Streaks Scrapbook- From 1954 JH City Champs To 1957 Elite Eight

 

In 1954 Hitchcock hosted a junior basketball tournament at Steele Gym. The tourney included Galesburg’s three JH teams- Hitchcock (today Hitchcock apartments), Lombard, and Churchill (still downtown), as well as ROVA. 

Churchill won the 9th grade championship over ROVA 45-43. GHS was only 10th thru 12th grade at this time. 

Churchill was led by Gerald Schriber 11, Al Williams 9, Elbert Kimbrough 8, Dick Taylor 7, and Albert Kimbrough 4. Churchill was coached by Charles Edwards. 

Al Williams, and Elbert and Albert Kimbrough would go onto be part of the famous starting five of the 1957 Silver Streaks that defeated Rock Island in the famous stall game. 

The Kimbroughs went onto start at Northwestern in football. The Kimbrough Fieldhouse is name for Albert and Elbert. 

ROVA was led by Don Holmes 14. 

In the third place game, Lombard won in OT over Hitchcock 34-31. Hitchcock’s Bobby Hoffman hit crucial ft’s to send it in to OT and had 14 points. Other key players were Doug Mills and Dave Huffman. Bob Anderson led Lombard with 8 points. 

Bobby Hoffman went onto be a fourth starter on the 1957 Silver Streaks team that beat Rock Island and advanced to the finish in the Elite 8. 

Doug Mills became a star in both football and basketball at GHS. He became a basketball “All-American” in high school, and went onto play sports at the University of Illinois. 

Al Williams, Bobby Hoffman, Albert Kimbrough, and Elbert Kimbrough were joined by Jimmy Range to form one of the most exciting Silver Streaks team ever- the 1957 Elite 8 GHS team. 

Then- three years later…..

Streaks Scrapbook- 1957 Elite 8