SHS Sports: Timelines From The Sidelines Tradition Everlasting

Class of 1986

Basketball (Girls)

The 1985-86 basketball team finished the season 7-14 overall, including 2-8 in the South Central Conference. Coach Larry Kuba’s squad included seniors Dana Anschutz; Alison Kuba; and Darla Sievers. Junior Dana Sievers had an outstanding season for the Lady Bulldogs. In addition to leading the team in scoring, she captured All-Conference Second Team honors and was a member of the All-County First Team. Darla Sievers took home All-SCC Honorable Mention status, as well as All-County Second Team honors. She also won the Free Throw Award (61 percent) and was the team’s leading rebounder. Dana and Darla Sievers shared Team MVP honors.

Football

Coach Barry Deist’s football team finished 4-5 during the 1985 campaign, including 3-2 in the South Central Conference. The season began with a shutout loss to Hillsboro (39-0) and continued with a Week two loss to Greenville (20-10). In Week three, the Bulldogs squeaked into the win column with a 21-20 victory over Nokomis. Staunton rode the momentum to three more wins, including defeats of Litchfield (21-6), Southwestern (19-8), and Gillespie (26-0). Unfortunately, the Dogs ended the season with three successive losses. Week seven saw SHS lose to Triad by a score of 17-7. In Week eight, Staunton was defeated by rival and eventual SCC Champion Carlinville (14-6), and the Dogs followed up that game with a loss to Bethalto Civic Memorial (19-8) to close out the season.

Despite the lackluster showing in the SCC, Staunton was able to place several members on the All-Conference team. Junior Bart Caldieraro took home First Team honors, as did seniors Greg Deist; Tim Gusewelle; Jim Kinder; and Joe Randle. Seniors Roman Meckles and Ron Philips were chosen for the All-Conference Second Team, while Honorable Mention status was awarded to seniors Rick Miller and Jeff Ries, as well as juniors Kevin Gockel and Ryan Ocepek. Additional seniors on the squad included Terry Feldmann; Al Schwartz; Bill Willows; and Wally Yeager. As for team awards, Gockel; Gusewelle; and Meckles shared Offensive MVP honors, while Caldieraro; Kinder; and Randle shared the team’s Defensive MVP award.

Golf (Boys)

The 1985 golf team finished with an overall record of 6-8 under Larry Kuba. Letter winners included juniors Brett Kasubke; Danny Ray; Bill Scherff; sophomore Brett Ahring; and freshman Jim Williamson. Wes Horstmeyer was the lone senior on the squad. Scherff was named Team MVP at the conclusion of the season.

Track (Boys)

In his sixth and final season as a track coach, Dave Martin witnessed his athletes turn in excellent individual performances throughout the 1986 season. Along the way, several school records were broken, some of which still stand to this day. One of the greatest seasons in school history was turned in by junior Bill Scherff, culminating in a fifth place finish at State in the pole vault. He also won the South Central Conference, Macoupin County, and Sectional track meets in the pole vault, breaking the event record at all three meets. Additionally, he set school marks in both hurdle events and was a member of the 400 meter relay team that broke an SHS record. Joining Scherff on the 400 meter relay team were seniors Greg Deist and Tim Gusewelle, as well as junior Bret Kasubke. The 800 meter relay team also set a school record, and it featured Scherff; Deist; Gusewelle; and junior Mike LaRosa. Both relay teams qualified for the State meet. Finally, Gusewelle and Kasubke also set school marks during the season in the triple jump and high jump, respectively. Additional senior track members in 1986 were Jim Kinder; Joe Randle; and Glen Tebbe.

Track (Girls)

Coach Donna Ruehrup’s 1986 track team depended on seniors Dana Anschutz; Lisa Lindsay; Jane Marcuzzo; and Darla Sievers. Anschutz, in particular, had an excellent campaign, capping it off with an appearance at State in the shot put.

Volleyball

Having graduated a phenomenal senior class the prior season, the Staunton Volleyball team found itself in rebuilding mode for the 1985 campaign. With nine losses in its last ten games, SHS finished with a record of 5-21 overall, including 3-7 in the South Central Conference. The losing record was the first in a decade for the program, and it also represented the first time since her rookie season that Donna Ruehrup’s crew was unable to capture a conference or tournament championship. Seniors on the squad included Dana Anschutz; Mary Foster; Alison Kuba; and Darla Sievers.

