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| Red Devil Gymnasium - 1978 |
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| Provided by Jim Jeffries (Courtesy Venice History Project ) |
ATHLETICS
There was very little information regarding athletic teams other than boy's basketball available on the IHSA web site
regarding Venice High School. In fact only boy's track and field warranted a mention besides boy's basketball on the
site. HOWEVER what an incredible run the Venice Boy's Basketball team had over the years.
It is not clear what other sports were offered at Venice besides Boy's Basketball and Boy's Track. We do know
that baseball was offered and football was offered at one time. The INCREDIBLE successes of the boy's basketball
team are listed below.
BOYS BASKETBALL
* 11 District Titles
* 7 Regional Titles
* 5 Sectional Titles
* 3 Super-Sectional Wins
* 3 Top-Four Finishes
* 1 Third Place Finish
* TWO CLASS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!
Take a gander at the seasonal resume' of the better Red Devil teams:
1926-27 Conference Champions
Coach E. Baird
| Venice HS Conference Champions - 1926-27 Season |
|
| With Coach E. Baird (Courtesy Venice History Project ) |
1935-36 15 - 8 District Champions
1937-38 17 - 7 District Champions
1938-39 20 - 8 District Champions
1940-41 20 - 7 District Champions
1950-51 25 - 4 Madison Bond Clinton Conf Champs Coach
Zahn Wells
1958-59 14 - 6 Madison Bond Clinton Conf Champs Coach
Zahn Wells
1959-60 17 - 6 Madison Bond Clinton Conf Champs Coaches
Zahn Wells & Bob Dubinic
1963-64 19 - 5 (good record)
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
1964-65 20 - 5 (good record)
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
1965-66 24 - 3 District Champions
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
1966-67 21 - 6 District Champions
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
1967-68 23 - 6 District Champions
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
1968-69 12 - 13 District Champions
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
1969-70 21 - 8 District Champions
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
1970-71 23 - 5 District Champions
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
1972-73 31 - 2 3rd Place - Class 'A' Tourney
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
Regional Champions
Sectional Champions
Super-Sectional
Champions
Beat Marshall 71 - 66
Elite
8 Finalist
Beat Bloomington Cental Cath. 55 - 53
Final
4 Finalist
Lost to Maple Park Kaneland 46 - 34
Kaneland would finish 2nd
Consolation Game Champs
Beat Jack Sikma and St. Anne's 73 - 66
1973-74 27 - 4 Sweet Sixteen - Class 'A'
Coach Rich Essington
Asst. Clarence Hand
Regional Champions
Sectional Champions
Super-Sectional
Finalist
Lost to Lawrenceville 63 - 57
Lawrenceville Eventual State Champs
1974-75 32 - 2 STATE CHAMPIONS - CLASS A
Coach Rich Essington
Asst. Clarence Hand
| 1974-75 Venice High School Boys Basketball |
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| IHSA CLASS 'A' STATE CHAMPIONS! |
Regional Champions
Sectional Champions
Super-Sectional
Champions
Beat Carmi 59-58 (3 O/T)
Elite
8 Finalist
Beat Morrisonville 47 - 41
Final
4 Finalist
Beat Watseka 57 - 49
State Championship Game
Beat
Timothy Christian 65 - 46
Team Members in Photo to your right:
Sitting: Jeff Corrie, Mike Logan, Mike Henry, James Crowder, James Turner, Reggie Gardner
Standing: Clarence Hand, Venice Govan, Tim Walker, Algie Crawford, Larry Arnold, Rick Salmond, Coach Essington
Seated on Floor: Managers Clark Ray, Lance Austin
1975-76 24 - 2 (good record)
Coach Rich Essington
Asst. Clarence Hand
1977-78
Coach Ken Perkins
1978-79 18 - 10
Coach Ken Perkins
1979-80 19 - 8
Coach Ken Perkins
1980-81 14 - 14
Coach Ken Perkins
1981-82 19 - 10 2nd Pl. in Regional
Coach Ken Perkins
Lost to Elite 8 Finalist Madison
1982-83 23 - 4 (good
record)
Coach Ken Perkins
1983-84 24 - 6 (good record)
Coach Clinton Harris
1984-85 23 - 4 (good record)
Coach Clinton Harris
1985-86 25 - 6 Class 'A' Sweet 16
Coach Clinton Harris
Regional Champions
Sectional Champions
Super-Sectional
Finalist
Lost
to Teutopolis 75-73
Teutopolis eventually State Champs
1986-87 29 - 3 STATE CHAMPIONS - CLASS
'A' Coach Clinton Harris
| 1986-87 Venice High School Boys Basketball |
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| IHSA CLASS 'A' STATE CHAMPIONS! |
Regional Champions
Sectional Champions
Super-Sectional
Champions
Beat Newton 72 - 61
Elite
8 Finalist
Beat Pearl City 81 - 33
Final
4 Finalist
Beat Chrisman 53 - 45
State
Championship Game
Beat
Okawville 56 - 54
Team
Members in the Photo to Your Right:
First row kneeling: Jesse Hall, Vincent Harris, Wilfred Wigfall, Dale Turner
Jr.
