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| Macomb Western Academy Building 1902-38 |
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| Courtesy of Steve Monger |
| Simpkins Hall - Western Academy HS 1938-68 |
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| Courtesy of Steve Monger |
The History of Macomb Western Academy High School
Macomb (population 20,500) was named after Alexander Macomb, a War of 1812 hero, &
one of the first graduates from West Point. Along with Thomas McDonough, Macomb led troops to victory on both land and water
over the British at Plattsburg, NY and on Lake Champlain in 1814. The victories became a crucial point in the war as the United
States turned back the British. McDonough is also known in Western Illinois because the county that Macomb
sits in is named after McDonough. Macomb later served as commanding general of the U.S. Army from 1828 until his death in
1841.
The city of Macomb sits right in the middle of an area in Western Illinois known as the Military Tract,
which was given as a reward to those who fought in the War of 1812. It is positioned exactly in the middle of McDonough County,
not far from where the first log cabin built in 1829 by Rev. John Baker. As a city, Macomb was officially founded in
1831. Major routes that serve Macomb include US 67 & US 136, and the LaMoine River runs thru the north end of town.
The Burlington-Northern RR also has a line that goes thru Macomb, which is situated between Quincy (65 miles southwest), Monmouth
(33 miles north), Galesburg (48 miles north), and Peoria (50 miles east), with all mile counts estimated as straight as the
crow flies.
The earliest known history of education in Macomb began in 1834 when a private, one-room log building was
opened. A year later, McDonough College was established, but failed as did four subsequent others before Western State Normal
College (now Western Illinois University) opened in 1899. Western Academy and Western High School were a part of the campus,
serving WIU from 1902 to 1973.
When it opened, Western Academy had 229 students in attendance at the two-year school,
which was used a laboratory for student teachers that attended
Western State. The school was known as "The Lab School,"
"The Academy", "Campus School," and later, "Western High," thus leading to an all-incompassing name, "The School of Many Names."
| Western Academy Campus |
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| Courtesy of Steve Monger |
MACOMB WESTERN ACADEMY/HIGH SCHOOL QUICK FACTS
Year opened (as a two-year school):
1902
Year it became a four-year school:
1917
Year closed: 1973
Nicknames:
Acads, Purple Preps (thru 1945)
Cardinals
(1945-73)
School colors:
Purple and White (thru 1945)
Cardinal and White (1945-73)
School song:
"We're Loyal to You, Western High"
(sung to the tune of the Illinois Loyalty)
We're loyal to you Western High.
We're cardinal and white, Western High
We'll back you to stand
'Gainst the best in the land
For we know you have sand, Western High!
Rah! Rah!
So crack out the ball, Western High
We're
backing you all, Western High
Our team is our fame protector:
On! Boys for we expect a
Victory from you Western High!
Che-he,
cha-ha, cha-ha-ha-ha,
Western, Western
Rah, Rah, RAH!
Fling
out that dear old flag of
Cardinal
and White,
Lead
on your sons and daughters
Fighting for you
Like men of old, on giants.
Placing reliance, shouting defiance
Oskee-wow-wow---------
Amid the broad green plains that nourish our land,
For honest Labor and for Learning we stand.
And unto thee we pledge our heart and our hand,
Dear Alma Mater,
Western High!!
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| Western Academy's "Million Dollar Gym" |
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| Courtesy of Steve Monger |
ATHLETICS
Macomb Western offered football, basketball, baseball, track, tennis, and wrestling to its male athletes.
The Girls' Athletic Association (GAA) was offered at the school beginning in 1919 in order to encourage female students to
participate in sports. Other schools saw how Western ran its GAA program, and adopted it for their own use.
| Western Academy Football Coach Harry Sockler |
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| Courtesy of Steve Monger |
FOOTBALL
Before you start reading, take a quick break because the football program was the primary story in the school's athletic
history. There was limited success in 1920-40, as the program was 9-40-3 under Ralph Barclay, a
Western grad himself. Barclay's Purple Preps recorded their first winning season ever in 1941, going
3-1-1 before he gave the reins to Jim Schultz, whose 1943 & 1944 teams were 4-1 and 4-2, respectively.
