edge in state tournament play. 1
As conference champion, Newton was automatically considered the favorite to win the tournament. After winning the KSHSAA 1st place trophy*, they encountered the Sedan boys who were the surprise team of the tournament. Sedan had shocked Kansas City, Wichita and McPherson on the way to the semi-final battle. 2 Newton's zone defense was too much for the Sedan squad led by the hot shooting R. McSpadden. 3
Arkansas City had struggled through the middle of league play with several key players out or hobbled by injury. A late season win over Wichita in league play gave the Bulldogs some momentum. 4 That surge carried over to the tournament where Arthur "Ox" Kahler helped in a key win over Winfield. George Gardner was the star of the team, but was not having one of his better games against Winfield. Kalher was the difference in the 20-17 victory. Both Kahler and Gardner would go on to great athletic careers at Southwestern College in Winfield. 5
Coach Lindley was confident that his boys would put away Arkansas City for the third time. He did note that Newton's games in the KSHSAA bracket were longer than some of the preliminary twenty minute games played by Arkansas City. When Arkansas City sprang the upset, some Newton supporters suggested fatigue played a role in the loss. 6
Arkansas City planned a rousing reception for the boys when they received the news by telegraph from Lawrence. Supporters were waiting for "No. 5" at the train depot and the players were loaded into automobiles and carried uptown for a celebration in the streets. 7
Kansas City Central, the Missouri high school champ, issued a challenge to play the Kansas champs in a benefit game for the Camp Funston recreation fund. Of course they wanted to host the event in Kansas City. The KC boys had completed their tournament a week earlier , while Arkansas City had both Gardner and Kahler with injuries that would take some time to heal. Coach Trusler offered to have a game in the Wichita area to offset some of the advantage that KC would have due to his team's injuries. That plan was rejected and the Kansas-Missouri championship game was never played. 8
* The KSHSAA trophy was awarded for the winner of their bracket and gained recognition as the KSHSAA champion. This was never really considered true by the contestants unless that same team went on to win the overall championship. As time passed, only the overall championship was recognized by the KSHSAA as the state championship. Newton's trophies for 1918 and 1920 don't represent state championships. 9
1. Curtis Buller, 11
2. Lawrence Daily Journal-World, March 23, 1918, 8
3. Ibid, March 25, 1918, 8
4. Arkansas City Daily Traveler, February 25, 1918,
5. http://www.buildersports.com/d/2009-10/Hall_of_Fame_Full_List.pdf
6. Curtis Buller, 133
7. Arkansas City Daily Traveler, March 25, 1918,
8. Ibid, March 26, 1918, 1
9. http://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Basketball/PDF/CompleteHistory.pdf
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1919 Kansas Invitational and KSHSAA Tournament Combined March 28-29 Robinson Gym Lawrence, KS
CH: Winfield 28 Lawrence
17
1. Winfield
(23-0)
Will French ARK VALLEY
SF: Lawrence 36 Girard
8
2. Lawrence
(17-5) Julius Uhrlaub
INDEPENDENT
SF: Winfield 29 Arkansas City
15
SF Girard
(12-5)
C. S. Robinson INDEPENDENT
QF: Lawrence 28 Dodge City
16
SF Arkansas City (17-6) Ivan Trussler
ARK VALLEY
QF: Girard 14 Kiowa 12
QF: Arkansas City 19 Fort Scott 15
QF: Winfield 32 Topeka 8
2R: Lawrence 22 Viola
12
Officials: John Bunn, L.V. "Red" Brown,
Rudolph Uhrlaub, Roy Bennett, Kelsey Mathews
2R: Dodge City 19 KC-Turner 5
2R: Girard 34 Bancroft 7
2R: Kiowa 27 Eudora
11
Tournament All-Star Team - Voted by Officials, Press & Coaches
2R: Arkansas City 21 Concordia 8
2R: Fort Scott 24 Wellsville 11
2R: Winfield 16 Wichita
5
Wilber Johnson (F) WINFIELD
2R: Topeka 18 Iola 17
**
Paul Endacott (F) LAWRENCE
1R: Lawrence 26 Gardner
8
Art "Ox" Kahler (C) ARKANSAS CITY
1R: Viola 34 Enterprise
2
Boyd Smith (G) WINFIELD
1R: Dodge City 18 Ottawa
11
Armin Woestermeyer (G) LAWRENCE
1R: KC-Turner 12 McPherson 8
1R: Girard 33 Mahaska 9
1R: Bancroft 29 Macksville 27
1R: Kiowa 24 Lecompton 4
1R: Eudora 17 Atchison 16
1R: Arkansas City 28 Burlington 14
1R: Concordia 18 Perry 10
1R: Fort Scott 31 Sabetha 7
1R: Wellsville 23 Coldwater 14
1R: Winfield 43 Linwood 4
1R: Wichita 14 Emporia 10
1R: Topeka 11 Ellsworth 8
1R: Iola 2 Buhler 0 !
