Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 6

Mattoon Journal Gazette Monday, March 20, 1872 (AP)- It was louder, happier and better the second time around for Thorn-ridge's Fabulous Falcons who returned to a tumultous homecoming' Sunday as a legendary repeating Illinois High School state -basketball champion. A six-mile long caravan of cars and an estimated 100,000 parade watchers in the southern Chicago suburbs of Dolton, Harvey, South Holland and Phoenix greeted the return of the Falcons who won the first Gass AA tournament with a crowd-stunning 104-6 victory over Quincy aMChampaign Sa-aturday night. Fluttered et the cage heroes were balloons and bedsheets asserting "We're No. 1" The celebration was climaxed before 5,000 in the Thornridge football stadium where principal J.E. Tilton presented the title game ball to the Falcons, who last year won the last one-class state tourney with a 52-50 victory over Oak Lawn.

The congratulatory reaction, to the Thornridge club which had a 32-0 record this season and an all-time state victory skein of 54, was best expressed by one particular telegram. It came from Lou Boudreau, all-time athletic great at Thornton Harvey, the area's high school predecessor to Thornridge, which won the state title in 1933 and 1936. "Congratulations to the finest high school basketball team I've ever seen," wired Boudreau, former major league baseball star shortstop and manager. The capacity crowd at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall Saturday night and state TV viewers would agree after the display of awesome skill and speed by the Falcons in their record-breaking title vic week for his mother and seven brothers and sisters. If Thornridge falters next season, the 1972 Class AA champion could be" Quincy's runnerup Blue Devils, who lose only Larry Moore, the sole unanimous all-tourney player, and Don Sorensbn from the squad which reached the Champaign finals.

Three championship game records were fashioned in Thornridge's spectacular title victory, most points by a winner, 104; most points by a player, 37 by Falcon Batts, and biggest two-team total of 173 points. tory over stunned Quincy. Area fans lined the streets to loudly cheer the four cars carrying the Thornridge players and coach Ron Ferguson which finally circled the football stadium three times before the happy speech-making began, The caravan included Dol-ton's mayor Norman MacKay and police chief Fred Mohr: At a victory ceremony constantly punctuated by cheering outbursts, Henry Vandenberg, school board president, told the Falcons: "Congratulations to a superb team for accomplishments forthe past two years. You have brought great honor to the school, community and yourselves." Few would challenge the description of Thornridge as a "superb team" which Saturday night prompted losing coach Sherill Hanks of Quincy to comment: "It's the best team that ever played high school basketball. Hell, I'm not sure that team couldn't do good in the Big Ten, if they played high school rules." With two-time all-stater Quinn Buckner, bounding Boyd Battv an(LiUckMikeBonczyk all graduating this year, Falcon coach Ferguson, was wary about predicting an unprece-dented three-straight title sweeps.

"I don't know if I'll have an opportunity to try for three in a row," said Ferguson, adding "as of right now, I'll be back coaching." "We'll still nave a pretty good team, if we can keep Greg Rose interested in school. He has outside problems with family responsibilities." Rose, a junior, is the other Falcon Ernie Dunn, beats drums for a rock band andjjften JtogsJbomeJlOO jper Lou Boudreau says of Tl 'f ,1 6 inornnage: 1 On the ball By Jim Kimball Aurora East center leads tourney scoring CHAMPAIGN, (AP)-Greg Smith, 6-6 center for third-place Aurora East, won the individual scoring title with a four-game total of 112 points in the Class AA High School basketball championships. Next with 110 was Quincy's All-Illinois college cage team named PEORIA, 111. (AP) Northern Illinois University grabbed three berths, while only one player from each of the state's two Big Ten schools was honored on a 10-man All-Illinois College Basketball Team named Saturday by the Peoria 'When you say Thornridge, you've said if all' Larry Moore, followed by Boyd Batts of Thornridge, who poured in a record 37 points in the Falcons' title game victory Saturday night for a total of Stealing the slogan of a popular beverage, "When you say Thornridge, you've said it all." Weren't the Falcons great? 750 to 2,000 enrollment category. Andy Sullivan, former Mattoon Green Wave coach from 1952 through 1958 during which time he won 92 games 103.

