Kilbourne High School “Green Wave”

Kilbourne School Building

Kilbourne High School

Original High School Building

A house with trees in front of it

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Kilbourne, Illiinois

The History of Kilbourne High School

The town of Kilbourne (population 265) is located in the southwest portion of Mason County along IL Route 97 at county road East Creek 600 N. The Chicago & Illinois Midland Railroad runs through the west side of town. Kilbourne is approximately 30 miles (as the crow flies) northwest of Springfield. The village was established in 1870 and named after railroad executive Edward Kilbourne. Kilbourne reached a population peak of 441 in 1970

The school system in Kilbourne traces its roots back to the early 1900’s. It was then that the high school in town was established. The first graduating class received their diplomas in 1910. For 44 years, the town of Kilbourne graduated their children from the school building. It was in 1954 that a consolidation effort with nearby Bath (also on this site) became a reality. The merger of Kilbourne High and Bath-Lynchburg High created the Ba-Ly-Ki School District.

Balyki High School was located in Bath with the middle school remaining in Kilbourne. Meals were often cooked in Bath and transported to Kilbourne so the Middle School students could receive a hot meal. This system worked well until a new consolidation effort took place with Havana. These talks were realized in 1991 when Balyki High School was deactivated. The children of Kilbourne now attend school in Havana.

The original Kilbourne High School building was struck and demolished by a tornado in the mid-1970s. The Middle School is still standing tall and proud in Kilbourne, though we are not certain of its current use.

Kilbourne High School Quick Facts

Year opened: early 1900’s

First graduating class: 1910

Year closed: 1954

Consolidated to: Balyki School District (Bath)

School nickname: the “Green Wave”

School colors: Green & White

School Fight Song: unavailable

Athletics

It is a fact that Kilbourne High School offered athletics during its existence. Basketball was the feature sport. Baseball and track were also offered. Unfortunately, no IHSA hardware was won and there is no record of any sort regarding the Kilbourne High School athletic program on their site. We are confident that great seasons and stories do exist, and are hopeful an area fan will share this information with us.

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Boys Basketball

The Green Wave were riding high during the 1929-30 basketball season. The boys were from one of the smaller schools in Mason County, but they were afraid of no one. They proved they could play with any team in the county that year reaching the title game of the Mason County Tournament.

Kilbourne’s Green Wave never won a Mason County boys basketball championship, but finished second to Forest City in 1930, when they lost 24-10. The last game they ever played was on Feb. 23, 1954, in the Bath-Lynchburg district tournament. Kilbourne lost to B-L 77-52. Harry Sutton and Joe DeVore each scored 15 for the Green Wave. Others scoring: Vaughn 12, Lane 9, Prater 1.

The Kilbourne boys had two great runs falling just short in the IHSA District Tournaments. The boys finished as runner-ups in the 1933-34 and 1936-37 tournaments (see scores below).

Kilbourne HS was usually the smallest school enrollment-wise in the county, and in May 1954 when it graduated its last class, there were seven seniors. In September 1954 Kilbourne consolidated with Bath-Lynchburg to become Balyki, with the high school located in Bath.

“The last basketball game won by the Green Wave was on December 1, 1953, a 64-63 overtime thriller from Armington. Gary Butler, a transfer from East Peoria (who was later declared ineligible by the IHSA because of a residency ruling), scored 34 points on 14 field goals. The final season’s record was reflective of Kilbourne’s difficulties for the last seven years of its existence, a stretch where they went 9-136. Even though the team never gave up in any game, the results were seldom in the Green Waves’ favor.”

Special thanks to Phil Shadid for his research in uncovering these facts about Kilbourne High School.

Several basketball scores involving Kilbourne High School were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason High School Basketball Scores.” These scores from the IHSA State Tournament are reprinted below.

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1921-22 Mason City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Minier 26-10

Athens beat Green Valley in title game.

