Peach Basket Society

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

1948-49 New Holstein Cheesemakers (WSBL)

Art Schroeder

1948-49 NEW HOLSTEIN CHEESEMAKERS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 8-4, .667, 3rd place

2nd Half: 6-4, .600, 4th place

The defending champion Cheesemakers played well in the first half but could not catch the hot Manitowoc club. In the second half, a three game skid in their first four games was too big of a hole to climb out of, finishing 6-4 and in a distant 4th place.

Head Coach:

Art Schroeder (December 1, 1909 - May 23, 1995)

PLAYERS:

Dick Bixby (June 8, 1922 - March 1, 2014)
Ed Shimon
Bill Carnahan (May 11, 1921 - November 27, 2000)
Fritz Engel (January 12, 1928 - June 10, 2015)
Bill Fitzpatrick (April 16, 1923 - August 21, 2012)
Ray Heim (June 23, 1926 - November 4, 2011)
Harold Hoffman (June 1, 1924 - March 7, 2003)
Ernie Lupe (August 29, 1917 - March 23, 1995)
Bob Meier (October 3, 1922 - April 19, 1973)
John Meier (November 24, 1923 - March 4, 2006)
Fred Nimz (April 22, 1914 - May 9, 1992)
Norm Peterson (September 15, 1912 - July 11, 1986)
Orville Ross (April 17, 1920 - November 14, 2012)
Charlie Ryan (August 16, 1923 - January 20, 2005
Ed Shimon (April 17, 1923 - October 22, 2007)
Don Spletter (February 10, 1930 - January 11, 2022)
Dick Stier (February 11, 1920 - March 9, 1985)
Bob Vander Putten (November 1, 1924 - December 9, 1996)
Ralph Vander Putten (June 30, 1926 - September 17, 2001)

Bill Carnahan

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

1948-49 Neenah Bluejackets (WSBL)

1948-49 NEENAH BLUEJACKETS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

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

2nd Half: 9-2, .818, 1st place

Finals: Lost to Manitowoc, 3-1

Enjoying their first full season as a member of the Wisconsin League, they started the first half winning 5 of 7, but stumbled a bit at the end and faded from the race. In the second half, though, they won their first 9 games before dropping their final two to win the second half title. They faced off against Manitowoc in the Championship and lost in four games. Chuck Shepard and Charlie Block were the top scorers.

Bob Koser

Head Coach:

PLAYERS:

Charlie Block (June 15, 1930 - January 21, 1992)
Bill Ciske (b. May 23, 1928)
Jim Draeger (February 16, 1925 - July 8, 2001)
Jim Dryby (April 23, 1929 - August 4, 2010)
Bill Ciske
Don Hesselman (July 11, 1925 - February 19, 2004)
George "Red" Johnson (June 6, 1927 - March 3, 2017)
Jim Johnson (March 12, 1929 - August 21, 2004)
Ed Kalfhaus (October 3, 1927 - February 22, 2013)
Bob Koser (November 21, 1926 - January 2, 2012)
Bob Lambert (September 12, 1913 - December 18, 1982)
Bill Marquardt (December 10, 1930 - May 5, 2014)
Darrell Schultz (July 31, 1927 - October 17, 2008)
Chuck Shepard (January 19, 1924 - October 21, 2011)
Carlton Springer (July 4, 1930 - March 25, 2020)
Tom Stilp (July 11, 1927 - February 15, 2016)
Chris Van Cuyk (January 3, 1927 - November 3, 1992)
Bob Wessenberg (February 25, 1928 - December 13, 1999)
Don Hesselman
Vern Wollerman (March 14, 1926 - June 24, 1992)

Jim Draeger

Jim Dryby

Charlie Block

Vern Wollerman

Monday, February 28, 2022

1948-49 Manitowoc Braves (WSBL)

1948-49 MANITOWOC BRAVES

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 10-2, .833, 1st place

2nd Half: 8-4, .667, 2nd place

Finals: Defeated Neenah, 3-1

Ronnie Blomberg

This year the Braves put it all together. The opened the campaign with 7 straight wins and won the first-half title with a 10-2 record. They were 8-4 in the second half, but two losses were nail-biters. The would defeat Neenah in the Championship series in 4 games.

