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Originally Posted by Mark Padgett
This year marks (no pun intended) the 70th anniversary of the Bellfountain, Oregon state basketball championship. In 1937, tiny Bellfountain (a team with no mascot) won the Class B (small schools) championship. In those days, the top two Class B teams then played the two top Class A (large schools) teams in a tournament for the undisputed state title. Bellfountain had a total of 27 students, 13 of them boys. After they beat Class A Franklin of Portland (with 1879 students ) 39-13, they had to face Class A Lincoln of Portland, which had 1546 students. Bellfountain had eight players on their team, the tallest being 6'0". This is significant because it was still the rule then to have a jump ball after every score.
Bellfountain "jumped out" to a 5-0 lead. They led 18-8 at the half and 22-10 midway through the third quarter. But Lincoln came back and pulled to within 22-17. The "Bells", as the papers called them, went on a 9-0 run and won the game 35-21. They made 15 of 17 from the line, most of them underhanded.
The school closed in 1941. There's still one surviving member of that team. He's 89 year old Harry Wallace.
One of the funniest comparisons of the two schools appeared in The Oregonian the day before the game. It stated that Lincoln had more students guarding fire drills (45) than Bellfountain had students and teachers combined (29).
It was the only time in Oregon prep sports history that the Class B champ won the state title. For some reason, they received both the A and B trophies. I still can't figure that one out.
Oh yeah - if I had lived in Oregon at the time, I probably would have been at the game.  |
We have our own story in Illinois from a more modern era that has a cult like following . One of the remaining players, Phil 'Swish' Judson', has been patched for many years and his son coached Northern Illinois. I've had the honor to have reffed with Phil on a few kids games and it's always a treat to hear his stories.
Hebron's 1952 Basketball Champions
to Appear at Historic Farm Days
Five members of Hebron's 1952 state champion basketball team will be special guests at the annual Historic Farm Days and Red Power Round-Up, held at Penfield in Champaign County.
Phil Judson, Bill Schulz, Ken Spooner, Jim Wilbrandt, and Jim Bergin will appear from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 14. (NOTE: Printed posters and previous press releases give the date as Saturday - it has been changed.) They will be joined by Scott Johnson and Julie Kistler, authors of Once There Were Giants, the new book commemorating the team's improbable journey to a state championship. Together they will give a brief talk, answer questions, and sign copies of the book. Videotapes of the 1952 championship game will also be available.
Fifty years ago, with an enrollment of just 98 students, Hebron became the smallest school ever to win the Illinois high school basketball championship. Favorites of fans across the state, the Green Giants swept through the "Sweet Sixteen" field at the University of Illinois' historic Huff Gym, defeating Champaign High School 55-46 in the first round on their way to a 64-59 overtime decision over Quincy in the title game.
"we're going to run the picket fence"