Posted March 24, 2010    

•Richie Olson

•Wayne Courtney

•Ron Johnson

•Mark Olberding

•John Sherman

One Class Boys Tournament: Memories Endure 

God bless the 32 teams representing the four classes in the Boys State Basketball Tournament that starts today and continues through Saturday when champions are determined in Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A.  The players and others in their inner circles will have memories lasting a lifetime.  But even by next year most Minnesota sports fans won’t have a clue who won and lost, nor will they know the heroes and the not so heroic. 

It’s hardly news, just a disappointing fact that for years now the Minnesota Sate High School League’s boys tournament has had too many classes and teams.  If you’re not a player, coach, and parent or somehow personally involved, the tournament probably isn’t of much interest.   

Passion and interest probably peaked 50 years ago when the Flying Dutchmen, from small town Edgerton, won the state championship.  Back then there was only one class and seldom, if ever, had there been such a small school versus big school frenzy as in 1960 when Edgerton, a town with a population of less than 1,000, beat Chisholm in the quarterfinals, Richfield in the semifinals and Austin in the championship game.  

By 1971 the tournament was a two class show and in the 1990’s changed over to the four class format of today.  When decision makers handed down the verdict that teams from small towns couldn’t compete with big city rivals a lot more kids could say they played in the tournament and many more coaches could claim state titles on their resumes, but no one can argue the event is anything like it once was.   

In the 1950s and 1960s the tournament was arguably one of the nation’s elite prep sports events.  The popularity and reputation of the one class, eight team, three-day tournament is legendary.   

Tickets were hoarded by families who passed them from one generation to another.  Williams Arena was the tourney site and back then the building’s capacity was over 18,000.  Except for a morning consolation game, the tournament was sold-out.  I even remember sitting in Williams Arena with about 13,000 fans on a Friday morning watching two teams in a consolation game. 

The games were televised live locally.  Interest in the tournament was so intense and demand for tickets so great that televising to the masses didn’t harm ticket receipts. 

Minnesotans waited all year for the tournament.  For some it was the highlight of the sports calendar.  Comparable to Gophers football, bigger than college basketball including the 1951 NCAA tournament that didn't even sellout at Williams Arena.  For many the tournament was more anticipated than the Twins and Vikings, both of whom arrived in 1961. 

During tournament week Minneapolis newspapers dispatched writers and photographers to preview the tournament including visits to small towns whose high school teams had made local history and glorified the citizenry by earning a trip to the big city.  It was such publicity that created anticipation about whether David could beat Goliath in that year’s small schools versus large schools matchups. 

 

In the 1950s and 1960s the tournament was arguably one of the nation’s elite prep sports events.  The popularity and reputation of the one class, eight team, three-day tournament is legendary.  
 

Edgerton Team Legendary 50 Years Later 

Never did the stage seem larger than 1960 when tiny Edgerton High School located in southwestern Minnesota took home the state title.  This is a story that has lived on for 50 years and will be retold for many more.  It was our version of the movie “Hoosiers” with Edgerton starring in the role of Milan High, the small town and improbable team that pulls off a miracle Indiana state championship.   

Although the Dutchmen were undefeated coming into the tournament, hardly anyone thought they would win the championship.  Perhaps not even the Dutchmen.  They had a 23-year-old coach named Richie Olson and a bunch of players with memorable names like Darrell Kreun, LeRoy Graphenteen, Dean Verdoes, Dean Veenhof and Bob Wiarda.  

Right from the tournament’s start Edgerton was a crowd favorite.  Fifty years ago crowds were much better behaved than today but many fans at the 1960 tournament booed Richfield and Austin, casting them as villainous Goliath. 

In 1959 small town Carlton had lost to Wayzata in the tournament finals.  For many the result wasn’t a Hollywood ending but it sure made for popular entertainment highlighting a tournament that drew more than 80,000 fans. 

That kind of attendance made the tournament special and spread its reputation throughout the Untied States as one of the finest high school events in the country.  So, too, did the basketball which showcased players who would play for the Gophers and other college programs.  

I was mesmerized by the tournament, watching every game from the beginning on a Thursday afternoon and continuing through Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.  In between games I headed to the backyard, cleared snow and ice off the driveway so I could mimic tournament heroes by shooting baskets.  I wasn’t deterred by a basketball that hardly bounced in the cold temperature, or a slippery ball difficult to shoot while wearing winter gloves.   

Year after year the tournament offered compelling drama and entertainment.  Minneapolis Roosevelt won consecutive championships in 1956 and 1957 coached by Wayne Courtney, an emotional leader who looked intimidating even watching him on TV.  It seemed like the Bemidji Lumberjacks were in the tournament most years, wearing their distinctive t-shirt style uniforms and playing run-and gun basketball.  Other “regulars” included Duluth Central, champions in 1961, and also Edina, tournament winners in 1966-1968.

 

Small School Teams Can Still Compete 

It wasn’t just the teams and games, of course, that were so captivating, it was the players, too.  How cool it was to watch 6-7 New Prague center Ron Johnson set the tournament scoring record and then go on to become a Big Ten hero for the Gophers.  There was Duluth Central’s 6-3 guard Terry Kunze who dazzled tourney crowds with his behind the back dribbling and long distance shooting, then did the same playing for the Gophers.  Edina center Bob Zender was the man for the great Hornets title teams, scoring inside and blocking shots.  He later shocked this town with his college choice, Kansas State.  

There may never have been a better player in the tournament than man-child Mark Olberding who even before high school graduation was a physical load at about 6-8 with imposing muscles.  He helped Melrose to the 1974 Class A title and overall tournament championship by defeating Class AA Bemidji in a playoff game. 

It was in 1971 that the tournament first had two classes and Class AA Duluth Central defeated Class A Melrose.  There would be four more such big school versus small playoffs after that.   

The 1970s began a period of declining interest by the general public and media, developing toward the apathy of today.  Participation made possible by four classes is a nice educational experience but no one should believe it’s not possible for small schools to offer feisty competition against the big boys. 

Minnesota Transitions is this year’s Class 1A No. 1 seed, and prep basketball authority Ken Lien watched coach John Sherman’s team almost beat 4A Minnetonka earlier this season.  “Minnesota Transitions could win an overall state tournament,” said Lien who chairs the Mr. Basketball program.  

Lien looks favorably on the idea of combining 4A and 3A into one tournament, and 2A and 1A into another, then have the winners meet for an overall state championship.  Neither of us believes that will happen, but boy would that put some juice back into the state tournament.

At least we have our memories.

 

Ken Lien