The school stepped its rise when Larry Kerker coached the first unbeaten teams in 1948 (6-0-1) and 1949 (7-0).
Harry Sockler's Cardinals made their school proud with 10 undefeated seasons from 1952-67 as Western
High went 114-12-2 in those 16 seasons for a winning percentage of .905. Included in those 10 undefeated seasons were winning
streaks of 35 and 24 games, the latter being the last 24 games that Sockler would be on the sidelines at
WHS. And to boot, the 1967 team went defeated and UNSCORED upon! Jack Hepinstall succeeded Sockler
in 1968, leading the next four teams to a combined record of 27-8-1, including a 9-0 mark in 1971. Mark Peterson coached
the final season in 1972 with a record of 6-2-1. All told, Western's football program was 199-86-9 (.698) and either
won or shared the LaMoine Valley Conference title 15 times.
1920 0-3 (first season) Coach's
name unknown
1941 3-1-1
Coach Ralph Barclay
1943 4-1 Coach
Jim Schultz
1944 4-2
Coach Jim Schultz
1945 6-1
Coach Ernest Kraemer
1948 6-0-1 (LaMoine Valley co-champs) Coach
Larry Kerker
1949 7-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Larry Kerker
1950 6-1
Coach Larry Kerker
1952 7-1
Coach Harry Sockler
1953 6-0-1 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1954 6-2 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1955 6-1-1 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1956 7-1 (LaMoine Valley co-champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1957 9-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1958 8-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
(Top-ranked among small schools in Illinois)
1959 8-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1960 8-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1962 8-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1963 8-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1964 5-3 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1965 8-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1966 8-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
1967 8-0 (LaMoine Valley champs) Coach
Harry Sockler
Unscored upon all season long:
Western 40, Bushnell-Prairie City 0
Western 42, Knoxville 0
Western 59, LaHarpe 0
Western 73, Warsaw 0
Western 46, Carthage 0
Western 49, Aledo 0
Western 19, Hamilton 0
Western 66, Lewistown 0
(Total points: Western 394, Opponents 0)
1968 5-4
Coach Jack Hepinstall
1969 8-1 Coach Jack
Hepinstall
1970 5-3-1
Coach Jack Hepinstall
1971 9-0 Undefeated
Season Coach Jack
Hepinstall
1972
6-2-1 (final season) Coach
Mark Peterson
First Team All-State Football Players
1950--Maurice Aten, Bernie Justus, Jim Naber
1952--Allan Spiller (also first-team
All-American)
1957--Jim Hammond
1958--Pat Burke
1959--Paul Lescher, Pat
Callahan
1960--Pat Callahan
1962--Tim Logsdon
1966--Greg Carson
| Western Basketball Team wtih Coach Ralph Barclay |
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| Courtesy of Steve Monger |
BOYS' BASKETBALL
The Western boys began their hardwood program in 1916 under the eye of Erskine Jay, winning only
one game that season. The program was competitive for many seasons, including several 20-win campaigns, and a trip
to the Sweet Sixteen in Champaign during the 1950-51 season, despite having an enrollment that was around 200 students.
