Canton High School - Cantonian Yearbook (Canton, IL)

Page 15 text:

lst row: G. Babcock, O. Schumacher, L. Watson, R. Moore, F. Melgreen. 2nd row: C. Sullivan, Manager, B. Oaks, P. Watt, K. Owens, A. J. Henseler, D. Cox, M. Cox, Manager. 3rd row: Coach Metzger, Capt. B. Grove, J. Gumbel, B. Hess, K. Payne, Coach Larson. 1944-45 arsify jaskefhaff Playing one of the toughest schedules in C.H.S. history, we feel mighty proud that our team did as well as it did. Maybe our win and loss record wasn't as impressive as past years but we fought some of the top notch teams in the state. We got off to a comparatively slow start but we soon gained our strength and drive after a few games. There was quite a duel between Canton and Manual this year and we showed them what we were made of. We felt pretty badly about not making State, but then again when we think of who beat us, we don't feel half bad. This year we lose Henseler, Payne, Grove, Moore, Oaks, and Schumacher. To these Seniors we say, Good luck and happy landings! We'll still have Melgreen, Hess, Owens, Cox, Mendenhall, Watson, and Sepich to carry on for the Purple and Old Gold. To them we say, Let's go, boys, and let's show Decatur we can do it too. GAMES VARSITY BASKETBALL SCORES Canton 29 ....... ........ R ock Island Canton 49 ..,.,.,, .....,., L ewistown Canton 49 ....... ..,,.,.. E ast Peoria Canton 28. .,.,,.. ,,,,,,,, M anual Canton 42 ...t.t, ,.... L ewistown Canton 34 ,,,,,.,, ......., T aylorville Canton 45 ....... ......,. M onmouth Canton 54, ......, -----,,, K ewanee Canton 49 ....... .....,.. F armington Canton 28 ,,..,,.. ..,..... G alesburg Canton 25 ....... ........ P aris Canton 36. ,...... ....,., , Farmington Canton 32 .,,,... ........ . Moline Canton 42, ,,,,,,. .,....., Q uincy Canton 33 ....... ......... W oodruff Canton 43 .,,.,,. ....,..,. M anual REGIONAL Canton 35 ....... ......... G alesburg Canton 72 ----'- -------- E lmwood Canton 50 --vbggg ,--,----, M ,Comb Canton 59 ......,. ......, G lasford Canton 34 .------ V-------- P ekin Canton 40 ....,.. ........ M anual Canton 26, ,...,. ......,.. G alesburg SECTIONAL ' 222522 igfffff ijggiiiiliiiiif jg e.-...-- ee'----- gr ftgfn Academy Canton 48. ,.,,,. ,......,, L incoln anton ' i --'-'--'--- ' 3 es urg Canton 35, ,----- ,,--,--,, P ekin Total points, Canton-1219 Canton 45. ...... ........ . Central U31 Total points, Opponents-1141.

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n LU' GOELCAES COACH WILLARD O. LARSON During the eight years Coach Lar- son has been at Canton High, he has taken four basketball teams to the state tournament. Instilling the will to Win in his lads, Larson guided his proteges to 17 Wins and 13 losses. Can- ton met some of the best teams in the state. Coach Larson is well known at Can- ton High for his inimitable smile and inexhaustible supply of jokes. In addition to basketball, Mr. Lar- son is the baseball coach and has never failed to come up with good teams. 12 COACH WILLIAM J. METZGER In the last three years, interest in football here at Canton has greatly in- creased. This is due mostly to the untiring efforts of Coach Metzger. Though his material was not good this year, he has built up football and will have good teams in the next few years. Since his arrival here, Mr. Metzger has made many friends who are pulling for him to come up with winning teams. Aside from football, Mr. Metzger also is the track coach and has taken boys to compete in the State Track Meet both years he has been here. He is also coach of the Junior Varsity bas- ketball team.