Journal-Star. The honor unit selected by a Of courfiCt I'm talking about and lost 71, was a spectator the 1971-72 Illinois high school Mike Davis with 90, followed by Thornridge's Greg Rose with 87, and a pair of Aurora East players, Jack Hollis and Dave Ideran, with 59 each. poll of coaches, coBegepubIic" ity directors and news media also included two Bradley University players. The all-star team: Jim Bradley, Bill Harris and Jerry Zie-linski of Northern Illinois; Mark Sibley, Northwestern University; Nick Weatherspoon. University of Illinois; Rich Schultz and Sam Simmons of Bradley; LaRue Martin, Chicago Loyola; Greg Starrick, Southern Illinois, and Doug Collins, Illinois State.

im mi ML at the state tourney. He left Mattoon for Granite City where he served as head basketball coach for several seasons before resigning to concentrate solely on his teaching duties. Andy, during a short conversation, admitted, "I miss coaching basketball a little. I suppose I should still be doing it." He raved about Granite City all-stater Terry Ripka. "He's a great shooter.

He can name the college he wants to attend." Oral Ragle, the former Robinson basketball- coach (1968-69) who returned to NHL scores Sunday's Results Boston 7, Minnesota 3 Vancouver 3, St. Louis 3, tie Chicago 3, Buffalo 3, tie New York 5, Toronto 3 Detroit 7, Montreal 6 Pittsburgh 3, California 3, tie Only games scheduled Lawrenceville and Lovejoy was played the same night as the Mattoon-Quincy Sectional meeting in Springfield. It seems the sectionals nesday, Thursday and Friday instead of Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Forget the Thursday break. But, Fitzhugh says no.

"The only ones really complaining about it are the newsmen," Fitzhugh said. As far as another class being added, Fitzhugh says there's no immediate plans toward such a move. "I'm afraid if we add another class we'd have too many state champions. It would take away some of the honor of winning." I'm concerned about the possibility of a downstate team ever mustering enough material to win a Class AA state championship. Teams in Central and Southern Illinois just don't have the size and maturity of those in the north.

I think the days of a Collinsville, Centralis, Benton or even Mattoon putting together five players capable of winning the state tourney are gone. Maybe not. I cer- Quinn Buckner, Nee Gatlin, Greg Rose, Ernie Dunn. Third row, assistant Coach Dave Lezeau, Fred Knutsen, Keith Hutchinson, Boyd Batts and en Rose. prep basketball history by many, are front row, Dave Anderson, Sidney Lewis, Bill Redman and Joe King.

Second row, head Coach Ron Ferguson, Mike Bonczyk, ELUNOIS' GREATEST PREP TEAM? Thornridge waltzed to the 1972 Illinois high school basketball championship last weekend in the Assembly Hall. Members of the team, called the greatest in Illinois basketball champions who "waltzed to the title last weekend in the Assembly Hall. There's never been a better Illinois prep club put on the "floor. In the 25 years I've been watching high school basketball I can't think of a team which even comes close. And, at least in the two days at Champaign, the fans never really got a chance to see them go all out for more than two or three minutes at a time.

They didn't have to. Poor old Quincy, like any other opponent the Falcons faced, didn't have a chance. High-scoring guard Larry Moore couldn't hardly even get a shot off. And most of the ones he did were forced. Chicago St.

Patrick should consider it a major accomplishment losing to the Falcons by only 14 points, 70-56. That's the closest any team came to conquering Coach Ron Ferguson's all- Possible rule changes NFL committee seeks to aid offenses Pontiac after one season to enter the insurance business, admitted he tried to move last year to Lincoln. His son Terry, a 5-foot-10 sharp-shooting guard, would have made a nice addition to the already powerful Railsplitters. Terry was a varsity starter for the third straight season this year, two at Pontiac and -one-at-Rohinson fjasJresh- to defeat. But serious consideration likely will be given proposals to change the nature of sudden HONOLULU (AP) The National Football League's Competition Committee, having concluded deliberations on the island of Maui, was ready to Alto, and possibly-Kan sas City and Jacksonville, Fla.

