Galesburg vs Richwoods 1976- Part I The History

 THE STORY

If you are a Galesburg basketball fan, you know about the 1976 Galesburg vs Richwoods Regional Championship game. It had AP #1 and undefeated Richwoods Knights playing at AP #9 Galesburg Silver Streaks. Earlier in the year Richwoods won by 10 at Galesburg, and the year before Richwoods won by 52 in the Regional.

The full house at Galesburg, four All-State players, redemption of 52 points loss, beating undefeated #1 team, and OT game- movies can’t make this story up. Although in other seasons before and after Galesburg upset the #1 ranked team in Illinois, this game was the “greatest game” in Galesburg history. If you disagree, write your own blog.

 

Almost 50 years after the game, I have asked 3 of the senior Galesburg players about their memories of that season and that game- Eric Doss, Mike Campbell, and Scott Kelley. This story is written entirely from a Galesburg perspective- sharing memories and emotions they experienced as teenagers playing a sport they loved in a community obsessed with basketball.

 

Gerald Phillips

GALESBURG HISTORY

By the 1970’s, Galesburg had experienced a great tradition in basketball going clear back to 1913 when the Streaks won the State Title. During the 30 years from 1920 thru 1950, Galesburg won 26 Regional Championships. (Before 1936 “Regionals” were called “Districts”, later in the 1960’s “Districts” was the name used to describe a feed in tourney.)

 

Gerald Phillips was a legendary coach for 21 years from 1929-1950. His teams won 16 Regionals, and went to State 7 times. John Thiel continued the legacy as he coached 18 years from 1955-1973, winning 16 Regionals, and going to State 7 times. Thiel’s teams placed 3^rd, 2^nd, and 2^nd at State. A trip to State was close to an annual ritual in Galesburg.

 

Without internet, cable TV, or ESPN, many Midwestern communities were drawn to basketball in the cold winters for entertainment. Galesburg loved its basketball team, and most games were sell outs.

 

RICHWOODS HISTORY

Richwoods Township started their own high school in 1957. By the time Richwoods started playing basketball, Galesburg had already been to State 15 times and had won 34 Regional Championships. Thru 1970, in their first 13 seasons of basketball, Richwoods had 5 winning seasons and 8 losing seasons.

 

By the 1960’s, Richwoods became part of District #150 school district. Eventually this allowed movement from students from one school in Peoria to another school in Peoria.

 

IHSA CHANGE

In one of the most impactful changes in Illinois basketball history, the IHSA in 1972 went from 1-class basketball tourney to a 2-class basketball tourney. Chuck Rolinski of tiny Toluca was the force behind the change. His Toluca teams had to always go thru an 8 team Regional in Peoria. The 2-class tourney greatly changed the tourney route not just for small school but also for big schools.

 

By looking at Richwood’s and Galesburg’s Regional opponents you can get idea of the impact:

 

Until 1972- One- Class Tourney

1968 Manual Regional- Richwoods lost to Manual

         Macomb Regional- Galesburg beat Abingdon, Macomb Western, Knoxville

1969 Richwoods Regional- Richwoods lost to Woodruff

         Bushnell Regional- Galesburg beat Abingdon, Roseville, Knoxville

1970 Peoria Regional- Richwoods lost to Manual

         Galesburg Regional- Galesburg beat Macomb Western, Roseville, Knoxville

1971- Peoria Regional- Richwoods beat Spalding and lost to Central

          Macomb Regional- Galesburg beat Abingdon, Monmouth and lost to Macomb

 

1972- Two-Class Tourney

1972- Peoria Regional- Richwoods beat Bergen, Limestone

          Galesburg Regional- Galesburg beat Canton and lost to Manual

1973- Peoria Regional- Richwoods beat Central and lost to Bergan

Canton Regional- Galesburg beat Canton and Limestone

1974- Galesburg Regional- Galesburg lost to Richwoods in Championship Game

1975- Richwoods Regional- Galesburg lost to Richwoods in Championship Game

1976- Galesburg Regional- Galesburg beat Richwoods in the Championship Game

1977- Canton Regional- Galesburg beat Richwoods in the Championship Game.

 

The Two-Class System was responsible for bringing Galesburg and Richwoods together for Regionals. The IHSA has always been able to choose who to put together in Regionals. From 1974 thru 1985, only once were Richwoods and Galesburg not paired together in a Regional. Starting in 1986, the IHSA has rarely paired Galesburg vs. Richwoods.