The Braves had a lot of scoring weapons. Kramer, Edinger and Sullivan all averaged over 10 point a game, but University of Wisconsin student lead the team with a 14.0 PPG average

Head Coach:

Rube Lautenschlager (September 7, 1915 - January 5, 1992)

PLAYERS:

Ron Blomberg (December 17, 1927 - December 7, 2015)
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)
Dick Lade (July 25, 1929 - February 10, 2008)
Dick Lade
Herman Reckelberg (October 24, 1927 - July 19, 2019)
Bob Sullivan (July 1, 1921 - April 12, 2007)
Gordy Wotruba (November 19, 1928 - April 6, 1999)

1948-49 Kimberly Papermakers (WSBL)

1948-49 KIMBERLY PAPERMAKERS

WISCONSIN STATE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

1st Half: 3-8, .273, 6th place
2nd Half: 2-7, .222, 6th place

Despite having a high-scoring talent like Alan Dietzler, who averaged around 15 Point per game, Kimberly struggled through the season. The second half was no better than the first, but managed to stay out of last place both halves.

Head Coach:

Elmer Vander Velden (March 3, 1916 - November 7, 1995) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Pete Valentyne
Alan Dietzler (b. October 6, 1928)
Bill Goffard (June 13, 1929 - May 20, 2013)
Norb Gossens (August 13, 1913 - May 8, 2006)
Arnie Leaman (February 17, 1919 - October 25, 1998
Carl Schnese (March 3, 1928 - March 22, 2019)
Don Schellfout (b. June 6, 1930 )
Pete Valentyne (March 30, 1930 - August 19, 2019)
Frank Van Boeckel (May 1, 1929 - April 28, 1995)
Frank Van Cuyk (July 15, 1924 - May 18, 1987)
John Van Cuyk (July 7, 1921 - July 10, 2010)
Elmer Vanden Boogaard (July 20, 1920 - October 2, 2009)
Carl Vanden Boom (June 29, 1929 - February 8, 2005)
Jim Vanden Boom (October 7, 1925 - May 30, 1986)
Elmer Vander Velden (March 3, 1916 - November 7, 1995)
Francis Vander Velden (January 27, 1922 - February 6, 2008)
Driek Van Dyke (November 13, 1920 - March 29, 2011)
Nig Van Dyke (June 6, 1922 - September 3, 1990)
Red Williams (December 26, 1922 - November 8, 1994)

1948-49 WSBL

For the WSBL's second season, they managed to get all 7 teams returning from the inaugural season. Neenah, who joined the WSBL half way into the 1947-48 season, were set to enjoy a full-season of league play. A popular travelling semi-pro team, the Bluejackets, made up largely of police officers and their friends, had a couple rough losses in the first half, but won the second half crown and a birth in the championship series. Manitowoc rolled to a first-half pennant, winning ten of 12, while finishing second half. Check Shepard lead Neenah with 14.4 PPG, while Manitowoc was lead by Ronnie Blomberg (14.0 PPG) and Stan Kraemer (13.7). The rest of the league was fairly evenly balanced in the first half, but in the second half Kimberly and Sheboygan fell into deep funks while the other five squads fought for the second half title.

Manitowoc and Neenah met of March 9, 1949, for game one of a best-of-five series for the WSBL championship. Manitowoc defending their home court in Game 1, winning by 17 behind Blomberg's 26 points. Manitowoc won game two the next night in Neenah in a hard-fought overtime game, but Neenah staved off elimination in Game 3 with a four-point victory in Manitowoc. Heading back to Neenah for Game 4, Neenah fought hard in the high-scoring affair but fell to the Braves, handing the title to Manitowoc.

Teams
Kimberly Papermakers
Manitowoc Braves

Neenah Bluejackets

New Holstein Cheesemakers

North Fond du Lac Tigers

Sheboygan Dicks

Two Rivers Kriseas

Friday, January 21, 2022

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: