This year’s Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame inductees will gather between the junior varsity and varsity contests at the Whitko – Tippecanoe Valley boys basketball game Friday in Akron. This is the fourth class of inductees honoring players at each of the county schools. Traditionally, the inductees have been introduced at alternate Whitko and Wawasee high school games. This year, because of a couple of special contributors to Kosciusko County basketball, Tippecanoe Valley coach Bill Patrick and award-winning sports announcer Rita Price, the event is at Tippecanoe Valley. Here is a list of the 2013 class: Atwood Greyhounds Bob Creighton was a 1958 graduate and four-year letter winner for the Greyhounds. Bob led the Greyhounds in scoring his senior year with 314 points. Bob’s 692 career points ranks fourth highest among Greyhound scorers in the decade of the 1950’s. Jim Irwin was a 1960 Atwood graduate who led Tom Sittler’s first Atwood squad in scoring with 320 points. Jim went on to play both basketball and baseball in college, graduating from Ball State University. Jim went on to coach at the high school level for 37 years. Jim’s varsity coaching included basketball, baseball and golf. Jim’s basketball teams won sectionals at Bluffton and Southern Wells and he coached at several schools including Pierceton and Whitko. Beaver Dam Beavers Al Study was a 1960 Beaver Dam graduate who led the Beavers in scoring his senior year with 347 points. Al’s career total of 683 points ranks second among Beaver Dam scorers in the 1960’s. Claypool Knights John Clay was a 1955 Claypool graduate and a four-year letter winner for the Knights. John teamed with fellow Claypool hall-of-famer Dick Morris to lead the 1955 Knights to 11 wins, the second highest win total for a Claypool team in the 1950’s. John scored 545 points in his high school career. Rex Woodruff was a 1960 Claypool graduate who led the Knights in scoring his senior year with 306 points. Rex made the all-county first team his senior year. Etna Green Cubs Richard (Dick) Stouder was a 1954 Etna Green graduate who played on Eldon Ummel’s 1952 County Championship team that beat the Warsaw Tigers in the county championship game 59-49. Richard led the 1953 Cubs in scoring and was a First Team All-County selection that same year. Richard scored 593 points in his high school career. James Stouder was a 1958 Etna Green graduate and played on Jim Robbins power house 1957 and 1958 Etna Green teams, which won back-to-back county championships and the 1958 Sectional Championship. Etna Green had an incredible 49-3 record in those two seasons. Jim was a First Team All-County and All-Sectional selection in 1958 and scored 687 points in his career. Jim now joins two of his brothers who have been selected to the Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame. Mentone Bulldogs Bob Long was a 1960 Mentone graduate and was the leading scorer for Paul Bateman’s 1960 county championship team, which ended the season with a 20-5 record. Bob scored 365 points his senior year and was selected to the All-County first team. Jerry Ryman is a 1963 Mentone graduate who joined the Bulldogs after playing three years for Atwood, whose school shut down after the 1962 season. Jerry helped lead Paul Bateman’s 1963 team to a county championship and an outstanding 23-2 season. Jerry scored 334 points that season and made the first team All-County and first team All-Sectional teams that year. Jerry also made the 1962 all-county team while playing for Atwood. Jerry went on to have an outstanding collegiate career at Grace College where he still holds the Grace record for assists in a game, a season and for a career. Jerry also went on to a coaching career at all levels including a stint coaching the Grace College Lady Lancers. Milford Trojans Chuck Fleischauer is a 1958 Milford graduate who led the Trojans in scoring his senior year with 441 points. Chuck was selected to both the all-county and all-sectional first teams in his senior year at Milford. North Webster Trojans Jon Sroufe was a 1960 North Webster graduate and a three-year starter for coach Donnie Butts. During those years North Webster produced a record of 57-15 with John leading the way in scoring in 1959 with 384 points. Jon tallied 900 points in his career and made the All-County squads in both 1959 and 1960, along with an All-Sectional selection in 1960. Pierceton Cubs John McFarren was a 1959 Pierceton graduate who led Kosciusko County in scoring in 1959 with 381 points. John helped coach Burt Niles teams to a two-year record of 27-16 with John making the 1959 all-county first team. John finished his career with 547 points. Silver Lake Ramblers Emery Brandenburg was a 1955 Silver Lake graduate who led Art Windmiller’s 1955 squad to a 19-4 record and a County Championship. Emery hit a dramatic last-second shot in the county championship finals to beat Pierceton 56-54. Emery led the Ramblers in scoring his senior year with 391 points and was a First Team All-County selection in 1955. Syracuse Yellow jackets Tom Firestone was a 1961 Syracuse graduate and a first team all-county selection that year. Tom led Rollin Cuttler’s team in scoring his senior year with 315 points. Tom was also a member of Dick Beck’s 1959’s, 21-3 team that won the County Championship. Tom continued his participation in high school basketball with coaching. Tom’s coaching career included stops at Bremen and Northwood. Warsaw Tigers Lavon Harman was a four-year letter winner for the Tigers who graduated in 1956. Lavon helped lead the Tigers to back-to-back sectional titles in 1955 and 1956. Lavon made the All-Sectional teams in both 1955 and 1956 and scored 313 points in his senior year. Standing 6 foot 5 inches tall, Lavon was one of Kosciusko County’s best big men in the decade of the 1950’s. Special contributors to Kosciusko County Basketball Norm Hagg: This 1955 Leesburg Blue Blazer graduate made his mark in the 1960’s with his coverage of Kosciusko County Basketball for the Times-Union. Norm later broadened his coverage of local basketball by becoming a play-by-play radio broadcaster for WRSW basketball games. Rita Price: This Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame member and native of Marshall County has been adopted by Kosciusko County as one of our own. Rita started her sports casting career in 1970 and did her first play by play in basketball in 1976. She has done every girls basketball state championship since 1976 and has broadcasted both boys and girls basketball and football for Tippecanoe Valley since 1976. Rita has won numerous awards for broadcasting and worked for WRSW for 54 years. Bill Patrick: A 1956 Sidney graduate and Indiana Hall of Fame member for his 43 years of coaching high school basketball. Coach Patrick is nearing the 700-win mark for career victories and when that happens he will be only the fifth coach in Indiana history to achieve that mark. Patrick’s teams have won 15 Sectionals, three Regionals and one SemiState. Coach Patrick is in his 15th year at Tippecanoe Valley and has won 10 Three Rivers Conference titles. Bill is the first coach selected for the Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame.
