Xenia High School “Fighting Irish”

Posted on by davenanninga in Uncategorized
Xenia High School Building
A picture containing building, outdoor, white, old Description automatically generated
Submitted by Rick Bauer

The History of Xenia High School

Xenia, with its 407 residents, is located in southern Illinois just south of US Route 50 at the intersection of County Roads 6 and 200.  Xenia is nestled in the southwest corner of Clay County.  The north part of town sits along the Old US HWY. 50, while the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad runs through the center of town. A town of note would be Effingham, which is located approximately 35 miles north of Xenia. One unique fact about Xenia is that it is the ONLY town listed on the 2000 Illinois Census that begins with the letter “X”.

The history of the town of Xenia and its school system is not available at this time.  We are hopeful someone will share this knowledge with us.  It is known that Xenia had its own high school at least into the middle 1940s.  In the late 1950s or earlyt 1960s a consolidation effort with its neighbor to the east, Flora, became a reality.

Randall Tate tells us:

“A brick schoolhouse was located in Xenia near where the Elementary school is today.   Xenia consolidated with Flora in the 1950’s or early 1960’s.  A new school was built for K-8 grades, it is K-4 grades today, and the old building was torn down.”

Xenia High School Quick Facts

Year opened:            late 1800s

Year closed:             late 1950s / early 1960s

Consolidated to:        Flora High School

School nickname:     the “Fightin’ Irish”

School colors:          Green & White

School Fight Song:   unavailable
Athletics

There was very little information available regarding the athletic program at Xenia High School. The only team we found information on was the boys basketball team.  We are confident Xenia also offered track and possibly baseball, and or football.

Boys Basketball

The Xenia boys had one real nice run the the mid 1940s, winning back to back to back IHSA District titles from 1943 – 45.  We are hopeful a fan or alum of Xenia can fill us in on the details of the better teams in Xenia HS history.  The three championship teams are listed below.

IHSA Tournament scores for Xenia High School were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores” and are printed below.

1921-22                                                                Coach’s name & season record needed.

Olney District Tourney

1st Rd. Beat Bone Gap 19-16

                      Lost in 2nd Rd.

Olney beat Louisville in title game

1922-23 through 1930-31  Coach’s names,season records, and IHSA Tourney scores unavailable

1931-32         Flora District Tourney                     Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Geff 17-15

2nd Rd lost to Mt. Erie 22-7

Noble beat Olney in title game

1932-33         Flora District Tourney                     Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Dietrich 41-7

2nd Rd Beat Farina 13-12

Semi-Final lost to Kinmundy 28-18

Effingham beat Kinmundy in title game

1933-34         Flora District Tourney                     Coach’s name & season record needed.

1st Rd. Lost to Iola 23-20

Salem beat Olney in title game

1934-35                                                        Coach’s name & season record unavailable.

Olney District Tourney

1st Rd Lost to Clay City 35-22

Olney beat Noble in title game

1935-36                                                        Coach’s name & season record unavailable.

 Flora District Tourney Runner-Up

 1st Rd Beat Sailor Springs 43-28

 Semi-final Beat Iuka 33-32

 Title Game lost to Cisne 33-29

1936-37  Coach’s name, season record, and IHSA Tourney scores unavailable

1937-38  Coach’s name, season record, and IHSA Tourney scores unavailable

1938-39                                                        Coach’s name & season record unavailable.

Fairfield Regional Tourney

1st Rd Lost to Wayne City 39-22

1939-40  Coach’s names, season records, and IHSA Tourney scores unavailable

1940-41        Flora District Tourney              Coach’s name & record needed

1st Rd Beat Bible Grove 48-30

Semi-Final lost to Mt. Erie 42-25

Burnt Prairie beat Mt. Erie in title game

1941-42  Coach’s names, season records, and IHSA Tourney scores unavailable

1942-43        Flora District Champions      Coaches name & record not available

1st Rd Beat Sailor Springs 44-17

Semi-Final Beat Ingraham 23-22

Title Game Beat Parkersburg 34-26

Flora Regional Tourney

1st Rd lost to Noble 29-26

Flora beat Cisne in title game

1943-44        Clay City District Champions     Coaches name & record not available

Early Rd Scores Needed

Title Game Beat Ingraham 59-30

Flora Regional Tourney

1st Rd lost to Clay City 46-25

Flora beat Noble in title game

              

1944-45         Flora District Champions     Coaches name & record not available

Semi-Final Beat Ingraham 25-17

Title Game Beat Mt. Erie 65-9

Flora Regional Tourney

1st Rd lost to Noble 37-32

Flora beat Olney in title game

1945-46         Flora Regional Tournament    Coaches name & record not available

Xenia did not compete in District this season

1st Rd lost to Noble 46-25

Flora beat Olney in title game

1946-47         Bluford District Tourney          Coach’s name & season record unavailable.

1st Rd Beat Ina 88-34

2nd Rd Lost to Waltonville

Bluford Webber beat Waltonville in title game

1947-48         Breese District Tourney          Coach’s name & season record unavailable.

1st Rd lost to New Baden 71-43

Breese beat Odin in title game

1948-49         Breese District Tourney          Coach’s name & season record unavailable.

**1st Rd lost to Trenton 63-13

Breese beat Trenton in title game

*1949 was the last score located on the Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores website.

Famous Alumni

*Delyte Morris

President of Southern Illinois University from 1948-1970, was a graduate of Xenia High School .  Under the leadership of Morris, SIU grew from a small college to two major Universities at Carbondale (the library bears his name) and at Edwardsville (where the University Center bears his name.)

Seeking More Information

We are anxiously seeking further information on the town of Xenia and its high school.  When did the high school close?  Who were the coaches?  Why the great run in the mid 1940s?  We especially enjoy photos of the old school buildings and great teams, players, and coaches of past in Xenia.  If you have any of this information you would like to share please complete a Guest Commentary Form.  You can also e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago,  Il.  60631
 


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