The Chicago All-Star game is up for discussion, with the 1972 game the last of the current contract. There appeared to be ens the popularity of the sport. Besides possible proposals aimed at aiding offenses, the owners also are likely to have placed before them two proposals on sudden death one aimed death, in effect for all post-sea-' son action. day to set before the assembled tinte great team tMs-seasorh tainly kpe-iotrbut I'm-afraid The-DFonosals-were aimed-atimeentimeht lQeitherfoing NFL owners suggestions fori at -changing its nature-and- the of what the future holds. I rules changes that might sig other aimed at making it man preventing a situation in which a team wins the coin flip prior to sudden death and then im away wim me game or iuiuuiy a more suitable game than a match-up between the Super Bowl champs and College nificantly alter the nature of the game.

The Competition Committee has been examining the balance between offense and defensea balance that appears to have been tilted in favor of datory for all tie games. Also on the agenda is selection of a site for Super Bowl VII next January, the ticklish subject of the Chicago All-Star game, several proposals to amend the constitution and various committee reports. petition Committee composed of Paul Brown of Cincinnati, Tex Schramm of Dallas, Jim Finks of Minnesota and Al Davis of Oakland, tangled with a host of suggestions put forward for their consideration. Among them were proposals for increasing the value of the touchdown, cutting down on field goals as a means of forcing teams to continue drives, pinning defensive lineman down rather than permitting continued movement, and a suggestion that the field be widened. While all were of a technical nature, the purpose was singularmore scoring.

The proposals involving sudden death were in another category. The one suggesting that all games tied' at the end of regulation play be continued in sudden death seemed doomed man). "We couldn't sell our house," he said in giving the reason why he and his family didn't move. Connersville captured the Indiana state championship Saturday with an 80-63 win over favored Gary West in the title game at Bloomington. In semifinals action, Connersville nipped Jeffersonville 76-69 in two overtimes before Gary West slammed Anderson Madison Heights 75-67.

Tourney shorts: IHSA Executive Secretary Harry Fitzhugh says he was pleased with the first-year results of the two-class system. This newsman was sorry to hear the IHSA doesn't plan any change in the tournament playing schedule next year. In particular, the conflicting dates of the Class A super-sectionals and Class AA sectionals. For example, the Charleston Supersectional game pitting Look at the enrollments of the majority of schools entered in the state tourney this season for example. Thornridge, Evanston, Hinsdale Central, Aurora East, an Chicago Crane, 2,500.

Plus most of them are heavily populated with blacks and there's little doubt they dominate the sport. I sincerely believe a third class will have to be added to take care of schools in the mediately drives for a field goal that wins the game, without the opposition ever getting the ball. There was a strong feeling that determining the outcome of a game by that means almost as a result of winning the coin flip left something to be desired. There have been several alternatives proposed. Selection of a Super Bowl site was expected to be decided defensive forces with an eye toward suggesting prossible remedies for the situation.

It is a critical decision for the National junior college tourney scores Championship Vincennes 73, Ferrum 61 Third Place Gulf Coast 85, Tyler 81 Fourth and Seventh Place Southern Idaho 73, Casper 72 Fifth Place 1 Arizona Western 99, Hutchin The rules, however, are the major item on the agenda for there appears to be considerable concern about the, nosedive in scoring attributed to constantly improving defenses. In the weeks prior to their private sessions, the Com NFL ownership, which has witnessed during the last two years a dropoff in scoring of more than 100 touchdowns a fact that some believe threat- Tuesday. -The likely candidates Jits were Miami, New Orleans and Los Angeles all previous hosts, Dallas, Houston, Palo son 94 Manakas 'is terrific' in NIT contest other game. ril:" speaking of Ted Manakas. Manakas' 20 points was high for the winners.

Joby Wright, He certainly was Sunday when he led the Tigers to a 68-60 victory over Indiana in the National Invitation Tourna Indiana's fine forward, deliv ment. Manakas grabbed the play away from the usually brilliant Taylor, scoring 20 points and NEW YORK (AP) Brian Taylor isn't the only guard at Princeton. There's another guy back there, although he gets little notice. "He's terrific," says Princeton basketball Coach Pete Car- Ex-Cards stacked in favor of Phils By HERSCHEL NISSENSON Associated Press Sports Writer literally taking the game in hand with stalling tactics near the end. The victory in the nationally ered 21 points.

