Macomb Western offered football, basketball, baseball, track, tennis, and wrestling to its male athletes. The Girls' Athletic Association (GAA) was offered at the school beginning in 1919 in order to encourage female students to participate in sports. Other schools saw how Western ran its GAA program, and adopted it for their own use.

Before you start reading, take a quick break because the football program was the primary story in the school's athletic history. There was limited success in 1920-40, as the program was 9-40-3 under Ralph Barclay, a Western grad himself.  Barclay's Purple Preps recorded their first winning season ever in 1941, going 3-1-1 before he gave the reins to Jim Schultz, whose 1943 & 1944 teams were 4-1 and 4-2, respectively. The school stepped its rise when Larry Kerker coached the first unbeaten teams in 1948 (6-0-1) and 1949 (7-0).

 

Harry Sockler's Cardinals made their school proud with 10 undefeated seasons from 1952-67 as Western High went 114-12-2 in those 16 seasons for a winning percentage of .905. Included in those 10 undefeated seasons were winning streaks of 35 and 24 games, the latter being the last 24 games that Sockler would be on the sidelines at WHS. And to boot, the 1967 team went defeated and UNSCORED upon! Larry Hepinstall succeeded Sockler in 1968, leading the next four teams to a combined record of 27-8-1, including a 9-0 mark in 1971 Mark Peterson coached the final season in 1972 with a record of 6-2-1. All told, Western's football program was 199-86-9 (.698) and either won or shared the LaMoine Valley Conference title 15 times.

1920  0-3    (first season)                                         Coach's name unknown
1941  3-1-1                                                             Coach Ralph Barclay
1943  4-1                                                                Coach Jim Schultz
1944  4-2                                                                Coach Jim Schultz
1945  6-1                                                                Coach Ernest Kraemer
1948  6-0-1  (LaMoine Valley co-champs)                  Coach Larry Kerker
1949  7-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Larry Kerker
1950  6-1                                                                Coach Larry Kerker
1952  7-1                                                                Coach Harry Sockler
1953  6-0-1  (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1954  6-2     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1955  6-1-1  (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler    
1956  7-1     (LaMoine Valley co-champs)                 Coach Harry Sockler
1957  9-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1958  8-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
                    (Top-ranked among small schools in Illinois)
1959  8-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1960  8-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1962  8-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1963  8-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1964  5-3     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1965  8-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1966  8-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
1967  8-0     (LaMoine Valley champs)                      Coach Harry Sockler
                    Unscored upon all season long:
                     Western 40, Bushnell-Prairie City 0
                     Western 42, Knoxville 0
                     Western 59, LaHarpe 0
                     Western 73, Warsaw 0
                     Western 46, Carthage 0
                     Western 49, Aledo 0
                     Western 19, Hamilton 0
                     Western 66, Lewistown 0
                    (Total points: Western 394, Opponents 0)
1969  8-1                                                                Coach Larry Hepinstall
1970  5-3-1                                                             Coach Larry Hepinstall
1971  9-0                                                                Coach Larry Hepinstall
1972  6-2-1  (final season)                                        Coach Mark Peterson

  First Team All-State Football Players

1950--Maurice Aten, Bernie Justus, Jim Naber
1952--Allan Spiller (also first-team All-American)
1957--Jim Hammond
1958--Pat Burke
1959--Paul Lescher, Pat Callahan
1960--Pat Callahan
1962--Tim Logsdon
1966--Greg Carson

 

 

 

The Western boys began their hardwood program in 1916 under the eye of Erskine Jay, winning only one game that season. The program was competitive for many seasons, including several 20-win campaigns, and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in Champaign during the 1950-51 season, despite having an enrollment that was around 200 students.

