The '65 Hilltoppers, "Where Are They Now"

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[February 24, 2015]  MOUNT PULASKI  - -Willie Rentmeister still lives in Mount Pulaski with his wife, Brenda, and they own Rentmeister Construction. And yes, he is still pounding nails and loving every minute of it. As a senior, it was his rebound and put back after a missed free throw that gave the Hilltoppers a 46-45 win over Lincoln at the buzzer. "The memory that stands out, for me my senior year is winning the game over Lincoln, only because of the rivalry between Mount Pulaski and Lincoln at that time."

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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