Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
ATWOOD – This week, Jan. 26-30, marks the 100th anniversary of the Atwood Greyhounds winning the 1926 high school basketball county tournament that ran three days, from Jan. 28 to 30 of that year.
A county championship title allowed communities bragging rights for the year. The Etna Green Cubs were the first champions in 1918, and the tourney concluded in 1968 when the South Whitley Bulldogs claimed the final notch in history. School consolidations of the 1960s had reduced the number of competitors in the county. Prior to consolidations, 14 schools battled for the county championship crown, with a separate statewide tourney held in February each year.
In the early 1920s, Atwood was a respected basketball foe, as they had previously won the 1920 County Tourney title and won the 1922 Regional Championship Sweet 16 before entering the 1925-26 season. This was very impressive for a school that did not have a gym to practice or play games in until 1949. Transportation was very different in 1926, as the Ford Model T was America’s predominant automobile. Through the years, the Greyhounds routinely traveled by horse and buggy, bicycles, trains, or walked the railroad tracks to Warsaw for practice.
Mentone had been promised to host the 1926 tourney if their new Community Center gymnasium was constructed in time. Thanks to a warm December, the gym was finished; however, parking was described to be a muddy mess.
To get to the title game, Atwood defeated the Pierceton Cubs 32-22 on Friday night. They returned Saturday morning to defeat the Leesburg Blue Blazers 32-18, the Syracuse Yellow Jackets 27-26 in the afternoon game and then overwhelmed the tough “run and gun” team of Milford Trojans 45-32 for the crown that evening.
The title game had six lead changes in the first half, with Atwood ahead 27-21 at halftime. The Greyhounds controlled the second half with ease for the victory and impressed the sports writers because Atwood had already played two tough opponents earlier that same day. The win was considered “the upset of the tourney,” since favored Milford won the title the year before. Milford would regain the championship in 1927.
The Atwood Greyhounds finished with an impressive 23 wins to four loss season and placed two members on the All-Tourney Team: Lloyd Wolf, center; and Cassius Rovenstine, forward.
The trophy can still be viewed in the Atwood Community Building trophy case and will be on display at all Lions Club Fish Fries, Grub Nights and the Ice Cream Social this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary.