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1922-23 through 1929-30 Postseason scores, records, and coach’s names needed.

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1929-30 Mason County Tournament – 2ND Place

Kilbourne HS Basketball Team of 1943-44

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Submitted by Richard Savage

1930-31 Petersburg District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Bath 23-12

Petersburg beat Athens in title game.

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1931-32 Mason City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Forest City 14-10

Bath beat Athens in title game.

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1932-33 Havana District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Forest City 17-12

Havana beat Bath in title game.

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1933-34 Petersburg District Runner-Up! Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd Beat Greenview 26-10

2nd Rd Beat Athens 16-14

Semi-Final Beat Mason City 23-21

Title Game lost to Havana 37-16

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1934-35 Mason City District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Forest City 27-8

Havana beat Athens in title game.

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1935-36 Greenview District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd Beat Forest City 31-22

Semi-Final lost to Petersburg 23-17

Petersburg beat San Jose in title game.

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1936-37 Petersburg District Runner-Up! Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd Beat Middletown 35-18

Semi-Final Beat Tallula 23-17

Title Game lost to Petersburg 29-26

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1937-38 San Jose District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd Beat Manito 17-15

Semi-Final lost to Tallula 55-23

Green Valley beat Bath in title game.

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1938-39 Greenview District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Middletown 28-24

Greenview beat Bath in title game.

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1939-40 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

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1940-41 Easton District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Easton 32-14

San Jose beat Chandlerville in title game.

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1941-42 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

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1942-43 Easton District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.

1st Rd lost to Easton 56-38

San Jose beat Bath in title game.

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1943-44 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

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1944-45 6 – 8 Greenview District Tournament Coach Joe Wylder

1st Rd lost to Easton 64-38

Easton beat Greenview in title game.

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1945-46 5 – 14 Greenview District Tournament Coach Joe Wylder

1st Rd lost to Greenview 52-44

San Jose beat Greenview in title game.

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1946-47 0 – 12 Greenview District Tournament Coach Joe Wylder

1st Rd lost to Greenview 46-32

San Jose beat Chandlerville in title game.

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1947-48 1 – 15 Greenview District Tournament Coach Joe Wylder

1st Rd lost to Forest City 60-42

Greenview beat Chandlerville in title game.

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1948-49 0 – 22 Greenview District Tournament Coach Everett Underkofler

1st Rd lost to Bath 47-41

Easton beat Chandlerville in title game.

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1949-50 2 – 14 Greenview District Tournament Coach Jay Hulet

1st Rd lost to Tallula 61-47

Elkhart beat Chandlerville in title game.

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1950-51 0 – 22 Greenview District Tournament Coach Garrie Sprague

1st Rd lost to Chandlerville 67-42

Bath beat New Holland in title game.

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1951-52 1 – 19 Greenview District Tournament Coach Garrie Sprague

1st Rd lost to Chandlerville 91-24

Chandlerville beat Bath in title game.

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1952-53 3 – 21 Kilbourne District Tournament Coach Charles Jerdee

1st Rd lost to Bath 60-27

Chandlerville beat Bath in title game.

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**1953-54 2 – 23 Bath District Tournament Coach Charles Jerdee

**1st Rd lost to Bath 77-52

Bath beat Tallula in title game.

**Final season and final boys varsity basketball game for Kilbourne High School “Green Wave.”

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OTHER ACTIVITIES AT KILBOURNE HIGH SCHOOL

It is likely that student government, FAA, GAA, FHA, Choir, and possibly even band were offered at KHS. School dances and class trips were also a part of the Kilbourne High School experience.

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Need Some In-put

If you have any information regarding the Kilbourne High School athletic program and other school programs offered there, please share them with us. We are especially interested in sharing photos of the old high school building and great teams and coaches. Please share with us by completing a School Submission Form or a Guest Commentary Form. You can also reach us by:

E-mail – ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net

Kilbourne Senior Class & Faculty of 1944