Streaks Scrapbook-1964 Galesburg Ponies

Until the mid-1980’s, Galesburg HS was a three year high school. It was Galesburg Sr. High School with only sophomores, juniors, and seniors. In the 1960’s thru the 1980’s, the Galesburg Soph teams in all sports were referred to as the “Ponies.

Back in the 1960’s, it was not unusual for schools/coaches/fans to not want the lower teams to feel they had yet earned the nickname of their school’s varsity team. For example the Rock Island Rocks had their FS teams as the Pebbles. 

While Galesburg varsity teams had been the Tiger and then the Red Devils up to the mid-1930’s, the younger team was referred to as the Ponies clear back in the 1920’s. By the 1990’s, Ponies was dropped and all the teams were referred to as the Silver Streaks. 

In 1964, the Galesburg basketball “Ponies” were playing in the shadows of the highly successful varsity “Silver Streaks.” The varsity lost only 3 games during the regular season on their way to the Elite 8. But the 1964 Ponies showed promise of what was to come. 

The Ponies were made up of Bob Jasperson, Barry Swanson, Dale Kelley, Steve Marshall, Bob Lindstrom, Steve Ballard, Tony Enes, George Burgland, Ed Howard, Jim McMeen, Dewey Wright, Jack Feldman, Steve Fox, Don Gummerson, Carl Hawkinson, and Rod Goedeke. 

For most games, the starting lineup was Bob Jasperson, Barry Swanson, Dale Kelley, Bob Lindstrom, and Steve Marshall. 

The team showed tremendous scoring depth, everyone of the starters scored in double figures multiple times. Jasperson, Swanson, and Kelley each had games where they scored 20+ plus points, and sometimes 30+ points. 

Knowing that in two years, Jasperson, Kelley, and Swanson would be the cornerstones of the 1966 Silver Streaks team, it is interesting to see their development on the Ponies. 1964 was an exciting time for both the basketball Silver Streaks and the Ponies!