 

 

 

1915-16                                                                 Coach Erskine Jay
1921-22            District champs
1925-26            District Champs                             Coach Ralph Barclay
1926-27            District champs                              Coach Ralph Barclay
1927-28            District champs                              Coach Ralph Barclay
1928-29            District champs                              Coach Ralph Barclay
1939-40            District champs                              Coach Ralph Barclay
1943-44 16-  8                                                         Coach Jim Schultz
1944-45 23-  4   Regional champs                           Coach Jim Schultz
1945-46 17-  6                                                         Coach Ernest Kraemer
1947-48 17-10                                                         Coach Larry Kerker
1948-49 20-  7                                                         Coach Larry Kerker
1949-50 21-  7   LaMoine Valley Con. champs            Coach Larry Kerker
1950-51 28 - 3   Regional Champs                          Coach Larry Kerker
                        Sectional Champs

1951-52 25-  4   Regional Champs                          Coach Larry Kerker
1952-53 18-  8                                                         Coach Harry Sockler
1953-54 15-12                                                         Coach Larry Kerker
1954-55 16-10                                                         Coach Larry Kerker
1955-56 15-  5   Regional Champs                          Coach Larry Kerker
1958-59 17-10                                                         Coach Joe Adam
1960-61 19-  7                                                         Coach Howard Hohman
1961-62 24-  4   District Champs                              Coach Howard Hohman

                        LaMoine Valley Con. Champs                     
1962-63 24-  4   District Champs                              Coach Howard Hohman

                        LaMoine Valley Con. Champs                     
1965-66 14-13   District Champs                              Coach Tony Karas
1966-67 18-  8   LaMoine Valley Con. Champs       Coach Howard Hohman        

1967-68 23-  6   LaMoine Valley Con. Champs           Coach Paul Sorenson
1969-70 19-  9                                                         Coach Paul Sorenson
1970-71 19-  9   District Champs                             Coach Paul Sorenson
1971-72 15-10   LaMoine Valley Con. Champs           Coach Paul Sorenson
1972-73   5-19   Final season                                   Coach McLaughlin

 

Macomb Western High School's finishes in the annual Macomb-Western Holiday Basketball Tournament as provided by our good friend, Mark Jurenga:

 

Six (6) Championships
Four (4) Runner-ups
Six (6) Third-Place
Three (3) Fourth Place
One (1) Consolation Championship
 
1946
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 38 Macomb 35
1947
Champ- Monmouth 45 Macomb (Western) 43
1948
Champ- Macomb (Western) 43 Good Hope 42
1949
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 47 Macomb 37
1950
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 56 Athens 55
Western's Bernie Justus hit a buzzer beater to win the game.
1951
Champ- Macomb (Western) 46 Macomb 39
1953
3rd Place- Augusta 67 Macomb (Western) 53
1955
3rd Place- Carthage 61 Macomb (Western) 47
1956
Champ- Quincy (Notre Dame) 75 Macomb (Western) 38
1957
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 44 Lewistown 40
1958
Champ- Lewistown 57 Macomb (Western) 38
1959
3rd Place- Camp Point (Central) 76 Macomb (Western) 60
1960
Champ- Havana 55 Macomb (Western) 53
1961
Champ- Macomb (Western) 63 Havana 48
1962
Champ- Macomb (Western) 51 Havana 43
1963
Champ- Macomb (Western) 49 Havana 48
1965
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 70 Mendon (Unity) 61
1966
3rd Place- Macomb (Western) 64 Carthage 55
1967
Champ- Macomb (Western) 77 Carthage 63
Western's Doug Abel & Harry Fritz combined for 48 pts. in the championship game.
1970
Consolation Champ- Macomb (Western) 79 Table Grove (V.I.T.) 51
 
All-Tournament Team
1960- Trevor Toland (MVP)
1961- Trevor Toland (MVP)
1962- Gail Knappenberger (MVP)
1964- Al Fritschel (MVP)
1970- Van Pogue (2nd Team)
1971- Al Ferguson (2nd Team)

 

Baseball was first offered at Western in 1932 as a spring sport, then played in the spring as well as the fall in several seasons when football was not offered in 1936-37. Despite not having its own field for practice and home games thru the late 1940's, the Purple Preps did win some hardware along with the Cardinals, taking five consecutive McDonough County tournament titles in the late 1950s. Baseball was discontinued after 1968, although one game was played in 1971.

