The Mail-Journal, Volume 15, Number 5, Milford, Kosciusko County, 22 February 1978 — Page 36
Memories . . . Basketball at Milford High School
MEMORIES . . . When one thinks of basketball at Milford High School it is with pride and a number of memories . . . Some people remember when the first basketball games were played. The school “gymnasium” located in the basement of the present junior high school building. The gym floor was about four feet lower than the present floor in that area. The public did not attend those early games and few records were kept. The one thing that is known is they sparked a glorious interest in the game of basketball at Milford. Early 20s In the early 19205, basketball games were played in the old Milford sale pavilion, located cm the southeast corner of Emeline and James Streets. That building is now used by Berk’s Body Shop. While the old (and cold!) pavilion had no dressing rooms, the local team dressed in the Oswalt home nearby, which is now occupied by the Billy Richardsons. The county basketball tournament was played in the old sale pavilion in 1922. Then, in 1924 work began on the new Milford High School gym. When it was completed late that year, this building was easily the best gymnasium in this area. During 1924 the Milford team practiced in the old gyms at Leesburg and New Paris and all games were played away from home. In early 1925 games were scheduled in the new gym. At first bleachers were only on the east side of the gym, but ad-
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ditional seats were later added on the west side. In 1925 the county tournament was played in tfib new Milford gym. That was the year MHS had its first good team, winning the sectional and regional tournaments and joining the fabled “Sweet Sixteen” at Indianapolis. Vincennes upset Milford in the old fairgrounds cow bam at Indianapolis. The score: 26 to 31. The official: Birch Bayh, Sr., father of U.. S. Senator Birch Bayh. The game was the state tourney opener, and the Indianapolis newspaper, new at carrying photographs, showed tall (6’3”) Clayton (Sil Hollar jumping center. Other members of that long-remembered team include Harry and Roy Schultz, Eldon Miller, Royal Sechler, Harold Bums, Noble Miller and James Hammon. Noble Neff was the team’s coach. While the 1925 Milford team was considered “Green Farm Boys”, they were the team to beat in this area, and Elkhart thought they were the ones to do it. Spurred on by newspaper publicity which dubbed the Milford team the “Peppermint Valley Five,” Elkhart came to do the job, and brought with them
five full teams!
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Milford never made a substitution during the game while Elkhart made complete team substitutions. Final score: 39-36 Milford. The Team Bike Built In 1946 Milford coach Arlo (“Bike”) Beiswanger put together what was to become a winner. With Carl (Bill) Speicher and his brother Louis and Donnie Wolferman, all three sophomores, spearheading the team, they won the sectional tournament. This winning trio, with Dick Kaiser and Phil Beer, won the sectional tournament in 1946. They won the county tourney in 1947 but were stopped at the sectional. That year they never lost a home game. But as seniors, the trio came back in 1948 to add to the fervor of the hardwood sport at Milford. Robert Bushong had returned to Milford and took over the coaching chores. Bill, Louie and Donnie were joined by Jack Klopenstein, Duane (“Skip”) Graff, Harry Ora and Ralph Clawson. This made a fascinating combination, and success was theirs. They won 25 straight games, rolling over opponents in scheduled play and in both the
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■RMWBB I ■ 7 'Ll iz jL‘ S JI JU 4k - -1« U J 30 YEARS AGO — Shown above are members of the Milford High School championship team of 1948. In front are Ben Kaiser, Louis Speicher, Dick Kaiser, Don Wolferman and Bill Speicher. In back are Duane (“Skip”) Graff, James Speicher, Ralph Clawson, Jack Klopenstein, and Harry Orn. Standing behind the team is coach Robert Bushong.
county and sectional tournaments. They met their nemesis in the first game of the regional at Fort Wayne’s North Side gym when they met Monroeville. Long Time It was a long time from the 1948
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sectional to Wawasee’s 1977 championship. Many members of the 1946 and 1948 team were in the stands last year, cheering the Warriors on to victory and they will be there again this year, hoping for another victory and mwe . . . memories!