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 Mount Pulaski plans to honor its current seniors in band,
basketball and cheerleading Friday night along with a special
recognition of the 1965 Hilltopper team and their cheerleaders.
For Matt Amidon, Michael Lowery, and brothers Blake and Beau
Collier, the moment will be bittersweet, as the four first played
basketball together as third-graders at Zion Lutheran School in
Mount Pulaski. Lowery and the Collier twins would eventually play
junior high basketball for the Bruins at MPGS while Amidon remained
a Zion Crusader.
The four joined forces again their freshmen year at MPHS and have
been pretty much inseparable on and off the court since. Aaron
Durchholz, who joined the team his junior year of high school and
Brayden Curry, who moved to Mount Pulaski his senior year, made nice
additions to the Toppers squad.
Also being honored senior night will be cheerleaders Sam McCarty and
Sydney Koehler, both members of Coach Kelly Aylesworth's squad.
 Meanwhile members of the Pep Band being honored Friday night are
Julia Beccue, Brady Coppinger, Alec Hayes, Garrett Johnston, Clayton
Lindley, Andrew Moody, Andrew Viner, Brady Walsh and Molly Williams.
The MPHS Pep Band, under the direction of Mr. David Helm, has been a
huge hit at all the home games and boasts the musical talents of
Walsh, Moody and Johnston, all of whom have performed successfully
in their own bands outside of school.
The ceremony to recognize the seniors and their parents will take
place in-between the Junior Varsity and Varsity basketball games. It
is recommended that people be in their seats by 7 p.m. as the
ceremony will begin immediately following the Junior Varsity game.
Meanwhile at halftime of the Varsity game, players and cheerleaders
of the 1965 Hilltoppers will be recognized.
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This is the 50th Anniversary of Coach Ed Butkovich's first team in
Mount Pulaski. The team won the Lincoln Regional and advanced to the
Peoria Sectional where they would fall to the defending State
Champs, the Pekin Chinks. This was done during a time of the
one-class system and for a school the size of Mount Pulaski to
advance this far was a feat in itself.
Players from the 1965 team included Larry Bowles, Gary Schmidt,
Willie Rentmeister, Mike Schultz, Bruce Dannenberger, Bob Cardoni,
Mike Connolley, Leslie Braun, Bob Van Hook, Mike Kennedy and Allan
Moore.
The cheerleaders were Linda Tendick Collier, Janet Poffenbarger
Cherry, Connie Shanle Laatch, Betty King Seiler and Joan Dillsaver
Malerich.
As the current Hilltoppers conclude their regular season and head
into Regionals next week, it is fitting that Mount Pulaski
recognizes the accomplishments of those that came before them.
Coincidentally, the recently named Ed Butkovich Gymnasium was the
"New Gym" to those guys and gals in 1965.
However you identify it, come Friday night it will be the place to
be in Mount Pulaski. Following the Varsity game there will be a cake
reception in the lobby of the gym entrance.
[Teena Lowery]
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