1915-16 Coach
Erskine Jay
1921-22 District champs
1925-26
District Champs
Coach Ralph Barclay
1926-27 District champs Coach
Ralph Barclay
1927-28 District champs Coach
Ralph Barclay
1928-29 District champs Coach
Ralph Barclay
1939-40 District champs Coach
Ralph Barclay
1943-44 16- 8 Coach
Jim Schultz
1944-45 23- 4 Regional champs Coach
Jim Schultz
1945-46 17- 6 Coach
Ernest Kraemer
1947-48 17-10 Coach
Larry Kerker
1948-49 20- 7 Coach
Larry Kerker
1949-50 21- 7 LaMoine Valley Con. champs Coach
Larry Kerker
1950-51 28 - 3 Regional Champs Coach
Larry Kerker
Sectional Champs
Sweet 16 Finalists
Lost to Marion 70-65 in
first round of IHSA Tournament
McDonough County Tournament Champs
LaMoine Valley Con. Champs
1951-52 25- 4 Regional Champs Coach
Larry Kerker
1952-53 18- 8 Coach
Harry Sockler
1953-54 15-12 Coach
Larry Kerker
1954-55 16-10 Coach
Larry Kerker
1955-56 15- 5 Regional Champs Coach
Larry Kerker
1958-59 17-10 Coach
Joe Adam
1960-61 19- 7 Coach
Howard Hohman
1961-62 24- 4 District Champs Coach
Howard Hohman
LaMoine Valley Con. Champs
1962-63 24- 4 District Champs Coach
Howard Hohman
LaMoine Valley Con. Champs
1963-64 22- 6 District Champs Coach
Howard Hohman
LaMoine Valley Con. Champs
1964-65 19- 9 District Champs Coach
Howard Hohman
LaMoine Valley Con. Champs
1965-66 14-13 District Champs Coach
Tony Karas
1966-67 18- 8 LaMoine Valley Con. Champs Coach Howard
Hohman
1967-68 23- 6 LaMoine Valley Con. Champs Coach
Paul Sorenson
1969-70 19- 9 Coach
Paul Sorenson
1970-71 19- 9 District Champs Coach
Paul Sorenson
1971-72 15-10 LaMoine Valley Con. Champs Coach
Paul Sorenson
1972-73 5-19 Final season Coach
McLaughlin
Macomb Western High School's finishes in the annual Macomb-Western Holiday Basketball Tournament as provided
by our good friend, Mark Jurenga:
Six (6) Championships
Four (4) Runner-ups
Six (6) Third-Place
Three (3) Fourth Place
One (1) Consolation
Championship
1946
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 38 Macomb 35
1947
Champ-
Monmouth 45 Macomb (Western) 43
1948
Champ- Macomb (Western) 43 Good Hope
42
1949
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 47 Macomb 37
1950
3rd Place- Macomb (Western)
56 Athens 55
Western's
Bernie Justus hit a buzzer beater to win the game.
1951
Champ- Macomb (Western) 46 Macomb 39
1953
3rd
Place- Augusta 67 Macomb (Western) 53
1955
3rd Place- Carthage 61 Macomb (Western)
47
1956
Champ- Quincy (Notre Dame) 75 Macomb (Western) 38
1957
3rd Place- Macomb
(Western) 44 Lewistown 40
1958
Champ- Lewistown 57 Macomb (Western) 38
1959
3rd
Place- Camp Point (Central) 76 Macomb (Western) 60
1960
Champ- Havana 55 Macomb (Western) 53
1961
Champ-
Macomb (Western) 63 Havana
48
1962
Champ- Macomb (Western) 51 Havana 43
1963
Champ- Macomb (Western) 49 Havana 48
1965
3rd Place- Macomb (Western)
70 Mendon (Unity) 61
1966
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 64 Carthage 55
1967
Champ-
Macomb (Western) 77 Carthage 63
Western's Doug Abel & Harry Fritz combined for 48 pts. in the championship game.
1970
Consolation
Champ- Macomb (Western) 79 Table Grove (V.I.T.) 51
All-Tournament Team
1960- Trevor Toland
(MVP)
1961- Trevor Toland (MVP)
1962- Gail Knappenberger (MVP)
1964- Al Fritschel (MVP)
1970- Van Pogue (2nd Team)
1971-
Al Ferguson (2nd Team)
BASEBALL
Baseball was first offered at Western in 1932 as a spring sport, then played in the spring as well as the fall in
several seasons when football was not offered in 1936-37. Despite not having its own field for practice and home games thru
the late 1940's, the Purple Preps did win some hardware along with the Cardinals, taking five consecutive McDonough County
tournament titles in the late 1950s. Baseball was discontinued after 1968, although one game was played in 1971.
