Farmersville High School “Purple Panthers”

Farmersville High School
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Submitted by Paul Wiegert

The History of Farmersville High School

Farmersville (population 768) is located on Interstate Highway 55 about 20 miles south of Springfield.  This places Farmersville in the middle of the Montgomery County panhandle.  The Macoupin Creek and its branches surround the town. The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad cuts north and south through the middle of town.

Farmersville quite likely began a school system for its children in the late 1800s. It is known that the “modern” brick school building for the high school students was completed in 1923 (see photo above).  It was there that the high school-aged students of Farmersville earned their diplomas for 39 years.  The early 1960s saw a concern of the Farmersville residents for the wellfare of their school. It was decided in the spring of 1962 to close the Farmersville High School District and join efforts with nearby Raymond.  The result was the creation of the Lincolnwood High School District (http://www.panhandle.k12.il.us/CentralOffice/History.htm) .

Lincolnwood High School is located in Raymond, about 8 miles southeast of Farmersville.  Farmersville is host to an elementary school for kids in grades K – 5 as part of the Lincolnwood School District.  The main high school building was eventually destroyed.  The agricultural building and the gymnasium are still standing.  The gymnasium is still used today by the commmunity.

Farmersville High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                  late 1800s

Year brick building built:  1923

Year HS deactivated:      1962

School nickname:           the “Purple Panthers”

School colors:                Purple & White

School Fight Song:         “We’re Loyal to You Farmersville”

                                       Click “play” button below for music and sing aong!

We’re loyal to you Farmersville!

                                We’re Purple and White, Farmersville!

                                We’ll back you to stand

                                ‘Gainst the best in the land

                                For we know you have sand, Farmersville!

                                                Rah! Rah!

                                So crack out the ball, Farmersville!

                                We’re backing you all, Farmersville!

                                Our team is our fame protector:

                                On boys, for we expect a

                                Victory from you Farmersville!

                                                        

                                Che-he, cha-ha, cha-ha-ha-ha,

                                    Farmersville High School

                                        Rah, Rah, RAH!

       

                                Fling out that dear old flag of

                                Purple and White,

                                Lead on your sons and daughters

                                Fighting for you

                                Like men of old, on giants.

                                Placing reliance, shouting defiance

                                        Oskee-wow-wow———

                                Amid the broad green plains that nourish our land,

                                For honest Labor and for Learning we stand.

                                And unto thee we pledge our heart and our hand,

                                Dear Alma Mater, FARMERSVILLE HIGH!

Athletics

Farmersville High School competed in boys basketball without a doubt. The school also offered track and baseball to the boys. In the 1950s and 1960s the Farmersville athletic program competed in the Christian-Montgomery-Sangamon Conference (CMS) as the schools who competed were from all three counties. These schools included Farmersville, Morrisonville, Raymond, Glenwood, Edinburg, and Mt. Auburn

Boy’s Basketball

Farmersville High basketball was a strong program in its day.  The school won 8 District titles including one the last season the school was open!  Unfortunately the team records and coach’s names of these and other great Farmersville teams are not available. It is known that Bob MillerCoach Albert Jaeger, and Coach Norm Keefner served the Farmersville program during the 1950s and early 1960s. If you have this or any other information about the Farmersville High School athletic program, please write to us.  The years of the District titles are listed below.

1928-29               2nd Place – Montgomery Co. Tourney

Lost to Hillsboro 25-21 (O/T)

1935-36               District Champions

1936-37               District Champions

1940-41               District Champions

1944-45               District Champions

1948-49               District Champions

1952-53               District Champions                        Coach Albert Jaeger

  

1956-57  23 – 5     (great record)                                  Coach Norman Keefner

Farmersville HS Basketball Team of 1956-57 (23-5)
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Submitted by Paul Wiegert

Season Record  23-5

1956-57   Basketball Schedule

F’ville     60          Divernon          45

F’ville     57          Witt                31

F’ville     81          Girard             63

F’ville     50          Edinburg         58

F’ville     70          Mt. Auburn      61

F’ville     81          Ball Township  56

F’ville     69          Pawnee          57

F’ville     69          Morrisonville    46

F’ville     58         Virden             68

F’ville     72         St. James       36

F’ville     54         Raymond        52

F’ville     63         Girard             61

F’ville     101       Divernon          29

F’ville     72         St. James       56

F’ville     52         Raymond        68

F’ville     57         Ashland          50

F’ville     97         Witt                48

F’ville     59         Auburn            60

F’ville     72         Northwestern   48

F’ville     82        Routt               69

CMS Tournament   (Champions)

F’ville    79       Mt. Auburn         49

F’ville    58       Raymond           45

F’ville    65       Edinburg            50

Kincaid  Invitational (Champions)

F’ville    67       Morrisonville      53

F’ville    52       Kincaid             46

F’ville    47       Raymond          42

District Tournament  (2nd Place)

F’ville      101     Divernon          70

F’ville        54     Girard             57

Norman Keefner,  Basketball Coach

1957-58  15 – 14                                                         Coach Norman Keefner

Farmersville HS Basketball Team 1957-58
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Courtesy of Paul Wiegert

1957-58  Farmersville Basketball Team

Players pictured in above photo:

Front Row L to R: Jack Leonard (Fr), Wally Dunlap (Sr.), Paul Boll (Jr.), John Brubaker (Sr.)

