Grand Island High School - Purple and Gold Yearbook (Grand Island, NE)

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In the rough and tumble of a basketball game, occasionally the photographer gets an action shot to reveal the teams in play. This shot then will leave its rrcord for history in the Purple and Gold. Hastings outfit, this time losing 49-6T in a game that saw Grand Island fall apart after being in close range of the Tigers at half- time. En route home from the Hastings game, the team became stranded by a snow- storm, causing the rescheduling of the Mc- Cook game to the next Monday. The Islanders continued to be plagued by the weather, as they traveled to McCook in a dust storm. They were downed, 61-56, by the Bison after trailing, 27-40, at half-time. A bad first quarter, in which the Islanders made at least 10 poor passes, was the main cause. The team rolled later, but never closed the gap. Grand Island opened District Tourna- ment play with an easy 42-29 win from a Norfolk team which had won only one game all year. It was a poorly played contest in which the Islander substitutes put in con- siderable time. Playing what proved to be the Third City team's final game of the season in the semi-finals of the tournament, the team lost to Fremont, 54-43. Though trailing only three points at half-time, 24-27, the Island- ers were unable to trim the margin. Looking ahead to next season, the Islanders can be expected to improve on this year's 11-7 record. The team will lose only two regulars, and will have back their num- ber one and two scorers. The ten returning lettermen can expect to battle with the incoming sopho- mores and the second-team leaders for first- team positions. Next year's schedule will again in- clude 16 regular opponents, plus tournament play. It should all make for a year of bas- ketball which will be even more lively than this season has been. Larry Feaster, sophomore center, hooks up two more points for Grand Island's thrill- ing 64-63 win over top-ranked Lincoln Cen- tral. Darrel Pinkston. forward. watches Feaster chalk up the two points, Page lirerily Ili: 4

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I Toeing the mark are the varsity basketball players. Roger Roe. Terry Trueblood. Mike Lee, LeRoy Maki. Walt Switzer, Fred Gaines, Larry Feaster, Bob Schuyler, Ron Falldorf. Jerry Schroeder, Darrel Pinkston. George Dunham, Dave Ely, Claire Boroff. wagers Shine at Home Grand Island's 1953-54 basketball season came to a close with a loss in the semi-final round of the district tournament at Fremont. The Islanders had a record of 11 wins and seven losses. The season opened with a 59-43 vic- tory at Lexington in a ragged game. The Islanders then met and downed Nebraska City, 56-22. Highly regarded Lincoln Central came to Grand Island the following week-end and was stunned, 64-63, in an overtime tilt. This game saw the Islanders reach a peak of per- fection which they failed to match at any time later in the year. Class B York handed a tired Grand Island team its first loss of the season, 45-52, the night following the Lincoln Central game. After the Christmas holidays, the Third City team opened Big Ten East divi- sion conference play with a 51-43 win over Columbus in a slow game. The next night at Kearney they were mauled by the red-hot Bearcats, 61-40. At Fremont, after holding a 25-21 Page lirvnly iirn half-time lead, Grand Island fell to the Tigers, 57-53: but downed North Platte, 62-60, in an overtime game. The team finally broke a three-game losing streak on the road with a 55-41 win from a weak Norfolk team, then romped to an easy 61-40 victory over the Curtis Aggies, with the second string hitting almost as many points as the starting five. Hastings became the only team to down the Islanders on their home floor, as the tall Tigers won, 59-51. The home team played a fine game, but could not overcome the height advantage of the Hastings team. Again the Third City crew rebounded from defeat to eke out a 47-46 win over a classy Lincoln Northeast team, becoming the only team to beat both Class A Lin- coln teams in the regular season. Opening their final home stand, the Islanders rolled past Beatrice, 51-34, in one of the season's sloppiest contests. The next night they closed the home schedule, when Grand Island took a 62-52 win from the stubborn Fairbury Jeffs. Third City again fell to the powerful

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1 47 A39 v4s' rd as 'B'SQUAD Front Row: Jim Gneckow, Gene Suponchick, Louie Parkin, Jerry Seymour, Jerry Wagner. Larry Irvine. Jerry Case. Back Row: Student Manager, Bob Krohn, Claire Boroff, Gary Miller, Jim Hehnke, Bob Kap- pelmann, Bob Siggins, Roger Massey, Jerry Schroeder, Larry Smith, Student Manager, Jim Stalker. Reserves Aim for op Six juniors and nine sophomores gained valuable basketball experience in cage play on this year's reserve basketball team. The club, coached by Bert Alfrey, completed a 12-game slate with seven wins and five defeats. Members of the crew will be aiming for varsity berths next year or the following season. Some second-team play- ers will spend another year of seasoning on the B team. Four boys, Jerry Schroeder, Bob Kappelmann, Jerry Seymour, and Claire Boroff, were boosted to the first team be- cause of their showings. Sophomore Jerry Schroeder took high individual scoring honors with 104 points or an 8.6 game aver- age. Jim Stalker and Bob Krohn handled the student manager's chores. The reserve wins were over Farwell, 54-40: Elba. 54-48: Columbus B. 47-37: North Platte B. 47-37: Phillips, 68-4123 Gilt- ner, 59-38: and Hastings B, 55-35. Their losses were to Chapman, IST-323 Cairo, 35-463 Kearney B, 47-373 York B, 38-35: and Hastings B, 44-40. Forward Larry Smith was a good re- bounder and corner shooter. An accurate right-hand hook was the qu' lirenlv luur best weapon Jim Hehnke, center, used against the opposing teams. Consistently improving as the season progressed was the big center, Bob Kappel- mann, who poured in a lot of points. A steady and reliable good job was turned in each contest by guard Jerry Sey- mour, who was a second-year man. Claire Boroff saw plenty of duty at the starting guard spot. Speedy and a good point-maker was Jerry Case, junior. Larry Irvine, guard, had a good eye for the hoop. A consistent scorer and rebounder was Jerry Schroeder. A long two-handed set shot was mas- tered by Gene Suponchick. A hard worker was Jerry Gneckow. Roger Massey saw duty from the for- ward position. One of the tallest boys on the crew was Gary Miller. a hustler. Louie Parkin, sophomore guard. could hit from out in front. Jerry Wagner had a deadly jump shot. Bob Siggins, sophomore. saw plenty of action as a center.