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Loami Grade School Basketball – 1935 |
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Courtesy of William Hovey |
Athletics
Loami High School competed in the boys sports of basketball, baseball and track. We could not find any information on the Loami athletic program on the ISHA website (www.ihsa.org).
The photo to your right is of the Loami Grade School basketball team of 1935. Team members are pictured as follows:
Front Row, L to R: Clarence Chandler, Jesse Lynn, Harry D. Brown, John A. Marr
Back Row, L to R: Gene Hovey, Ray Page, Coach R.M. Randles, Don Fisher, Emery Matthews
BASKETBALL: (compiled by Phil Shadid)
Yearly records were difficult to track because the local newspapers did not always report the scores of 3-year high schools, especially when Loami became the last of such schools in Sangamon County. Scheduling had become difficult in the last few years of the school, although many of their old rivals continued to play Loami even after they (Buffalo Tri-City, Chatham, Riverton, Rochester) became 4-year schools. LHS may have dropped out of the Illinois High School Association for several years, because they played in very few postseason District tournaments. Most home games were played in the Loami Town Hall; a few took place at New Berlin’s gym.
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Loami Basketball Goal – 2012 |
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Courtesy of Phiul Shadid |
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Loami Town Hall – Upstairs Used as Gym |
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Submitted by Phil Shadid |
Final season 1939-40: Coach Willard Witte. Only seven games recorded (1-6). Last basketball win: Feb. 21, 1940: New Berlin District tournament; Loami 31, Ball Township 24. Scoring for Loami: Kendal Fisher 15, Hatcher 10, Frank Miller 4, LaVerne Lamb 2.
Last game played: Feb. 22, 1940, at District tourney; Loami 18, Palmyra 31. Scoring for Loami: Fisher 11, Hatcher 3, Bridges 2, Lamb 2; not scoring: C. Fisher, Miller and Flynn.
SOME SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
1927-28: Coach G. Harlow. Loami competed in the Sangamon County Conference and had a record of 6-4 (8-6 overall), finishing in a tie for third place with Buffalo. They beat Chatham and Riverton during the season and placed fourth in the annual conference tournament. Cloyd, Cox, Duewer, Gibson, Jacobs, and Nichols all played prominent roles during the season. (No postseason District tourney.)
1928-29: Mr. G. Harlow’s squad had a 5-12 record (4-8 in conference) and played in the District tournament at season’s end (they lost to Chatham 34-11). Loami finished fourth in the conference tournament, led by Rowden, Burton, Jacobs, Gibson and Meiers.
1932-33: A. M. Randles’ team recorded a 9-8 season’s mark and finished second to Riverton in the Sangamon County Conference’s annual tournament. They had to beat Buffalo, Dawson and Chatham to reach the finals, their best ever record in the tourney.
1933-34: Loami (dubbed by some as the “Travelers” because some of their home games were in New Berlin) compiled a 5-9 record overall, with a 5-7 mark in the Sangamon County Conference (later known as Sangamo Conference). They did not compete in the postseason District tournament. Loami players: Cloyd (younger brother of the 1927-28 player?), Warren Page, Rice, Aubrey, Henderson and Franklin.
1934-35: After opening the season with four losses, Loami forfeited the remainder of its schedule (0-12). The newspapers reported that coach Randles had to abandon the season because he did not have enough players to compete adequately.
1935-36: All games forfeited. Loami was accused of playing in an unauthorized “independent” game. The infraction was reported in the Buffalo Tri-City Register (weekly newspaper) on January 24, 1936: “Loami has recently sent us word that their team has become ineligible due to their participation in an independent game. Consequently the team is forced to forfeit the rest of its games.” Actually, they forfeited any victories and did not complete the season.
However, a search of the archives in 2007 by Illinois High School Association staff member Scott Johnson failed to list any violation during the 1935-36 season. The State Journal and Register also did not carry any stories about the forfeits, but the fact is Loami did not complete its regular schedule nor played in a postseason District tournament. Because Loami may not have been a member of the public high school association the forfeits could have been administered by the Sangamon County Conference. Dawson High (SCC member) forfeited its 1935-36 season because of an IHSAA infraction.
