Local Sports from The Courier
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Boys basketball: Miller City's 1950 state champs to be honored
Findlay's Norris Simpson had just graduated from Findlay College when he was named head coach at Miller City prior to the 1949-50 school year. With just 37 boys in the four high school grades, Simpson began his coaching career at one of the smallest schools in the state.
Realizing he had neither the height nor the depth to match up with many of the teams on Miller City's schedule. Simpson put his players through a grueling preseason conditioning program. He also instituted an aggressive defensive philosophy and an up-tempo transition game that allowed the Wildcats to overcome bigger, deeper, more athletic teams.
?We just barely eked out a 37-33 win (over Continental) in our first game. We felt fortunate to get a win,? said Joe Lammers, the lone surviving starter on that team.
?That proved something to us, though. And the rest, as they say, is history.?
Miller City went 18-0 in Putnam County League play, won the county tournament and captured the district championship as well. The Wildcats upended No. 1-ranked and defending Class B state champion Delphos St. John's 43-42 in the regional semifinals, and beat Leesville 60-46 to earn a trip to state.
In the state semifinals, Miller City overcame a 14-point first half deficit to knock off Corning 52-45. A day later, before 9,000 fans at the Columbus Fairgrounds Coliseum, the Wildcats again fell behind Eaton in the state championship game. Trying to protect some of its foul-prone players, Eaton stalled the entire third quarter. Miller City clawed back into the lead, however, went into a stall of its own in the fourth quarter, and held on for a 44-36 victory to cap off a 29-0 season.
The exploits of Miller City's championship season have been compiled into a book, ?Wildcats? detailing their unbeaten Class B state championship.
Miller City is scheduled to play Columbus Grove in a Putnam County League matchup Feb. 20. Ceremonies presenting Miller City with its commemorative marker will be held between the junior varsity and varsity games.
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