West Side High School - Successus Yearbook (Union City, IN)

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NORMAN CAPLINGER LOWELL WHITESELL EUGENE CAUPP RICHARD BIRUM EUGENE STRALEY Page Twenty-five

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STANLEY RIFFLE W Page Twenty-four JOE MARSHALL RICHARD ROBERT GUERNSEY JOHN KIRWIN ELY

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BASKETBALL The Wildcats of 1939-40 finished their basketball career with a record of eleven wins and nine losses. This showing placed beside the last year's results shows plainly enough the progress that the lads made in one year. During the 1938-39 season the 'Cats won but four games and were eliminated in the second game of sectional tourney' play. They did win the Lynn tourney last year, but their other wins were so few that this fact was over- shadowed. This season the Red and White started out by losing to Hagerstown, then, after drop- ping Yorktown, old man injury put several of the first five out of action long enough to let Winchester wallop them. The crippled 'Cats surprised everyone by tripping the Portland Panthers and Greenville. The Madison Tomcats were a little too tough, and they took the honors for the second consecutive year. The Redclads trounced Parker, Liberty, and Lynn. Then they dropped Spartansburg in the Lynn tourney before being stopped by Winchester in the finals. The Wildcats found the going tough in the next two tilts losing to Eaton, Ohio, and to Winchester for the third time. Then they spilled Redkey and were edged by Dunkirk in an overtime. For the first time in two years the Wildcats carne from behind to win a ball game. This happened at Ridgeville. Saratoga and Portland chalked up wins at the expense of the Red and VVhite. The lads finished their season by humbling Stoney Creek and entered the sectional tournament a dark horse. The team was considered a first-half team and was not seriously considered as a contender for the title. They dropped Saratoga in the first round. Then, after trailing at the half and being tied at the third quarter, they came back to snow Win- chester under. Green led the Wildcats for three periods in the semi-finals but were drop- ped in the closing seconds of play. Parker killed our tourney hope in the final clash by eking out a slim two-point win. The team was hit hard by graduation, losing eight of the first ten varsity players. John Kirwin, Wildcat winner of the sportsmanship award, led the team in scoring during the season and was followed closely by Joe Marshall. Stanley Riffle was designated by the tournament officials as the most valuable player in the meet. These three lads made all- tourney selection. Dick Ely was in there every minute dropping in those longs while Guernsey was invaluable in the pivot position. Caplinger, Whitesell, and Birum, the other three seniors, saw a lot of action and performed yeoman service all year. Caupp and Straley didn't break into the line-up very often, but they will be back next year to form a nucleus for the oncoming Wildcats. The Kittens ended the season with the best record since 1933. They Won sixteen games while dropping two. Saratoga and Eaton, Ohio, were the only teams able to trip our future Wildcats. --ROBERT BROWN Page Twenty-six