Blue Mound – Boody High School “Knights”

Blue Mound – Boody High School
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Blue Mound, Illinois
Rear View of Blue Mound-Boody HS
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The History of Blue Mound High School

Blue Mound (population 1,129) is located on Illinois Route 48 fifteen miles southwest of Decatur. This places the city in the southwest corner of Macon County.  The Norfolk & Western Railroad cuts right through the center of town.

The origin of the town and its school system is not known by this writer. A guess would be that the high school in Blue Mound, like thousands of other Illinois towns, was established in the late 1800s, early 1900s.  The High School existed and was quite successful for several decades.

A consolidation effort with nearby Macon High School became a reality in 1994 with the creation of Meridian High School. The high school for the new district was located in Macon.  The Blue Mound High School building is now used as the Intermediate School for the Meridian School System.

The Boody school building, once used as a grade school for the Blue Mound-Boody School District, still stands and is pictured on the Boody East Park Baptist High School page. It is now used as a private residence.

Blue Mound High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                 probably late 1800s

Year closed:                  1994

Cosolidated to:               Macon Meridian School District

School Bldg. today:        Meridian Middle School

School nickname:           the “Knights”

School colors:                Blue & White

Fight Song:                    “When the Knights Go Charging In

Sung to When the Saints Go Marching In:

School Song:                 “On Blue Mounders

Sung to On Wisconsin

Blue Mound – Boody HS Gymnasium
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Dick McDonald Gymnasium
Blue Mound – Boody Football & Track Field
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Athletics

There was an abundance of trophies and titles won at Blue Mound.  The Knights had excellent success in many sports.  They excelled especially in basketball.  The school also offered track, cross country, and volleyball.  The successes listed on the IHSA web site (www.ihsa.org) are listed below.

Boys Basketball

The Blue Mound Knights have an extensive basketball history with seasons recorded on the IHSA web site dating back to the 1925-26 season.  The Knights earned eight Regional titles and 5 District titles!  In addition they produced two 30 game-winning seasons and twenty 20-game winning seasons!  The best seasons for the Knights follow below.

The school’s gymnasium, pictured above, was named the Dick McDonald Gymnasium in honor of their Hall of Fame coach who led the Blue Mound-Boody kids for 19 years.  See coach’s credentials below!

1926-27     31 – 3    (great record)             Coach G. Gauman

1943-44     39 – 12  District Champions     Coach Ben Wabuch

1950-51     20 – 9    District Champions     Coach Howard Brown

1951-52     23 – 5    (good record)                Coach Howard Brown

1953-54     21 – 6    (good record)                Coach Howard Brown

1954-55     20 – 6    (good record)                Coach Bob Miller

1955-56     25 – 4    District Champions     Coach Bob Miller

1958-59     24 – 3    (great record)                Coach Bob Miller

1959-60     28 – 2    Regional Champions  Coach Bob Miller 

1962-63     20 – 7    (good record)                Coach Bob Miller

1963-64     24 – 3    (great record)                Coach Bob Miller

1964-65     25 – 3    District Champions      Coach Bob Miller

1965-66     21 – 8    DIstrict Champions      Coach Dick McDonald

1969-70     23 – 4    Regional Champions   Coach Dick McDonald

1973-74     21 – 6    Regional Champions   Coach Dick McDonald

1974-75     24 – 2    Regional Champions   Coach Dick McDonald

1976-77     27 – 1    Regional Champions   Coach Dick McDonald 

1977-78     26 – 1    Regional Champions   Coach Dick McDonald

1982-83     20 – 9    Regional Champions   Coach Dick McDonald

1983-84     26 – 2    Regional Champions   Coach Dick McDonald

(SUPERB !!)

One of the best players to step foot onto the Blue Mound hardwood was a player by the name of Terry Coffman, who played during the Bob Miller era. Coffman scored a school record 54 points in a December 13, 1960 game against Mt. Auburn. Terry’s incredible feat was actually accomplished in the Blue Mound Grade School gym as the “new” gym near the high school was not completed until later in 1961.

Another nice player for Blue Mound was Dave Pistorius who brings these credentials:

* Named all-conference for the Meridian Conference.

* Led the Meridian in scoring at 27.0 ppg.

* Led Blue Mound to a record of 24-2 in 1974-75

*Bill Younger – 1980 Decatur Herald & Review All-Area team with 19.9 points per game average.

Boys Cross Country

The Knights could hoof it too.  Blue Mound X-Country boys qualified for the State Meet during three seasons, winning two District titles.

1973-74        Qualified for State Meet

1977-78        District Champions / Qualified for State Meet

1978-79        District Champions / Qualified for State Meet

Individual Placer at State Meet

1977    Mike Jackson         15th Place

1978                                   21st Place

Girls Volleyball

The Lady Knights had great success of their own qualifying for the Volleyball Sweet Sixteen on three occassions.  We are looking for the team records and coaches names if possible.