1933
McDonough County Co-Champs Coach unknown
1944
District Champs Coach
unknown
1948 Regional Champs Coach
unknown
1949 Regional Champs Coach
unknown
1964 Regional Champs Coach
unknown
BOYS' TRACK
Western won several McDonough County and LaMoine Valley Conference meets
while there
was a team at the school, and even had two people place in the state
track finals.
1958 Jim
Hammond 440 Yard Dash 2nd Place
1971 Van Pogue Pole
Vault 6th Place
Hammond, Pogue, Warren Abbot (120 high
hurdles), and Ted Pawlias (two-mile run) set LaMoine Valley Conference records for Western before the school
closed in 1973.
SWIMMING
The Cardinal tankmen showed their stuff in the chlorinated waves of Western High's pools from 1959-73, setting all
11 event records during the final three seasons of the school's existance. As a team, Coach Gil Belles' Cardinals
were
11-2 in 1970-71 and were responsible for setting six of the above marks. Chuck Huttinger wound up
posting school records in the 100-, 200-, and 400-yard freestyle events, along with the 200 individual medley. He was also
a record-setting member of the 200-yard medley relay with Scott Ricci, Tom Abbot, and
Brian
L'Hommedieu, and set the 100-yard butterfly record. Huttiger also finished fifth in the state 200-yard
individual medley finals.
GOLF
With nationally-renowned coach Harry Mussatto giving tips to the Cardinal linksters
starting in 1956, the teams were competitive against larger and more-experienced teams in meets and invitiationals. Although
there were no records
found to prove this, the Cardinals never had a losing season with several players going to the state
meet (although none of them placed high enough to medal at the finals).
TENNIS AND WRESTLING
These two sports were held only for a short time in the school's history (tennis from 1956-59,
wrestling from 1963 and 1966), but there were no qualifiers for the state meets.
OUTSTANDING COACHES
Ralph Barclay (1925-41)--Won five district basketball titles
Jim Schultz
(1942-45)--Was 10-6 in football, 23-12 in basketball, winning one regional
Larry Kerker (1947-51)--22-10-1
in football, 129-55 in basketball with three regional titles, one sectional, and an appearance at the state finals!
Harry
Sockler (1952-67)--114-12-2 in football, 15 LaMoine Valley Conference
titles, 10 undefeated teams
Howard
Hohman (1959-65, 66-67)---137-56 in basketball with four district titles and five conference championships
Larry
Hepinstall (1968-71)--27-8-1 in football and one undefeated season
Paul Sorenson (1967-72)--81-52
in basketball, two conference titles,and a district title
OUTSTANDING ATHLETES
Maurice Aten (1947-51)--Earned 16 varsity letters at Western, was all-state
in football (1950)
and started on the only basketball team to make it to the
state finals
Allen Spiller (1952)--First-team little All-State in football as well as first-team All-American
Jim Hammond (1957-58) First-team little All-State in football, and second in state track meet in
440 Yard Dash.
Pat Callahan (1959-60) Two-time little All-State football pick to the first team
Trevor
Toland (1961-62) First-team All-State in basketball
Chuck Huttiger (1970-71) Responsible
for setting records in six events, and finishing fifth in the state swim meet in the 200 Individual Medley
SPECIAL THANKS
To Steve Monger and Marla Vizdal from Western Illinois
University for the countless amount of information and pictures provided to us, along with Buck Knowles (class
of 1940), Gary Sherer (class of 1959) and John Knowles (class of 1968) for their information
and background needed to write this page. John's very informative document on the history of the school ( http://www.wiu.edu/users/whs/) was used to research the history of the school, along with a copy of "Reflections" found in the Western Illinois University
archives, published prior to the closing of Western High. WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE INFORMATIONregarding "The
School of Many Names" and its history, along with any photos you might have. You can email them to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or send them through the regular mail to: Illinois High School Glory Days
6439 North Neva
Chicago, Il
60631
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