| Athletics
Chesterfield High School definately offered boys basketball and boys track. CHS boys probably also competed in baseball. The Chesterfield kids nearly pulled off a truly unbelievable accomplishment for a school their size. They finished 2nd in the State Track Meet “B” division in 1924!! Speedster Bill Knoop ran times in the 100 and 50 yard dashes that rivaled that of the “A” meet. The complete rundown of the nearly magical year is written about below.
Boys Track & Field
Chesterfield High School thinclads came home from the State Track Meet in 1924 with PLENTY to brag about. The town of Chesterfield must have been bristling with pride at the state meet runner-up finish the boys earned. Three athletes earned individual medals and a fourth joined them to earn a 3rd place relay finish. The combined points brought the team within 4 points of State Champion Girard. This incredible accomplishment is listed below.
A note of interest is that if Chesterfield would have been combined with its future high school Carlinville (who finished 4th with 15 points) in 1924 the team would have won the State “B” Championship going away with 31 points!
1923-24 Team Finished 2ND in State “B” Track Meet
Individual Medalists
Bill Knoop 50 Yard Dash STATE CHAMPION!!
Bill Knoop 100 Yard Dash STATE CHAMPION!!
Howard Dams 120 Yard High Hurdles 2ND Place
Emanuel Robinson 440 Yard Dash 5TH Place
880 Yard Relay 3RD Place
Overall Team Standings – 1924 “B” Meet
1.) Girard – 20
2.) CHESTERFIELD H.S. – 16
White Hall – 16
4.) Carlinville – 15
5.) Gridley – 13
Hinsdale – 13
7.) Wheaton – 12
Bridgeport – 12
9.) Hoopeston – 9
10.) Abingdon – 8
Chicago Pullman – 8
Boys Basketball
The Chesterfield High boys basketball team brought home two District Championship plaques. Unfortunately the team records and coaches names are not available. We are hopeful for more information regarding the other great teams in Chesterfield High School history. Conference champs and great records are being sought. The years of the District titlists are listed below. Some scxores of the IHSA tournament involving Chesterfield were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores”.
1921-22 Alton District Tournament
Madison 14, Chesterfield 12
Madison lost in semi-finals
1922-23 District Champions Coach Roy McCullom
Macoupin County Champions
District scores not available
Centralia Sectional Tournament
Lost to Greenville 1st Round
Greenville won Sectional
1923-24 Macoupin County Champions Coach Roy McCullom
1924-25 Macoupin County Champions Coach Roy McCullom
1928-29 Macoupin County Champions Coach Ralph Turner
Polly Eldred provided this bit of information on the Chesterfield basketball teams of the early / mid 1920s:
“The Chesterfield High School basketball team won the Macoupin County Championship three consecutive years – 1923,1924,1925. It was when the rules had the teams jump-center after each score and Chesterfield had a 6’4” guy named Olin Gahr who always got the jump and who the others just fed under the basket to score again.”
1929-30 District Champions Coach Ralph Turner
Beat Hillsboro 15 – 9 in title game
Macoupin County Champions
Salem Sectional Tournament
Lost to Madison 12-8 in 1st Rd.
Madison lost in semi-final
1930-31 Macoupin County Champions Coach Ralph Turner
Lost to Hillsboro in title game of
District Tournament 32 – 24
1933-34 Greenfield District Tournament
Beat Kane 47-16
Beat Carrollton 20-10
Lost to Jerseyville 26-13
Jerseyville won District Tournament
1934-35 Jerseyville District Tournament
Beat Hettick 20-18
Beat Shipman 31-19
Lost in Semi-Final to Jerseyville
Jerseyville lost title to Greenville
1935-36 Jerseyville District Tournament
Beat Bunker Hill 23-8
Lost to Grafton 20-18
Grafton won District Tournament
1936-37 Wood River Regional Tournament
Lost to 26-16
Alton lost in semi-final
1937-38 Greenfield District Tournament
Lost to Hettick 28-19
1938-39 though 1943-44 District scores not available.
1944-45 Brighton District Tournament
Lost to Shipman 40-13
Shipman lost in semi-final
1945-46 scores not available
1946-47 Brighton District Tournament
Lost to Medora 53-41 (last game in Chesterfield HS history)
Medora lost in semi-final
|
Chesterfield High School Class of 1942 |
|
|
|
Submitted by John Gavelek (‘left click’ on photo for larger view) |
Above Photo:
Top Row: Wendell Dams (or Dawson), Rita Weise Gavelek, Mary Weise Schmidt, Meade Woods
Middle Row: Frances Hewitt Wiles, Keith Whittaker, Mary Sawtell, Charles Yahr, Eleanor Sarginson
Bottom Row: Mrs Zella Cundall ?, Prof J Harley Hazes, Mrs Imogene Skinner ?
|
Chesterfield HS Class of 1931 |
|
|
|
Photo Submitted by Ray Parker (left click on photo for larger view) |
|
Chesterfield HS Class of 1934 |
|
|
|
Photo Submitted by Ray Parker (left click on photo for larger view) |
|
Chesterfield Grade School Photo Grades 5 & 6 1924 |
|
|
|
Photo Submitted by Ray Parker (left click on photo for larger view) |
Seeking More Information
If you have ANY more information regarding the great history of Chesterfield and its educational past please take the time to share it with us. We are especially hopeful to share a photo of the old High School building. Photos and information can be e-mailed to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
|
Chesterfield HS Class of 1926 Graduate List |
 |
|
Submitted by Lowell Getz (left click on photo for larger view) |
|
Chestervield HS Graduation Program 1926 |
 |
|
Submitted by Lowell Getz (left click on photo for larger view) |
|
Eveland Dowell, Class of 1926, Chesterfield HS |
 |
|
Submitted by Lowell Getz (left click on photo for larger view) |
|
Chesterfield HS Class of 1926 at 40th Reunion 1966 |
|
|
|
Photo submitted by Lowell Getz |
Front row, from left: Myron Eldred, Lucile Wheeler, Evelyn Dowland, Ralph Barr
Back row, from left: Theodore Duckles, (unknown), Elmo Pointer |
