Waterman High School played
Cinderella 40 years Ago at Little
Ten Conference Tournament
Cinderella 40 years Ago at Little
Ten Conference Tournament
Wolverines Top Shabbona for 1970 Title
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
Submitted by Brian Hoxsey
Members of the 1970 Little Ten Conference Tournament champion Waterman
Wolverines pose for a photograph. Front row - Jerry Larson, Chuck Leifheit, Vern
Monsess, Mike Mitchell, and Jeff Johnson. Back Row - Coach Junior Overmyer, Al
Watkins, Jeff Overmyer, Dave Johnson, Kevin Rogers, Brian Leifheit, Jim Penson,
and John Watkins.
Members of the 1970 Little Ten Conference Tournament champion Waterman
Wolverines pose for a photograph. Front row - Jerry Larson, Chuck Leifheit, Vern
Monsess, Mike Mitchell, and Jeff Johnson. Back Row - Coach Junior Overmyer, Al
Watkins, Jeff Overmyer, Dave Johnson, Kevin Rogers, Brian Leifheit, Jim Penson,
and John Watkins.
By Brian Hoxsey
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
Sometimes the precise memories of past sporting events fade, but they are never
really forgotten.
All be it just over forty years ago, the 1970 Little Ten Conference Boys Basketball
Tournament will always hold a special place in the 91-year history of the league,
but to the coaches and players from Shabbona and Waterman involved, it was a
special rivalry game. In 1993 the schools combined to form Indian Creek High
School.
“Oh yeah it was always quite a battle, we both had pretty good ball clubs my four
years in high school,” recalled Rod Fultz, who was a high scoring senior for the
Indians that season and still resides in town. “I was friends with most of the
Waterman players, so I really always wanted to beat those guys.”
Shabbona was seeded third for the tournament behind top-seed Malta and
defending champion Newark, while Waterman entered the No. 5 seed. The
Wolverines and head coach Junior Overmyer were 7-8 entering the tournament,
but Overmyer had went to a more junior oriented line-up and things were looking
up. Indians skipper Bob Fuller, who Fultz describe as a ‘you’ll do it my way’ type of
coach, had his team playing well as they had an impressive 12-2 mark.
“(The LTC Tournament) was a big deal,” said then-Waterman junior Vern
Monsess, who is a resident of Shabbona. “At the time the tournament was held at
either Hinckley, Shabbona or Waterman because they had the biggest gyms and it
happened to be at Waterman that year. We had rivalries with Hinckley-Big Rock
and Shabbona, but probably a little stronger one with Shabbona at that time, but
they had Rod Fultz of course.”
Waterman opened with a 58-49 triumph over fifth-seed Hinckley-Big Rock, who
had defeated them twice already that season, as they held a large lead at halftime
and then stopped a comeback by the Royals. Junior Jerry Larson paced WHS with
20 points, Monsess added 13. On the other side of the bracket Shabbona had
little trouble advancing with a 77-54 win over Earlville as Fultz, coming off a school
record 54-point performance against Elgin Academy, scored a game-high 26
points.
In the semifinals, a Larson free throw with nine seconds left helped give the
Cinderella Wolverines a 55-54 victory over No. 1 Malta, with Monsess scoring 10
points. Shabbona also pulled off an upset in the other semifinal and while it was
just as close, it took a little longer. The Indians trailed late in the game, but behind
the hot-shooting of Fultz, were able to force overtime with the Norsemen. In both
the first and then second extra period Fultz had attempts at a game winner, but
each rimmed off. In the early moments of the third overtime Fultz scored two of his
32 points to jump start SHS as they went on to beat the defending champs 56-55.
“I know we were down in that game and then I got pretty hot,” Fultz remembered
about a game that was an instant classic.” My teammates really started feeding
me the ball. It was just one of those nights that about everything I threw up went
in.”
So things were now set, the schools separated by five miles of Route 30 were
going to do battle for the conference’s most coveted prize and each weren’t
expected to be there. Shabbona had defeated Waterman in a close December
league contest and third-year coach Overmyer hadn’t beaten Fuller in six tries.
“Coach Overmyer decided that we were going to run a box-and-one on Rodney
and I was the one,” chuckled Monsess. “(Fultz) could shoot, once he got across
half court he was in range. He would have averaged over 30 points a game if
there would have been a three-point line back then. I think he only scored 10
points through three quarters, but he could score quickly.”
Shabbona led 10-9 after one quarter, but Waterman scored the final six points of
the first half to take a 25-19 lead to the locker rooms. The Wolverines pushed the
advantage to ten points after three periods and then exploded on a game deciding
8-1 run to begin the fourth. The slipper fit as the red and black went on the
capture the school’s 15th and final tournament title with a convincing 75-55
victory. Larson led WHS with 23 points and 20 rebounds, while Jeff ‘Nubbs’
Johnson had 16 points and 15 boards as they dominated the paint. Monsess
scored 16 markers, this while hounding Fultz (20 points) for the first 24 minutes.
“He was on me like you know what ...he did a heck of a job,” Fultz said of the
defensive play of Monsess. “He was a very good defender and was on me the all
the time that night.”
Waterman went on to finish that season with a 14-11 record overall while finishing
tied for fourth with a 5-4 ledger in the LTC. Shabbona finished 21-4 on the year
and co-champions of the regular season with Malta as both clubs were 8-1. Fultz
finished his senior year fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 17.7 points
per game. Monsess went on to lead his team to a LTC regular season title the
next season, but they failed to repeat as tournament champs as they fell to Newark
by a point. In 1972 the teams again met in the finals with Shabbona capturing the
golden ball - it was the last time the teams played for the championship.