Preliminary: Lawrence 30 Preston 12
Preliminary: Gardner 19 KC-Argentine 6
Preliminary: Ottawa 21 McLouth 12
Preliminary: Eudora 46 Cheney 6
Preliminary: Arkansas City 34 Valley Falls 12
Preliminary: Burlington 17 Kansas City 12
Preliminary: Perry 16 Vinland 11
Preliminary: Wellsville 24
Baldwin
13
KSHSAA BRACKET
Score Sources: "One
Hundred Years of Hoops" KSHSAA 2011 except as follows
Wellsville-Coldwater/Lawrence-Gardner/Kiowa-Lecompton
- March 29, 1919 Lawrence Daily Journal World
It appeared to Lawrence High School fans and civic leaders that the local "red & black" would break the hold of the Ark Valley on the state championship. Tom Sweeney of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce announced, "We have a wonderful Lawrence High School team ... that clearly demonstrated its championship quality by defeating the cream of the Kansas City schools here." He was referring to the KC-MO All-Stars that the Lawrence boys defeated after losing two previous matches against the elite team of high school players. 1 Two previous encounters resulted in losses for Lawrence - their only other loss was by one point to Emporia. 2
A review of the Lawrence roster included three future Kansas University basketball stars. Heading the list was Paul Endacott who would become a Helms Foundation All-American in 1922 and Player of the year in 1923. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1972. Tusten Ackerman was also a Helms All-American in 1924 & 1925 as well as an AAU All-American player. Armin Woestermeyer was also a key player on Phog Allen's legendary teams. 3
The tournament continued the dual championship brackets with time periods of twenty minutes for all games that preceded the semi-finals. The semis were played in two fifteen minute halves and the finals reverted to the then standard two twenty minute halves. Thirty-eight teams were entered in the event managed by Coach Hamilton for the last time at Kansas University. 4
Despite the views of many in the eastern part of the state, no team could match the class of the 1919 Winfield Vikings. "Pete" Rief, Edmund "Chop" Cairns and Wilber Johnson were the headliners for Coach Will French's team. They came to Lawrence undefeated on the season and doing that with the type of schedule they faced was quite an accomplishment. 5
They were known for deadly outside shooting and that was how they built an early lead against Lawrence in the finals. Winfield finished 23-0 with the best record of any team that had competed in either version of the Kansas tournament. 6 Lawrence missed the ability of Clarence Houk due to a bout of influenza (possibly pneumonia) that prevented him from playing in any tournament games. The Lawrence press reported that he tried to make it to the gym on Saturday but was simply unable to shake the bug. 7 Still, Winfield won the tournament final without their best scorer Pete Reif. He was one of the most popular players on the team and he urged his teammates to win school's first championship. He stayed behind in Winfield due to an attack of appendicitis one day before the boys left for Lawrence. Maurelle Dobson filled in admirably at forward as the team pulverized the field . 8
1. Lawrence Daily
Journal-World, March 25, 1919, 1
2. University Daily Kansan, March 25, 1919, 1
3. http://hoopszone.net/Kentucky/Kansas/Season/1923Team.htm
4. Lawrence Daily Journal-World, March 27, 1919, 3
5. Winfield Daily Courier, March 4, 1919, 6
6. Lawrence Daily Journal-World, March 31, 1919, 6
7. Ibid, March 27, 1919, 3
8. Winfield Daily Courier, March 27, 1919, 3
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1920 Kansas Invitational and KSHSAA Tournament Combined March 19-20 Robinson Gym Lawrence, KS
