Arizona Western College - El Matador Yearbook (Yuma, AZ)

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The many moods of Bill Hagins, No. 52, during the season show his complete and total involve- ment with the execution of the sport. Hagins, selected to the first team All-Arizona conference squad, led the Matadors with re- bounding and averaged l9.2 points per game. Hagins CTOP LEFTJ reacts to a referee's call. The 6-8 center QRIGHTQ works for an opening in the opponents defense and CFAR RIGHTJ waits for a rebound while teammate Dwain Talley executes one-foot balance. 100 AWD 52 sq Wa- ,N , Basketball I

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sn inthe Nation! The basketball team posed with their fifth place trophy after arriving on campus from the national basketball tournament. Team members included QLEFT TO RIGHTJ assistant coach Joedy Gardner, Ken Leb- sock, Bill Truman, Candy LaPrince QWITH TROPHYJ, Bruce Battle QWEARING HATJ, Joe Sills, Dennis Marshall, Dwain Talley, Phil Filer, Ed Mazon, head Coach John Whisenant, and Bill Hagins. Not pictured is assistant coach Jim Amick. Coach Whisenant CABOVEJ presents Pres. Hall the victory trophy, and is congratulated by Dr. Hall for the national honor brought to Yuma and AWC. Matadors net 34-3 record, coach accepts new post HUTCHINSON, Kan. 4 Arizona Western College is officially the fifth best junior college basketball team in the nation, and a lot of folks here feel the Matadors might be No. l. And so wrote a sportswriter covering Arizona West- ern at the National Junior College Athletic Associa- tion's national basketball tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., March 14th through 18th. The Matadors, who lost the opening game against Paducah, Ky., won fifth place in the 16-team national basketball tournament after defeating Erie, N.Y., Dal- ton, Ga., and Hutchinson, Kan., colleges. Western came all the way back after their initial loss through the loser's bracket to net their national title. The final win gave AWC a total season record of 34-3. It was a determined squad that recovered after their initial loss to Paducah College, 86-78. Arizona Western bounced back to defeat Erie Community College, 116-76, and Dalton College, 92-79. The sternest challenge came in the final game which saw Western go into overtime against hometown Hutch- inson Junior College before a throng of 7,500 screaming, partisan fans. But the Matadors won, 99-94. Along with the national victory, during the season AWC laid claim to the state title, region one title and first place finishes in both the Matador Classic and El Toro Classic. It was Coach John Whisenant's finest hour. The 34 wins also set a school record. Under Whise- nant, the Matadors have won 24 games in each of the last two years. Whisenant, who had been here four years, announced in late March that he was leaving Western, He was of- fered, and he accepted the No. l assistantship at the Uni- versity of New Mexico at Albuquerque. As of press time, assistant coach Joedy Gardner had been mentioned as a possible successor to Whisenant, So it was not unusual when about 100 students and fans, among them college Pres. Hall and Yuma Mayor Thomas Allt, greeted the team when it arrived on campus March 19th after their return from Hutchinson. It was a tired, but happy team that proudly surround- ed their NJCAA trophy while photos were taken. A- board the Matador bus was Whisenant, his assistants, Joedy Gardner and Jim Amick, the team, the cheer- leaders, and a student broadcasting crew of Cliff Car- roll, Gordon Helm and Peter Vos. All the tournament games were videotaped and telecasted on a delayed basis over Cable Channel 8 and broadcasted over KAWC. It was a balmy Sunday evening in Yuma when the Matador team stepped off the Crown Coach to the cheers of their supporters. It was a balmy evening, but not a typical one. One that will long be remembered.

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