Class of 1987

Baseball

Barry Deist welcomed back a solid senior class for the 1987 campaign, including Bart Caldieraro; Kevin Gockel; Jeff Gusewelle; Bret Kasubke; and Danny Ray. The Bulldogs posted a 9-9 record overall, including 5-5 mark in the South Central Conference. Though the team got off to a slow start, the Dogs rebounded with five wins in six games before losing to Hillsboro in the Regional. Sophomore Fred Harbison won the Pitching Award (4-2, 4.10 ERA). Caldieraro (.383) and Gockel (.378) shared the team’s Hitting Award, while Ray (.342), and junior John Rae (.340) also performed well at the plate. Gockel continued his baseball career at Illinois State University.

Basketball (Boys)

The 1986-87 basketball team capped off the best four-year run in the program’s history. The Dogs finished the season with a record of 21-7 overall and 7-3 in the South Central Conference. Along the way, SHS clinched its fourth straight 20-win season, fourth straight SCC title, third straight Macoupin County crown, and second straight Regional championship. Also, by reaching the Sectional final, the Dogs advanced as far as any basketball team in school history, excluding the 1993 state championship team.

The Dogs began the season with three straight wins before succumbing to Southwestern, a team that prevailed over Staunton in the other SCC matchup as well. However, at County, SHS exacted revenge on the Piasa Birds, easily defeating them in the championship by a score of 63-48. Staunton defeated Girard (60-39) and Gillespie (59-51) to reach the title game. In the Regional, the Bulldogs defeated Edwardsville Metro East Lutheran (77-53) before narrowly getting by Greenville (62-59) for the right to advance to the Sectional. At the Sectional Tournament, the Bulldogs knocked off Kinmundy (68-59) before falling to Venice (51-45) in the title game.

With the loss, one of the greatest basketball players in school history saw his high school career come to an end. Bret Kasubke capped off his senior season with several honors, including County MVP, First Team All-Conference, State Journal-Register First Team All-Area, and Team MVP. He also joined his father in the 1000 Point Club after finishing his career with 1341 points scored, a total that is believed to be the second-most in school history. Following the season, Kasubke was chosen to participate in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) All-Star game. He was a member of the Class 1A All-Stars, a team directed by legendary Bunker Hill coach Jim Hlafka. Kasubke’s own coach, Mike Stivers, served as an assistant to Hlafka. Following graduation, Kasubke enrolled at Quincy University where he played four years of basketball for the Hawks.

Kasubke was not alone in earning individual accolades, as senior Kevin Gockel and junior Jeff Windau both captured second Team All-Conference and All-County honors. Windau and senior Jeff Gusewelle shared the Free Throw Award, as each player hit 67 percent of his shots for the charity stripe. Bill Scherff rounded out the seniors on the squad. Gockel later returned to SHS and directed the basketball program for twelve seasons.

Basketball (Girls)

The 1986-87 basketball team was very young and, in fact, did not have a senior on the roster. However, the youthful Lady Bulldogs mirrored the success of the 1985 season, winning the Macoupin County Tournament despite a losing record. SHS followed an early six-game losing streak with six straight wins and eventually finished 11-14 overall and 4-6 in the South Central Conference. The Lady Bulldogs featured juniors and co-MVP’s Gayle Gusewelle and Tracy Kuba. Gusewelle was a First Team All-County and All-Conference performer, and she also led the team in scoring and rebounding and won the Free Throw Award (53 percent). Kuba captured Second Team All-SCC honors while leading the team in assists. Larry Kuba directed the squad.

Football

The 1986 football team finished the season with an overall record of 3-6, including 2-3 in the South Central Conference. Seniors on the squad included Dave Bierbaum; Bart Caldieraro; Phil Callovini; Matt Dawson; Kevin Gockel; Jeff Gusewelle; Darren Hanner; Mike LaRosa; Harry Mengelkamp; Ryan Ocepek; Rob VanDeHey; and George Wisnasky. The unit was directed by Barry Deist.

The Bulldogs started off the season with a loss to Hillsboro (28-7) in Week one, but the team rebounded with a Week two defeat of Greenville by a score of 32-27. The Dogs responded to a loss to Nokomis (28-12) by shutting out Litchfield (20-0) in Week four. Two straight losses ensued, including an 18-0 setback to Southwestern and a heartbreaking defeat to Gillespie on Homecoming by a score of 20-14. After defeating Triad (7-3) on Senior Night, the year ended with consecutive losses to Carlinville (16-6) and Bethalto Civic Memorial (14-0). Carlinville once again won the SCC in 1986, the school’s fifth straight league crown. After the season, several Bulldogs were honored with All-Conference accolades. Caldieraro; Gockel; LaRosa; and junior John Rae all took home First Team Honors, while Wisnasky (Second Team) and Callovini (Honorable Mention) were also recognized by SCC coaches