“I think of those days once and a while,” added Monsess. “I see Rodney
occasionally and we talk about our high school playing days a little bit. We had
some very special moments.”
Brian Hoxsey is a Northern Illinois Sports Beat contributor. He can be reached in
care of NISB at Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. The 91st Little Ten
Conference Basketball Tournament will take place at Somonauk High School from
February 1 to February 5. Talk about what's written on our Message Boards!
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
Sometimes the precise memories of past sporting events fade, but they are never
really forgotten.
All be it just over forty years ago, the 1970 Little Ten Conference Boys Basketball
Tournament will always hold a special place in the 91-year history of the league,
but to the coaches and players from Shabbona and Waterman involved, it was a
special rivalry game. In 1993 the schools combined to form Indian Creek High
School.
“Oh yeah it was always quite a battle, we both had pretty good ball clubs my four
years in high school,” recalled Rod Fultz, who was a high scoring senior for the
Indians that season and still resides in town. “I was friends with most of the
Waterman players, so I really always wanted to beat those guys.”
Shabbona was seeded third for the tournament behind top-seed Malta and
defending champion Newark, while Waterman entered the No. 5 seed. The
Wolverines and head coach Junior Overmyer were 7-8 entering the tournament,
but Overmyer had went to a more junior oriented line-up and things were looking
up. Indians skipper Bob Fuller, who Fultz describe as a ‘you’ll do it my way’ type of
coach, had his team playing well as they had an impressive 12-2 mark.
“(The LTC Tournament) was a big deal,” said then-Waterman junior Vern
Monsess, who is a resident of Shabbona. “At the time the tournament was held at
either Hinckley, Shabbona or Waterman because they had the biggest gyms and it
happened to be at Waterman that year. We had rivalries with Hinckley-Big Rock
and Shabbona, but probably a little stronger one with Shabbona at that time, but
they had Rod Fultz of course.”
Waterman opened with a 58-49 triumph over fifth-seed Hinckley-Big Rock, who
had defeated them twice already that season, as they held a large lead at halftime
and then stopped a comeback by the Royals. Junior Jerry Larson paced WHS with
20 points, Monsess added 13. On the other side of the bracket Shabbona had
little trouble advancing with a 77-54 win over Earlville as Fultz, coming off a school
record 54-point performance against Elgin Academy, scored a game-high 26
points.
In the semifinals, a Larson free throw with nine seconds left helped give the
Cinderella Wolverines a 55-54 victory over No. 1 Malta, with Monsess scoring 10
points. Shabbona also pulled off an upset in the other semifinal and while it was
just as close, it took a little longer. The Indians trailed late in the game, but behind
the hot-shooting of Fultz, were able to force overtime with the Norsemen. In both
the first and then second extra period Fultz had attempts at a game winner, but
each rimmed off. In the early moments of the third overtime Fultz scored two of his
32 points to jump start SHS as they went on to beat the defending champs 56-55.
“I know we were down in that game and then I got pretty hot,” Fultz remembered
about a game that was an instant classic.” My teammates really started feeding
me the ball. It was just one of those nights that about everything I threw up went
in.”
So things were now set, the schools separated by five miles of Route 30 were
going to do battle for the conference’s most coveted prize and each weren’t
expected to be there. Shabbona had defeated Waterman in a close December
league contest and third-year coach Overmyer hadn’t beaten Fuller in six tries.
“Coach Overmyer decided that we were going to run a box-and-one on Rodney
and I was the one,” chuckled Monsess. “(Fultz) could shoot, once he got across
half court he was in range. He would have averaged over 30 points a game if
there would have been a three-point line back then. I think he only scored 10
points through three quarters, but he could score quickly.”
Shabbona led 10-9 after one quarter, but Waterman scored the final six points of
the first half to take a 25-19 lead to the locker rooms. The Wolverines pushed the
advantage to ten points after three periods and then exploded on a game deciding
8-1 run to begin the fourth. The slipper fit as the red and black went on the
capture the school’s 15th and final tournament title with a convincing 75-55
victory. Larson led WHS with 23 points and 20 rebounds, while Jeff ‘Nubbs’
Johnson had 16 points and 15 boards as they dominated the paint. Monsess
scored 16 markers, this while hounding Fultz (20 points) for the first 24 minutes.
“He was on me like you know what ...he did a heck of a job,” Fultz said of the
defensive play of Monsess. “He was a very good defender and was on me the all
the time that night.”
Waterman went on to finish that season with a 14-11 record overall while finishing
tied for fourth with a 5-4 ledger in the LTC. Shabbona finished 21-4 on the year
and co-champions of the regular season with Malta as both clubs were 8-1. Fultz
finished his senior year fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 17.7 points
per game. Monsess went on to lead his team to a LTC regular season title the
next season, but they failed to repeat as tournament champs as they fell to Newark
by a point. In 1972 the teams again met in the finals with Shabbona capturing the
golden ball - it was the last time the teams played for the championship.
“I think of those days once and a while,” added Monsess. “I see Rodney
occasionally and we talk about our high school playing days a little bit. We had
some very special moments.”
Brian Hoxsey is a Northern Illinois Sports Beat contributor. He can be reached in
care of NISB at Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. The 91st Little Ten
Conference Basketball Tournament will take place at Somonauk High School from
February 1 to February 5. Talk about what's written on our Message Boards!
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