| Athletics
It is a fact that Norris City-Omaha High School offered the boys sports of baseball, basketball, track. The girls at N.C.O.H.S. were offered volleyball, basketball, and softball, probably track as well.
Boys Basketball
The Norris City-Omaha High School boys had success in IHSA tourney action. There are a lot of season records and coach’s names missing from the history of the program. Several basketball scores from games in the IHSA State Tourney involving Norris City- Omaha HS were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason High School Basketball Scores.” The most successful results are posted below.
1954-55 Norris City Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Carrier Mills 50-48
Shawneetown beat Eldorado in title game
CARRIER MILLS (50): O. Rollins 22, Fitts 12, V. Rollins 10, Berns 4, Reid 2.
NORRIS CITY (48): C. McCormick 17, Johnson 12, Williams 7, La. Bruce 5, Le. Bruce 4, Cantrell 2, E. McCormick 1.
1955-56 McLeansboro Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to McLeansboro 60-50
Shawneetown beat Carrier Mills in title game
MCLEANSBORO (60): Sloan 22, Hall 10, Gateley 10, Bell 10, Sandusky 8.
NORRIS CITY (50): Bruce 17, Johnson 14, Miner 6, McCormick 6, Anderson 6, Haddock 1.
1956-57 Norris City Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Equality 75-55
Semi-final lost to Harrisburg 56-52
Harrisburg beat Carrier Mills in title game
1957-58 Eldorado Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat McLeansboro 51-50
NORRIS CITY (51): Greathouse 17, DeJarnett 13, Haddock 9, Hamilton 7, Dagley 5.
MCLEANSBORO (50): Sloan 23, Tyler 14, Sandusky 8, Reed 3, Hufstutler 2.
Semi-final lost to Carrier Mills 74-58
CARRIER MILLS (74): Taborn 27, Rollins 20, Keene 14, Smith 7, Manier 6.
NORRIS CITY (58): Greathouse 18, Dagley 13, Hamilton 12, Haddock 11, DeJarnett 4.
Carrier Mills beat Ridgway in title game
1963-64 Norris City Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Equality 63-60
Semi-final lost to Carrier Mills 71-69
Harrisburg beat Carrier Mills in title game
1965-66 Harrisburg Regional Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Eldorado 78-60
Semi-Final Beat Ridgway 73-61
Title Game lost to Harrisburg 65-51
HARRISBURG (65): Humphrey 20, Cannon 15, Jarrells 12, Wilson 10, Vinyard 8.
NORRIS CITY (51): Cole 15, Hill 13, Allen 9, Johnson 7, Baker 6, Millspaugh 1.
1966-67 Harrisburg Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Eldorado 58-56
Semi-final lost to Harrisburg 71-68 (O/T)
Ridgway beat Harrisburg in title game
1967-68 Norris City Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Ridgway 82-73
Eldorado beat Carrier Mills in title game
RIDGWAY (82): Stallings 41, Ramsey 15, Crawford 14, Patton 9, Holland 3.
NORRIS CITY (73): J. Graves 16, Griffith 14, G. Graves 14, Grisham 14, Black 9, Hardesty 6.
1968-69 Harrisburg Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Ridgway 93-82
Semi-final lost to Eldorado 78-65
Eldorado beat McLeansboro in title game
1970-71 Harrisburg Regional Tourney Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd lost to Eldorado 83-73
Harrisburg beat Carrier Mills in title game
ELDORADO (83): Tierney 33, Watson 13, Baird 12, Smith 10, White 9, Gidcumb 6.
NORRIS CITY (73): Sallee 23, Harris 16, Eubanks 15, Franks 10, Imboder 6, Morris 3.
