Boys Basketball
The Danvers HS gymnasium was in a "quonset hut" style building. The basketball floor was flanked by a raised
stage at one end. The locker rooms were described this way by former student Steve Graves: "The
locker rooms, a level down and flanking the stage...were just like the ones in the basketball movie of the period "Hoosiers."
Though only winning two District Titles, the Danvers boys had many successful seasons. The best of those
seasons as listed on the IHSA web site are mentioned below. One interesting note: since Danvers was only a three-year
school at the time, three members from the 1928-29 district champion transferred to Bloomington for their senior
year and led that school's team to a second-place finish at the IHSA state tournament. Donald Argo, Clarke Buescher,
and Gerald Cooke (also known as the "ABC Boys") were instrumental in helping the Purple Raiders after being members of the
Dragon varsity.
1928-29 N.R.A. District Champions
Coach George Clinebell
1953-54 17 - 7 (good record)
Coach Joe Nicolay
1955-56 18 - 6 (good record)
Coach Joe Nicolay
1957-58 20 - 8 (good record)
Coach Maurice Hesses
1958-59 21 - 6 District Champions Coach
Maurice Hesses
1959-60 21 - 6 (good record) Coach
Tony Rolinski
Boys Track & Field
The boys track program had one individual bring home two medals from the State Track Meet. Ron Schieber's efforts
resulted in a 10th Place finish for the Danvers Track Team in 1958.
1957-58 Ron Schieber 440 Yard Run
3rd Place
Ron Schieber
220 Yard Run 4th Place
Great Athletes
Former student Steve Graves described the Schieber brothers (Ron
and Jerry) in this manner:
"Ron Schieber, as you mention, was an outstanding runner. Although he
never played high school football, Ron emerged as a star running back and most valuable player selection
at Illinois State and played pre-season games with the Detroit Lions as a free agent in 1963. He was also one of the key sprinters
on a national contending mile relay team at ISU.
Probably an equally amazing story was his brother Jerry Schieber. Danvers
had no community pool-just an 18' in length pool built by the local undertaker. Jerry had not only
never been in a swim meet but had never seen a swim meet until he also enrolled (Illinois State Normal University, Normal,
Illinois). He went on to not only swim well (breast stroke was his event) but he qualified (national time standard) to
go to the US Olympic Trials in 1960."
Thank you to Steve Graves for sharing this information.
Boys Baseball
We are told the Dragons had a good baseball program as well, having won the 1942 McLean County Championship over defending
titlist Bellflower, 10-9.. If you have any further information on the diamond men of Danvers High School please send
it to us so we can share it on this site. We do know that baseball was offered in the fall and spring.
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