Athletics
It is a fact that Kilbourne High School offered athletics during its existence. Basketball was the feature sport. Baseball
and track were probably also offered. Unfortunately, no IHSA hardware was won and there is no record of any sort regarding
the Kilbourne High School athletic program on their site. We are confident that great seasons and stories do exist,and
are hopeful an area fan will share this information with us.
Boys Basketball
The Green Wave were riding high during the 1929-30 basketball season. The boys were from one of the smaller schools
in Mason County, but they were afraid of no one. They proved they could play with any team in the county that year reaching
the title game of the Mason County Tournament.
Kilbourne's Green Wave never won a Mason County boys basketball championship, but finished second
to Forest City in 1930, when they lost 24-10. The last game they ever played was on Feb. 23, 1954, in the Bath-Lynchburg district tournament. Kilbourne lost to B-L 77-52. Harry Sutton and Joe DeVore
each scored 15 for the Green Wave. Others scoring: Vaughn 12, Lane 9, Prater
1.
Kilbourne HS was usually the smallest school enrollment-wise in the county, and in May 1954
when it graduated its last class, there were seven seniors. In September 1954 Kilbourne consolidated with Bath-Lynchburg
to become Balyki, with the high school located in Bath.
"The last basketball game won by the Green Wave was on December 1, 1953, a 64-63 overtime thriller
from Armington. Gary Butler, a transfer from East Peoria (who was later declared ineligible by the IHSA because of a residency
ruling), scored 34 points on 14 field goals. The final season's record was reflective of Kilbourne's difficulties
for the last seven years of its existence, a stretch where they went 9-136. Even though the team never gave up
in any game, the results were seldom in the Green Waves' favor."
Special thanks to
Phil Shadid for his research in uncovering these facts about
Kilbourne High School.
1929-30 Mason County Tournament
- 2ND Place
1943-44 2 - 17
Coach Joe Wylder
1944-45, 6 - 8
Coach Joe Wylder
1945-46, 5 - 14
Coach Joe Wylder
1946-47, 0 - 12
Coach Joe Wylder
1947-48 1 - 15
Coach Joe Wylder
1948-49 0 - 22
Coach Everett Underkofler
1949-50 2 - 14
Coach Jay Hulet
1950-51, 0 - 22
Coach Garrie Sprague
1951-52 1 - 19
Coach Garrie Sprague
1952-53 3 - 21
Coach Charles Jerdee
1953-54 2 - 23 Final Season
Coach Charles Jerdee
Need Some In-put
If you have any information regarding the Kilbourne High School athletic program and other school programs offered
there, please share them with us. We are especially interested in sharing photos of the old high school building and
great teams and coaches. Please share with us by completing a School Submission Form or a Guest Commentary Form. You
can also reach us by:
USPS - Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva
St.
Chicago, Il.
60631
