Campion Jesuit High School - Knight Yearbook (Prairie du Chien, WI)

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Memoria! Fi vlti pays tribu tv it yrcal coach lete center jump after every basket. It was said he never lost a game if he was close at half time, so expertly could he diagnose op- ponents’ strength and strategy. The spectacular track record of 52 wins, 13 losses, for a staggering .820 win percentage included three consecutive undefeated sea- sons and only five losses from 1929-1942. Over half of the present school records were set by his athletes. When Campion resumed baseball in 1948, the Coach, now in the twi- light of his career, led the team to a five-year 21-18 record, with an 8-1 season in 1950. To keep alive the memory of such a coach and of his remarkable record, the Campion football field was named in perpetuum Hoff- man Field and in 1950 the La Crosse diocese created the Hoffman Football Trophy, a per- manent travelling award to the best team each year in the diocese. For a hobby beyond coaching, Mr. Hoffman mastered much of early Prairie du Chien his- tory and wrote three novels. The first, Richard Haddon, published in 1920, told of historic Fort Crawford in Prairie; the second, Untam- ed Wilderness in 1930, told of fur trading and the War of 1812; the third, to be published, which he has titled A World in Purchase, tells of George Rogers Clark expedition to Illinois during the Revolutionary War. Such is the story of Coach Hoffman. Today at 78 he is still Campion’s most active sports fan and attends all games. His legacy to Campion has been great. Eddie McGuire, HIGH SCHOOL TRACK RECORD 1926-1947 Campion Opp. Year Meets Won Lost Tied Pts. Pts. 1926 2 1 1 0 102 132 1927 3 2 1 0 197 154 1928 2 2 0 0 139 93 1929 4 4 0 0 257 215 1930 2 2 0 0 136 99 1931 4 3 1 0 273 155 1932 No Competition 1933 2 1 1 0 125 101 1934 4 4 0 0 267 165 1935 5 4 1 0 344 193 1936 4 3 0 1 264 154 1937 5 5 0 0 310 230 1938 5 5 0 0 307 233 1939 4 4 0 0 282 198 1940 5 4 1 0 332 257 1941 4 3 1 0 307 145 1942 2 2 0 0 143 78 1943 No Competition 1944 2 0 2 0 85 168 1945 3 1 2 0 160 179 1946 2 2 0 0 146 80 1947 2 0 2 0 78 148 65 52 13 1 4254 3177 HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL RECORD Campion Opp. Year Games Won Lost Runs Runs 1948 8 4 4 42 40 1949 8 5 3 47 22 1950 9 8 1 74 21 1951 7 3 4 49 31 1952 7 1 6 13 50 39 21 18 225 164 Hoffman Memorial Athletic Field. Varsity baseball, football fields (left) are completed; rest will be graded this Fall. 8

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for amuzinfi 20 - i rar .702 irin pvrrmUujr HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL RECORD 1925-26 to 1946-47 Campion Opp. Year Games Won Lost Pts. Pts. 1925-26 12 10 2 343 109 1926-27 13 8 5 294 184 1927-28 17 10 7 360 264 1928-29 16 13 3 404 233 1929-30 18 17 1 464 211 1930-31 23 20 3 579 284 1931-32 25 20 5 629 364 1932-33 18 13 5 486 330 1933-34 25 20 5 638 399 1934-35 19 14 5 404 278 1935-36 25 21 4 748 489 1936-37 22 15 7 633 499 1937-38 19 10 9 358 354 1938-39 19 15 4 540 398 1939-40 21 15 6 717 613 1940-41 23 16 7 642 529 1941-42 18 8 10 423 385 1942-43 16 14 2 560 343 1943-44 23 20 3 844 550 1944-45 22 10 12 645 639 1945-46 17 15 2 649 469 1946-47 16 7 9 545 515 427 311 116 12005 8439 Three consecutive state championships, 1930, 1931, 1932! In six state tournaments, he won 17, lost 3. Bottom Row: Hon. Edward J. Offense, National Catholic Tournament, Loyola Academy, 1937; Fourth Place Win- ners, 1932, National Catholic Tournament (Basketball), Loyola University, Chicago; Wisconsin State Catholic High School Championship (Basketball), 1930, held at Marquette University; Wisconsin Catholic Interscholastic Athletic association. State Championship (Basketball), 1931; W.C.I.A.A., State Championship (Basketball), 1932] Marquette University; Fourth Place, National Catholic Tournament, Loyola University, Chicago, 1934; Fourth Place, National Catholic Tournament, Loyola University, Chicago, 1936; W. E. Dunn Trophy, Best Coached Team] National Catholic Tournament, Loyola University, Chica- go, 1934. 2nd Row: Triangular Meet, 880 Relay, 1929- Loras Relay, 1946, Mile Relay; C.A.C. Track Meet Cham- pionship, 1927, (at) Columbia Academy, (to) Campion Academy; Loras Relays, 1946, Medley Relay, Campion; Loras Relays, 1946, Championship, Campion; Loras Prep Relays, 1942; Dr. E. J. Norton Award for the team scor- ing the Highest Number of Points in the First Round, National Catholic Tournament, Loyola, University, Chi- cago, 1931; Campion Victory team of 1928; Catholic High School State Championship (Football), 1928, won by Campion High School; the Victory Football of 1941 with scores of each of the nine wins. Top Row: Loras Relays, Medley, 1941; Presented by the Catholic Herald of Wisconsin to Campion, winner of the mile relay, Wisconsin Catholic High Schools, at Marquette Stadium] May 5, 1928; Interscholastic Track and Field meet won by Campion Academy, 1920; Knights of Columbus trophy, Mid-West Interscholastic Conference, first place Track and Field meet, 1940; (same) 1939; (same, travel- ing trophy retired) 1939, 1940, by Campion; K of C Trophy, Campion annual field day, 1929, Catholic Herald Trophy, Wisconsin Catholic H.S., 880 yd. relay National Relay Carnival, 1929, Marquette U., won by Campion, Time, 1:36.9; Loras Relays, 1941, championship. 7 SPOILS OF VICTORY — some of the many trophies won by the Conquering Hoffmen. Hughes Award, Cleverest

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Hoffman the author reviews typed manuscript of his latest novel at this home in 1950. Two of his historical novels, Richard Haddon and Untamed Wilderness, were published in 1920. and 1930. I'oach-aulhor writes three historical novels sports writer of the Chicago American, wrote after watching the 1934 basketball team at the National Tournament: “The Campion team has something that no other fives in these tourneys have . . . It’s a sort of fear of losing and a never-say- die spirit.” Coach Hoffman has given Campion the spirit and prestige of champions. But even more has been his personal example. It is fitting that the final tributes come from the students themselves written in the Campionette, the first in 1934, the second in 1955: “Possibly Coach Hoffman's success is due to his wonderful character itself. . . . His teams love and respect him as the teams at Notre Dame respect and love Knute Rockne. His teams play for him and not for the crowd. They listen to his advice and accept his corrections because they know he is The Rest Coach' and as a result they are The Best Coached “Indeed Coach Hoffman is a living exemplar of the ideals of Campion. He is first and foremost a gentleman, a truly Christian soul whose every action is stamped with fairness and kindness, and whose name has become a hall- mark for courtesy and consideration. The supreme tribute to a coach! The W. E. Dunn trophy for The Best Coached Team at the National Catholic H. S. Basketball Tournament in Chicago, 1934 Invited to 12 national tournaments, his teams won 15, lost 15. 9