CH: Winfield 60
KC-Argentine
31
1. Winfield (26-1)
* John Reber
ARK VALLEY
SF: KC-Argentine 36 Oxford
16
2. KC-Argentine (25-3) L.L.
Watt
NEKL
SF: Winfield 28 Arkansas City
25
SF Arkansas City (15-8) Ivan Trusler
ARK VALLEY
QF: Winfield 18 Newton
13
SF Oxford
(15-4)
Henry Wartick SUMNER COUNTY
QF:
Arkansas City 18 Dodge City
8
QF:
KC-Argentine 27 El Dorado
7
Tournament Manager: Forrest "Phog"
Allen
QF: Oxford 14 Lawrence
6
Officials: L.V. "Red"
Brown, Ray Dunmire
2R:
Newton 21 Horton
11
* Winfield record includes games at
Madison, WI tournament.
2R: Winfield 43 Girard 5
2R: Arkansas City 30 Vinland 2
2R:
Dodge City 18 McPherson
8
OFFICIALS ALL-STAR TEAM
2R: KC-Argentine 29 Cherokee 14
2R: El Dorado 23 Lewis
20
1st Team
2R: Lawrence 27 Baldwin 12
2R: Oxford 30 Liberal
17
Paul "Pete" Reif
WINFIELD
1R: Baldwin 19 Towanda
16
Jimmie
Gardner
ARKANSAS CITY
1R: Lawrence 2 Burlington 0
!
Maurelle
Dobson
WINFIELD
1R: Oxford 22 Greenleaf
17
Jay Swarner
KC-ARGENTINE
1R:
Liberal 30 Meade
19
Hardy
ARKANSAS CITY
1R: Lewis 24 DeSoto 16
1R: El Dorado 15 Clyde 6
1R:
KC-Argentine 29 Bonner Springs
21
2nd Team
1R: Cherokee 30 KC-Rosedale 15
1R: Arkansas City 23 Fredonia
12
Charles
Mercer
KC-ARGENTINE
1R: Vinland 2 Herington 0
!
Stanley "Toad" Reif
WINFIELD
1R:
Dodge City 24 Lecompton
4
John Lonborg
HORTON
1R: McPherson 17 Lawrence-Oread
13
James
Weed
LAWRENCE
1R: Winfield 45 Leavenworth
5
Rudy Enns
NEWTON
1R: Girard 2 Oskaloosa 0 !
1R: Newton
15 Eudora 13
1R: Horton 15 Hays
11
Preliminary: Baldwin 28 Potwin 10
Preliminary: Lawrence 29 Uniontown 11
Preliminary: Greenleaf 19 Osawatomie 13
Preliminary: Oxford 25 Valley Falls 15
Preliminary: Liberal 13 Edwardsville 8
Preliminary: Meade 24 Chanute 17
Preliminary: Lewis 23 Virgil 16
Preliminary: DeSoto 2 Scott City 0 !
Preliminary: Clyde 2 Iola 0 !
Preliminary: KC-Argentine 41 Great Bend 17
Preliminary:
Cherokee 20 Larned 6
Preliminary: KC-Rosedale 2 St. John's Military 0 !
Preliminary: Arkansas City 37 Wamego 7
Preliminary:
Vinland 2 Attica 0 !
Preliminary: Dodge City 26 Kansas City 12
Preliminary:
McPherson 2 Gardner 0 !
Preliminary: Leavenworth 2 Sedan 0 !
Preliminary: Winfield 2 Wellington 0 !
