1947-48 Two Rivers Krisea's (WSBL)

Vic Gauthier

1947-48 TWO RIVERS KRISEA'S

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 4-8, .333, T-5th place

2nd Half: 5-6, .455, 5th place

Head Coach:

• 
  

Ken Wondrash

PLAYERS:

• Vic Gauthier (February 4, 1922 - January 13, 2001)
• Lewis Hrdina (May 25, 1923 - January 5, 1999)
• Marty Kozlowski (January 6, 1917 - October 6, 1961)
• Ken Kreisa (January 3, 1922 - May 21, 1984)
• Carl Kuehl (b. March 14, 1927)
• Danny LeClair (June 6, 1927 - September 22, 2003)
• Hilary LeClair (December 18, 1918 - September 22, 2003)
• Rube LeClair (September 7, 1923 - January 18, 2009)

• 

  Rube LeClair

  Ernie Lupie (August 19, 1917 - March 23, 1995)
• Francis Rehrauer (April 11, 1921 - December 6, 2009)
• Schaffer   
• Ervin Smogoleski (January 17, 1925 - December 24, 2010)
• George Stangel (May 28, 1924 - March 28, 2009)
• Ken Wondrash (December 11, 1921 - February 14, 1981)

Ervin Smogoleski

Marty Kozlowski

1947-48 Sheboygan Dick's (WSBL)

Don Caan

1947-48 SHEBOYGAN DICK'S 

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 4-8, .333, T-5th place

2nd Half: 1-10, .091, 6th place

Sheboygan expected much at the beginning of the season, but they dropped their first three games and were 2-7 when Bill Schroeder took over as head coach. Bill had joined the team in the week before Christmas when his commitment to the Chicago Rockets football team (of the AAFC) closed. He was named head coach in January but it made little difference. After a poor first half, the team only won one game in the second half.

Head Coaches:

•  
• Bill Schroeder (April 11, 1923 - December 9, 2003) 3-11  Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

• 

  Dick Schoreder

  Don Caan (March 16, 1929 - July 28, 2014)
• Eddie Fessler (November 30, 1921 - August 31, 2000)
• Roger Forsterling (March 22, 1925 - July 25, 1985)
• Harlan Huibregtse (November 29, 1926 - September 14, 2016)
• Hugh Jannsen (January 16, 1922 - March 19, 1990)
• Kenny Kurtz (December 15, 1928 - June 28, 1999)
• Don Lampe (July 5, 1924 - April 20, 2011)
• George Manus (March 8, 1925 - November 11, 1962)
• Dick Primc (August 26, 1926 - January 10, 1992)
• Bill Schroeder (April 11, 1923 - December 9, 2003)
• Dick Schroeder (December 30, 1928 - January 1, 2023)
• Dave Soderberg (November 6, 1922 - November 21, 1990)
• Art Toston (January 12, 1924 - January 29, 1986)
• Buddy Wagner (September 10, 1927 - August 23, 2007)

Kenny Kurtz

Buddy Wagner

1947-48 Plymouth Legion Lions (WSBL)

1947-48 PLYMOUTH LEGION LIONS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 3-9, .250, 7th place

The Plymouth Legion team suffered through the first half of the season but managed to grab three wins. However, after the conclusion of the first half the Legionnaires withdrew from the league (to be replaced by Neenah)

Roy Bohnoff

Head Coach:

• 
  

PLAYERS:

• Roy Bohnoff (January 4, 1925 - May 11, 2015)
• Ed Fessler (November 30, 1921 - August 31, 2000)
• Steve Galbari (August 18, 1920 - July 17, 1996)
• Lou Gebler (October 23, 1920 - April 7, 1972)
• Gilbert Gilman (March 20, 1923 - January 29, 2014)
• Warren Ladwig (February 18, 1925 - January 4, 1985)

  

  Steve Galbari

• Wesley Ladwig (August 1, 1925 - July 9, 2000)
• Matt Marchiando (December 24, 1922 - January 31, 2001)
• Leonard Moersch (November 26, 1919 - August 2, 1979)
• Robert Mudrow (September 2, 1927 - December 24, 1983)
• Jim Pokel (March 30, 1928 - May 17, 1992)
• Henry Schuette (July 5, 1927 - April 10, 2008)

Gilbert Gilman

Walt Ladwig

1947-48 North Fond du Lac Tigers (WSBL)

1947-48 NORTH FOND du LAC TIGERS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 7-5, .583, 3rd place

2nd Half: 6-6, .500, 4th place

North Fondy got off to a promising start, winning their first 3 and 6 of 8, but stumbled at the end of the first half and fell to third place. Hoping for a fresh start in the second half, North Fondy lost 5 of six in a stretch in February and finished in 4th.

