Trivoli Community High School - Memoir Yearbook (Trivoli, IL)

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The Canton Invitation Tournament When is a vacation not a vacation? Answer-When you spend it practicing basket-ball. Every day of vacation before the tournament the team spent many hours in strenuous practice. Christmas afternoon found the boys dead weary after a three hours' practice. But in spite of all, each face wore a look of cheerful determination. On Wednesday evening the team, accompanied by Coach Peters and Trainer White, swung aboard a iirst class M. Sz St. L. Tag-a-long, bound for Canton by way of Farmington. The journey was uneventful and eight o'clock found them established in their headquarters at the Churchill House Hotel. At the Churchill House they suddenly awoke to the fact that they had in their group an explorer and discoverer of note. He informed the team that he had discovered a radio testing sta- tion across the way where a large number of beautiful young ladies were testing radio sets. Close investigation however, disclosed the fact that it was merely a telephone switchboard. Thursday morning after a restless night, they had the privilege of playing the Hrst game of the tourney at 9 a. m. The foe, Bardolph, was represented by an exceptionally fast team, which put up a game iight all the way. The final score read 18-13 in favor of Trivoli. Due to a draw, which forced Trivoli to play one game more than than any other team entered, they took the floor for a second time on Thursday evening at 9 o'clock. Knoxville, their opponent, caused the team less anxiety than any other team 'met in the tournament. Leading 20-4 at the first half, substitutes were entered in the fray. The final gun was fired just as the score-keeper was in the act of hanging up figures which read 33-19. In this game Theodore Opie carved his name high on the mantle of fame at T. C. H. S., due to the fact that he entered the game with but forty seconds to play, dribbled through the entire Knox- ville team and scored a Held goal just as the gun was fired. Ted ,how- ever, earned his glory, for he was at once appointed guardian of the ball, and made responsible for its safe transportation at all times. Most critics thought Trivoli would be beaten in the next game with Elmwood at 3 o'clock Friday afternoon. The game was the closest played by Trivoli at the tournament, resulting in a 15-18 victory. The greater part of tlfe period found the score tied or in Elmwood's favor. A last minute rally resulted in the acquiring of five points and a hard earned victory. Trivoli was now eligible to compete in the semi-finals with Normal High School. Normal was being picked by many fans to win the tour- ney and the first half round found them well on that road, leading 10- 12. Coming back into the game, spurred on by encouragement from Coach Peters, the team proceeded to fight as never before. Hard work received its reward and in the fmal quarter of the game with the score Page Eighty

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- -------- - ---------- - OUR COACH For two years Russell Peters has coached the T. H. S. athletic teams and in that short time he has won the respect and admiration of students, athletes and fans alike. To the athletes whom he has trained, he has been not only an instructor but a pal and can no doubt attribute much of his success to his ability to make 'friends with all. In the face of every obstacle he has developed a team this year from a limited stock of inexperienced material that won a beautiful loving' cup and a shield. The record of honors that his teams have won we cannot here relate but it is enough to say that he has shared with his players the joys of victory and the sorrows of defeat. We feel that the success of the basket ball teams of 1922 and 1924 was due not only to the players but also to the sterling character and expert coaching abil- ity of our coach and friend, Russell Peters. To the Basket Ball Fans We, the Athletic Association, wish to express our hearty appre- ciation to those -of the community who have so loyally supported us in all our athletics of the past. We feel that much of our success has been due to your timely encouragement and unfailing willingness to aid us in all our enterprises. We hope to continue to deserve your loyalty in the future. Page Seventy-nine

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1 ------- --fra ------- tied at 20-all, Trivoli came to the front with a steady deluge of Held goals. At supper, t'Twenty to Twenty-Eight was the tune to which they ate. We won. A telegram from home fans was received just be- fore the game and stirred that old fighting spirit to its highest pitch. The Normal High School team boasted every player to be a gentle- man, and we found them to be so. Even in defeat they displayed that fine spirit of clean sportsmanship which is everywhere met with cheers. At nine o'clock Saturday evening, Trivoli met Canton in the final game of the tournament. It never been the policy of our high school when defeated, to come home with a liost of excuses. This year's team is no exception. Canton has a wonderful team, made up of fine, clean players, who fought hard and deserved to win. The final gun found Trivoli's ship grounded on a high Canton rock I3-52, but with all ten survivors of the team clinging tragically to a beautiful second place shield. To enter a team of inexperienced players, only one of whom had played on last year's five, in a tournament considered by sport critics as one of the fastest ever held in Central Illinois, would generally be considered foolhardy. But when this same team comes through and by playing the longest schedule in the tournament, pulls down a secon-Ll place, there must be some reason. The one big reason is Coach Peters, the only coach who has ever developed a team in Trivoli good enough to bring home a tournament trophy. The team returned home by way of Farmington Sunday morning, defeated, whipped, down, but never out. Spirits began to revive and the sting of defeat was slightly lessened as the second place shield was hung in our own school. Throughout the tourney the team was cheered on by a body of loyal rooters who braved terrible weather and roads which were said to be impassable, just to see their favorites fight through to the final game. Such backing is always of great aid to a team and in this case, at least, was highly appreciated. C. L. A., Class of '24. Just Dope Throughout the winter it has become the favorite pastime of sport editors and critics to select All-Star teams at the various tournaments. In this department Trivoli athletes have received their full share ol honors and in three years of tournament competition have been awarded eleven of the coveted positions on All-Star teams selected by some of the most prominent critics in central Illinois. The complete record of individual honors is as follows: Macomb Invitation Tournament, 1922 Left Forward .........................................................,....................... Arlo Peters Page Eighty-one