1980-81   25 – 2       IHSA Class ‘A’ Sweet 16!!                   Coach Barb Baker

                              (JV went 14 – 3 this year)

Blue Mound High School Volleyball Team 1980-81
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Submitted by Melissa (Fox) Wright

                              Athens Invit. Tourney Champs

                              Macon County Tourney Champs

                              District Champions

                              Beat Decatur St. Teresa (15-3, 15-13)

                              Beat Warrensburg (15-4, 15-3)

                              Sectional Champions

                              Beat Shelbyville (15-12, 15-10)

                              Beat Vandalia (9-15, 15-11, 15-6)

                              Super Sectional Finalist

                              Lost to Tolono Unity (13-15, 15-6, 3-15)

Tolono Unity finished in 3rd Place

1982-83   33 – 2     IHSA Class ‘A’ Sweet 16 Finalist!!         Coach Barb Baker

                            (JV went 16 – 2 this year)

Blue Mound High School Volleyball Team 1982-83
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Submitted by Melissa (Fox) Wright

                              District Champions

                              Sectional Champions

                              Sweet 16 Finalists!

1983-84    28 – 5      IHSA Class ‘A’ Sweet 16 Finalists!!          Coach Barb Baker

                              2nd Place Central Illinois Invite Tourn.

                              Macon County Tourney Champs

                              Regional Champions

                              Beat Illiopolis (15-3, 15-0)

                              Beat Cerro Gordo (15-9, 15-2)

                              Warrensburg (15-3, 15-1)

                              Sectional Champions

                              Beat Arcola (15-6, 15-11)

                              Beat Tolono Unity (15-8, 15-13)

                              Sweet 16 Finalists!

                              Lost to Shelbyville (7-15, 10-15)

Shelbyville would finish in 4th place.

Boys Track & Field

The boys track team had several athletes bring home State Meet medals.  The Knight thinclads even won a District title as a team during the 1975-76 season.  The medal winners are listed below.

1931-32   Dean Trainer        Javeline             3rd Place

1976-77                             2 Mile Relay          3rd Place

1976-77   Mark Houser        Triple Jump        6th Place

1977-78   Mike Jackson     880 Yard Run       STATE CHAMPION!!

               David Scales       880 Yard Run     5th Place

1978-79   Mike Jackson     880 Yard Run      STATE CHAMPION!!

              Mike Jackson     330 Yard L. H.      4th Place

1980-81   Steve Williams     Triple Jump      5th Place

Girls Track & Field

One Lady Knight brought home some IHSA hardware as well.   

1976-77   Rachel Tucker    Discus       4th Place

1977-78   Rachel Tucker    Discus       6th Place

   

Great Coaches

Two basketball coaches at Blue Mound High School enjoyed a great many seasons of success on the hardwood.

Coach Bob Miller  –          Boys Basketball   1954-55  –  1964-65

                                        231 Wins – 63 losses

                                        Also Coached at Mattoon H.S.

                                        1 – Regional Championship

                                        2 – District Championships

                                        7 – 20+ game-winning seasons (11 years)

                                        Career Record of 300 wins – 143 losses

Coach Dick McDonald  –  Boys Basketball   1965-66  – 1983-84 

                                        373 Wins – 193 losses  (#172 ALL-TIME in IHSA History)

                                        7 – Regional Championships

                                        1 – District Championship

                                        8 – 20+ game-winning seasons (19 years)

                                                               

Administrators and Faculty

Gordon Eckols –  From 1960 to 1990 taught at Blue Mound High School and served as building principal from 1963 to 1990.

MEMORIES

From Bob Marshall (Class of 1956):

“I just discovered the “Knights”website.  My family attended Blue Mound schools beginning with my parents in the early 20s.  I was last of five children to have been graduated in 1956 from Blue Mound Community Unit District 10.  I had attended country schools my first four years consolidating into Blue Mound, StoningtonMount AurburnNiantic-Harristown and Boody when I was in the fifth grade.  My first three years were at my local rural school, Salem, in Christian County, one-half mile south of my rural family home.

My parents attended high school in the building in which I attended grade school.  This building burned after I left sometime in the late 50s early 60s.

My brother-in-law, Dr. Albert J. Kuhn, was one of the basketball team members that holds the record for most high school games played.  He attended 1940-44 and went on to becoming academic vice president at Ohio State.

John W. Robinson was high school principal and superintendent when I attended and I believe former coach, industrial arts and history teacher Howard Brown. Robinson, later to become Macon County Superintendent.  This should be verified before dissimenation as should the rest of my information as memory often does not correctly reflect reality!

The basketball team during my tenure, 1952-56 also had enviable records coached by Brown and Miller. My classmates that played on these teams were Tom Little, Ron Tucker, Jimmy Powell, “Pokey” Logue and Merle Holt.  One of Miller’s teams played Decatur High School (Super Sectional?) in the state finals losing only by a very few points in a game that I remember as being so close that each team traded the lead back and forth and it was only that the clock ran out that determined the winner, quite an achievement by such a small school against a much larger one, typical of midwestern basketball.

Hope you get more information as consolidation has more or less made The Knights non-existent.  I would think pictures and records would be available of these early teams and their achievements.  I also understand extreme rebuilding is going to replace the old Blue Mound high school facility, according to a story in the Decatur Herald in June.”

More Information Needed

We are looking to fill in the question marks regarding the team records, coaches names, and other great accomplishments at Blue Mound High School.  We especially seek photos of the high school building and great teams.  If you have any information you would like to share regarding Blue Mound High School please complete a School Submission Form or a Guest Commentary Form.  You may also e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or write us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il.   60631

Boody School, Former Boody High School?
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Now a Private Residence
Boody School Side View
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Boody School Gymnasium
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