 

1976 GALESBURG PLAYERS

Galesburg had a very impressive roster in 1975-6. Mike Campbell, Scott Kelley, Rance Berry, Mike Wilder, Carl Finley, Eric Doss, Bill Dwyer, Mark Brown, Rollie Williams, Andy Hendricks, Jim Pogue, Barry Cheesman, Mark Mendez, Jay Stone. Three things stood out about this roster-

1- It had real height, depending how you measured players, Campbell, Kelley, Brown, and Dwyer were all between 6'7" and 6'10".

2- It was a deep roster. Fourteen of the players at some point in their high school career either started a game or were the first off the bench.

3- The roster included two players- Campbell and Kelly who got D1 basketball scholarships.

 

Coach Eisele, Coach Starr
And Coach Hammerton

RICHWOODS COACHING CHANGE

Ty Franklin was the coach of Richwoods throughout the 1960’s. After having five losing seasons in a row, Richwoods got a new coach for the 1970-1 season. Wayne Hammerton had been an assistant for Franklin for 6 years, and was named the head basketball coach for Richwoods. There was an immediate turn around for the Knights as they had winning records their first 7 seasons under Hammerton. Starting in 1973-4, Richwoods had an unbelievable run of three years, going 27-2, 30-3, and 26-1. They dominated the Peoria area and the entire State. 

 

RICHWOODS PLAYERS

Richwoods was in the middle of a fantastic run. In 1974-5, Chris Williams led Richwoods in scoring as a senior. The team took third in State and was only the second team in history to go undefeated in the Peoria conference. In addition to Williams, Richwoods was made up of All-Conference players- Derek Holcomb, Jim Hohstadt, and Kevin Westervelt. Everybody except Williams returned for the 1975-6 season, along with Cornelius and Mark Smith. Holcomb at 6'10" and Smith at 6'8", both went onto play for the University of Illinois later. 

 

1956 Streaks- Mike Owens front right.

GALESBURG CHANGE- COACH MIKE OWENS

Coach Owens arrived back in Galesburg in 1972-3 as an assistant coach for John Thiel. Owens was a local legend, having had perhaps one of the most impressive high school and college basketball careers of any Galesburg basketball player. 

Owens had started in 1954-5 for Coach Frank Adams. Adam’s assistant coach was a young John Thiel. Their team went to State. After the season, Adams left to take over the coaching job at Knox College and John Thiel was named the head coach.

 

In a 2005 interview with Mike Trueblood, Owens described the change in coaches,”Initially you get mad at Frank because we thought he left us and we had a good team coming back, but he did what he had to do and we did what we had to do. The transition for me was pretty easy because as an assistant, John worked with us little people more. That summer, when John had his program, he kind of took me over. I’d go all the time with him. John was tough on us, but he was fun to play for.”

 

Owen's senior year and Thiel's first year, the Streaks went 26-3 and lost in the Supersectional to eventual State Champ, Rockford West 66-64 in double OT. 

 

Owens in Peoria, GHS, Bradley HOF’s

Owens then went onto Bradley where he was a three year starter for legendary coach, Chuck Orsborn. During the three years, Bradley had a combined record of 72-13 with three trips to the NIT in New York. In this era, the ONLY way you got in the NCAA tourney was to win your conference. Bradley's problem was that Cincinnati and Oscar Robertson were in the Missouri Valley at that time.

 

As a junior, Bradley took second in the NIT.  As a senior, Owens was voted team MVP and they won the NIT. In the final AP polls, Bradley finished #4 in the nation both Owen's junior and senior year. Both years Oscar Robertson was the National POY. Most fans believe Bradley's 91-90 victory over #1 ranked UC in 1960 at Robertson FH was the greatest game in Bradley history.

 

Mike Owen's experienced what it is like to play on an elite D1 team. In a different era where multiple teams from one conference make the NCAA tourney, and where national networks like ESPN shine a bright light on college basketball, Mike Owens would have received even more recognition as a player. Few high school players can say they were ever good enough to play college basketball, few college players can say they were good enough to start on AP top 10 team. Mike Owens was the MVP on such a team.

 

After college, Owens had been head coach at Limestone and Wheeling for a total of 8 years, and then one year as an assistant at Northwestern.

 

John Thiel

Galesburg’s Reaction to Change

Because of the success in the 1960’s, many in Galesburg were disappointed that Thiel was no longer coaching. With the combination of his unbelievable college career and an already successful HS coaching career, many in Galesburg were excited to have Mike Owens back in Galesburg. While many hated to see Thiel go, if Thiel was not going to be the coach, most were excited it was Owens coming as the replacement.

