Bourbon High School - Python Yearbook (Bourbon, IN)

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9 THE PYTHON 21 cocoooooooooooooooooooooooo Basket Ball 1920-21 The season of 1921 was a successful one both as to having a win- ning team this year and the production of good material for next. The team originally picked by coach Ferguson was, Berstch and Delp, forwards: Welch, centerg Vanner and Spencer, guards, with a second team of Green, Stoler, Sellers, Wright and Foe. The first game played was with Inwood in which they were de- cisively beaten 26-3 with both first and second teams taking part in the slaughter. At Plymouth our first team was beaten by 19 to 6 and our second team defeated by Plymouth's team 12-7. A slippery floor played a big part in the defeat. Our teams played well but could not drop the goals. Atwood at Bourbon was the next thing on the program the fol- lowing Friday night, and again the maroon and grey went down to defeat. Our boys fought hard but were badly out-weighed and could not find the basket. Green started the game in Bertsch's place but was soon replaced. Final score 32-7. Delp, one of our forwards, left the team and Stoler took his place. Tippecanoe came to Bourbon the next Friday night and received a trimming at our hands 25-10. Stoler justified Ferguson's choice by dropping seven goals. Vanner and Spencer played remarkable games at guard while Bertsch and Welch showed much speed and ability. Foe was used also in the last few minutes of play. On Nov. 26, our team after a grilling week of practice started out for Etna Green determined to win from our rivals on the east. It was a fight from start to finish but we were beaten 18-12. Many dirty tactics were used by both teams and Yazel of Etna was put off the floor. Much unsportmanlike attitude was shown by some of the spectators by the language used toward the players and referee. Spencer, our running guard, was our mainstay in this game by ef- fectively guarding his man and also making eight of our points. Six of these were made on very long shots. Next Mentone came to Bourbon where they were whalloped to the tune of 47-3. The team played brilliantly, passing all around their opponents. Spencer was not feeling well in this game and Foe took his place for the latter part. Later the entire second team finished the game. At this time Wright and Green had left the squad and L. Welch, Dillingham, Coar and Dulmatch played on the second string. The following Friday night Culver came to Bourbon where they were beaten 11-8. It was one of the closest, fastest and most exciting games ever played on the home fioor. In this game our team showed real class on the foffensivei aggressive and also played an unbeata- ble defensive game. Too much praise cannot be given the team for winning this game for although they were outweighed they made their speed make up for it. A change was made in the line-up which made a great improvement in the team. Welch took Vanners place at back-guard while Vanner moved up to center. Both men were more fitted for their new positions and certainly played them well. Next Plymouth came to Bourbon all ready to repeat the defeat we received there but they were doomed to disappointment for the fast high school quintet went into the game with the old pep and the final score stood 17 for Bourbon and 12 for Plymouth. The Plymouth team was unable to break up our teamwork while Welch simply picked Plymouth's shots out of the air. oanoaoaoooonooooooaooooooooooeq Page Forty-three

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THE PYTHON '21 0oooooooooooQvooooeooooooohnooooooooooooooooooooobooo ARNOLD DEMMY SPENCER A real floor guard. Demmv saved many games for us by a bas- ket at a critical moment and also made some of the fastest forwards he played against think' they had for- gotten how to make baskets. FRED BULLSHEVIKI BUTCH One of the smallest, yet fastest for- wards Boulbon ever had. When no- body else could take the ball through they gave it to Bullsky. He never knew when he was beaten. BURCHARD BUTCH WELCH Butch played back guard and it took a lucky forward to put one over his head. He picked them right out of the air. A dependable man in a tight game. U6 f' I I F ergu,s0n's Winning Hand oooooooooooooooooooooooo Page Forty-two WAYNE STAHL STOLER A good man when the team a basket for when he got a good-night. He made all his work overtime and when he foul the score-keeper marked needed shot- guards shot a up one point before hand. CLAUDE HOG VANNER The captain and one of the best of our team. A fast and sure center. Claude was always there and he had two hundred pounds of bone and muscle to back him up.

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S 0000000009 000000000 00oooooo00o000o00000000000 o0ooo0o0o0o0oo0oo0oooo0000 Basket Ball 1920-21 CCont. Our team was again determined to win from Etna Green the fol- lowing Friday night but again our hopes were crushed for although it took our rivals three over-time periods to do it we were finally beaten by the score of 11-9. This game is contested by the local fans because three baskets of which two, at least, were well earned were not counted. One of these was made by Vanner and was not counted because his foot touched the wall as he shot. Although the referee had not warned the players before the game that this was not al- lowed he refused to count the basket. The next game was with our high school Alumni and resulted in a victory for them. Spencer was unable to play in this game and although Sellers who took his place played remarkably Well yet the team was crippled and did not show the usual class of basket ball. Our team was decisively beaten in the next three weeks by the small pox scare, all the players being vaccinated.. The next game was with Pierceton. Our team was not in shape after their lay-off and could not make the easiest shots at the bas- ket during the first half and were beaten 9-4. When the second half started, however, the team came back with a rush, carried Pierceton off their feet and beat them with a final score of 18-11. Bremen was our next victim and although they were a fast, clean bunch of players we were too much for them and beat them by the score of 36-11. The second team played the last five minutes and were able to keep them from making any baskets and were danger- ously near getting some themselves. Next we went to Nappanee where the tide was turned against us 34-22. The team played well and sometimes better than their op- ponents but could not stop their long shots. The following Tuesday night the team autoed to Inwood where they defeated out neighboring high school by the score of 17-13. The game was played in semi-darkness and our team was handicap- ped by irregular baskets and a small floor or they would certainly have raised the score. Friday the 18th the team started for Culver and came back with the short end of 13-4. Berstch was disabled and played only three minutes of the second half. Sellers took his Dlace. The next Wednesday night Nappanee played here and with the score 15-12 in favor of them and Bourbon coming fast the lights went out and the game was forfeited. On Friday night with Berstch still out of the line-up our boys beat Warsaw on their floor with a score of 21-17. A return game was played the following Wednesday and the score stood 38-8 in Bourbon's favor. At the district tournament our team beat Beaver Dam 20-3 and North Webster 18-16 but were stopped by Culver 21-5. Coach Ferguson certainly deserves great credit for the team that he produced this year, for the teamwork and the passing that he gave them, and which they used so effectively, was unsurpassed by any team they played this season. This year the squad loses only Stoler and next year our high school should have one of the best teams in our section of the state. Berstch, Spencer, Welch and Vanner have been steadily improving this year and with a new fast man to fill Stoler's place great results can be expected. ooooooooooooooooooooo000o Page Forty-four