Standing: Asst. Coach Rick Everage, Johnnie Marchbanks, Daryl Bowie, Orlando
Love, Daryl Jackson, Kevin Gardner
1987-88 21 - 8 Regional Champions
Coach Clinton Harris
1988-89 20 - 7 (good record)
Coach Clinton Harris
1989-90 23 - 6 (good record)
Coach Clinton Harris
1990-91 24 - 5 (good record)
Coach Clinton Harris
1992-93 12 - 16 Regional Champions
Coach Clinton Harris
1996-97 21 - 9 (good record)
Coach Clinton Harris
(INCREDIBLE!)
Venice Basketball Statistics "By The Numbers"
| Bob Dubinick - All-St. Louis Metro |
|
| Courtesy of Jim Jeffries (Courtesy Venice History Project ) |
107 - Number of points Venice scored despite losing against St. Louis Central in a game on February
15, 1980. Central had 129.
60 - Bob Dubinick's point total in a game against Trenton on January 19, 1951. He scored 27 field goals
and made six free throws.
48 - The margin of victory in the 1987 State Basketball tournament against Pearl City, in which the
Red Devils beat the Wolves 81-33: the largest margin of victory at the state tournament in all levels.
42 - Number of steals Venice accounted for in the 1987 State Basketball tournament, another all-time
high.
19 - Number of steals Venice had in their state game against Pearl City.
7 - Players who scored 10+ points in a game against Worden on December 3, 1987.
3 - Number of overtimes the Red Devils survived in order to beat Carmi in the 1975 Super-Sectional.
*Venice beat West Frankfort in the St.Louis Area Shootout in 1986 by the score of 59 - 44.
*Litchfield Tournament Records held by Venice HS as sent in by Mark Jurenga:
Largest average margin of victory.
1. (tie) Venice 29.66. (56-21-12), 1987
Most Field
Goals, Game (Team)
46- Venice vs. Dupo, 1987
Most Field Goals, Game (Individual)
17 - Jesse Hall, Venice vs. Litchfield,1986
Best Field Goal Average per game.
13.3- Jesse Hall,
(10-17-13), 1986
Tournament MVP's
1986- Jesse Hall
1987- Wilfred Wigfall
BOYS TRACK & FIELD
Two boys brought home IHSA medals from the State Class 'A' Track Meet.
1939-40 Emil Kittel
440 Yard Run
4th Place
1995-96 Antoine Henderson 110 Meter High Hurdles 7th Place
| Burl Hand - VHS Baseball Star (Class of 1955) |
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| Submitted by Donn Hornberger (Courtesy Venice History Project ) |
BOYS BASEBALL
The following information regarding the history and successes of the Venice baseball program was provided to us
by Donn Hornberger:
"Venice baseball was centered around our two high schools, VHS and Lincoln. Players usually had less than ten games
per season at either school. Thus, to become a better player, we were compelled to go to summer leagues, if we could.
