“I think we started so slow because we’ve been away from basketball so long,” head coach Denny Kunnemann
told the Ottawa Daily Tmes. “We did manage to get in one practice on Thursday.”
Randy Rhoads added 10 points for the Bulldogs, who shot 46-percent (23-49) from the floor. Gene Guihan led Waterman with
23 points, Rusty Baie added 15. The Wolverines were 17-of-43 (39.5%) from the field in the game.
SHABBONA 53, SERENA 45
Serena led 30-24 in the third quarter before Shabbona’s Larry Hickey six straight points. The Huskers hit just 3-of-21
shots in the fourth period, while the Indians nailed 10-of-15 free throws to pull away.
Hickey led the winners with 20 points, John Herrick chipped in 13. Serena was paced by Rich Rosengren’s 12 points.
NEWARK 56, HINCKLEY-BIG ROCK 48
The Royals led by six points in the third quarter when Newark head coach Chuck Nelson had his club switch to a zone defense
from their man-to-man. The result was numerous H-BR turnovers (28 in the game) and a Norsemen 16-2 run to gain a 10-point
lead. The Royals cut the disadvantage to four points with 2:12 remaining, but top scorer Craig Campbell, who had started to
heat up, fouled out on a three-point play by Newark, which spelled the end to the Royals come back hopes.
Dale Hook led the Norsemen with 19 points, Bryce Nordengren had 14 and brothers Mike and Bill Shields added 10 each. H-BR
was paced by 16 points from Don Chapman, Campbell ended with 14.
LELAND 57, PAW PAW 31
The Panthers raced out to a 20-9 after the first eight minutes and extended that lead to 35-18 at intermission. Leland
hit a scorching 61-percent from the field for the game and forced 26 Bulldog turnovers. Senior Randy Keller led LHS with 20
points, Gerald Friut added 17. Dave Smith and Randy Rhoads top Paw Paw with 10 points each.
Keller’s story was one of those great stories in LTC history. The 6-footer had never played high school basketball
until his senior year and hadn’t played organized basketball since the sixth grade. He worked fixing tires for a local
trucking company and according to head coach Roger Dorio he was very good at it. After Leland’s record setting season
the year before, Keller decided he wanted to be a part of it. Dorio also said that if Keller had played his first three years
he may have been one of the premier players in the conference, well at least for this game he was.
SOMONAUK 67, MALTA 58
The teams were tied at 20-all after the first frame and Somonauk pushed out to a 35-31 halftime led. The Bobcats, who were
playing only their second game in over two weeks, pulled away midway through the fourth quarter to move on to the semifinals.
Somonauk had to cancel two home games prior because of heating problems at their gym.
Greg McRill led the Bobcats with 20 points, Eric Voss had 15, Brad Anderson 14. Malta received 19 points from Rob Peterson,
Ron Peterson chipped in 12, Lance Romanski 10.
SEMIFINALS
LELAND 48, NEWARK 45
Leland guard Dirk Gunderson scored a career high 24 points to go along with an amazing 11 rebounds as the Panthers hung
on against Newark to keep their hopes of a LTC tournament championship alive. Newark, who trailed at halftime 26-23, switch
up defenses in the second half. The Norsemen still trailed 44-39 with 1:25 to go in the game, but cut the disadvantage to
46-45 following two hoops by Mike Shields and a 20-footer by Dale Hook. Newark then caused a Leland turnover at the :17 mark,
but their next shot missed and Panther center Gerald Fruit (10 points) grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Fruit missed the
front end of the 1-and-bonus and Hook grabbed the board. With time running out, Hook passed ahead to Mike Shields, who had
gotten behind the Leland defense, but Shields was called for traveling with :03 on the clock. Gunderson snared a long pass
on the ensuing out of bounds and scored a lay up as time expired.
Mike Shields led Newark with 20 points, Bryce Nordengren added 10 points and had 10 caroms.
