Ogden High School “Bulldogs”

Ogden High School Building
A large building with trees in front of it

Description automatically generated with medium confidence
Submitted by Greg Knott

The History of Ogden High School

Ogden (population 743) is located in eastern Illinois in the eastern portion of Champaign County.  The town is located between Interstate Highway 74 and and U.S. Route 150.  Illinois Route 49 cuts through the heart of town as well.  The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad passes through Ogden as it runs alongside Route 150.

The history of the town of Ogden and its former high school are in need of research.  We believe the town had a high school in place by the end of the 1800s, certainly by the early years of the 1900s.  Ogden High School served the town and surrounding farm children for several years.  The early 1960s brought with them consolidation talks with Ogden’s nearby neighbor to the west, St. Joseph.  This effort was realized in 1963 with the creation of the St. Joseph-Ogden School District.

The high school for district was, and is today, located in St. Joseph. Dennis W. Small tells us the town of Ogden still hosts a grade school for the St. Joe-Ogden School District in a building located across the street from where the high school once stood.  The former Ogden HS building has been razed.

Ogden High School Quick Facts

Year opened:                       early 1900s?

Year closed:                        1963

Consolidated to:                   St. Joseph-Ogden School District

Ogden HS team nickname:   “Bulldogs”

OHS team colors:                 Maroon & White

School Fight Song:               unavailable

Athletics

Ogden High School offered the boys sport of basketball and track for sure.  Baseball and, probably, football were offered as well.  School team nickname, team colors, fight song, records and coach’s names are all items we are seeking.

Basketball

The Ogden High School boys won a total of four District titles in the existance of the program.   Unfortunately this is the extent of the information we currently have available regarding the OHS basketball program. Several scores involving Ogden High School boys basketball have been located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores” and are reposted below.

1920-21                       Urbana District Tournament         Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Longview 19-10

Champaign beat Urbana in title game

1921-22                       Urbana District Tournament         Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Sidney 38-27

                                    2nd Rd Beat Mahomet 38-2

                                    Semi-final lost to Fisher 26-10

Fisher beat Villa Grove in title game

1928-29                      IHSA District Champions            Coach’s name & record needed

District Scores Needed (incredible accomplishment!)

                                   IHSA Sectional Tournament

1st Rd lost to Champaign 39-29

CHAMPAIGN (39): Goudie 16, Hall 8, Armstrong 5, Hagerman 4, McDonald 3, Cox 2, Vriner 1

OGDEN (29): McGee 13, Richards 8, Kyter 6, Stayton 2.

Champaign beat Penfield in title game

1929-30                      IHSA District Champions            Coach’s name & record needed

District Scores Needed (incredible accomplishment!)

                                   IHSA Sectional Runner-Up

1st Rd Beat Chatsworth 28-10

                                   Semi-final Beat Monticello 26-23

                                   Title Game lost to Bloomington 29-21

BLOOMINGTON (29): Cooke 11, Argo 7, Augspurger 5, Hallet 4, Buescher 2

OGDEN (21): McGee 10, Kyger 8, Edwards 2, R. Cast 1

Bloomington lost to Peoria Manual in State Championship game

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

1st Rd lost to St. Joseph 22-18

Mahomet beat Champaign in title game

1933-34                       Urbana District Tournament         Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to St. Joseph 19-14

Urbana beat Champaign in title game

1934-35                       Fisher District Tournament           Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Mansfield 29-27 (O/T)

                                    2nd Rd Beat Philo 37-18

                                    Semi-final lost to Fisher 12-11

Fisher lost to Urbana in title game

1035-36                       Westville District Tournament       Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Indianola 21-14

                                    Semi-final lost to Oakwood 20-15

Fairmount beat Oakwood in title game

1936-37                      IHSA  District Champions           Coach’s name & record needed

District Scores Needed

Westville Regional Tournament

1st Rd lost to Westville 23-22

Catlin beat Allerton

1937-38  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1938-39                      Fisher Regional Tournament          Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Fisher 30-29 (O/T)

