Lester Prairie High School - Prairiette Yearbook (Lester Prairie, MN)

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Harry Falk succeeded Roy Foster as basketball coach, and with Coach Falk came a new brand of basketball. Something never witnessed by fans in Lester Prairie. Set plays were used entirely by the team, and it was very successful. All of which can be seen by the team's record. The '40 team established a new record in Lester High basketball, having been undefeated in dis- trict competition during the season play. Two games lost during season competion: one to Ham- line Frosh and the other to the Kappa Gama Chi Fraternity of Hamline University. A hi-light of the season was L9St61',S surprising victory over St. Paul Johnson 16-15. The Johnson team was much larger than Lester's, eight men being better than six feet. It was de- fense that won this game for the locals and also many other games during the season. Twice Lester beat Hutch for revenge of the defeat they took in the finals of the district the year before, but it was Hutchinson and their Tigers that again beat Lester in the second round of the tournament play by a surprising 22 to 20 upset. Lester was again a favorite in this game, but the Hutchinson jinX was evident. The last quarter rally by Lester fell short. Again for the third straight year two Lester men were placed on the All-District team, Clyde Beise and Agmar Spleiss receiving the awards. William Ernst, who had been out the en- tire season with a broken arm received in an interclass tournament several years before, re- ceived the sportsmanship award. at t e N? 'A WC. 9 -5 'f '-- 'iffa ff! ggi , f -L ll ll - J x . ff f .... Y1 buds F4455

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1939 - '40 BASKETBALL TEAM FIRST ROW- Bruce Birkholz, William Ernst, Harry Elliott, Clyde Beise, Kenneth Noim in SECOND ROW- Coach Falk, Orland Kruschke, Howard Wroge. Orval Birkholz, Itol ml Schmidt, Harold Lemke. Agmar Spleiss, Capt. elect for 1940-41 was absent when the picture was taken. 1939 - '40 BASKETBALL SEASON Lester Johnson, St. Paul 15 Lester Hutchinson 19 Lester :11Howard Lake 15 Lester Silver Lake 11 Lestei Silver Lake 15 Lester 24 Glencoe 18 Lester Brownton 11 Lester Cent1'al 10 Lester Hutchinson 19 Lester Glencoe 17 Lester Hamline Frosh 28 Lester Brownton 26 Lestei Central 21 Lester Howard Lake 20 it Overtime DISTRICT TOURNAMENT Lester 20 Hutchinson 22 Another outstanding team for Lester High! Three men were lost from the team: Eugene Daggett, Eldor Spleiss, and Oscar Rolf. Lettermen returning were: William Ernst and Clyde Beise co-captains, Howard Wroge, Agmar Spleiss, and Kenneth Norman and com- promising the rest of the squad were Bud and Bruce Birkholz, Harry Elliott, Roland Schmidt, and Orland Kruschke.

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1940 BASEBALL TEAM TOP ROW- Coach Falk, Harold Schneider, Captain Howard W roge, Orval Birkholz, Mana- ger Harold Lemke, Gordon Herman, and Bruce Birkholz. BOTTOM ROW- Orland Kruschke, William Ernst, Wayne Gutzman, Ken Norman, Harry Elliott, and Raymond Radtke. Agmar Spleiss was absent when the picture was taken. Interest in baseball as well as basketball and football has increased in the past several years with several good teams. Some of the best teams Lester High has ever had were the teams of '38 and '39, The '38 team was run nerup in the district tournament held at Olivia, Olivia being the victors. It will be remembered this was the same Olivia High that Lester beat in the finals of the basketball tourney . The Olivia team was out for revenge in this tourna- ment and could not be denied the victory they worked for. In 1939 atournament was held again. The first tournament was postponed because ol raing it was postponed until Memorial Day and Lester High really went to town . Lester took their first two games by easy margins over Buffalo Lake and Hector. The final game was with Bird Island, but they did not prove a worthy foe to the oncoming slaught of the Lester High team. Lester won handrunning 14 to 0. With all members of the squad returning except: Eldor Spleiss, Ardin Gutzman, and Os- car Rolf, prospects for another good team are very bright.