We had fine players but usually we didn't get the extended coaching or the summer leagues for development and with those
limitations. Consequently, no matter how good your basic equipment was, the opportunities were very limited.
In spite of many things that may represent racial isolation, during the summers, many ballplayers from basketball and
baseball played their particular sport together without regard to color. During the summers, we were all friends.
Venice baseball produced at least two professional players of note:
Ted Savage and Willie "Rainey" Crawford. Both men were outfielders. Ted
was a resident of the Island for years and played for Lincoln. Rainey played independent ball with
Hawk Devany, Burl Hand, Clarence Hand, myself (Donn Hornberger) as well as several others in the
immediate area. Rainey lived in North Venice and Brooklyn, as I recall. Both Rainey
and Ted had very nice careers in professional baseball.
Fred Rumpf a product of VHS baseball (catcher), went to SIU/Carbondale on scholarship and may
have been a professional player with the St. Louis Cardinals but illness prevented that potential. Never the
less, to my knowledge, Fred, as far as I am aware, is the only VHS player ever to go to college on a baseball
scholarship."
| Venice HS Baseball Team - 1959 |
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| Courtesy of Donn Hornberger (Courtesy Venice History Project ) |
| Venice Baseball Team of 1958 |
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| Courtesy of Jim Jeffries (Courtesy Venice History Project ) |
| VHS Football 1937 - James Jeffries |
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| Courtesy Venice History Project |
FOOTBALL
There was a football program at Vinice High School at one time. The photo to the right is Venice High School football
player James Jeffries taken in 1937. If you have any further information on the Venice High School grid iron greats
please forward it to us for inclusion in this portion of the page.
TENNIS
There were four tennis courts for the entire town of Venice. Of all that played tennis at VHS, only one player,
Donn Hornberger, ever played for a college. Donn continued his education after leaving Venice HS at McKendree College.
Like many small towns, the best tennis players had little opportunity for development. As a consequence, tennis
was a occasional summer past time and most missed the juniors circuit, which is a very necessary step for all developing
young players. VHS's Donn Hornberger, would go on coach the sport of tennis in his adult
life.
CHEERLEADING / MAJORETTES
As with most schools, the boys' successes on the court were often helped by the enthusiastic cheers from those in the
crowd. The cheers for the Red Devils were led by cheerleaders and majorettes who worked very hard at perfecting
their routines making the Venice High School games even that much more enjoyable!
| Venice High School Majorettes - 1957 |
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| S Ohlendorf, L. Boyer, B. Baseden, B. Schaffner / J. Case, D. Picken, D. Moreland |
| Venice High School Cheerleaders - 1955 |
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| Marilyn Kowalski, Betty Roach, Teresa Kittel, Joan Case, Rosemary Ponce |
GREAT COACHES
Bill Ohlendorf - Boy's Basketball
1961-62 - 1972-73 (12 seasons)
227 wins - 91 losses
Six consecutive District Titles 1965-66 - 1970-71
Six 20+ win seasons
THIRD PLACE FINISH IN CLASS A STATE TOURNAMENT 1972-73
Former teammate and life-time friend of Coach Ohlendorf, Don Davinroy, supplied this information
on Coach Ohlendorf to us:
"I am a '58 graduate of Venice HS and played with Bill Ohlendorf who was one year ahead of
me in school. In my opinion, he was probably the best all around athlete ever to graduate from Venice. Bill
was a great outside shooter and would have scored many more points if we would have had the 3-pt. line at that time.
Bill, who is now deceased, was a best friend of mine and graduated from Erskine College, SC where he attended
on a basketball scholarship. He also played on the baseball team, and learned how to play golf. He was an excellent
golfer in his later years.
After Bill graduated from Erskine, he took the position of gym teacher/coach (all sports) after a great
and kind man by the name of Zahn Wells. Coach Wells was a graduate of Murray State
College, Murray, KY and played on their basketball team. He and his wife Cleo, spent their careers
in Venice."