Preliminary:
Newton BYE
Preliminary:
Eudora 18 Fort Scott 12
Preliminary: Horton 12
Manhattan 4
Preliminary: Hays
19 Emporia 12
KSHSAA BRACKET
Score Sources: "One
Hundred Years of Hoops" KSHSAA 2011 except as follows
Cherokee-Larned/Liberal-Meade/Dodge
City-Lecompton/KC-Argentine-Cherokee/Dodge City-McPherson/Newton-Horton, Topeka
Daily Capital, March 20, 1920, 8
KC-Argentine-El Dorado/Arkansas City-Dodge City, Topeka Daily Capital, March 21,
1920, 10B
There are a number of forfeits that the KSHSAA book did
not record - basically meaningless - but I listed them anyway. These were teams
that were not able to
raise travel funds or drew opponents that made 1st round elimination almost
certain. Eudora-Fort Scott and Hays-Emporia games were left out of the
book and
I did not notice it when I discussed these changes with Mr. Swenson. They are reported in the Lawrence Daily
Journal-World, March 20, 1920, pg 1.
This tournament marked the end of Kansas University involvement in the KSHSAA championship. Phog Allen directed the largest number of entries in the history of the event, but ten teams never showed up to play their games at Robinson Gym. 1 A separate bracket was played for the association's district winners - Newton won that award but failed to reach the semi-finals. 2
The early story of the tournament was the play of the Oxford, the small school from Sumner county. Neutral observers were impressed by the Henry Wartick trained squad.3 While their coach was not present at the tournament, the team Captain Lowery called out the plays their mentor taught them. 4 School administrator John Wengler was on hand to see the boys march through the tourney. They made it all the way to the semi-finals by defeating Valley Falls, Greenleaf, Liberal and Lawrence. The professor could not contain his pride and wrote for the local paper his poetic summation of the performance. "Before the fiery attack of the Oxford boys the green leaves withered, before the hurricane offense the cottonwood falls, by liberal treatment we acquired our third victory, and by strategic movement Lawrence was sacked." 5
One of those impressed with the boys was Dr. Naismith who met the players at a local Sunday school. He offered his touring car and a chauffeur to the team for an afternoon ride to the historic spots of Lawrence. 6
The main attraction of the weekend was the dominant play of the defending champion Winfield that was now coached by John Reber. They won the championship over KC-Argentine capping off their second undefeated season and Kansas championship. They were led by Paul "Pete" Reif and his brother Stanley "Toad" Rief. 7
The winner of the association bracket, Newton, was entitled to the $200.00 the group provided for expenses to the Chicago University National Tournament directed by Amos Alonzo Staag. Winfield stayed out of the district tourney that Newton won due to a commitment to participate in an inter-state event sponsored by Southwestern College on the same weekend. Coach Lindley declined the money and the trip due to the crippled condition of his team. It went unsaid that after losing three times to Winfield during the year, Coach Lindley felt a bit uneasy about accepting the spot in the Staag tourney. 8
Winfield found a place in the Wisconsin University Interstate Basketball Tournament held in Madison, Wisconsin. This event had participants from Michigan, North Dakota, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Illinois and Kansas (Winfield). This was the first appearance by a Kansas high school in a major post-season "national" type tourney. 9
The Vikings were very
successful in tournament play defeating Red Wing, MN, Centralia, IL and Canton,
IL to make the bracket final. The local fans and press predicted victory for
Winfield but they dropped a two-point decision to the Cedar Rapids, IA high
school. Reporters who marveled at Winfield's "fast" game noted that
the Winfield players made numerous errors and appeared to be strung out by
the competition. Winfield's star players were unable to get their shots to fall
early in the contest and never fully recovered. 10
An eligibility question in regard to the Cedar Rapids roster caused
official embarrassment in the weeks that followed the event. No change in the
official outcomes resulted from the investigations and the story faded away. The
second place finish ended the Winfield consecutive win streak at forty-nine. 11
1.
University Daily Kansan, March 18, 1920, 1
2. Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, March 22, 1920, 8
3. Winfield Daily Courier, March 20, 1920, 6
4. Ibid
5. Oxford Review, March 25, 1920,
6. Ibid
7. Winfield Daily Courier, March 23, 1920, 6
8. http://www.sidgates.us/Class%20by%20Year/Alumni/Basketball/NHS%20BASKETBALL%20RECORD%20BOOK.pdf
9. Winfield Daily Courier, March 26, 1920, 8
10. Ibid, March 29, 1920, 6
11. Ibid, April 5, 1920, 6