Moore fops all-tourney voting CHAMPAIGN, 111., AP) -Quincy's fine shooting Larry Moore was the sole unanimous choice as repeating champion Thornridge- placed two stars, on the class AA High School All-Tournament team selected by the Associated Press in a press televised contest moved Princeton into a Tuesday night quarter-final date with Niagara, a 76-57 winner over Texas-El hl If Paso in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader. i Thorn go airborne (AP photo) the The Cardsrr-or, quarter-finals begin tonight at Madison with a doubleheader ex-Cards were stacked Sunday i Furry named No. 1 eager in area in favor of the Philadelphia Phillies. box poll. The easygoing eager, who matching Jacksonville against Lafayette jn the first game and Syracuse against Maryland in the second.

Oral Roberts faces St. John's N.Y. in Tuesday's Mattoon's Jolly Green Wave And when the Phils were through playing with their Moore harvested first-team loaded deck, they had trumped votes from all 76 sportswriters and sportscasters polled in the Assembly Hall press box. Giant, Furry was selected area large school "player of the year" by the Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. The 6-8 center joins ranks fourth in his class, has yet to select a college.

Green Wave Coach Bob Avery described Furry as "the best frontliner I've ever coached He's an excellent- NAIA cage tourney -NAIA-Playoffs imnnnui SU Louis 7-1 in an exhibition baseball game on the strength of three aces former Cardinals ihree-gameseries JromlheC Thornridge's Boyd Batts was next with 60- first-team ballots, tAHS cage Li col Norman Cook, followed by Thornridge's great shooterand has anxceHenfr-C101-6-01162 play-maker, Quinn Buckner, with 54. Aurora East's Greg Smith, who wound up the tour 62 Consolation attitude. He certainly is one and Tim McCarver. of the most soughf-after Carlton, traded from St. players by college scouts that Louis to Philadelphia last I've ever had." month, denied he was fired up Olney's Ron Herrin won at facing his ex-mates for the honors as the area "coach of first time, but he hurled six in- the year." nings, allowing one run.

S.F, Austin 94. Gardner-Webb I 91 ney's top scorer.with 112 points, got 50 top votes, and Hinsdale Central's Jim Flynn rounded out the first team with 40. Barelv missine No. 1 team Olney's Rick' Bussardr Robin McCarter and Mike Steele of Robinson and Brad Farnham of Paris on the all-sjar squad. Furry was tapped on the basis of his record-shattering season's scoring performance The big fellow set a school single-season scoring mark with 643 points for a 25.7 average.

Bfeakin the 40-point-barrier three times. Furry set a single-game scoring of .43 against He Montanez, one ot two players banquet tonight The 1971-72 Mattoon Green Wave basketball team will be honored tonight at a potluck dinner in the high school cafeteria. Starting time is 7 "p.m. and the public is invited. Families and guests attending are asked to bring a meat and.

vegetable dish plus their own table service; nlHS' Athletic Director Harry Gaines requests. a recognition were" Peoria Man- i the Phillies acquired from St. ual's Mike Davis with 37 first- National Women's Tournament Second Round Mississippi St. 43, Tennessee 25 Tohg BeachSr 59, Illinois St. 41- team votes and another Thorn; ridge ace, Greg Rose, with The second team also included NIT scores Syracuse 81, Davidson 77--Maryland 67, St.

Joseffr's 55 Oral Roberts 94, Memphis St. 74 St. John's, N.Y. 82rMissouri 81, overtime Louis, two years ago as compensation for Curt Flood's failure to report, lashed out two doubles and a single, drivingi in four runs. McCarver, acquired in the Flood-Richie Allen deal, doubled home Philadelphia's first run and added two singles.

'Tmmariilaf'a 49. Inriiana 4fi fourth Thornridge player, MUTUAL ADMIRATION Quinn Buckner holds up the "No. 1" signa Thornridge Coach Ron Ferguson embraces him after Thornridge defeated Quincy 104-69 to capture the -1972 Class AA Illinois state high school basketball trophy at' Cham- -paign "Saturday night. (AP photo) Mike Bonczyk, Colllnsville's tallied 42 points on two other Fullerton St. 53, Phillips 38 W.

Chester St. 66, Northern 111. 54 Rich Knarr, and Aurora East's Jack Hollis. occasions..