Kewaunee County History: Algoma High School Basketball 1925

 

Coach Ullman, Rankin, Kreft, Johnson, Chaudoir, Toebe, Kohlbeck, Woller, Schlise

Wisconsin State Boys basketball tournament just wound up. While Algoma has had some exciting years winning back-to-back championships, the boys’ team has offered the community entertainment since its beginning well over 100 years ago. The last 40 plus years have called attention to the power-house Algoma girls who’ve won scads of titles, but over 100 years ago, there were no high school girls playing in a public setting. In today’s world we can watch most games online. The pre-tv, pre-cable era meant that to see a game, one was in the bleachers.

An AI search says, "The 1920s were known as the "Golden Age of Sports." with high school sports in Wisconsin gaining significant popularity often leading to large crowds at district tournaments, including regional representation from northeastern Wisconsin, including schools like Algoma." During the 1920s, Algoma High School basketball was a cornerstone of the community, with the old gym serving as the main social hub on Friday nights. While specific 1925 game records are rare, the era preceded a dominant period where Algoma boys' basketball claimed or shared six conference titles, boasting a .719 winning percentage."

The first WIAA boys’ basketball tournaments began in 1916 with tournaments being played at the UW fieldhouse since 1920. Originally, all teams were in the same class, but in 1924 another class was added. Today there are five divisions offering chances to small rural high schools.

One hundred years ago - March 1925 – Manitowoc was the site of the district contest. Algoma, Kewaunee, Luxemburg and Sturgeon Bay, Manitowoc, Kiel, Two Rivers and Sheboygan earned the right to compete. Algoma was to meet Two Rivers in the first game. and Algoma was favored. The best team ever, the Record Herald said. “Ever” was less than 10 years! Algoma had size. The smallest player was 155 pounds and stood 5’9”. The heaviest man was 265 pounds and the tallest was 6’2”. 

Continuing, the Record Herald ran descriptions of the players. Captain Doc (Walter) Schlise came from Casco and as a “youth” played basketball with Casco and Maplewood before arriving in Algoma the year before. Schlise was a 5’9” running guard who was thought to be in consideration for all-district guard at Manitowoc. Doc was an unbeatable floor man who excelled at the long shots, today’s three-pointers.

Big Bill Rankin was born in Brussels and played ball since he was able to lift one. His early training was in grade school and in Forestville Junior High. In his first year at Algoma, Big Bill averaged 6 points a game and rarely failed on the close shots. Reinhart Toebe was born in Rio Creek and practiced in Casco in 1922 as a freshman. He was in Algoma a year later. Toebe was a stationary guard, fast on the floor, and shot better than average. He was 5’11.”

George Chaudoir came from Forestville where he played basketball in the grades and for two years at Forestville Junior High school. 1925 was his first year in Algoma. Called “clever” on the floor, Chaudoir was a forward and an excellent long-distance shooter. He was another 5’11” guy.

Marvin Woller also played in the grades and Junior High at Forestville. He was a 5’10” center who was an excellent pivot man. Woller’s shooting was fair, however he was a smashing, driving floor man with limitless stamina and probably the most thorough fighter on the team.

August Kreft came from Sturgeon Bay and played at Forestville in the grades and Junior High. At 6’2”, he was a relief man and Woller’s understudy at center. Kreft had the longest reach of any of the Peninsula centers. While he was the youngest on the squad, he was steady, heady and modest.

Pill (Norb) Kohlbeck was born in Algoma and played in 1924 and 1925. He was a relief forward and called an “astonishing shooter” who was sometimes erratic. Pill was a great ball retriever and followed the ball constantly. Except for Pill Kohlbeck, Forestville seemed to be Algoma’s proving grounds.

Expectations were high in 1925, although as the Record Herald pointed out, it was perfectly possible for Algoma to be eliminated in the first game. If that were to happen the editor knew the team would slump away. There were other things the editor said could lead to an early defeat: Manitowoc had a large floor and there were new methods of “attack” and spies – scouts today – watching every game planning method of strategy and more. The editor didn’t do much for “rah-rah.” Was he setting the community up for a let-down? Or did he have a premonition?