Head Coach:

• Pete LePine (November 6, 1884 - April 19, 1963) 

PLAYERS:

• Bernie Anderson (October 23, 1924 - May 14, 2000)
• Dick Clarke (December 6, 1927 - December 18, 1950)
• Bob Detert (March 2, 1928 - December 1, 1974)
• Swede Erickson (August 19, 1920 - October 11, 1999)
• Gordon Giebel (January 11, 1928 - July 13, 1984)
• Gerald Haskett (June 20, 1925 - June 17, 1977)
• Roger Kuehl 
• Bob Laske (January 5, 1926, Died May 28, 2022)
• Bob Mateske (July 26, 1926 - August 31, 2017)
• Stan or Gordon Smith ??
• Darrell Toshner (September 26, 1924 - November 29, 2012)
• Spencer Van Ess (April 30, 1924 - September 16, 1982)
• Chuck Winkler (June 26, 1925 - July 18, 2012)
• Gale Zimmerman (April 7, 1926 - March 24, 1987)

1947-48 New Holstein Cheesemakers (WSBL)

1947-48 NEW HOLSTEIN CHEESEMAKERS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 9-3, .750, T-1st place

Won tie-breaker over Manitowoc, 2-0
2nd Half: 9-3, .750, 1st place

Finals: Defeated Manitowoc, 2-0

The Cheesemakers were a strong team, wining the first half title in a play-off and then winning the league championship over Manitowoc. Fritz Engel, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin who joined the team after being declared academically ineligible, averaged over 20 points per game in the 18 games I found box scores for. Fred Nimz, a basketball veteran who had played in the NBL and ABL previously, joined the team in late December or early January  and averaged 15 points per game.

Head Coach:

• Norm Peterson (September 15, 1912 - July 11, 1986) Also played. See below

Fritz Engel

PLAYERS:

• Fritz Engel (January 12, 1928 - June 10, 2015)
• Ray Heim (June 23, 1926 - November 4, 2011)
• Harold Hoffman (June 1, 1924 - March 7, 2003)
• John Meier (November 24, 1923 - March 4, 2006)
• Fred Nimz (April 22, 1914 - May 9, 1992)
• Norm Peterson (September 15, 1912 - July 11, 1986)
• Marvin Pivonka (April 9, 1929 - February 28, 2008)
• Orville Ross (April 17, 1920 - November 14, 2012)
• Charlie Ryan (August 16, 1923 - January 20, 2005

1947-48 Neenah Bluejackets (WSBL)

1947-48 NEENAH BLUEJACKETS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

2nd Half: 9-3, .750, T-2nd place

Carlton Giese

The Neenah Police, also know as the Bluejackets, was a successful semi-pro team before being asked to join the WSBL for the second half to replace Plymouth who had withdrawn. They were tied for first with Manitowoc with the last game of the regular season against that club, but got drubbed 95-61 to finish in a tie for second with New Holstein.

Head Coach:

• 
  

PLAYERS:

• Bill Ciske (b. May 23, 1928)
• Carlton Giese (April 28, 1928 - May 13, 2014)
• Don Hesselman (July 11, 1925 - February 19, 2004)
• Bert Huus (September 30, 1926 - February 17, 1999)
• Eugene Johnson (March 23, 1925 - February 4, 2005)

• 

  Fred Trish

  Jim Johnson (March 12, 1929 - August 21, 2004)
• Ed Kalfhaus (October 3, 1927 - February 22, 2013)
• Bob Koser (November 21, 1926 - January 2, 2012)
• Tom Stilp (July 11, 1927 - February 15, 2016)
• Fred Trish (September 12, 1913 - March 5, 1978)
• Bud Werner (August 11, 1921 - December 2, 2005)
  
• Bob Wessenberg (February 25, 1928 - December 13, 1999)
• Vern Wollerman (March 14, 1926 - June 24, 1992)

Bud Werner

Gene Johnson

1947-48 Manitowoc Braves (WSBL)

1947-48 MANITOWOC BRAVES

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 9-3, .750, T-1st place

Lost tie-breaker to New Holstein, 2-0
2nd Half: 10-2, .833, 1st place

Dick John

Finals: Lost to New Holstein, 2-0

The pre-season favorite, Manitowoc finished in a tie with New Holstein for the first half title, but lost the tie-breaker series. They would play even better in the second half, winning the division outright despite a good 2nd half performance from New Holstein and Neenah. In the finals with New Holstein, the two teams battled in close games but New Holstein would sweep the best-of-three series from the Braves.

Head Coach:

• Rube Lautenschlager (September 7, 1915 - January 5, 1992) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

• Ron Carlson 
• Joe Chavez (June 22, 1922 - October 4, 2014)
• Art Edinger (April 3, 1924 - January 22, 2001)
• Ted Fritsch (October 31, 1920 - October 4, 1979)
• Adolph Gorychka (April 8, 1911 - October 6, 2004)
• Dick John (October 21, 1919 - September 9, 1983)
• Ken Keuper (November 14, 1918 - May 23, 1997)
• Stan Kramer (June 3, 1921 - June 23, 1997)
• Rube Lautenschlager (September 7, 1915 - January 5, 1992)
• Gene Muchowski (August 22, 1926 - August 25, 2006)
• Gordy Wotruba (November 19, 1928 - April 6, 1999)