St. Joseph High School "Indians"
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St. Joseph High School
stjosephhs.jpg
Courtesy of Michael L Faullin

The History of St. Joseph High School
 
St. Joseph (population 2,912) is located in eastern Illinois in east-central Champaign County.  The town is located about 12 miles due east of Champaign-Urbana.  U.S. Route 150 travels through the heart of St. Joseph, while Interstate Highway 74 travels by the northside of town.  The Salt Fork Creek flows by the west side of town.  The Illinois Central Gulf Railroad also travels through the heart of St. Joseph.
 
The history of the town of St. Joseph and its former high school are in need of research. St. Joseph High School was likely established in the late 1800s.  It served the town of St. Joseph on a solo basis for over six decades.  It was in the late 1950s and early 1960s that consolidation talks became serious between St. Joseph and its neighbor to the east, Ogden.  The towns eventually agreed to pool their educational resources and thus created the St. Joseph-Ogden School District.  The district's first high school year began in the fall of 1963
 
The high school building pictured above still serves as part of the St. Joseph-Ogden High School complex.  Stephen Larson tells us that though there are several new addtions to this building, the distinct "whimsical tower" is visible and holding up well. 
 
St. Joseph High School Quick Facts
 
Year opened:                                         late 1800s
Year closed:                                          1963
Consolidated to:                                     St. Joseph-Ogden School District
St. Joseph HS team nickname:               the "Indians"
SJHS team colors:                                 Green & Gold
SJHS yearbook name:                            the "Sachem"
School Fight Song:                                 unavailable
Athletics
 
St. Joseph High School has some IHSA hardware from the State basketball tourney as well as the State Track Meet.  SJHS competed in baseball and football as well.  School team nickname, colors, fight song, records, and coach's names are all items being sought.
 
Boys Basketball
 
The boys basketball team at St. Joseph High School had a couple of real nice seasons. The teams won two District titles and one Regional title in IHSA State Tourney play (www.ihsa.org).  Mike Faullin contributed several season records and coaches' names for the seasons listed below. 

1920-21      Champaign County Champions     Coach E.W. Mattoon & Coach Clark   
                   Urbana District Tournament
                   1st Rd lost to Urbana 24-9
                   Champaign beat Urbana in title game
                   Champaign lost in Elite 8 Round

St. Joseph HS Basketball 1920-21
stjoseph192021bballcountychampsda.jpg
Submitted by Greg Knott

Pictured in photo above:
​Front Row L-R Ralph Dale, Harry Reese, Donald Fritts (Captain), Denhart,Harold Haworth, E. W. Mattoon Coach.
2nd Row L-R Brown, Floyd Cameron, Claude Grimes, Huston, Hampton, Clark Coach

1921-22 through 1931-32  Postseason scores, records, and coaches' names needed.
   
1932-33                   Urbana District Tournament          Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd Beat Ogden 22-18
                                2nd Rd Beat Urbana University HS 18-13
                                Semi-final lost to Mahomet 26-16
                                Mahomet beat Champaign in title game
                                Mahomet lost in Elite 8 Round
 
1933-34                   Urbana District Tournament          Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd Beat Ogden 19-14
                                2nd Rd lost to Urbana 34-18
                                Urbana beat Champaign in title game
                                Urbana lost in Elite 8 Round
  
1934-35                   Westville District Tournament       Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Westville 43-26
                                Danville beat Sidney in title game
1935-36                   Farmer City District Tournament  Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Heyworth 29-27 (O/T)
                                Farmer CIty beat Penfield in title game
     
1936-37  Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.
1937-38  Postseason scores, record, and coach's name needed.
   
1938-39                   Fisher Regional Tournament        Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Mahomet 46-26
                                Urbana beat Champaign in title game
        
1939-40                   Fisher Regional Champions      Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd Beat Leroy 55-30
                                Semi-final Beat Seymour 30-25
                                Title Game Beat Champaign 27-19
                                Champaign Sectional Tournament
                                1st Rd lost to Hoopeston 42-30
    
1940-41                   Monticello Regional Tournament  Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Urbana 51-19
                                Homer beat Urbana in title game
 
1941-42                   Urbana Regional Tournament      Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Urbana Univ. 40-30
                                Homer beat Urbana in title game
  
1942-43                   Champaign Regional Tourney      Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Champaign 93-18
                                Champaign beat Urbana Univ. in title game
  
1943-44                   Fisher Regional Tournament        Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Champaign 61-29
                                Champaign beat Sadorus in title game
  
1944-45                   Champaign Regional Tourney      Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Urbana Univ. HS 46-21
                                Champaign beat Urbana in title game
  