Without tv cameras and few telephones, it was up to the newspaper to describe the students, band, and faculty who made sure Algoma’s basketball team got a rousing send-off just before 9 that Thursday morning as the school bus was leaving for Manitowoc. The Sturgeon Bay team was already on the bus which would also pick up the Kewaunee team.

Principal Spear, Coach Ullmann and R.P. Birdsall spoke at a pep rally a day earlier. Birdsall recalled that the first year Algoma had a team- 1908-09 - he was a senior. That year there was no coach! Even without a coach, the team went through the year with only one loss. Algoma’s band was about as big attraction as the basketball and played eight selections at the pep rally.

All the tournament teams were dinner guests of the Manitowoc Lions, Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs before the first Thursday evening game. Algoma played in the 2^nd game that night.

The earlier newspaper article did not dampen spirits and Algoma beat Two Rivers by a whisker – 25-22. The paper said the team played “spasmodically,” showing spurts of form although on the whole, Algoma played below full strength. The Record went on to say that the team needed 300 supporters -  200 Algomans and 100 Forestville men - in the reserved section. It advised getting there early because Highway 17 (now Highway 42) was not good.

Reporting that all who had seen the Algoma team in action, the Record Herald opined that Algoma had the edge on everything and would “lay even money or a little better than that.” With Rankin in the line-up, Algoma would be outscoring Manitowoc in the Friday night game. But Rankin was not in the Friday game. “Fat” was sick with the flu at the hotel while the crowd roared for him. The other teams and coaches inquired about him on Saturday. The Manitowoc paper said Big Bill was the leading attraction and when he got sick, “inquiries were as solicitous as if he were a prima donna.”

The worst happened when Manitowoc beat Algoma 25-11 that Friday night. Had Rankin been in the game, the game might have had a far different ending.

Big Bill recovered and was back in the line-up for the next game, Saturday afternoon when Algoma trounced Sturgeon Bay. The win put Algoma on deck for another game with Two Rivers on Saturday evening which Algoma won 23-21, bumping out Two Rivers for 3^rd place in what was called the “hottest battle” of the tournament. Algoma won 3 of 4 games.  Had Rankin been in good health, the paper knew Algoma would have captured the tournament title. At least all Algoma’s players were presented bronze medals.

 The write-up of the Algoma-Two Rivers game was reminiscent of Casey at the Bat. Just as the “mighty Casey” struck out, the paper said “Big Bill loafed considerably” almost blaming him for only a 2-point win. But the paper also said Toebe had a bum knee and Woller was too short to get the tip-off. A win is a win and generally the flu has more than a few hours duration. Part of the game description follows.

A week after the tournament the Record Herald headline fairly screamed that guard Doc Schlise was named to the all-star team. Referees put Big Bill Rankin on the second team. The refs said Schlise had played consistent ball throughout the tournament while the Manitowoc paper said the 275 pound “Tiny” Rankin “started out as the joke of the tournament and ended up as the hero.” Though Schlise was judged one of the outstanding players of the tourney, it was Rankin who caused more comment than anybody. Though the Algoma section was farthest from the entrance, the girls’ shrieking in support was easily heard.

On March 13, 1925, the Record Herald reported on a bulletin from Wisconsin Athletic Association which spoke of Rankin by saying the mighty high school forward (whom the Record said was famous statewide) was one of the biggest and the best players in the state, possessing speed and a “real eye” for the basket. It went on, “The more one looks into the question of high school athletics, the more one becomes convinced that Wisconsin's age limit of 20 years is wise. Suppose Rankin, with his size, his weight, his speed was allowed to play until the age of 21 against ordinary boys of 15 or 16.”

Algoma Depot ca.1910

Note: Most of the 1925 players seemed to have experience at Forestville, perhaps because that is where workouts frequently were up till 1924. The team initially played at the Opera Huse which was in poor condition. It played in Forestville for awhile before moving to the old Algoma train depot which was used until 1924 when it moved into the Dug-out.

Source: Algoma Record Herald; the team photo is from Algoma Record Herald; the depot postcard is from the Kannerwurf, Sharpe, Johnson Collection at Algoma Public Library.