Urbana beat Champaign in title game

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

1940-41                      Mansfield District Runner-Up      Coach John Waldrip

                                   Season Record Needed

                                   1st Rd Beat Mansfield 43-24

                                   Semi-final Beat Seymour 41-26

                                   Title Game lost to Homer 43-30

1941-42                      Sidell District Champions            Coach John Waldrip

                                   Season Record Needed

                                   Title Game Beat Homer 41-33

                                   Danville Regional Tournament

1st Rd Beat Oakwood 45-34

Semi-final lost to Danville 38-28

Homer beat Danville in title game

1942-43                      Hume District Runner-Up              Coach John Waldrip

                                   Season Record Needed

                                   1st Rd Beat Fairmount 43-19

                                   Semi-final Beat Homer 44-39

                                   Title Game lost to Allerton 57-44

1943-44                      Postseason scores, record needed  Coach John Waldrip

1944-45                      Sidell District Runner-Up               Coach John Waldrip

                                   Season Record Needed

                                   1st Rd Beat Hume 57-46

                                   Semi-final Beat Indianola 31-22

                                   Title Game lost to Allerton 58-25

1945-46      9 – 16        IHSA District Tournament                Coach John Waldrip

                                    1st Rd lost to Allerton 56-36

1946-47                       Sidell District Tournament                Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Indianola 57-34

Indianola beat Allerton in title game

1947-48                       Sidell District Tournament                Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Hume 49-46

Hume beat Allerton in title game

1948-49                       Sidell District Tournament                Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Hume 52-41

Hume lost to Indianola in title game

1949-50                       Postseason scores/record needed   Coach Tyrus Franklin

1950-51                       Hume District Tournament                Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Sidell 57-52

Allerton beat Indianola in title game

1951-52      9 – 14        Metcalf District Tournament              Coach Kemp

1st Rd lost to Allerton 81-50

Indianola beat Allerton in title game

1952-53    14 – 9          Ridge Farm District Tournament       Coach Kemp

1st Rd Beat Ridge Farm 47-44

                                    Semi-final lost to Fairmount 44-42

Fairmount beat Sidell in title game

1953-54                       Ridge Farm District Runner-Up      Coach’s name & record needed

Early Round Scores Needed

Title Game lost to Sidell 49-45 (O/T)

1954-55  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1955-56                       Chrisman District Tournament            Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Metcalf Young America 64-51

St. Joseph beat Ridge Farm in title game

1956-57                       Ridge Farm District Tournament         Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to Ridge Farm 69-55

Chrisman beat Metcalf Y.A. in title game

1957-58                       Homer District Tournament                 Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd lost to St. Joseph 54-47

Chrisman beat St. Joseph in title game

1958-59                       Broadlands District Runner-Up       Coach’s name & record needed

Early Round Scores Needed

Semi-final Beat Homer 49-48 (O/T)

Title Game lost to Broadlands ABL 58-43

1959-60  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1960-61    12 – 11        Broadlands District Tournament         Coach Jim Bottrell

1st Rd lost to St. Joseph 66-57

St. Joseph beat Broadlands ABL in title game

1961-62  Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.

1962-63    21 – 3         Broadlands District Runner-Up       Coach Jim Bottrell

Early Round Scores Needed

Semi-final Beat St. Joseph 45-44 (O/T)

**Title Game lost to Broadlands ABL 62-50

**Final game for the Ogden High School boys basketball team. Consolidated with St. Joseph in the summer of 1963.

Boys Track & Field

Two male tracksters brought home medals from the IHSA State Track Meet.

1924-25B    Howard Jacobs     1Mile Run         3RD Place

1930-31       Ralph Cast               High Jump      2ND Place

WHAT CAN YOU ADD….

…about the history of Ogden High School? You can contact us with your information at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. or send them to the address via regular mail. We are looking for a photo of the school itself or any other photos that pertain to OHS. You can also reach us via real mail at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Nava

Chicago, Il 60631


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