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1944-45 asfeffaff .Eeffermen BOB GROVE-Bob was the captain of this year,s team and one of its top scorers. A quick, alert ball-player, he could always be depended on in the tight places. A good offensive man, he was a con- stant threat to the opponent because of his shoot- ing ability. This was Bob's second year as a regular so his experience was invaluable while he was playing at either the forward or guard posi- tions. We,ll have to say good-bye to a fine play- er as Bob's a senior. We'll miss him! RAY MOORE-Ray, a senior, was one of the scrappiest players on this year's squad. A good rebounder and fine defensive man, he was every- where the ball was. Ray played at both the guard and the forward positions and proved capable of handling either post. We take this opportunity to take our hats off to one of the less heralded, but, n-evertheless, hard-fighting ball-players. We'll miss him next season. BILL OAKS-Bill, another senior, closes his career as a high school athlete this year, but not without taking his share of honors as a basketball player. This was his first year as a regular and he proved himself a calm, steady, hard-fighting player no matter what the situation. His experience of past years made him a valuable member of the squad as he was called on at different times during the season to play guard, forward, and center. Bill's all-roundness will be missed next year. UBROTHERH SCHUMACHER-Ineligible the first semester, 'tBrother came out the second to make up for lost time. Playing on the first string at the guard position, he proved himself to be a fine man on the defensive and just as good on the offensive. Brother', was one of our top scorers during the latter part of the season, rarely missing that bucket. He, like the other mem- bers of the first five, is a senior this year. His fighting spirit will be missed when next season rolls around. KENNY PAYNE-Kenny was also ineligible the Hrst semester, but, like Brother,,' he came out the second to take over a berth on the first five at the forward post. A southpaw, and an accurate one at that, he was one of the sharp- shooters, and accounted for a good many points this semester. Kenny was a good defensive man and always did his share towards winning when called upon. Another senior, his experience as a ball-player will be missed next year. A. J. I-IENSELER-A. J. started out the season as a regular, but when some more experienced players came out the second semester, he had to relinquish his place on the first five. Since then f 14 he has got to see quite a bit of action. He was always ready to do his best when called upon and can really be called a scrappy player. A. J., like so many of the boys on this year's t-eam, is a sen- ior, so will be missing next year. KENNY OWENS--The tallest member squad this year, 6 ft. 4 in., Kenny,' started out by of his scorers of the playing at the center position. Because towering height, he was one of the high the first semester and was a constant threat to the opponent. Kenny was relieved of his first term position the second semester by a more experienced senior, but he still got to see a lot of action. His experience will be invaluable to him in his senior year, so great things are expected of him. DON COX-Don, a newcomer to C.H.S. this year from Vermont, Illinois, came out for basket- ball the second semester. He managed to see quite a bit of action while substituting at the for- ward and guard positions. Don was a good de- fensive man as well as being a good shot. With the experience of this year behind him, he should really play good basketball next year. We're -ex- pecting great things of this up-and-coming play- er next season. BILL HESS-Bill, a sophomore, was ineligible the first semester, but managed to see plenty of action the second. Bill was a fine de- fensive man as well as being a good shot. The fans haven't seen such pep and speed displayed by a Canton player for a good many years. With the experience he has gained this year on the varsity squad he should be able to take over a full-time position on the first string n-ext season. Good luck to you next year, Bill! FRANKIE MELGREEN-Although Frankie was only a sophomore, he got to see plenty of ac- tion this year. He was one of the shortest men on the squad, but made up for it with a fighting spirit that was hard to equal. Frankie was a good def-ensive man and substituted readily at either the forward or guard positions. With a year of varsity experience behind him, he should be a stand-out in the next two seasons. LECNARD WATSON-Leonard got to see quite a bit of action during his first season on the var- sity squad. When he was in the game, the fans were impressed by this little fellow's same show of speed that he had displayed so readily on the grid- iron. Speed, one of the necessities of modern basketball, is everpresent in Leonard. With his year of varsity experience behind him, he,s going to have a lot expected of him during his senior year.