There is a VERY nice history of the Stockland High School basketball program available on the IHSA website at www.ihsa.org .  The Stockland boys won a District Title in 1938 and had some great seasons along the way.  The coach's names and better team records of SHS are listed below.

 

 

1933-36                                                                 Coach Aubra Williamson
1937-38                District Champions                   Coach Vernon Rocke

The photograph above is of the 1958-59 County Champions of Stockland High.  Team members include   Marvin Patterson, Russell Leitz, Gerald Bohner, John Criswell, Duane Reifel, Duane Stichnoth, George Fielding, Fred Hattabaugh, David Scherer, Wayne Rutledge, Larry Kimble, Coach Berg, Gordon Langellier, Leon Huff, cheer leaders, Mary Margaret Langellier, Brenda Bury, Shirley Huff 

 

 

 

Coach Mauritz Lindvall - Boys basketball 1948 - 50 

                                             56 - 23 overall (3 seasons)

                                               2 - 22 games-won seasons

                                           .709 - winning percentage

 

 

From Gene Callahan as told by Jim Ruppert:

 

"The 1949-50 Stockland team that went 22-5 won the Iroquois County Tournament title. The big game was in the semifinals against Cissna Park. Stockland trailed by 9 with 2:45 to play and rallied to win the game and then the championship the next game. Carl Smith stole the ball three times in the final 2:45 to key the Stockland comeback against Cisna Park."

 

 

    The floor was made of edge grain material that doesn't splinter. The bleachers were made of this also. The same bleachers and floor are in the building today. Construction started in 1939 and was completed in January of 1940.The gym was to be finished by December of 1939, but the seal on the gym floor did not seal and had to be redone.   The floor was ready for use in early Jan. 1940.

    The basketball team played their first game on January 18, 1940 against Henning, Illinois and Stockland won the game. Upon completion it was immediately used for basketball by both the high school and the grade school along with all other school and community functions.  Although Stockland was one of the smallest schools in Iroquois County, it produced two high school county champions, five grade school champions, and four teams made it to the Illinois Sweet 16.

    The class of 1940 was the first to hold commencement exercises in the new gym. ( May 31, 1940).  There were 14 graduates in the class. During World War II there were many dances and benefits held in the gym to sell war bonds and help the war effort.

   After the high school closed in 1961, and it looked like the grade school would follow shortly after, Clifford Bury received permission from the State of Illinois to hold a public hearing to transfer ownership of the building and the ground it sat on to Stockland Township so that it would always remain a community auditorium. When it became evident there was not enough tax money available to maintain the building, the alumni were asked to help and a local committee was formed to raise money to maintain the builidng.  That goal has been realized.  The youth of eastern Iroquois County use the building for youth basketball.

 

 

  The total cost of the gym was less than $20,000 and has always been a focal point of the community. This building was renamed in honor of Clifford Bury."