| Athletics
The New Holland – Middletown Wildcats had many great years of success playing in front of big hometown crowds. The Wildcats won a Regional in baseball and a District in boys basketball. There were also some highlights that are stories for the ages. One particular story regarding baseball will be told below. We are looking for coach’s names and the record of the 1977-78 baseball champs.
Baseball
The season was the 1986-87 school year. The Wildcats were having a great year on the baseball diamond under the leadership of Coach Troy Washko. This year, the Wildcats were crowned champions of Lincolnland and Tri-Central conferences and finished with a record of 19-11. The highlight of the season was an upset win over heavily favored Petersburg PORTA. The PORTA boys came into New Holland the night after defeating eventual AA champ Springfield Griffin.
No one gave the Wildcats much of a chance, this was suppose to be an easy victory chalked up in the PORTA win column. But this was one of those magical nights that every high school player has been a part of to some extent. The New Holland-Middletown boys pulled out a stunning 15 – 9 victory! The team was led by Jim Vipond, Tim Aper, and Phil Tibbs.
It is also a fact that former major league baseball player Kevin Seitzer, who had 200 hits in his rookie year with the Kansas City Royals, attended NHMHS his freshman year (1977-78) before transferring to nearby Lincoln HS.
Another product of the Wildcat baseball program was Aaron Johnson, who graduated from the school in 1980. He went on to become executive vice president and chief operating officer of Farm Credit Illinois.
1972-73 7 – 6 Coach Jerome Beenders
1974-75 Lincolnland Conference Runner-up Coach Robert Gillespie
1977-78 N.R.A. Regional Champions Coach’s name unavailable
1986-87 19 – 11 Tri-Central & Lincolnland Champs Coach Troy Washko
Boys Basketball
The Boys Basketball team had some real nice seasons including a District championship in 1965. The better records recorded on the IHSA web site are listed below.
1961-62 Hartsburg District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Hartsburg-Emden 39-24
Armington beat Hartsburg-Emden in title game
1962-63 Armington District Runner-Up Coach Charles Conrady
Semi-Final Beat Hartsburg-Emden 57-54
Title Game lost to Armington 59-58
1963-64 21 – 4 Hartsburg District Runner-Up Coach Jerome Beenders
Early Rd Scores Needed
Title Game lost to Elkhart 59-50
1964-65 20 – 9 Hartsburg District Champions Coach Jerome Beenders
Asst. Coach Bob Witters
1st Rd Beat Hartsburg-Emden 46-26
Semi-Final Beat Atlanta 54-47
Title Game Beat Beason 80-75
Lincoln Regional Tournament
1st Rd Beat Williamsville 68-56
Semi-Final lost to Mt. Pulaski 60-53
Mt. Pulaski beat Clinton in title game
1965-66 13 – 13 Armington District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to McLean-Waynesville 67-51
Elkhart beat Hartsburg-Emden in title game
1966-67 Hartsburg District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat McLean-Waynesville 59-52
Semi-Final lost to Elkhart 51-38
Elkhart beat Armington in title game
1967-68 Hartsburg District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Atlanta 63-59 (O/T)
Semi-Final lost to Armington 77-54
Armington beat Beason in title game
1968-69 Hartsburg District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Beason 51-50
Hartsburg-Emden beat Elkhart in title game
1969-70 13 – 12 Beason District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Atlanta 69-58
Elkhart beat Williamsville in title game
1970-71 Hartsburg District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Elkhart 62-55
Semi-Final lost to Atlanta 71-57
Atlanta beat Hartsburg-Emden in title game
1971-72 Mason City Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Mason City 83-58
Illini Bluffs beat Easton in title game
1972-73 Manito Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Illini Bluffs 56-32
Mason City Beat Manito Foreman in title game
1973-74 Mason City Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Manito Forman son City 101-60
Mason City beat Illini Bluffs in title game
1974-75 13 – 13 Manito Class ‘A’ Regional Coach Robert Gillespie
1st Rd lost to Manito Forman 50-45
Manito Forman beat Illini Bluffs in title game
1975-76 Mason City Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Green Valley 60-57
Semi-Final lost to Manito Forman 82-44
Mason City beat Manito Forman in title game
1976-77 Manito Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat San Jose 63-60
Semi-Final lost to Manito Forman 63-57
Mason City beat Manito Forman in title game
1977-78 Mason City Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Illini Bluffs 56-52
Mason City beat Manito Forman in title game
1978-79 Manito Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Manito Forman 61-56
Manito Forman beat Illini Bluffs in title game
1979-80 Mason City ‘A’ Regional Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat San Jose 49-38
Semi-Final Beat Hartsburg-Emden 59-55
Title Game lost to Mason City 59-57
1980-81 Hartsburg Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Hartsburg-Emden 57-40
Manito Forman beat Delevan in title game
1981-82 Mason City Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Williamsville 71-64
Mt. Pulaski beat Greenview in title game
1982-83 Athens Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Illiopolis 75-46
Mt. Pulaski beat Illiopolis in title game
1983-84 Mt. Pulaski Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Mt. Pulaski 84-43
Mt. Pulaski beat Athens in title game
1984-85 Hartsburg Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Athens 71-48
Mt. Pulaski beat Athens in title game
1985-86 Mt. Pulaski Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Buffalo Tri-City 69-45
Buffalo Tri-City beat Mt. Pulaski in title game
1986-87 Buffalo Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Hartsburg-Eden 72-66
Buffalo Tri-City beat Mt. Pulaski in title game
1987-88 Athens Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed
*1st Rd lost to Hartsburg-Emden 63-53
Williamsville beat Mt. Pulaski in title game
* Final varsity boys basketball game for New Holland-Middletown High School.