1936-37: Coach Randles’ team finished with a 5-5 record in the Sangamo Conference, and 7-8 overall. They took third place in the Chatham Holiday tournament and the Sangamo Conference tourney. Ray Page, Clarence Chandler, Emery Matthews, Gene Hovey, Tom Franklin, Moss, Patterson and Stanton contributed throughout the season. Franklin led the team in scoring. Loami did not play in the District tournament.
Loami High School player Don Fisher remembers his time on the basketball team of 1937-38. He recalled that Mr. Randles had an old Chevrolet sedan and piled all the players (usually seven or eight) in it for road trips. Quite often the team would have practices OUTSIDE when the Loami Town Hall was not available. Don also said that his coach was a great person who treated the students very well.
Alvine (A. M.) Randles was the Principal/Teacher/Coach at Loami. He was born in 1905 near Nokomis, obtained a degree in education at Eureka College, and a Masters from the University of Illinois. In addition to his time at Loami, he also taught at Nokomis and Riverton, and retired as principal of Edinburg High School after 17 years. Mr. Randles also operated a farm near New City into the 1970s. He passed away in 2005, age 100.
SEASON W-L COACH (season totals may be incomplete)
1925-26 2-9 Earl Cain
1926-27 2-9 Earl Cain
1927-28 8-6 G. Harlow
1928-29 5-12 G. Harlow
1929-30 7-10 G. Harlow
1930-31 6-9 A. M. Randles
1931-32 1-14 A. M. Randles
1932-33 9-8 A. M. Randles
1933-34 5-9 A. M. Randles
1934-35 0-12 A. M. Randles (forfeited 8 games)
1935-36 0-8 A. M. Randles (forfeited all games)
1936-37 7-8 A. M. Randles
1937-38 1-6 A. M. Randles
1938-39 1-5 A. R. Evans
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Loami Grade School Basketball Team 1938-39 |
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Submitted by Rhonda Baker |
Front Row (L-R): Miller, Paul (Pete) Chott, Fisher, Hatcher
Back Row (L-R): Witte, ?, Bridges, ?, Lamb?
1939-40 1-6 Willard Witte (last season
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Loami Baseball Team of 1908 |
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Courtesy of Don Fisher |
BASEBALL
Loami likely had a high school baseball team during its existence. However we know that the town had a team with players of varying ages on it in the early 1900s. The photo to your right was submitted by Don Fisher, whose father (Frank Fisher) and uncle (Dick Fisher) are a part of the team.
Members of the team in the photo include:
Front row, L to R: Dick Fisher, Bob McCray (pitcher), Verne Kinney (catcher), Homer Bartholomew.
Back row, L to R: Frank Fisher, Bud Foster, Al Stanton, Frank Edwards, Steve Workman.
Our good friend Phil Shadid adds:
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Loami Baseball Helmets – 2012 |
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Submitted by Phil Shadid |
“The team consisted of high school players and a couple of older men and played in spring-summer leagues in the area. Bartholomew, nicknamed “Buster,” would go on to become New Berlin High School’s first basketball coach and a successful coach at Chatham and Bath-Lynchburg high schools. He was considered to be a very good outfielder despite the fact he had no left arm. Bartholomew and Kinney started their teaching careers educating children at the one-room country schools in the Loami area.”
SANGAMON COUNTY TRACK, ORATORICAL & ESSAY MEETS
May 2, 1908, from the Illinois State Register (Springfield):
Loami High School placed fourth in Track with 10 points in 1908 (Auburn 42, Chatham 35, Illiopolis 26). They did not finish in the top three in Oratorical & Essay. Frank Fisher took second in the Half-Mile, while Verne Kinney gained the rest of the points by placing second in three events: 100-yard Dash, 50-yard Dash and Running-Hop-Step-Jump. Homer Bartholomew competed in the weight events (Discus and Shot Put), but did not place in the top three. (All three of these men played on the Loami “Merchants” baseball team in the summer of 1908. See photo on this page.)
