Once They Were Giants

In 1952, Hebron Illinois was nearly 100 years old located in the Midwest. The give instructionings total enrollment was 98. The town had untold cows than total population of people. I bet it was a charming town with only 4 sm tout ensemble groceries, 2 restaurants, and 2 taverns. This town was tot totall(a)yy unaffected by metropolis life. This town looked more like Wisconsin than Illinois. This was the year of claim to fame from whiz basketball team up colors green and white called the parking area Giants. During the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s Hebron was a hoops town.

Basketball came to Northern Illinois in the 1980s. The sport real began in 1927 with pram Lowery B. Crane, as the basketball omnibus for Hebron groom. four-in-hand Crane had went to college and graduated as a teacher. Hebron tutor valued Mr. Crane to teach math or physics and to start four-in-handing the junior varsity basketball team. The previous coach that coached the varsity team had just resigned, so lucky for Mr. Crane he advanced right into varsity. The students called bus topology Crane red for his striking red hair. In higher(prenominal) tutor as Coach Crane go to he vie soccer. In college he played basketball. When he attended the board of education the coach encouraged the board into set hoops at the high school. He alike encouraged the town people to put up hoops in the town. Coach Crane had a motto- mens sana in corporne. It meant a sound body a sound mind. In 1935 Hebron won its first county title since 1924. In 1936 Hebron was able to be in the IHSA, meaning Illinois High School Association. In just a few years under Coach Crane directory Hebrons basketball professionalgram had risen to a new level, angiotensin converting enzyme on where the small town played on evidently equal footing with the puffygest and best schools. During 1939-1040 basketball team the much loved Coach Crane. The much loved coach had an luck to change his familys lives. He was offered a teaching piazza to teach psychics at Sean High School. You see during the summer he had just finished his masters degree. This high school was in Chicago. This was a better opportunity for his new family.

Ed willet a new graduate out of northwester University had taken over Coach Cranes job. Mr. Willet was born in Canton Ohio. He stood 66. He had a profound start the team already had 2 victories. This was the school year of 1939-1940; he also had a bunch of tall guys. The average height from 64 to 511. Using the height to good value Hebron tore through the competition at the start of the time of years, benignant 20 games before loosing to Crystal Lake. The last game at the end of the season was to Rockford and they won. Over 400 citizens were at the Rockford game. When they came fend for they were all so excited and happy they built a bonfire in the middle of the street. Hebron High School; was sledding to the state masticateionship games! These male childs were all farm boys and after school they had to go home and do chores. This team had 2 really good players; they were Judon and Kjellstrom (last names), went home and shot basketballs after practice, noon, redden in the early mornings. During their initiative chance at state they alienated. Although they lost and were disappointed they came home with a heros welcome. afterward the 1940 state principalship session and even with the loss the team became almost famous even though it was Hebron. The team was even mentioned in the Elgin Courrier News. The Green Giants were now in print. A boy that coach Crane had had an eye on and now Coach Willet was really impressed with this player. His name was Howie Johnson.

Howie Johnson was a dandy athlete. He loved baseball and basketball, and was really good at both. During one of the season games Howie was hit with nigh staples that some unplanned boys were shooting at the players. Howie was hit in the eyes. His family did not energize enough money for the additionalist so the high school and the town had banned together and raised the money to micturate his eyes fixed. His leftover eye was hurt the worst; the special said his wounds were not caused by staples but by yellow-bellied wire. Howies job at home was to take plow of the chickens. The specialist also said this injury could cause blindness. Howie was named to the foremost all State Basketball Team by the line of business Gazette News. At the end of the school year Howie certain a scholarship to the University of Illinois.

By the fall of 1943, America was involved in the World War II. During the war things were left moribund for the schools basketball team. In 1945 Howie was almost direct to war. Before Howie left his father 51years old had died from a long heart attack. Howie also started to develop blindness in his left eye, but he chill out could pitch a hone baseball.

In a town close to Hebron, but still in Illinois were the Ahrens The boys were Tom and Russ, and they loved baseball. They grew up to be semi- pro baseball players. In 1948 Russ was married and had 2 children. Russ Ahrens located a job in Hebron, Illinois, and became the new basketball coach. Hebron was a good match for Russ. Ahearns as they called him became the principal and the athletic director. Ahearns was the only to coach for the basketball team. Mr. Ahearns was a coach that only liked to win. During the next couple of years the local town boys were preparing to become basketball players and Mr. Ahreans was preparing to have a season to win as state champions. When the team started the coach gave some very strict rules. He had the boys follow a very strict diet and exercise. Also, Howie Johnson would come and be the assistant coach while his season had ended with the White Sox.

Mr. Ahearns had a stricter regime than most coaches buns in the day. The boys were not allowed to get a line except on Saturday nights, and they always had games on Saturday nights. Dr. Leschuck saw that the boys were fetching the proper vitamins and had the right amount of proper sleep. The uniforms were green and white, and coach Ahearns made sure they were perfect, and even the sneakers. He was all business and wanted perfection to start the year right. This was all part of a plan to put Hebron back on the map again and to win the 1950-1951 season state champs. That season did turn out good but they did loose. As it turned out they did have a good season.

The tidings goes on to talk about some of the boys and their great capabilities as player for the 1951-1952 season. The boys are Don Wilbrandt, Phil and Paul Judson, and Bill Schultz. These boys were utilize and also very good players. They were seniors this year and also wanted to play hard and win. Paul and Phil were twins and also the younger br others of Howie Judson. This team made it to the state championship! This time it was all so different. The boys stayed in hotels in the Champaign-Urbana area where the State champion ship games were always played. As the boys were demolishing all of the other teams they signed autographs and were on television. The ticket gross revenue were $1.50 and could be sold for over $20. This was all very provoke and hard on the boys to focus on the game. During the playoffs the sport generators were astonished and excited by the small school success.

This year Coach Ahearns told the boys the facts as they stood. They had good things that would come across from this tournament. One was that they were going to be the first high school in Illinois to play on television, also they could be the 1st team in the history of basketball to win district, regional, and regional sectional.

The book is remains as to describe all of the teams that were played and the scores. I read the book anyway, and the scores. I was impressed, but do not want to include all of these stats. The team did win all. The Hebron people went to the games, and the town was like a ghost town. The net game was with a team named Quincy, and they had a run of winsome the state games for many years, but not this season. The team and coaches came back as heroes. Many of the counties around Hebron like Woodstock, and Harvard had parades with the players in the parades. This was big! The Green Giants had won all. The boys went on to play semi-professional sports. And they all lived happily ever after.

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