Back Row L to R:  Coach Keefner, Bill Brown (Jr.), Reuben Wiegert (So.), Loren Guthals (Jr.), Larry Clarke (Jr.), Bob Snopko (Sr.), Alex Jordan (Jr.)

1957-58                  Basketball Schedule

F’ville     55          Divernon                56

F’ville     54          Witt                      50

F’ville     61          Girard                   45

F’ville     58          Raymond              63

F’ville     50          Edinburg               58

F’ville     50          Glenwood              66

F’ville     56          Pawnee                 54

F’ville     48          St. James              67

F’ville     43         Morrisonville            46

F’ville     49         Virden                    64

F’ville     66         Divernon                 49

F’ville     60         Mt. Auburn             59

F’ville     40         Ashland                 53

F’ville     52         Girard                    47

F’ville     50         Edinburg                58

F’ville     60         Morrisonville           54

F’ville     60         St. James              48

F’ville     59         Raymond               61

F’ville     80         Witt                       55

F’ville     57         Northwestern          58

F’ville     58         Routt                     45

CMS Tournament (3rd Place)

F’ville    64       Glenwood           62

F’ville    43       Mt. Auburn         47

F’ville    66       Witt                   58

Morrisonville Tournament (3rd Place)

F’ville    51       Morrisonville      69

F’ville    49       Raymond          46

F’ville    44       Kincaid             45

District Tournament (2nd Place)

F’ville      38      Divernon           69

F’ville      49      Raymond          46

F’ville      49      Northwestern     57

1958-59   16 – 9                                                         Coach Norman Keefner

Farmersville High School Basketball Team 1958-59
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Submitted by Paul Wiegert

1958-59  Farmersville Basketball Team

Pictured above from front to back, left side.

Reuben Wiegert    Jr.

Robert Specht       Jr.

Alex Jordan          Sr.

Mike Snopko        Jr.

Jim Taylor            Sr.

Pictured above, front to back, right side

Larry Clarke         Sr.

Bill  Brown           Sr.

Dallas Nickel        Sr.

Jack Leonard        So.

Paul Boll               Sr.

Pictured center  Coach Keefner

Season Record  16 – 9

1958-59   Basketball Schedule

F’ville     38          Divernon                37

F’ville     39          Witt                      28

F’ville     45          Girard                   42

F’ville     48          Edinburg               46

F’ville     49          Glenwood              51

F’ville     59          Pawnee                 48

F’ville     47          St. James              49

F’ville     45          Morrisonville           55

F’ville     65          Virden                   64

F’ville     50          Divernon                40

F’ville     47          Mt. Auburn            36

F’ville     50          Rochester             38

F’ville     46          Morrisonville          58

F’ville     48          St. James             52

F’ville     53          Raymond              50

F’ville     54          Witt                      52

F’ville     52          Raymond              41

F’ville     47          Northwestern         38

F’ville     46          Routt                    60

Morrisonville Tournament   (2nd Place)

F’ville    45       Kincaid             36

F’ville    39       Morrisonville      49

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT        (2nd Place)

F’ville      55       Divernon      43

F’ville      64       Raymond    54

F’ville      48       St. James   68

1959-60   19 – 8    District Champions                        Coach Norm Keefner

*The 1959-60 District Champions won the first game of the Regional tournament against Springfield Griffin, a school more than ten times their size.  The Pirates lost the semi-final of the Regional to the defending State Champions of Springfield High School.

1959-60 Farmersville HS Panthers
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Submitted by Paul Wiegert

Pictured left to right  Joe Tischkau (Jr), Ron Craycraft (Sr), Jim McRoy (Sr), Robert Specht (Sr), Paul Wiegert (So), Reuben Wiegert (Sr), Barry Marten Jr), Herman Goetsch (Sr), Jack Leonard (Jr).

