|
1953 Hartford Indians Basketball Team
Front Row L-R
13. Roger Mullauer (1953)
6. Frank Ison (1954) 9. Harold Walker (1953) 2. Bill Bullard (1953)
17. Eugene Kirsch (1956)
15. Jim Cheshire (1953) 4. Earl Zaleski (1954)
Herbert Quade-Coach
Back Row L-R
Bob Walker-Manager Tom Mackenzie (1956)
11. Don MacKenzie (1953) 10. Earl Price 12. Travis Barker
8. Roger MacLeod (1954) 5. Vic Wilkinson (1953) 7.
Haynes Woolcott (1954) 14. George Cotman (1953)
Photo was taken at the old
Hartford High School gymnasium in front area of the stage.
The regular season play of the Indian basketball team
was far from disappointing, even though it began on rather a sad note.
Hartford, without the full service of Travis Barker as
the season started, met Coloma in the first game of the season and lost the
sixth straight to the Comets over a three-year period on the basis of 64 to
58. Then the Indians met an old rival, Bangor, and emerged victorious
on the long end of a 66-52 score for their first big victory. In the
same week another big scalp was added as the team really found themselves
and rolled impressively to a 70 to 43 victory over Decatur in a conference
game.
Before
they left for the holidays Hartford added another victory over St. Johns
after suffering their second loss to the St. Joe Ponies.
After the holidays, the Indians began to roll slowly as
they won a sloppy 61-35 contest from Cassopolis.
This was their second straight win and the Indians very
impressively made it three in a row by toppling previously unbeaten
Watervliet by a 58 to 50 score to prove what they could do.
The
team proved this again a week later as they beat a State-ranked Edwardsburg
team 69-64. They had won a game from St. Johns in the meantime and so when
they took two home games from Coloma and St. Joe, they completed a seven
game winning streak.
This
happy and prosperous time came to a sorrowful end on Friday, February 13,
when an illness-stricken Indian team lost to rival Watervliet on the
Hartford court. Before the contest, starting forward Haynes Woolcott
came down with chickenpox and also Vic Wilkinson came down with the disease
during the game.
Hartford closed with an 11 won, 3 lost record by beating Cassopolis and
Decatur.
Tournament Play
Hartford High School Basketball glory reached its highest peak in history
in 1953 as the Indians won the school's first regional crown and
advanced all the way to the State semi-final before bowing out. The
team began its long road to success by opening the District Tournament at
St. Joseph against their arch rival Watervliet.
The
Indians had split two games during the regular season with the Panthers and
the game was rated as a toss-up as the teams took the floor on Thursday
evening, March 5. However, it didn't take the fast-moving Indians
long to start as they jumped to 20-11 first period lead.
Watervliet began slowly to cut the big Indian lead and by half-time it was
just 29-26. Although the Indians were out-scored in every quarter but
the first, they held out and pulled through a 53 to 52 decision.
Travis Barker saved the game in the final 30 seconds by hitting a jump shot
after Watervliet went ahead 52 to 51.
The
District finals were held in the same St. Joe gym on Saturday, March 7,
with the Indians meeting Coloma, winner over Bangor. As in the first
game, the Indians ran up a big lead in the first quarter but this time kept
it up. They led at the half 35-27 and completed the fine spark and
team play to hang up a 69 to 55 loss to the Comets.
The team scoring effort included 21 points by Barker, 14 for Wilkinson, 11
a-piece for Woolcott and Bullard, with Price tallying 9. This earned
them the first District crown since 1948 and proved the right to enter
regional play.
Hartford drew Bronson for its opener at Vicksburg. The Vikings had an
18-won, 1-lost record for the season and ranked as favorites. The
Indians played steady winning ball throughout the first half and broke
Bronson's back just before the end of the second quarter by scoring five
quick points to lead 30 to 22. Hartford turned it into a rout in the
last half as Barker opened up to score 25 points and lead them to victory.
The final score was 66-46 and gave them the right to meet Battle Creek St.
Philip the next evening.
The big
rough St. Philip crew held the Indians at bay for only one quarter and
annexed a 19 to 11 lead to start the second quarter. However, the
roof blew in on the St. Philip scoring spree, as the green clads rolled
evenly to a 33 to 30 halftime lead. As in the Bronson game,
Hartford turned it into a rout in the last quarter after a slow third
period and drove themselves into the finals on the long end of 68 to 56.
In the
regional finals on Saturday, March 14, Hartford met Edwardsburg, a team
they had beaten during the regular season, and things didn't look too good
as the tired starting five took the floor. Edwardsburg, who had a
night off while the Indians played two straight, was a fresher and taller
unit. Both teams started out slow and Hartford fans held their breath
as the Indians edged to a 15 to 13 lead at the quarter.
The
second quarter was even slower, but the Indians increased their lead to
seven points at the half. Fatigue really caught up with the starting five
late in the third quarter and Hartford fans found themselves on the short
end of a 42-36 score as the period ended. The cause remained hopeless
as Indian hoopsters traded baskets with Edwardsburg until about three
minutes to go when Barker and Woolcott caught fire and saved the game.
Woolcott's bucket and Barker's bucket and two free throws turned the tide
quickly from a 51 to 46 deficit to a 52 to 51 advantage late in the
quarter.
With
regional play over, Hartford entered the quarter-final game at Kalamazoo on
March 18 with a sensational 16 won, 3 lost record. Their opponent was
Napoleon, Jackson County winner which had a 20-1 record. Although
Napoleon was shorter, they were fast and gave the Indians a big scare
before bowing 47 to 46. Hartford played their poorest game of the
tournaments here and was rather lucky to win on a last-minute scoring
effort by Barker.
This
win opened the way for the excitement of a Lansing trip and the sadness of
losing, as the Indian team bowed out of the State tournament only one game
away from their final berth. On March 20, they met Saginaw St. Mary
in Boys Vocational gym in Lansing and lost a heartbreaking 65 to 62
overtime contest on a couple of referees' decisions.
The
Indians, after leading all the way, lost all-State center Barker on fowls
with 5 minutes to go and could not hold out until the gun as Saginaw tied
the game with 29 seconds left. The free throw which tied the game was
brought about by the fifth foul of another dependable regular, Vic
Wilkinson, and left the team with only three starters for the overtime.
It was
felt that if it were not for these men being called out on fowls, Hartford
would have easily walked into the State Finals and possibly the
championship. However, sadness of defeat was eased tremendously for
the team by the fact that they had gone so far. Also, the loss was soon
partially forgotten when, upon arriving home on Saturday, the team really
realized how much the town was behind them as they were greeted by a
wonderful welcome of fire trucks and townspeople in cars.
They
were presented with a key to the village by Mayor Walter Markille beside
the overall welcome. On the next day, Coach Quade and the team wee
guests of the Junior Mothers club at a dinner and later that week some more
businessmen and many friends made it possible for them to visit the Ice
Capades in Chicago.
|