May 8, 1909, from the Illinois State Journal (Springfield):
In a two-column story on the front page, Loami finished third in Track with 19 points (Chatham 36, Auburn 23), thanks to the remarkable efforts of Verne Kinney. He won the 50-yard Dash in 6 and 3/5th seconds, the 220-yard Dash in 26 seconds; wound up second in the 100-yard Dash and the Standing Broad Jump. Teammate Frank Fisher took second in the Running-Hop-Step-Jump.
In the New Berlin Opera House, in the Oratorical contest, Alma McIntire spoke on “Reputation & Character,” good for second place, while William Hovey read his Essay on “The Character of the Ancient Romans” (fourth place). The two gave Loami a third place tie with Chatham.
Heavy rains caused the Track & Field events at New Berlin to be postponed in the morning. So, the participants and fans boarded the Wabash Railroad’s special train (which had brought them to New Berlin) to return to Springfield, where they boarded street cars for the ride to the State Fairgrounds. The events took place in the Coliseum.
Two records were broken, as reported by the Journal: “This is considered to be remarkable owing to the condition of the track at the Coliseum. Tan bark is not the best material for foot racing.”
NOTABLE ALUMNI OF LOAMI:
The four PAGE brothers attended the 3-year Loami High School and then completed their high school education as seniors at New Berlin High.
Ray Page, legendary high school basketball coach, with stops at Auburn, Chebanse, Williamsville and Springfield High. His 1959 SHS team won the state championship. Sixteen years of coaching produced a record of 289 wins, 150 losses. Elected for two terms as State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Harry Page (youngest of the brothers), Superintendent of three different school districts during his educational career: Ball-Chatham, Buffalo Tri-City and New Berlin.
Warren Page (oldest brother): Teacher/Coach/Supt. Of Cambridge school district, Supt. Of Gibson City school district, finished his career as the Superintendent of the Ford County school district. His sports accomplishments included forming one-half of a famous brother battery in baseball in high school and at Western State Teachers College (now known as Western Illinois University). He was the catcher and his brother Ray was a left-handed pitcher.
Another Loami graduate brother, Walter Page, pursued a business career.
William Hovey, Loami Grade School graduate. Graduate New Berlin High. Graduate Western State. Principal at Loami GS one year. Teacher/Coach at New Berlin High. Principal at Chatham Glenwood HS three years. Superintendent of Ball-Chatham school district for 25 years. Inducted into Chatham Glenwood Hall of Fame in 2007.
Don Fisher, attended Loami High three years and graduated from Chatham High as a senior. He worked at Allis-Chalmers in Springfield before enlisting in the U. S. Coast Guard during World War II, assigned to a destroyer-escort ship in the South Pacific. Don served as a Warrant Officer and administrative assistant in the National Guard for several years, and for 30 years he worked for the C & I M Railway in the personnel department and as a legal assistant.
John A. Marr, star athlete for Loami Grade and High school, as well as New Berlin High, where he attended his senior year. Graduate Western Illinois University. Earned Master of Science from University of Illinois. Earned Master in Arts from University of Illinois-Springfield. World War II Army veteran. He was a Principal/Teacher/Coach at Tallula High School and Principal/Teacher at New Berlin High. Inducted into the New Berlin Community School district Academic Hall of Fame in 2000.
SPECIAL THANKS:
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library for microfilms of Illinois State Journal and Register. Springfield’s Lincoln Library, Sangamon Valley Collection. Sangamon County Supt. Of Schools. William Hovey furnished valuable information about Loami schools, as well as the 1935 photo. Grateful appreciation to Don Fisher for great information.
Seeking More Information
As you can tell there is a lot of information that needs to be added to the Loami High School history of this page. There were many people and residents of the town that made the era of Loami High School a successful one. The efforts of these people should not be forgotten. We are especially interested in photos, most importantly one of the old school building. You can e-mail this information to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva Av.
Chicago, Il. 60631
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Loami School Trophy – 2012 |
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Submitted by Phil Shadid |
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