Coach Norman Keefner (back row)

1959-60 Farmersville Basketball Team Schedule

 

Norman Keefner,  Basketball Coach

Season Record 19 – 8

F’ville    56          Divernon            51

F’ville    40          Witt                  41

F’ville    56          Girard               40

F’ville    72          Edinburg           51

F’ville    47          Glenwood         56

F’ville    60          Pawnee            46

F’ville    40          Morrisonville      59

F’ville    56          Virden               59

F’ville    60          Divernon            51

F’ville    51          Mt. Auburn        29

F’ville    56          Rochester          40

F’ville    56          Morrisonville       51

F’ville    73          St. James          37

F’ville    75          Raymond           58

F’ville    54          Witt                   48

F’ville    53          Raymond           42

F’ville    45          Northwestern      70

F’ville    55          Routt                 68

C. M. S. Tournament  (Christian, Montgomery,Sangamon County Tournament)

F’ville    52        Raymond             44

F’ville    74        Witt                     59

F’ville    38        Morrisonville         37 (Morrisonville was 12-0 until this loss )

RAYMOND INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

F’ville     66       Raymond            50

F’ville     54       Morrisonville        56

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

F’ville      56       Raymond            34

F’ville      51       Northwestern      42

REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

F’ville  64         Griffin                   51   (Jack Leonard scored 31 points)

F’ville  32         Springfield            65

1960-61  10 – 10                                   Coach Norman Keefner 

Farmersville High School Basketball Team 1960-61
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Courtesy of Paul Wiegert

1960-61  Farmersville Basketball Team

Pictured Above, front row, left to right

Duane Gerlach (Jr), Claude Harlan (Sr), Larry Boston (Fr), Bill Stieren (So), Louis Weitekamp (Sr), Roger Webb Jr.   

Pictured Above, back row, left to right

Jim Shepherd (Jr), Ben Beechner (Jr), Jerry Volsen (Sr), Paul Wiegert (Jr), David Boehler (Sr), Barry Marten (Sr), Coach Keefner        

Season record  10 wins – 10 losses

Kincaid Tournament Champions

Farmersville   45       Nokomis 40

Farmersville   59       Kincaid    56

1961-62    24 – 5  District Champions                        Coach Norm Keefner 

                          (Last season – school spirit to the end!!)

Farmersville HS Panthers 1961-62
A group of people posing for a photo

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Courtesy of Paul Wiegert

Pictured Left to Right: Jim Cornwell (Sr), Ralph Specht (Jr), Bill Stieren (Jr), Roger Webb (Sr), Karl Heien (Jr), Paul Wiegert (Sr), Bob Tischkau (Jr), Jim Shepherd (Sr), Duane Gerlach (Sr), Larry Bosten (So), Coach Norman Keefner

 

1961-62  Farmersville Basketball Team

 

Season Record 24 – 5

1961–62 Basketball Schedule

F’ville     60          at   Tallula             35

F’ville     60          at   Pawnee           70

F’ville     56          at   Girard              58    (OT)

F’ville     71                Morrisonville     65    (2 OTs)  P. Wiegert 30 Pts for  F’V

V. Waterman 30 Pts. for   M/V

F’ville     59               Virden              55

F’ville     54          at   Raymond         53

F’ville     46          at   Glenwood        49

F’ville     70                Witt                20

F’ville     61          at   Edinburg          47

F’ville     59                Rochester        47

F’ville     50          at   Mount Auburn   53

F’ville     90                Tallula              41

F’ville     53                Raymond         52

F’ville     62        at    Witt                  35

F’ville     47        at    Nokomis           40

F’ville     72        at    Northwestern     49

F’ville     72               Routt                39

F’ville     60               Edinburg           50

C. M. S. Tournament    (CHAMPIONS)

F’ville    78       Livingston           49

F’ville    46       Raymond            27

F’ville    46       Glenwood            45   (Upset the top seed with Wiegert’s last second shot)

NOKOMIS  INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT   (CHAMPIONS)

F’ville     55       Raymond           40

F’ville     55       Kincaid              35

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT        (CHAMPIONS)

F’ville      75       Divernon           48

F’ville      57       Auburn             42

F’ville      46       Raymond         41

REGIONAL TOURNAMENT (Held at Illinois State Armory, Springfeld , IL)

F’ville   61         Griffin High School    74

   

An Interesting Fact

FHS played their arch rival Raymond High School  (whom they consolidated with in  September, 1962) five times in the 1961-62 season.  FHS won all five games.

**From Paul Wiegert, starting player on the 1961 and ’62 Farmersville teams:

“As a member of the last Farmersville High School Basketball team, I wanted to inform you that that the Panthers had a 24-5 record in the 1961-62 season.  At one time we had won 18 out of 19 that year. We were defeated by Griffin High School in the Regional Tournament after Farmersville High was leading most of the game. The final score in that game was 74-61. I was a starter in both Regional games (1959-60 & 1961-62 ) that Farmersville played against Griffin High School.”

   

Need Your Help

Help us fill in the missing information regarding the success of the Farmersville High School supporters.  Information is needed regarding the athleitc program and the other accomplishments acheived during the high school’s life.  You can e-mail photos and information to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.  You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 Neva St.

Chicago, Il.    60631

Farmersville High School 1923 – 1962
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Farmersville, Illinois

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