Bryan High School - Bryannual Yearbook (Yellow Springs, OH)

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We knew that our next game would undouhtedly he our toughest up to date hecause we were going to meet our most hitter enemy, Cedarville. VVe lost our lirst game to a strong Cedarville live. Now we knew the team that would give tis the most trouhle the remainder ol' the year. Our next lioe was to he linon and we showed everyhody that we had completely recovered from the shock that we got the week helore, lor we heliutldled the much smaller team. The lollovving week we iourneyed to neighhoring Oshorn to attempt to end their winning streak. It was a tough hattle all the way, hut we linally plowed them under. Um' next game was iust heliore Christmas vaca- tion and the coach got us a game with perhaps the strongest team in Dayton and surrounding areas. This liairview team came to our court expecting an easy time, and we really lought the lirst hall, hut we just couldn't hold out. They went hack with our second deleat under their helts. Our next game was the one with our arch enemy, Cedarville. Again it was a very hitted hattle, in lact it was our toughest game ol the year. This game went into two overtime periods helore Cedarville heat us for the second time. Next was a return game with the improving linon live. Though improved they didnlt put up much more ol' a hattle hut superior height, speed, and accuracy told the tale. The following week we iourneyed to lellierson to meet a supposedly strong team. We were very much surf prised hecause ol' their weakness. We rolled up our highest score against the lellerson live. Next the llu hug got some ol' our players, and we were still a little over-conlident as we went into the game with Beaver. We were trounced soundly and l think that is when the coach and the entire team came to the liront. Our next game was with the underdog ol' the league, the Ross live. They were known lor their scrappy team play. With all their light they were easy prey for the sharp-shooting liryanites. Next was the Silvercreek aggregation. Again they were no match lor the liryan's artistic ways. The lollowing week we met a mediocre Spring Valley team. VVe overwhelmed them in easy fashion. Next we came to the D.S.S.D. live. They provided us with a little more competition, hut they were soundly trounced. ln the return game THE BULLDOGS lim DIRTLE . Co-Captain First Row: Dick Anderson, Dick Cordell, Buster Hamilton, Co-Captain: Douglas lansen. Mascot: lohn liiunderhurg, Coach: lim Ark. lim Birtle, Co-Captain: Don Amon. Second Row: llarold llenrichsen, Managerg Karl Knoedel, Bernard Hamilton, Ken Lawson, Harry Morgan.

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I Three Cheers for Our Coach Iohn Funderhurg, a former Bryan athlete in the class of '39, belonged to the varsity team in his Iunior and Senior years, but never excelled in sports. Neither is he a member of the school faculty, but serves only as cage coach. This marks his first year as varsity mentor, but in the two preceding years he directed the Hryan Reserves, who won the County Reserve Championship Linder his tutelage in 1943. In this way he showed an interest and eagerness to expand his experiences in the coaching world. Though not equipped with the usual aids of professional ind technical training he made his own patterns and carved out a winning combination, men that were dilhcult to block, resulting in the capture of thrce coveted trophies. Coach Funderburg is calm and retiring, hut endowed with a magnpti' pir- I sonality and genuine interest in boys and sports. It might lne said that he has a l sixth sense for coaching, and unusual ability in making quick decisions on his , own without fear or consultation. lofxczii Ioim Ftwneiiatfko , I know I speak tor the team and community at large when I say we appreciate knowing and working with such a self-made individual who never hesitates to fgive his all that the best results may come forth. Should I say, uci0LlCl11S are born, imd not made-U -limzxmt liIRTLE Bulldogs Prove Superior With Three Trophies to Their Credit As victory is in sight on the Western and Eastern fronts, victory became a reality to the Bryan cagers as they smothered and outfought many of the stronger foes in the state. In doing so, they won the Greene County Tournament and went on to take the District Championship. Much of the credit for our success should be given to the person who deserves such an honor, Coach lohn Funderburg, a man whose virtues are to us as Mac- Arthur's are to his men. As the Bryan iuggernaut started rolling it became evident that the cagers had the makings of a state contender. Not without preparation I assure you, for long hours of practice, working out plays and training for co-ordination and speed, are the unseen bits ol' magic that transform raw material into a great team which would be a menace to any of the contenders in the neighborhood. We started our practice early in the fall and were ready on the night of November I7 to attempt our lirst game against an untested Ohio Guard five. We showed them that our practice was not in vain, for we romped over them in easy fashion. After our first game we heard some of the townspeople say that we undoubtedly would he the next County Champions. With everybody in town behind us we played a green New Carlisle team and snowed them under much in the same way that we had done the preceding week. DOUGLAS IANSEN - MASCOT

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DoN AMON - TIM BIRTLE - TIM ARK with lieavercreek we were keyed up to the point where we were almost unbeatable. We defeated them to take second place in the league behind Cedarville. Rounding out the regular season we played Bellbrook. This game was mere practice in preparation for tournament play. s'Take the Tournament! was Iohn Funderburg's cry all through the practice sessions preceding the tournament. The players, determined as Iohn was, knew it would take a very strong team to beat this reiuvenated Bryan live. In the first game we were lucky enough to draw Bellbrook, the team we had played and beat the preceding week. As before, Bell- brook offered little more than practice in our opening game. Two nights later we were on the floor in Xenia again to play the also rejuvenated Ross five. It was nip and tuck all the way, but Bryan's superiority in every phase of the game was the deciding factor. We changed our victory cry from Take the Tournamenti' to L'Beat Cedarville! This was to be our last chance to get even with Cedarville which held two decisions over us during the regular season. Of all the games that we had won and wanted to win, this game was the one that we wanted to win most of all. In past years Cedarville has always been our stumbling block as far as winning the tournament was concerned. But this year we had that do-or-die spirit which was DONALD Doc AMON A Iunior and reserve man on the team. Doc special- ized in one- or two-handed shots from the corner. Although he didn't see much action, he was always there. IAMES L'BEETLE BIRTLE A Senior and forward, rounded out the year with an excellent record. Beetle uses two-handed or one- handed shots with keen accuracy. He is also co- captain of our team. IAMES DIR'rY', ARK A Iunior and guard played exceptionally good ball. He is one of the best foul shots in the county. During the year he made quite a few spectacular shots. He'll be back unless called for mili- tary duty. hard to beat. ln this game the betting was heavy and many people thought that this would hinder us some, but we took the attitude that this was just another game that we were going to win. As the game began everybody was tense and sit- ting on the edge of their seats expecting none the worse for the Bryan five, for they knew we were out for revenge. At the end of the first quarter the Bryan lfoys were 'way out in front. By this time everybody had relaxed and sat back in their seats wondering how bad Bryan would beat Cedarville. Yes, we beat Cedar- villeg not only did we beat them but we almost doubled the score on them! Most people thought this was an upset but in Bryan's estimation it was a mere turn- over. This is a time when the student body of Bryan and the citizens of Yellow Springs should be con- gratulated on the way they have followed their team to victory. After winning the County Tournament we had a big chance of going a long way in the District. The following four days we had one of the most gruelling practices of the year, and then our coach knew that we were ready for anything that was put up against us. In our first game we were up against a scrappy Lakeview five which was known for their aggressive- ness. The game was fairly close through the first half