SHS Sports: Timelines from the Sidelines Tradition everlasting

Class of 1946

Baseball

For the first time in history of the school, Staunton played host to a Sectional Tournament in 19446. Unfortunately, SHS did not advance to its own even, as the Bulldogs lost to Benld (6-1) in the District Tournament action

Baskeball (Boy)

The 1945-46 basketball program had another successful season under head coach B.H. Gibbons. The squad finished the season 17-11 overall, including 4-4 in the South Central Conference. Furthermore, the Bulldogs won the Macoupin County Tournament for the first time in eleven years behind seniors Eldred Brauer; Bill Ficker; Walt Fritz; Junior Hebenstreit; Joyce Kessman; Chas Randle; John Vesper; and Mel Wolf. The Bulldogs began the tourney with 30-19 victory over Palmyra, followed y a 53-19 drubbing of Brighton. In the semifinals, the Dogs met up with Mt. Olive team that started the season 17-0, including two previous wins over the Bulldogs. However, SHS pulled a major upset, defeating the Wildcats 26-24. The Dogs went on to win the title by downing Benld (28-23) in the championship game.

One interesting game to note was a matchup with Collinsville in Worden. SHS played one of its best games of the year in upsetting a Kahoks team that finished with a record of 30-10 and advanced to State.

Football

Coming off a conference championship from one year prior, hopes were high in the community that the football team would continue its dominance in 1945. Unfortunately, SHS turned in arguably the worst season in school history to the point, finishing 0-7-1 overall and 0-4 in South Central Conference. Not only was the campaign the fourth winless on in the program’s history, but unfortunately the Bulldogs achieved remarkable feat by failing to score a single point during the course of the year.

A scoreless tie in Week 1 against Mt. Olive started the season off in decent fashion, but unfortunately that was the only game that was close all year. Successive defeats to Edwardsville (31-0), Alton Western Military Academy (25-0), and Pana (39-0) ended the non-conference slate. The Bulldogs then dropped all four SCC games, including losses to Gillespie (39-0), Benld (32-0), Carlinville (21-0) and Mt. Olive (19-0). Benld went on to win the second of three straight SCC crowns. The 1945 season was the last for B.H Gibbons head coach of the football program, though he returned the next season as an assistant. Gibbons had to say goodbye to seniors Bernie DeGuire; Bill Ficker; Walt Fritz; Junior Hebenstreit; Ralph Jenkins; Joyce Kessman; Dick Russel; Al Stein; Bob Sullivan; Bill Swetlik; and John Vesper.

Class of 1947

Baseball

Though no results have been found for the 1947 baseball team, it is known that B.H. Gibbons directed the squad. It was his last season with the team after five years at the helm.

Basketball (Boys)

The 1946-47 basketball season was the fifth and final for coach B.H. Gibbons. With the Bulldogs finishing 11-15 overall, it was also his only losing campaign, an impressive run considering that he took over a program fresh off of six consecutive losing seasons. SHS did wrap up the season with a winning record in the South Central Conference, finishing 5-3 in league play. After starting the season with a record of 5-12, SHS won six of its next eight games before falling in the Regional Tournament to Litchfield.

The campaign itself was fairly uneventful, though it is worth mentioning that Coach Gibbons always tried to schedule the toughest competition possible. In addition to several schools out of the Southwestern Conference, SHS was also able to get games with small school powers Pinckneyville and Pittsfield. However, once again the Old Gym hindered Staunton’s ability to obtain home-and-home matchups with non-conference opponents, as many of those schools refused to play on such a small floor with very limited seating.

Football

The 1946 football team welcomed a new head coach in Bob Maloney. However, a familiar face was around to provide some consistency, as B.H. Gibbons stayed on the staff as an assistant. Though Maloney only led the program for one season, it was an extremely productive one. Coming off a year that saw the Bulldogs go winless without eve scoring a point, the 1946 version ended with a record of 6-1-1, including 2-1-1 in the South Central Conference. Before the annual opener Mt. Olive, Maloney brought in a group of war veterans to scrimmage the Bulldogs in the preseason. The practice game served the team well, and it showed in their Week 1 victory over the Wildcats (19-7) SHS brushed off Edwardsville (26-7) in Week 2, and followed that victory up with non-conference wins over Alton Western Military Academy (27-21) and Pana (13-0). The SCC slate began in Week 5 against Gillespie, and the Dogs once again were victorious, this time by a score of 19-7. Thone loss occurred in Week 6 against Benld, which went on to capture the SCC title. The Indians defeated Staunton by a score of 25-0 to seal their spot as the class of the league. The Bulldogs took care of Carlinville (12-0) on Homecoming and finished the year with a 7-7 tie against Mt. Olive.

Class of 1948

Baseball

The 1948 baseball team welcomed new leadership, as coach Joe Jurkanin took over the program. Jurkanin stayed the lead position for five years, eventually experience considerable success with the Bulldogs.

Basketball

In his first year directing the basketball program, coach Joe Jurkanin welcomed back just three letterman from the previous season in the form of Don Furtkamp; Harry Wriede, and Ed Yakos. Predictably, the 1947-48 campaign was a long one, as the team faltered to a 4-19 record, including a winless 0-8 in the South Central Conference. The lone wins were over Worden (twice), Bunker Hill, and Hettick.

Football

The 1948 football season marked the first time in many years that Staunton and Mt. Olive did not face off in the annual opener. It also marked the first year of coach Joe Jurkanin’s tenure leading the program. Unfortunately, his initial season at the helm was a rocky one, as the Bulldogs finished with a record of 1-5-2 overall, including 0-3-1 in the South Cnetral Conference. East Alton-Wood River represented Staunton’s new Week 1 opponent, and the Dogs went toe-to-toe with the Oilers before dropping a 7-0 decision for Staunton’s first loss in five meetings between the teams. The Lone win came in Week 2 squeaker over Edwardsville, as Staunton nosed out the Tigers by a score of 7-6. Though the Bulldogs did not win another game, they did compete very well throughout the year. For instance, in Week 3 the Dogs earned a 6-6 tie with a traditionally though Alton Marquette team in the first-ever matchup between the two schools. A Week 4 loss to Pana (13-0) followed, but SHS responded by opening the conference slate by tying an undefeated squad from Gillespie (7-7). Unfortunately, the season ended with three straight defeats, as Benld (24-13), Carlinville (8-7), and eventual SCC Champion Mt. Olive (17-0) all got the best of the Bulldogs.