 

Harley Knosher remembers- "I had scouted Bradley and Mike when I was at Northwestern, so I knew what a competitor he was. Then I had open gyms in the summer on Wednesday nights at Knox and Mike brought his Limestone teams up to play so I got to know him personally. Based on his unbelievable playing career and the fact that he had already done a great job as a high school coach, I don't know anyone who wasn't thrilled to have Mike back in Galesburg."

 

Jimmie Carr remembers- "Growing up I lived near Steele Gym, I would go to Galesburg practices to watch Mike Owens, he was so tough as a player. Mike was my hero growing up. When the decision was made to bring in Mike as an assistant, you wouldn't believe how happy Galesburg fans were."

 

Mike Owens

CHANGES TO THE GALESBURG PROGRAM

When Owens came in, he put his stamp on the program. The uniforms were different with no player names on the back, new warmup gear, different pre-game routine and music, The offense was changed from the 2-1-2 offense used in the 1960’s with double low posts. Galesburg had never been in an in-season tourney. Owens brought in a Galesburg Thanksgiving Tourney, and entered the Bloomington-Normal Christmas Tourney. These changes became an issue for some fans for years to come.

One is reminded of the scene in Hoosiers where “concerned citizens” meet with the new coach, and the Sheriff tells him that the community doesn’t like change. And then the minister tells the coach,”Do you believe in man to man or a zone defense? Zone defense is all we’ve played in the past.” 

 

In 2015, the Thiel Gym (named for Coach John Thiel) had water damage and needed a new floor. The District #205 administration determined the decision of what design to put on the new floor needed a committee of community members. At the committee’s first meeting, the first person to speak said,”Let’s get a lightning bolt back on center court like we had in the 1960’s.”

 

Don Wright

1974-5 GALESBURG COACHING STAFF

Don Wright was sophomore coach in 1973-4 and then varsity assistant in 1974-5, 1975-6. Don had played at Wheeling for Coach Owens. He played just like Owens wanted his teams to play- tough, physical, and get after it on defense.

 

On Sunday afternoons, Owens opened the gym for adults and for players to play. It was never full court scrimmaging, it was always 3 on 3 half court scrimmaging. Owens said that Chet Walker had told him that was what NBA players did in the off-season to work on their game- lots of three on three. The worst Sunday afternoon was if you got stuck on a court with Wright guarding you.

 

Barry Swanson

Barry Swanson was in his first year as soph head coach in 1974-5. Barry had been one of the stars of the great 1966 team. Galesburg fans appreciated that he played with a toughness and always hustled as a Streak. His style and his effort made him a Streak hero. Barry fit right into the mold of Wright and Owens- all three of them were tough, tough competitors, they would not back down. Barry's first year, the Streaks sophs went a perfect 22-0. That group then became the juniors on the 1975-6 team.

 

Coach Evan Massey

Fly On the Wall

How often in life does an event occur, and we think,  ”I would sure like to have been a fly on the wall for that.” When it comes to the 1976 team, I got to be a "fly on the wall." I was 22 years old, just out of college, and quiet. I was the Soph Assistant Coach to Coach Swanson. I contributed little to the program but I sure did learn a lot soaking it all up. 

 

After I was hired as a social studies teacher, George Lundeen called me to tell me there was an opening for Soph Assistant Basketball Coach. I was interested and went to meet with Mr. Lundeen at GHS. He told me Owens wasn't sure he wanted to fill the position but Owens wanted to meet with me. Mr. Lundeen drove me over to Coach Owens’ house on Kellogg St. Based on what Mr.Lundeen had said, I expected an intense interview. We got there, and Coach Owens asked me one question, "Do you want to be a basketball coach?" 

 

I replied that I did. At that point in my life if I added 2 more sentences I was talking a lot. Mike preceded to say, "I talked to Coach Knosher (my college coach), he recommends you highly and thinks you have what it takes to become a good coach someday. If Harley believes in you, that is good enough for me." The interview was over! Later Coach Knosher, shared with me, his admiration and respect for Mike Owens.

 

As I write this blog, realize I am not trying to inflate my very, very small contributions. I wish I had been more effective but I was young and I was trying to learn. Whatever you want to call it- a mentorship, training program, or an assistant coach- I was in a great position to watch and learn from three great coaches as they worked with some spectacular high school players. 

Next Up- Galesburg vs Richwoods 1976- Part II 1973-1975