1945-46                   Fisher Regional Tournament        Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Sadorus 44-25
                                Champaign beat Fisher in title game
1946-47                   Fisher Regional Tournament        Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Fisher 78-28
                                Champaign beat Urbana in title game
1947-48                   Fisher Regional Tournament        Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Champaign 54-30
                                Champaign beat Fisher in title game
1948-49     4 - 13     Champaign Regional Tourney      Coach Everett Hamilton
                                1st Rd lost to Fisher 69-37
                                Champaign beat Monticello in title game
  
1949-50                   Fisher Regional Tournament        Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Tolono Unity 71-31
                                Monticello beat Champaign in title game
1950-51                   Mansfield District Tournament      Coach's name & record needed
                                Semi-final lost to Deland-Weldon 57-35
                                Deland-Weldon beat Mansfield in title game
1951-52   12 - 11     Mansfield District Runner-Up     Coach Howard Wright
                                Semi-final Beat Mansfield 62-48
                                Title Game lost to Deland-Weldon 59-42
  
1952-53   18 - 8       Mansfield District Runner-Up     Coach Howard Wright
                                Semi-final Beat Bellflower 78-48
                                Title Game lost to Deland-Weldon 66-48
                                *Illini Valley Conference 3rd Place
1953-54                   Danville Regional Tournament     Coach Howard Wright
                                1st Rd lost to Danville 73-38
                                Danville beat Westville in title game
  
1954-55                   Westville Regional Tournament     Coach Howard Wright
                                1st Rd Beat Westville 60-56
                                Semi-final lost to Danville 57-50
                                Georgetown beat Danville in title game
    
1955-56   21 - 3       Chrisman District Champions     Coach Howard Wright
                                Semi-final Beat Metcalf Young America 78-63 
                                Title Game Beat Ridge Farm 56-43
                                Danville Regional Runner-Up
                                Semi-final Beat Danville 51-39
                                Title game lost to Westville 63-53
                                *Illini Valley Conference Champs
  
1956-57   26 - 4       Westville Regional Tournament      Coach Mark Hopkins
                                1st Rd lost to Chrisman 71-61
                                Georgetown beat Chrisman in title game
                               *Illini Valley Conference Champs
   
1957-58                   Homer District Runner-Up          Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd Beat Ogden 54-47
                                Semi-final Beat Metcalf Young America 64-56
                                Title Game lost to Chrisman 64-37
   
1958-59                   Broadlands District Tournament    Coach's name & record needed
                                Semi-final lost to ABL 70-40
                                ABL beat Ogden in title game
  
1959-60                   Danville Regional Tournament      Coach's name & record needed
                                1st Rd lost to Danville Schlarman 72-41
                                Danville Schlarman beat Danville in title game
   
1960-61                   Broadlands District Champs      Coach's name & record needed
                                Semi-final Beat Ogden 66-57
                                Title Game Beat ABL 67-55
                                Danville Regional Tournament
                                1st Rd Beat Westville 52-48
                                Semi-final lost to Danville Schlarman 64-51
                                Schlarman beat Danville in title game
1961-62                   Homer District Runner-Up          Coach's name & record needed
                                Early Round Scores Needed
                                Title Game lost to ABL 63-52
   
1962-63                   Broadlands District Tournament    Coach's name & record needed
                                **Semi-final lost to Ogden 45-44 (O/T)
                                ABL beat Ogden in title game

**Final basketball game for St. Joseph High School. Consolidated with Ogden in the summer of 1963.
    
Boys Track & Field
 
Five Male tracksters brought home individual medals from the IHSA State Track Meet.  Their accomplishments are listed below.
 
1906-07             M. Thomas            100 Yard  Dash           2ND Place
1923-24B          Gerald Hedge        440 Yard  Dash           4TH Place
1924-25B          Foster McCarty       220 Yard Dash            4TH Place
1926-27             Mark Rush             880 Yard Run              5TH Place
1945-46             Dan Laymon          Discus                        4TH Place
 
Football
 
Our football and conference expert Tom Sikorski provided the following season records for St. Joseph High School's grid iron teams. Michael Faullin also contributed to this information listed below.
 
1948  1-6-1                                                                    Coach Howard Wright
1949                                                                              Coach Howard Wright
1950                                                                              Coach Howard Wright
1951  2-6                                                                       Coach Howard Wright
1952  6-2     Illini Valley Conference 3rd Place             Coach Howard Wright
1954  4-1-1  Illini Valley Conference Champs           Coach Howard Wright
1955  5-0-1  Illini Valley Conference Champs           Coach Howard Wright
1956  6-2                                                                       Coach Mark Hopkins
1960  6-2     2nd place East Central Conference          Coach Joel Colbert
1962  7-2     2nd place (tie) East Central Conference   Coach Joel Colber
 
Need More Information
 
If you have any further information you can add on the history and achievements at St. Joseph High School, especially a photo of the high school building, please write to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net.   You can also write to us via real mail at:
 
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il.  60631