Read much more of Coach Ohlendorf's bio from Don Davinroy at the bottom of this page.
Rich Essington - Boy's Basketball
1973-74 - 1976-77 (4 seasons)
86 wins - 29 losses
1973-74 Sweet Sixteen
1974-75 STATE CHAMPS CLASS A
Ken Perkins - Boys Basketball, Track, Baseball,
Girls Volleyball, Softball
Basketball
1978-79 - 1982-83 (5 seasons)
98 wins - 68 losses
23 - 4 in 1982-83
Coach Perkins remembers his coaching experience at Venice very fondly. Let's read about Coach's
experiences in his own words:
"I was a coach at Venice HS during the years 1972-75 and again from 1977-1983. I assisted
Bill Ohlendorf in 72-73 when we got 3rd in the Class A boys' basketball tournament. I was on the bench
in Champaign when we won the state championship in '75 under Rich Essington. I left to become an assistant
basketball coach at Oakland City College (IN) from 1975-77, but came back to VHS in 1977.
We never had outstanding size during the years I coached at Venice -- in fact, the last year
(82-83) we had no starters over 5'9" tall, yet beat some of the areas teams with tremendous size. During my tenure I
had some wonderful ball players (Reggie Mathis-guard, Ronnie Salmond- center, Donald
Gardner- forward, Archie Gardner- forward, William Watts- guard, Keith
Marchbanks- forward, James Matkins- guard, Harold "Smokey" Milton- forward,
Eddie Salmond, Jr- guard, Phillip White- guard/forward).
In addition to coaching basketball, I also coached boys baseball for three years, then was asked to
resurrect the girls sports program. So I coached girls' volleyball and softball for several years. Venice
High School was a very special place back in those years and it was a joy to teach and coach there.
One of my fondest memories of any one player's performances was in 1982 when we went to Vashon
HS in St. Louis to play a Floyd Irons' team that would go on to win the Missouri state championship. Eddie Salmond,
Jr, a 5' 7" guard, tossed in 44 points against a very tall (6'4" guards, 6'6" avg front line) Vashon team before
the 3 point line was established. One of the greatest individual performances I ever saw."
Nice Job Coach Perkins!!
Clinton Harris - Boy's Basketball
1983-84 - 2000-01 (16 seasons)
295 wins - 160 losses (no record recorded for last two seasons)
1983-84 - 1990-91 Eight Consecutive 20+ game winning seasons.
1985-86 - 1987-88 Three Consecutive Regional Championships
1985-86 Sweet Sixteen
1986-87
STATE CHAMPIONS CLASS A
Players of Note
Erwin Claggett, Jesse Hall, Fessor Gray, Bob Dubinick, Jeff Corrie, Rich Essington, Mike Henry and his brother
Ron Henry, Reggie Gardner, John Earl Campbell, Bill Ohlendorf, (also listed above as Great Coach),
Clarence (and Clarence was assistant to Rich Essington in the first championship year, 1975-76) and his older brother,
Burl Hand. And, around these great players, were the team mates that made them great.
*Jesse Hall- On 1987 state championship team, played college basketball at Michigan State University,
won Litchfield Tourney MVP, also in Litchfield Tourney holds the record for most field goals with 17, highest FG per game
ave. with 13.3.
*Dale Turner- Played college basketball for Northern Iowa. Was the point guard for UNI when they upset
Missouri in the First Round of the NCAA tournament in 1990. Dale has been named the head basketball
coach at Madison High School for the 2008-09 season!
*Erwin Claggett- Played college basketball at Saint
Louis University.
GREAT MEMORIES / RIVALRIES
*In 1986 (Sweet Sixteen) and 1987 (State Champs) the great Venice teams defeated perennial national
power St. Louis Vashon (led by Anthony Bonner) both years in a home and home series. The games and rivalries with Madison
and Lebanon were tremendous and intense. Another game of note was during the mid 1980s playing against East St. Louis
Lincoln and LaPhonso Ellis when Ellis shattered a backboard on a slamdunk. The game was delayed while
a new backboard was retrieved from Madison High School.
