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 Gary Schmidt has traveled worldwide as an ordained
minister, and he and his wife, Kathy, currently live in Lincoln.
They have several grandchildren and enjoy watching them participate
in local sports. Gary was a junior in '65 and he has many vivid
memories of Hilltopper basketball, especially beating Lincoln twice
that season and, of course, winning the regional and advancing to
the sectional. He says, "To this day I carry a love for basketball
and young people."
Larry Bowles lives in Mount Pulaski with his wife, Sandy, and
as a junior on the team his greatest memory was Ed Butkovich
becoming the new coach. "After knowing him over the years, I come to
realize what a great coach he was and even a greater person," he
said of Butkovich.
Bruce Dannenberger currently lives in Ottawa, Illinois. As a
junior in '65, he remembered that "Pulaski was excited, as I don't
believe the school had won a regional in many years prior to 1965.
(In fact, the previous regional championship was in 1949.)
Bob Cardoni is a retired teacher, principal and
superintendent who currently lives in Iowa and he was a junior on
the Hilltoppers squad. "I really wasn't much of an athlete but
enjoyed playing the support role. It was Coach Butkovich's debut and
he was a special person to me, much more than a coach."
Bob Van Hook is retired from Firestone and he and his wife
live in Forsyth, Illinois. His basketball memory features Lincoln
and goes all the way back to the 8th grade. "We got beat by Lincoln
in 8th grade 63-11. Basically, as seniors we played the same people
from Lincoln, once in a tournament and once in the regular season,
and this time we won...twice."
Mike Schultz is retired from ConAgra Foods and lives in the
beautiful Ozarks of Southwest Missouri. As a senior, his best memory
was "beating Lincoln on their home court and once again on our
court, twice in the same season. I don't know how many times this
was done prior to 1965, but I don't think it has been done since."
Les Braun is retired and he and his wife, Diane, live in
Hagerstown, Maryland. He worked as an engineer for the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C. As a senior on that '65
team he confessed, "The only reason I went out for the team was to
get a free hamburger, fries and a coke at Bertoni's Restaurant on
the square after we won a game." He also noted the significance of
playing at Robertson Memorial Field House. Noting that it was formed
from two airplane hangers, he offered, "What a coincidence since I
went on to get a degree in aeronautical and astronautical
engineering from the University of Illinois. It was the only gym
floor I ever played in that had a raised floor."
And now catching up with and walking down memory lane with a few
of the cheerleaders!
Linda Tendick Collier lives in Mount Pulaski with her husband
of 50 years, Larry. She is retired from a banking career and these
days she is found at the gym watching her twin grandsons, Beau and
Blake Collier, play for the current Hilltoppers. As a senior
cheerleader in '65 she also recalls those games with Lincoln. "We
beat Lincoln twice in the regular season and that was before schools
were divided into classes. There used to be brawls with Lincoln
after ballgames years ago. Those were the days, as they say."
Janet Poffenbarger Cherry lives in Mount Pulaski with her
husband of nearly 48 years, John. They are retired from farming. As
a senior cheerleader in '65 she didn't hesitate to offer this, "By
far, hands-down the happiest memories have to be my years of
cheerleading for the Hilltoppers basketball team. I still get
goose-bumps every time I hear the school song." Her son, Randy, also
played for Coach Butkovich.
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Connie Shanle Laatsch lives on a farm southwest of Mount
Pulaski and she married her high school sweetheart, Jeff. They have
been married 45 years and have a son Nathan, who also played
basketball for the Hilltoppers. As a cheerleader in '65 she says,
"It was an exciting time. That Lincoln game was great. I wish we
still played them." The 1965 Hilltoppers players, managers,
cheerleaders and coaches respectively, included: Willie Rentmeister,
Bob Van Hook, Mike Schultz, Les Braun, Mike Connolley, Bruce
Dannenberger, Gary Schmidt, Larry Bowles, Bob Cardoni, Alan Moore
(deceased), Mike Kennedy (deceased); Robert Taylor and Roger Murphy;
Linda Tendick Collier, Janet Poffenbarger Cherry, Connie Shanle
Laatsch, Betty King Seiler and Joan Dillsaver Malerich; Lloyd
Eggers, Don Olson and Ed Butkovich (deceased).
Below is information provided by Les Braun, a member of the 1965
Hilltoppers
Scores from the 1965 Regional Tournament hosted by Lincoln:
Mount Pulaski 72 Maroa-Forsyth 52
New Holland 68 Williamsville 56
Lincoln 84 Riverton 35
Clinton 83 Tri-City 68
Mount Pulaski 60 New Holland 53
Clinton 46 Lincoln 43
Mount Pulaski 58 Clinton 51
Scores from the 1965 Sectional Tournament in Peoria at the
Robertson Memorial Field House
Pekin 69 Mount Pulaski 45
Wenona 69 Peoria Manual 66
Pekin 95 Wenona 56
Here is the scoring for Mount Pulaski in the sectional game versus
Pekin:
Schmidt 16,
Bowles 13,
Rentmeister 9,
Dannenberger 4,
Van Hook 2
and Kennedy 1
In the 1964 state championship game the Pekin Chinks defeated the
Cobden Apple Knockers 50-45.
 [Teena Lowery]
Editor's Note: In the 1965 super-sectional Pekin would
fall to Lockport Central 67-61. In the 1965 state championship game
the Collinsville Kahoks defeated the Quincy Blue Devils 55-52. This
past January in Collinsville, the school recognized the 1965 state
champions at a game that featured a rematch after 50 years with
Quincy. This time the 2015 Quincy Blue Devils came out on top 39-34
over the Collinsville Kahoks.
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