Athletics
We are confident that Forest City High School competed in basketball. We believe that like most small schools of its day baseball and track were offered too. There is, however, no mention of Forest City High School in any sport on the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org). We are hopeful an area fan will be able to assist us in trying to find the information on FCHS sports so we can share it on this site. Team fight song, great team accomplishments, coach’s names, ect., are all items of interest.
Boys Basketball
The Forest City boys were the best in the area, at least in 1930 they were, and they proved it. The Mason County Tournament was held annually and in 1930 the FCHS team came out with the championship. Forest City won its only Mason County boys basketball championship in 1930, when it defeated Kilbourne, 24-10. FCHS teams were known as the “Blue Jays” until 1940, and the “Blue Birds” from 1941 until the school closed in May 1951. Thank you to Phil Shadid for supplying us with this excellent tidbit of information on the Forest City HS basketball program. Scores involving Forest City High School playing in the IHSA State Tourney were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” These scores are reprinted below.
1929-30 Mason County Tourney Champs Coach’s name & record needed
Beat Kilbourne in title game 24-10
Postseason Scores Needed
1931-32 Mason City District Tourney Coach’s name and record needed
1st Rd Beat Kilbourne 15-10
2nd Rd Beat Easton 18-14
Semi-final lost to Athens 45-12
Bath beat Athens in title game
1932-33 Havana District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Game Beat Kilbourne 17-12
Semi-final lost to Bath 23-18
Bath beat Havana in title game
1933-34 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
1934-35 Mason City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Kilbourne 27-8
2nd Rd lost, score needed
Havana beat Athens in title game
1935-36 Greenview District Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Kilbourne 31-22
Petersburg Beat San Jose in title game
1936-37 Petersburg District Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd lost to Green Valley 38-8
Petersburg beat Kilbourne in title game.
1937-38 Postseason scores, season record, and coach’s name needed.
1938-39 Postseason scores, season record, and coach’s name needed.
1939-40 Postseason scores, season record, and coach’s name needed.
1940-41 Minier District Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd lost to Congerville 28-25
Minier beat Mackinaw in title game
1941-42 Postseason scores, season record, and coach’s name needed.
1942-43 Easton District Tourney Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd lost to Bath 40-17
San Jose beat Bath in title game
1943-44 Postseason scores, season record, and coach’s name needed.
1944-45 Minier District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Danvers 59-22
2nd Rd lost to Minier 51-37.
Minier Beat Stanford in title game
1945-46 21 – 4 Greenview District Tourney Coach Kirby Lawlis
1st Rd Beat Tallula 67-26
Semi-final lost to Greenview 51-37
. San Jose beat Greenview in title game.
**From Phil Shadid regarding this team:
“3rd place in Mason County tournament.
They won all 13 of their home games, and
beat their county rivals at least once each.
The Mason County Democrat newspaper
described it as the best record in the history
of the school, even better than the county
champions of 1930. The coach’s son,
Bus Lawlis, led the team in scoring, and
had 20-plus points in several games. He
had plenty of help from Gene Hubbard,
Jack Beale, Marv Kreiling, Earl VanEtten
and Donald Calloway. Others who played
were Norman White, Dale Rochester, Bill Henry,
Robert O’Hara and Jack Wolwode.”
1946-47 6 – 12 Greenview District Tourney Coach Kirby Lawlis
1st Rd Beat Tallula 34-33
Semi-Final lost to San Jose 42-24
San Jose beat Chandlerville in title game
1947-48 11 – 12 Greenview District Tourney Coach Kirby Lawlis
1st Rd Beat Kilbourne 60-42
Semi-Final lost to Greenview 55-42
Greenview beat Chandlerville in title game
1948-49 2 – 17 Easton District Tourney Coach Kirby Lawlis.
1st Rd lost to Chandlerville 58-38
Easton beat Chandlerville in title game
1949-50 11 – 16 Greenview District Tourney Coach Kirby Lawlis
1st Rd Beat Minier 44-41
Semi-Final lost to McLean 74-47
McLean beat New Holland in title game
1950-51 7 – 13 Green Valley District Tourney Coach Kirby Lawlis
1st Rd lost to San Jose 67-41
*This was the final game played by the Forest City High School boys basketball team.
FCHS basketball research conducted by our good friend Phil Shadid:
“Coach Kirby Lawlis ended his career at the school, having coached from 1928 thru 1951.
The last basketball game for Forest City High School played was on Feb. 21, 1951, in the Green Valley district tournament, a 67-41 loss to San Jose. Scoring for Forest City: Ray Vance, 12; Delbert Callaway, 10; Richard VanEtten, 9; Parker Lawlis, 4; Ronald Kreiling and Don Vance, 3 each. Others who played, but did not score: Arlan Vogel, James Fleming, Loren Sunderland and Fred Friedrich.
The last game won by the Bluebirds was on Jan. 26, 1951, a 46-44 win over Chandlerville.”
Need Your Assistance
If you have any further information regarding the many successes attained at Forest City High School before its merger with nearby Manito, please write to us via e-mail at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us via real mail at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
Forest City Grade School 8th Grade 1954-55 |
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Submitted by Kiley Pearson |
Forest City High School Grounds 2015 |
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