*Another game of note is listed on the IHSA web site as the second longest game in Illinois High School history
and is recognized in the National Federation Record Book. The game took place on Jan. 16, 1975 and took four
quarters and 8 overtimes until the Red Devils finally prevailed over Muscotah 64 - 58. This, of course,
is not to mention the many great stories during the school's two championship runs and many great seasons. (information
supplied by Roger Peach)
Coach Bill Ohlendorf
More of Don Davinroy's fond memories of Coach Bill Ohlendorf:
Background
Even though Bill was baptized Catholic, he attended the public
school in Venice. I attended St. Mark's Catholic school and so our paths didn't cross until I was in the seventh grade.
We had a basketball team and was entered in a Catholic boys basketball tournament somewhere in Springfield, IL.
Being a 7th or 8th grade Catholic boy was the only requirement, so our coach drafted Bill and another public school player
to play on our mediocre team. Well, we won the tournament, and I think that Bill was the MVP.
The next time we were together was with the boy scouts, and I remember him being "tapped" as
an Eagle Scout which was quite an honor back then.
Sports
Like I said, he was probably the best to come out of VHS. He could play most
everything, and play it well. He played tennis, swam, played pool, corkball, horseshoes, etc. Bill lettered in
HS baseball mostly as a third baseman and pitcher. He also lettered in track with the pole vault and high jump.
If we would have had a football team, he would have been the star quarterback.
Odds
I believe that he was the '57 class Valedictorian and played in the band.
Coaching
He wasn't a necessary natural, but he worked at it and learned. By the time he left
Venice, I was convinced that he was a great coach -- probably better at coaching than playing. His early teams didn't
have a great deal of talent, but he tried. He would scout opponents by himself, with someone else (usually
me), or send me to scout. Since I was a certified referee, he would have me call his scrimmage games. He
understood that many officials have their own "quirks," and he would tell me each time which violation he wanted me to
emphasize. One time it would be traveling, or 3-sec. in the lane, or moving screens, etc. When his team
would play in the Freeburg/Columbia Christmas tournaments they would sometimes give him with a 9 a.m. game.
He would practice 2-3 days prior to the tournament at 9 a.m. to get his players accustomed to playing at that time of day,
and on the day of the game he would have the players meet in the Venice HS home ec. room where he and I would fix
them a good breakfast. His luck changed for the better when Venice and Lincoln integrated. He now had
additional talent, and most small schools couldn't beat him. However, he didn't live on that. He scheduled
as many large schools on both sides of the river that he could, and set a precedent for later coaches.
Games
At the beginning, Bill had a pair of "lucky" boxer shorts that not many people knew about.
He wore them on game days until I guess they just plain wore out. Many times he would get me up around 4 a.m. on the
day of the first game because he couldn't sleep. We would drive around, have breakfast, and all the time talking basketball.
I would help him when he needed me, and one time during a district final with a local school, he asked me to join him on the
bench. I felt good that he needed my input, but only to find out later that he wanted me to watch the crowd
because he had received several death threats. How's that for friendship!!!
State
I was with him during his run that year when he won games he probably shouldn't have. We
lost in the playoffs to the eventual champ, and really had no business beating St. Anne, but he did.
Foresight
Bill knew that he had a special bunch of players as freshmen in the Fall of 1972. Normally VHS
didn't play a "freshman" schedule, but that year he asked me to be their coach. I don't think that we lost a game.
That team as Seniors won the State Tournament in 1975.
Decision to Move On
Bill wanted a chance to coach on a different level, so he resigned his VHS position
and took the position of head basketball coach, Granite City North High School in the Fall of 1973.
A Personal Note
Bill had that kind of personality that everybody liked. He had his basketball friends, coach friends, referee
friends, golfing friends, pony friends, work friends, Venice friends, GC friends, etc., and of course his extended family.
If Bill was going to be at an event, you knew that there would be a good time. We all miss him dearly.
