Athletics
Brookport High School had some great seasons in boys basketball (
www.ihsa.org). This is, however, the only sport listed on the IHSA website. We believe that Brookport High also offered the
boys sports of baseball and track as well as the girls sports of basketball, volleyball, and track. School
team colors, school fight song, and information on the other sports offered at BHS are all being sought.
Boys Basketball
Four Regional titles and one District title hi-lighted the Brookport High School boys basketball success. The IHSA
website has a very thorough listing of all the BHS seasons from 1935-36 through the school's closing in 1980-81. The
better season records and coach's names are listed below.
Information on the Regional Championship teams was supplied by Robert Lingle.
1935-36
District Champions
1939-40 19 - 5
Coach Clovis Wallace
1940-41 20 - 9
Coach Clovis Wallace
1941-42 15 - 13
Coach Clovis Wallace
1942-43 20 - 11
Coach William Krosky
1943-44 13 - 13
Coach Thomas Barton
1944-45 17 - 7
Coach Rev. Hill
1945-46 15 - 9
Coach Howard Trampe
1946-47
Coach Howard Trampe
1947-48 10 - 10
Coach Claude Shelton
1948-49
Coach Claude Shelton
1949-50 11 - 8
Coach Newton Buchanan
1950-51
20 - 8
Coach Newton Buchanan
1951-52 18 - 10 Regional Champions Coach Charles
Taylor
Linn Smith scored 718 points including one game of 50 points as Brookport beat
Metropolis for the championship and then lost to Anna-Jonesboro in the sectional by a score of 59-36. Smith
went to McKendree College.
Also on the team were Morris Ellis, Warner Johnson, Harry Abell, Kenny Davis, Carleton
Caldwell, Wilkie Austin, Harry Statham and Chester Clark. They were coached by Charles Taylor.
1952-54
Coach Charles Taylor
1954-55 20 - 9 Regional Champions Coach
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor was still coach as the Bulldogs upset Metropolis in the semi-finals and went to win the
title. Playing at the Marion sectional they once again lost to Anna-Jonesboro this time 67-59. Wilkie
Austin, who had been a freshman on the 1952 team, was the leading scorer. Another player who was on both the
52 and 55 was Harry Statham who went on to become the coach at McKendree College winning over 800 games and
still going strong. Also on the team were Bob Edmonds, Benny
Cissell and T. J. Pryor who were sophomores along with Statham, Jimmy Rush, Jimmy Sanders,
Herb Reynolds, Adrian Greenwall, Buddy Smith and Clell Green.
1955-56 18 - 8
Coach Charles Taylor
1956-57 17 - 12 Regional Champions
Coach Charles Taylor
Taylor was still the Bulldog coach and Edmonds, Cissell and Pryor were now seniors. They joined with other regulrs
Lloyd Austin, Bob Suttles and Louis Adams to defeat Metropolis in the Regional finals.
The three seniors each scored over 400 points each. At the West Frankfort sectional they were defeated by Mount Vernon by a score of 84-62.
1957-59
Coach Charles Taylor
1959-65
Coach Linn Smith
1965-66
Coach Bill Jordan
1966-67 19 - 7
Coach Bill Jordan
1967-68 12 -
12
Coach John Waggoner
1968-69
Coach Jay Burnett
1969-70
Coach Charles Crews
1970-71
Coach John Waggoner
1971-72 13 - 10
Coach John Waggoner
1972-73 20 - 6
Coach John Waggoner
1973-74 23 - 6 Regional
Champions Coach John Waggoner
John Waggoner was the coach of the Bulldogs who were led by Terry Pearcy
who scored over 1600 points in his career as the Bulldogs all-time leading scorer. They defeated Metropolis once again
to take the championship. At the Eldorado sectional they defeated Du Quoin 64-55 to advance to the finals. There
they lost to defending state champion Ridgway by a 50-48 score with Pearcy getting 22 of their points.
Pearcy went to play at the University of Tennesse at Martin
and later coached and became a school adminstrator.
Other team members included John Hohman, Willie Jones, Donnie
Green, David Davis, Burt Rogers, Vic DuRall and Curt
Warfield as well as Marvin Neely, Bill Hodge, Jerry Priddy,
Kenton Smith (Linn's son), Victor Atwell and Kirt Bryant. Sidenote: Gerren Rogers who
played for Massac County when they went to the Elite Eight in 2004 and David
Rogers who played for Massac in 2007 and 2008 were sons of Burt Rogers.
1974-75 17 - 8
Coach John Waggoner
1975-76
Coach John Waggoner
1976-77
Coach Terry Krueger
1977-78 14 - 10
Coach Terry Krueger
1978-79 13 - 11
Coach Terry Krueger
1979-80
Coach Terry Krueger
1980-81
Coach Linn Smith
Notable Resident
Read about one of Brookport's most influential residents, Colonel Donald Askew, at the following web
address:
Seeking Further Information
We are seeking further information regarding the Brookport High School, and the better athletic accomplishments
the Bulldogs enjoyed. We are very hopeful a resident or history buff from the area will help us out. If you have
any information you would like to share please e-mail us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. We are especially interested in a photo of the school building. You may also write us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