SHABBONA 70, SOMONAUK 66
Shabbona led 18-4 after one quarter and 36-23 at halftime. The Bobcats struggled in the first half as they it just 6-of-35
(1-of-17 1st quarter) in the first half. The Indians stretched the lead to 17 points early in the third period,
but then started to turn the ball over and the Bobcats cashed in by going on a 19-4 run, ending with a three-point play by
Greg McRill to tie the game at 62-all with 1:45 left to go in the game. But the Bobcat comeback was denied by Shabbona as
the Indians dropped in eight free throws over the final 1:42 to get the win and advance to the title game.
McRill led Somonauk with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Doug Jelm added 16 points of the bench. Shabbona was paced by Curt
Foster’s 17 points, Greg Gesin had 16 and John Herrick 15. The two teams combined to commit 58 turnovers in the game,
Shabbona 31 and Somonauk 27.
THIRD PLACE GAME
SOMONAUK 75, NEWARK 63
Although the Bobcats were in major foul trouble, head coach Ron Anderson elected to press the entire game and it finally
paid off. Newark, who dressed just eight players, led 34-32 at halftime and 52-45 entering the fourth quarter, however the
Norsemen turned the ball over eight times in the final period and were out-scored 30-11 giving the Bobcats third place honors.
“I’m sure people were wondering why we didn’t take the press off after we got into foul trouble, but
I figured we’d come this far with it, why take it off now,” Anderson told the Ottawa Daily Times. “I really
feared a letdown after we lost to Shabbona. I guess the kids finally decided to play in the fourth quarter.”
Eric Voss scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting for the Bobcats. Lefty Greg McRill added 21 points, Brad Anderson
15. Newark was led by Bryce Nordengren’s 17 points, while Bill Shields had 15, younger brother Mike chipped in 13.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
SHABBONA 61, LELAND 55
As a good luck charm the 1928 LTC Tournament trophy traveled with the 1979 club to each night of the tournament. The Panthers
hadn’t been to the title game 15 years and even with them being the top seed were many fans sentimental favorite to
take two championship trophies back to Leland with them. However a young Shabbona team, who started four juniors, had thoughts
of taking the top prize back home with them instead.
The Indians led 31-21 at the intermission. Leland head coach Roger Dorio ordered a full-court press to start the second
half which bothered Shabbona. Leland’s Gerald Fruit scored nine of his 17 points in the third period as LHS pulled within
7, 44-36.
Dirk Gunderson started to take over, Shabbona center Chris Watson picked up his third and fourth fouls early in the fourth
frame. Leland got within two with a Gunderson drive a the 3:34 mark, then Fruit scored a three-point play at 2:30, on a play
in which Watson fouled out.
Larry Hickey netted a three-point play of his own for Shabbona at 2:14 and then a hobbling John Herrick, who injured an
ankle in the Somonauk game, hit a jumper at 1:45 to make it a five point game. Gunderson scored again, but that is as close
as the Panthers would get.
Watson led Shabbona with 20 points, Hickey had 17, Greg Gesin 15. Leland was paced by Gunderson’s 24, while Fruit
ended with 17.
Note: Shabbona head coach Dave Fulltz, who played on championship Shabbona teams in 1959 and 1960, captured his third title
in the 70s.
g pts avg.
1. Gerald Fruit, Leland.................... 8 162 20.3
2. Greg McRill, Somonauk................... 8 157 18.9
3. Kurt Samo, Malta........................ 8 147 18.4
4. Eric Voss, Somonauk..................... 6 104 17.0
5. Randy Rhoads, Paw Paw................... 6 96 16.0
6. Rob Peterson, Malta..................... 8 115 14.4
7. Ron Hunt, Waterman...................... 8 114 14.3
8. Bryce Nordengren, Newark................ 8 112 14.0
9. Brad Anderson, Somonauk................. 8 111 13.9
10. Dave Smith, Paw Paw.................... 8 104 13.0
11. (tie) Ron Peterson, Malta.............. 8 103 12.9
12. Dirk Gunderson, Leland................. 8 103 12.9
13. Chris Watson, Shabbona................. 8 102 12.8
14. Don Chapman, Hinckley-Big Rock......... 8 101 12.6
15. Mike Shields, Newark................... 7 84 12.0