From Former Student Donn Hornberger:
"Venice had some very good baseball players. Most of those players were also good in basketball. Once, we even
had a good football team. That only ended after the WW2 years. In baseball, we had some winning years but we never played
many games often limited to about ten games per year.
The two best baseball players I recall were Devany and Burl Hand. I was ok but just
barely. Bob Dubinick was a great player, to be sure. One great player that remained for the full treck
and beyond, and I believe that pound for pound, inch for inch, he was (one of) the better ... VHS player(s) of
all time for the Venice I recall, 1950-1975 and that's Rich Essington. He had all the moves, down the lane,
either side, either hand, inside/outside. Very quick and aware with great ball handling skills.
Venice High School could've won State as early as 1950 with integration. We should've won it many times."
| Venice Music Medalists |
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| Submitted by the Venice Historical Project |
MUSIC
Venice High School enjoyed a great music department as well. the caption under the newspaper photo to the
right, copied from the Metro East Journal, May 10, 1939, states the following:
"Virginia Burns, saxaphonist, left, and Mae Scott, flutist, Venice High School
seniors who won the right to compete in a national music contestto be held May 17. They have been members of the Venice
band six years."
NOTABLE ALUMNI
As provided by the Venice Historical Society:
"Lawyers, Engineers, Social workers, Educators, business men, Capts of Industry, significant military members: John
Hogan, Bill Hoover, Bill Price, Terry Greenlee, Jack Bettag, Mike Lopez, Steve Lopez, Dr. David Weber (EPA,research
director), Dave Painter (GCHS Principal, Class of 1959, VHS); Others include Fred Kohl (industrialist),
Harry Hartman(noted ATTY), Al Pace (businessman), Sam Wolf (IL Congressional
Rep 25 yrs), Jim Daniels (25 yrs, Section Director, ILDptofTransportation), Lester Salem(VHSBoard
President), Tom Foley, Sr (city father), Bill Ohlendorf (VHS first district
championship), Rich Essington (first state championship), Bob Dubinick(educator and 60pt
game honors), Jim Jeffries (first Principal), Terry Salem (second principal), Phil
Smith (Administrative Asst to Regional Supt), Don Davinroy (principal), John Lee,sr
and jr,(physician, dentist and mayors), Frank and Jim Reidelberger (mayor and county probation
director), Bruce Groshong (federal probation/marshall), Harold Koelker (DEA agent), LLoyd
Paterson (DEA Agent), Dr. Ted Savage (pro baseball and educator), Rainey Crawford (United
Nations ambassador and probaseball), Jack Tolliver (town father and AmerLeg director) , Rogera Davis
(performer Norman Luboff Choir), Bill Schaefer (autoracing champ), Milton Morris (town
father and industrialist), Fa. Peter Paul Kaenders (Playright
and priest), Donn Hornberger (writer and musician), Althea Cross (educator), Registered
Nurses Barbara Chalfin, Ina Mae Cockrill, Janet Robertson, Becky Schaffner, Ms. Marquerite Fechte (Venice
resident and VHS nurse), Lucia Saucier Foley (1936), Delores Robbs Stalecker (1947), Kathryn
Robbs Kowalski (1950), This list barely scrapes the numbers of outstanding achievers."
Miscellaneous
From the Venice Historical Project:
"Racing Section of VHS sportsmen. Driving Champion Bill Schaeffer, to the right as
you look at him in the photo below. This is his family's sponsored car. Bill had many wild rides in many racing
cars."
| Venice Car Racers |
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| Submitted by the Venice Historical Society |
| Venice History Committee |
|
| Preserving the Memories of Venice Schools |
ALWAYS WANTING MORE
As usual, we are always looking for more information on each school we cover. If you can supply us with more information
on the Venice High School Red Devils please complete a School Submission Form or a Guest Commentary Form. We are
especially interested in a photo of the old school building and great teams and coaches. You can also e-mail us at eganann@sbcglobal.net or write us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Illinois 60631
| Rear View of Venice High School |
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| Courtesy of Steve Barney |
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