Degree Name

Master of Science in Education (MSEd)

Semester of Degree Completion

1980

Thesis Director

William F. Buckellew

Abstract

This study is an historical account of the boy’s basketball program at the school from 1958-1979, with particular attention given to the 1958-1959 season. Even though the school had participated in interscholastic basketball since 1922 the school experienced its two best winning seasons for boy’s basketball during the time period of 1958-1979.

The study consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter followed by four chapters on the coaching eras of eight of the basketball coaches at the Oakland, Illinois High School. Chapter six is a summary containing an overview of this study.

The chapters on the coaching eras are organized according to coaches’ tenures rather than by decades or by any set number of years. The number of years covered in each chapter ranges from one to four years of coaching tenure.

Each chapter is divided into single seasons. For each year there is an introduction, a list of scores for that year, and a summary of the year. In addition to the list of scores, the date of the game and site of the game is included when possible. Following the scores, the coach’s name, the team won-loss record and the cumulative won-loss record of the coach is given. A list of varsity players follows the cumulative won-loss record.

Chapter 2 includes the coaching era of Bill Myers (1958-1960), who produced the most outstanding team in the school’s history. The team of the 1958-1959 season was conference champions, conference tournament champions, regional winners, and advanced to the state of Illinois High School Association supersectional where it was defeated by Centralia. Chapter 3 includes the coaching eras of Andy Pullen (1961-1963), and George Pohl (1964-1966), during which the teams experienced a progressive decline in wins and losses. The coaching eras of Bob Durham (1967-1969), Larry Simon (1970), Jim Bush (1971), Bob Bejeck (1972), and Don Jordan (1973-1975), make up chapter four. Chapter four includes a period during which the teams’ records varied from modest success to a disappointing number of victories. Chapter five includes the coaching era of Mike Church, who produced the second most winning team in the school’s history. The team of the 1978-1979 season finished second in the conference, losing a number of games by only one point, never losing two games in succession, and never losing a home game.

The sources of reference for the scores in each year were yearbooks, newspapers, personal interviews, and scorebooks. When possible, the scores were cross-checked for accuracy. The Charleston Times-Courier, and the Oakland Ledger Messenger were used as the newspaper sources as well as the Champaign News Gazette and Champaign Courier.

Personal interviews were used as a source for details on the highlights of games but not for the actual scores of the games.

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