1971-72 Norris City Class A Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Equality 70-60
Semi-final lost to Eldorado 80-65
Eldorado beat McLeansboro in title game
1972-73 Norris City Class A Regional Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd Beat Thompsonville 82-56
Semi-final lost to Ridgway 64-51
Ridgway beat Eldorado in title game
Ridgway won IHSA Class A State Championship
1974-75 17 – 9 Ridgway Class A Regional Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Shawneetwon 106-38
Semi-final lost to Eldorado 86-69
Eldorado beat Carrier Mills in title game
Eldorado placed 4th in Class A Tourney
1976-77 21 – 6 Norris City Class A Regional Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Crab Orchard 81-72
Semi-final lost to Carrier Mills 70-64
Eldorado beat Carrier Mills in title game
Eldorado placed 3rd in Class A Tourney
1977-78 19 – 4 Eldorado Class A Reg. 2nd Place Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Crab Orchard 76-50
Semi-Final Beat Ridgway 52-50
Title Game lost to Eldorado 78-67
ELDORADO (78): Lane 40, Jones 18, Hiller 10, Finnie 6, Delaney 2, Woods 2.
NORRIS CITY (67): Pearce 17, Wheeler 15, Short 12, Bain 8, Norris 7, McKenzie 4, Johnson 4.
1978-79 22 – 6 McLeansboro Class A Reg. Champ Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Thompsonville 93-44
Semi-Final Beat Woodlawn 56-44
Title Game Beat Wayne City 64-43
Norris City Sectional Tourney
Semi-Final lost to Ziegler-Royalton 69-67
Carrier Mills beat Ziegler-Royalton in title game
ZEIGLER-ROYALTON (69): Mitchell 30, Bandy 19, Colson 8, Moyers 6, Smillie 6.
NORRIS CITY (67): Wheeler 27, Johnson 16, McKenzie 15, Bain 5, Miner 4.
1979-80 23 – 3 Norris City Class A Regional Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Bluford Webber 73-41
Semi-Final lost to McLeansboro 62-61 (3 O/Ts)
Benton beat McLeansboro in title game
1980-81 16 – 9 West Frankfort Class A Regional Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Thompsonville 83-53
Semi-Final lost to McLeansboro 77-62
West Frankfort beat McLeansboro in title game
1981-82 14 – 11 Norris City Class A Regional Coach David Gray
1st Rd lost to McLeansboro 62-49
Benton beat McLeansboro in title game
1982-83 16 – 10 Norris City Class A Reg 2nd Place Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Enfield 52-49
Semi-Final Beat West Frankfort 58-49
Title game lost to McLeansboro 70-35
McLeansboro placed 3rd in Class A Tourney
1983-84 (needed) West Frankfort Class A Regional Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Bluford 57-55
Semi-Final lost to West Frankfort 59-50
McLeansboro beat West Frankfort in title game
McLeansboro won Class A State Championship
1984-85 17 – 8 Norris City Class A Regional Coach David Gray
1st Rd Beat Bluford 69-54
*Semi-Final lost to West Frankfort 78-73 (O/T)
McLeansboro beat West Frankfort in title game
*Final boys basketball game as Norris City-Omaha High School. Became Norris City- Omaha-Enfield High School in the summer of 1985.
Girls Softball
The Norris City-Omaha HS ladies of the ball diamond had at least one great season to remember. The team of 1984-85 won a Regional Championship! Unfortunately the coach’s name and team record of this and other great Norris City-Omaha softball teams are not currently available.
1984-85 Regional Champions
Girls Volleyball
If you are talking Girls volleyball in the Norris City-Omaha-Enfield area, you can sum up the success attained in one name, Coach Cathy Black.
Coach Black has apparently been coaching volleyball at Norris City since the inceptiion of the sport for girls by the IHSA, 1974-75. What an incredible career and program she has built there! To date Coach Black (through 2004-05) has won 555 games and lost only 240 for a .698 winning percentage. She set the tone in her first eleven seasons at Norris City-Omaha High School.
1974-79 Coach Cathy Black
1979-80 10 – 10 Coach Cathy Black
1980-81 13 – 7 Coach Cathy Black
1981-82 22 – 2 District Champions Coach Cathy Black
1982-83 | 27 – 4 Regional Champions Coach Cathy Black
1983-84 19 – 8 Coach Cathy Black
1984-85 24 – 8 Coach Cathy Black
Need More Information
If you have ANY further information to offer regarding the many accomplishments and achievements made by the students and townspeople of Norris City, Omaha, and their initial High School effort together, please share it with us. School fight song as well as other non-athletic related items are being sought. A photo of the original Norris City-Omaha High School building would especially be welcome. These items can be e-mailed to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or real-mailed to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631 |
