Monday, April 24, 2006
McCook High has had basketball teams since at least 1902. Through the years there have been some great individual players, but only occasionally have the great players been able to play on outstanding teams.
McCook teams have almost always been competitive. When the team chemistry has been right the teams have been outstanding.
In 1923, following a 12-7 regular season, McCook advanced to the State Semi-finals in Lincoln, where they were beaten by the Hebron Academy, 13-8. McCook competed in Class H, when classifications ran from A to O.
Other years, in the '20s, competing in various classes, from A to C, they were beaten at the State Tournament by the Genoa Indians, Kearney, and Columbus, after knocking off such teams as Lincoln High, North Platte, and Norfolk.
One of the early Bison roundball stars, and Mc-Cook's first All-State player was Malcolm "Lick" Jones. In 1929 Jones broke the national (!) high school single-season scoring record, with 244 points.
(Interestingly, his mark eclipsed the record of 233 points by a fellow Nebraskan, Morris Fisher, of Lincoln High.) According to a Gazette story, a 23 point performance versus Curtis put him over the record, when McCook won at MHS, 53-13.
"The Aggies were a good floor team … but were in a hopeless situation." Early on Lick could not hit his shots, scoring only 5 by halftime. "As the second half got under way Jones made the hoops sing … A long arching flip at the end of the third quarter gave him the record. The referee stopped the game and announced to the crowd … that Jones was the new national champion. The tumult, the roar that shook the junior high gym would have drowned out the Trojans' wail…" "Jones, apparently a bit embarrassed over the hoopla stared at his feet while standing transfixed in the middle of the floor…No champion ever got a finer 'hand'."
Jones record was certainly short-lived. Eliminating certain rules of the game, such as A tip off after each made basket, double fouls, and stringent traveling calls, made for a much faster game, and super low scoring games became a thing of the past.
In 1940 McCook had an outstanding team, led by Jerry Carpenter. The Bison went 22-1, before losing to Lincoln High in the Quarter Finals at the State Tourney. Joining Carpenter on that team were Bill Grant, Frannie Hassler (also an outstanding baseball player), Rube Schultz, Jack Moss, Loren Nelson, Wally Brenning, Bill Carroll, and Wayne Chilcot. Carpenter was chosen as Nebraska Prep Basketball Player of the Year. He was also named to the All-State team in football that year.
During the Leo McKillip Era, '45-'48, McCook went to the State Tournament three times. McKillip played well, and was named to the All-Tournament team three years in a row, but the team failed to advance past the first round in any of those years.
The 1965 Bison were arguably the best basketball team in McCook High School history, the highest scoring team, and the team with the last best chance to win a State Class A Trophy. (In 1978 new classifications of the state's schools dropped McCook to Class B, so the capture of a Class A Championship for the Bison is no longer possible). Larry Cain's comments on the big games.
Before the '65 season began, hopes were not especially high with Bison fans, who had become steeled to disappointment. Coach Paul Forch was beginning his third season as Bison head coach. In his first two seasons his Bison had captured successive West Big Ten titles, but trips to the State Tournament in Lincoln had evaded him. (Note: In those days The Nebraska Prep Big Ten was divided into two divisions -- East, Norfolk, Fremont, Columbus, Hastings, and Grand Island. West, Scottsbluff, North Platte, Kearney, Alliance, and McCook. At the end of the regular season winners of each division played for an overall Big Ten Title.)
The team showed a good deal of promise, led by Roger Leitner, who had averaged 27.9 points per game the year before. He was joined in the starting lineup by Bob Best, Bob Moore, and Ed Thomas, all seniors, and Ray Harr, junior. Leitner and Thomas were both over 6'6" and dominated the boards over the season, leading to more than 75 McCook points in nine of their regular season games.
McCook pretty much raced through the season, with lopsided scores the rule -- losing just once, at Scottsbluff, and surviving the close games, 63-60 against Fremont, and 54-53 against Kearney. At the end of the season, thanks to 80 point blitzes against Columbus (82-65), Grand Island (81-62), and North Platte (81-56), McCook had risen to #2 in the World Herald Class A ranking.
McCook continued its high scoring ways in the first round of the State Tournament, downing Nebraska City 78-42, but in the second round McCook faced one of the two finest defensive teams in the state. That game, against Omaha Westside, produced one of the most dramatic moments in Bison basketball history. Westside did a good job in holding down the high scoring duo of Leitner and Thomas and the game went back and forth, with neither team able to put the other away. With time running out, and Westside leading 50-49, McCook's Ray Harr drove for the basket and was fouled. Less than one second in the game remained. That semi final game was not on TV, but people in McCook draped over their radios with bated breath as Harr, with ice water in his veins, went to the free throw line. His first shot rolled around the rim a bit, but fell through to tie the game. There was no question about his second shot, as it swished through, McCook 51-Westside 50, to give McCook its first chance at a Class A Title.
On Saturday night McCook again faced a great defensive team. Nebraska prep sports historian Jerry Mathers called the '65 Boys Town team one of the finest defensive teams in Nebraska High School history. The Cowboys were led by All-Staters, Dave McGuire and Ron White. They were ably assisted, especially on defense, by future All-Pro defensive back for the Los Angeles Rams, Ken Geddes, and another (immovable) wide body, Carl Cook.
The McCook-Boys Town '65 game was a bell ringer. According to Mathers, "the outcome of the game depended on a controversial charging call at the end of the game. McCook fans still dispute the decision. Two Omaha referees handled the title game, and the key play came with 1:08 to play and Boys Town leading, 43-41.
"Leitner drove for the hoop and the basket dropped in and the whistle blew. McCook cheers were short lived when the decision came out. Leitner had charged, and Leitner was out of the game with his fifth foul.
"So what looked like it would be a 44-43 lead for McCook turned into a 45-41 lead for Boys Town, and the McCook Bison star was gone. Mathers continues, "I saw the decisive play and I thought that Leitner was fouled and the basket was good. I couldn't believe the call." It was certainly a disappointing end to a stellar season for the Bison, and especially Roger Leitner. Leitner was named to the All State, and All Tournament teams. His three game tourney total of 89 points exceeded the record of Fred Hare of Omaha Tech, set in '63. Mathers wrote, "Leitner…probably ranks as the best player of all time from the Big Ten. He holds most of the season, game, and career scoring records for that conference".
Mathers put Leitner on his all-time Nebraska 2nd team, with Gene Harmon of Schuyler, Mike Heck of Papillion, Tom Kropp or Aurora, and Kent Reckeway of Lincoln East. Mathers also made Paul Forch the honorary coach of that team. (Later Coach Forch left McCook to assume the head basketball coach position at Lincoln East. Forch's East High team and its star, Kent Reckeway figured in one of the greatest plays in State Tournament history -- but that is another story for another time.)
Source: McCook Gazette Centennial Edition, 1882-1982