1933       McDonough County Co-Champs        Coach unknown
1944       District Champs                              Coach unknown
1948       Regional Champs                           Coach unknown
1949       Regional Champs                           Coach unknown
1964       Regional Champs                           Coach unknown

BOYS' TRACK

Western won several McDonough County and LaMoine Valley Conference meets
while there was a team at the school, and even had two people place in the state
track finals.

1958   Jim Hammond     440 Yard Dash    2nd Place
1971   Van Pogue           Pole Vault          6th Place

Hammond, Pogue, Warren Abbot (120 high hurdles), and Ted Pawlias (two-mile run) set LaMoine Valley Conference records for Western before the school closed in 1973.

 

The Cardinal tankmen showed their stuff in the chlorinated waves of Western High's pools from 1959-73, setting all 11 event records during the final three seasons of the school's existance. As a team, Coach Gil Belles' Cardinals were
11-2 in 1970-71 and were responsible for setting six of the above marks. Chuck Huttinger wound up posting school records in the 100-, 200-, and 400-yard freestyle events, along with the 200 individual medley. He was also a record-setting member of the 200-yard medley relay with Scott Ricci, Tom Abbot, and
Brian L'Hommedieu, and set the 100-yard butterfly record. Huttiger also finished fifth in the state 200-yard individual medley finals.

GOLF

With nationally-renowned coach Harry Mussatto giving tips to the Cardinal linksters starting in 1956, the teams were competitive against larger and more-experienced teams in meets and invitiationals. Although there were no records
found to prove this, the Cardinals never had a losing season with several players going to the state meet (although none of them placed high enough to medal at the finals).

TENNIS AND WRESTLING

These two sports were held only for a short time in the school's history (tennis from 1956-59, wrestling from 1963 and 1966), but there were no qualifiers for the state meets.

 

Ralph Barclay (1925-41)--Won five district basketball titles
Jim Schultz  (1942-45)--Was 10-6 in football, 23-12 in basketball, winning one regional
Larry Kerker  (1947-51)--22-10-1 in football, 129-55 in basketball with three regional titles, one sectional, and an appearance at the state finals!
Harry Sockler   (1952-67)--114-12-2 in football, 15 LaMoine Valley Conference
titles, 10 undefeated teams
Howard Hohman (1959-65, 66-67)---137-56 in basketball with four district titles and five conference championships
Larry Hepinstall (1968-71)--27-8-1 in football and one undefeated season
Paul Sorenson (1967-72)--81-52 in basketball, two conference titles,and a district title

OUTSTANDING ATHLETES

Maurice Aten (1947-51)--Earned 16 varsity letters at Western, was all-state
in football (1950) and started on the only basketball team to make it to the
state finals

Allen Spiller (1952)--First-team little All-State in football as well as first-team All-American

Jim Hammond (1957-58) First-team little All-State in football, and second in state track meet in 440 Yard Dash.

Pat Callahan (1959-60) Two-time little All-State football pick to the first team

Trevor Toland (1961-62) First-team All-State in basketball

Chuck Huttiger (1970-71) Responsible for setting records in six events, and finishing fifth in the state swim meet in the 200 Individual Medley

To Steve Monger and Marla Vizdal from Western Illinois University for the countless amount of information and pictures provided to us, along with Buck Knowles (class of 1940), Gary Sherer (class of 1959) and John Knowles (class of 1968) for their information and background needed to write this page. John's very informative document on the history of the school ( http://www.wiu.edu/users/whs/) was used to research the history of the school, along with a copy of "Reflections" found in the Western Illinois University archives, published prior to the closing of Western High.

WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE INFORMATION
regarding "The School of Many Names" and its history, along with any photos you might have. You can email them to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net or send them through the regular mail to:

Illinois High School Glory Days
6439 North Neva
Chicago, Il  60631