All-Time Leading Scorers
Jim Vipond (84-87) 1,209 points
Mike Behrends (67-70) 1,202 points
Boys Cross Country
The harriers of 1972-73 finished second in the Lincoln Land Conference with a record of 6-3 and were coached by Jim Vipond.
Girls Athletics
The girls sports in the 1970’s were coached by Sara McCawley. The 1973-74 archery top shooters were Vicki Holmes (216) and Phyllis Bloomquist (216).
Other Sports
It is believed the Wildcats also offered track and cross country for boys and girls as well as archery and volleyball for girls. We do know that the volleyball coach in NH-M’s final season was Ron Boyer. We are seeking further information on these and other accomplishments at NHMHS.
Memories
**From John Meacham (Class of 1966):
“I found your site this evening, while searching for information on the old Kickapoo Conference. I am a 1966 graduate of New Holland-Middletown High School, and can fill in a few gaps now and probably a few more later, after I consult my old yearbooks — provided I can find them. I recall that New Holland and then New Holland-Middletown were members of the Kickapoo Conference until the 1963-64 season, when NHMHS and some other schools formed a new conference — the name of which I can’t remember.
“The coach the year we won the district basketball tournament (1965) was Jerome Beenders, and he was assisted by Bob Witters. It was Beenders’ second year at NHMHS. He took over from Charles Conrady in 1963-64. Conrady went to Forest City-Manito, if I remember right. I think the 63-64 team had a better record (21-4 sounds about right) than the 64-65 team, but we lost to Elkhart in the district championship in 1964. We’d beaten them twice during the regular season, but couldn’t do it a third time. That cost us our shot at whipping the Lincoln Railsplitters, which was always the goal of every high school in Logan County. I think Elkhart did beat Lincoln that year and won the regional.
“The 1964-65 team won 18 in the regular season, I believe. Can’t remember who we beat in the district final, but I remember we beat Williamsville in the first game of the regional, then lost to Mt. Pulaski. Some of the stars of the 1964-65 team were Stanley Coers, Barry Kohl, Gene Zumwalt, Lester Martin and Richard Maaks. I kept a spot on the bench warm.
“I was a pretty fair pitcher, though. In fact, I was NH-M’s only real pitcher from my sophomore year on. (We only had about 120 students in the whole school, so it wasn’t a matter of putting the best player at each position — it was a matter of putting a player at each position!) There were several guys who could throw harder than I could, but their pitches were as likely to go over the backstop as over the plate. I could throw strikes. I guess the highlight of my career came in the 1964 district tournament, when we beat Armington. However, we had to play Atlanta the next day. I don’t remember who pitched for us, but I do know we lost.”
**From former grade school student and resident, Dan Saint:
“My sister, Penny, attended New Holland-Middletown up until the consolidation with Lincoln (she was a junior at the time and actually was part of the protest to keep the school open at least one more year so the soon to be Seniors could say they graduated from NH-M…unfortuntely it didn’t work). NH-M did not offer girls basketball, much to the dismay of my sister.
“I was only 7 or 8 at the time of closure, but one vivid memory I have is just above the entrance to the gym, there was a painting of a roaring wildcat head in the colors of purple and gold. And in the back fur, you could see the words “Wildcats”.
“One game I remember was NH-M playing Calvary Acadamy of Springfield, led by a young PG named Rennie Clemons (who wound up starting for the University of Illinois).”
SPECIAL THANK YOU!!
Special thanks to Jon Wheat, Jon’s father, and Jon’s uncle Dan Wheat for their time and effort in providing the photos and “leg work” for this page!!
Also to a former Wildcat cheerleader for providing several items of interest including her quip of “I CAN ALSO SAY THAT WE HAD GOOD TIMES IN THIS LITTLE SCHOOL.” I am sure sentiments are echoed several times over by other NHMHS students.
Need More information
If you have any information you would like to share regarding the athletic program and other accomplishments at New Holland-Middletown High School, especially photos of the high school building and great teams, please e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
|
New Holland-Mddletown Grade School Grades 4-8 |
|
|
|
Middletown, Illinois |
|
New Holland-Middletown High School Side View |
|
|
|
