Athletics
Wyoming High School has a very rich tradition of competitive teams and good athletes. The school competed
in the old Black Hawk and Lincoln Trail Conferences.
For more information on the Blackhawk Conference check
out John Ballentine's article on the GREAT CONFERENCES page of this site. There is an extensive football record on the IHSA web site (
www.ihsa.org) however the other sports are somewhat skimmed over. If you have more information to share regarding athletics and
the better teams at WHS please complete a School Submission Form.
Football
The boy's football team enjoyed many great Friday nights of success. The team qualified for the IHSA playoffs
on 3 occassions making it to the Sweet 16 during the 1986 season. You cannot write about Wyoming HS football and not
mention Coach Gary Johnson. The years in which he coached at Wyoming HS berfore the merger with
Toulon are difficult to follow. However when you include his record upon taking over the Stark County HS football
program he finished his career with an overall mark of 180 - 113! The better records of the Wyoming
HS Indian football teams are listed below.
1927 7 - 1
Coach's name unavailable
1950 5 - 3 4th place Blackhawk Conference
1952 5 - 2 - 1 3rd place Blackhawk Conference
1953 6 - 2 3rd place Blackhawk Conference
1954 7 - 1 Blackhawk Conference Co-Champs
Coach Howard Budreau
1955 4 - 1 - 3 2nd place Blackhawk Conference Coach
Howard Budreau
1956 7 - 1 - 1 2nd place Blackhawk Conference
Coach Howard Budreau
1958 6 - 3
Coach Larry Leadley
1959 5 - 2 - 1 4th Blackhawk Conference
1968 5 - 3 - 1 5th place Blackhawk Conference
1971 7 - 1 - 1 2nd place Blackhawk Conference
Coach Gary Johnson
1972 7 - 2 3rd place Blackhawk Conference
Coach Gary Johnson
1973 8 - 1 - 1 2nd in the Blackhawk Conference
Coach Gary Johnson
1974 6 - 1 - 2 4th in the Blackhawk Conference
Coach Gary Johnson
1978 8 - 2 Class 2A Qualifier
Coach Gary Johnson
Lost
to Sherrard 34 - 0
1980 8 - 2 Class 1A Qualifier
Coach Gary Johnson
Black
Hawk Conf. Champs
Lost
to Lexington 43 - 6
Lexington
finished 2nd
1986 8 - 3 Class 1A Sweet 16 Coach
Gary Johnson
Beat
Monmouth Warren 21 - 14
Lost to Annawan 25 - 7
1983 7 - 2 3rd place Indian Valley East
Coach Gary Johnson
Wyoming last independently fielded a football team in 1989. In 1990 and 1991 they Co-op'd with Princeville and
consolidated with Toulon in 1992.
Boys Basketball
The boy's basketball team also brougth home some IHSA hardware. Their best seasons are listed below. Information
is being sought on the 20 game winners and better teams that failed to win IHSA hardware. Blackhawk Conference championship
teams were provided to us by John Ballentine.
1930-31 N.R.A. District Champions
1942-43
Blackhawk Conf. Champs
1943-44
Blackhawk Conf. Champs
1946-47
District Runner-up
1956-57 N.R.A. Regional Champions Coach
Gerald Anderson
Blackhawk Conf. Champs
1978-79 Blackhawk
Conf. Co-Champs
1990-91 N.R.A. Regional Champions
Boys Track
Wyoming High School enjoyed some success in the early 1920s with two individuals bringing home IHSA medals. The
two led the Wyoming team to a 9th place finish in the state track meet in 1921. This is incredible considering
the one-class system being operated under at the time.
1919-20 Oliver Graves 880 Yard Run
4th Place
1920-21 Team Finished in 9th Place at the State Track Meet
Individual
Medalists
Oliver Graves
440 Yard Dash 2nd Place
Gale Stout
Discus 2nd Place
In addition to individual accomplishments, the Toulon High School boys won a few Stark County High
School Track Meets over the years. The following information regarding this meet was provided to us by John
Ballentine:
"The Stark County track/field and declamatory meet was a major
event for decades. It was fiercely fought in order to win that particular year and claim county bragging rights.
Businesses and schools, even the grade schools, were closed early in order to attend the afternoon meet. Main streets
resembled ghost towns because a majority of the county's population was at the contest.
Records
were kept and trophies, plaques, ribbons, etc. were awarded. Yet, in 1990 the county meet could no longer be held.
Castleton High no longer existed, Toulon and LaFayette Highs were consolidated, and Bradford began co-opting with Tiskilwa to form a track team. Since Tiskilwa was not part of Stark County, this eliminated Bradford's participation leaving
only Toulon-LaFayette and Wyoming as the competitors from the original 5 schools. Therefore, the meet was permanently discontinued after 1989."
Wyoming High School boys reigned as champions of this once annual event during the following spring seasons:
1914, 1921, 1922, 1959, 1963
The Indian thinclads earned a total of 5 Stark County Track Meet Championships over the
years.
Girls Basketball
The "Injuns" (as the girls' teams were nicknamed) were not to be outdone, bringing home 3 Regional
titles of their own. The records and coaches of the better Wyoming girl's basketball teams are being sought.
1976-77 15 - 3 Regional
Champions Coach Ron Eisenbarth
Beat Henry 60 - 29
Beat Chillicothe IVC 57 - 41
Regional Champ. Game
Beat Dunlap 37 - 27
Sectional Semi-Final
Lost to Washington 47 - 41
**Enrollments: Washington HS 1,690, Wyoming HS 202
This was before the two-class system.
1977-78 12 - 2 Regional
Champions Coach Ron Eisenbarth
Beat Dunlap 45 - 38
Regional Champ. Game
Beat
Bradford 63 - 34
Sectional Semi-Final
Lost to Kewanee 55 - 37
**Enrollments: Kewanee HS approx. 800, Wyoming HS approx. 200
The two-class system for girls started in the 1979-80 season.
Thank you to Mariann Harmon Griggs for the playoff information regarding the Regional Champs of
1978 and 1979!
1982-83 21 - 4 Regional Champions
Coach Ron Carrothers
Girls Volleyball and Track
Information is being sought regarding the volleyball and girl's basketball teams at Wyoming High School. Please
complete a School Submission form if you would like to share this information with us.
Great Coach
Coach Gary Johnson is one of the legends of high school football in Illinois. His overall
record of 180 - 113 ranks # 42 all-time in IHSA football history. Coach Johnson is truly an icon not only in
Wyoming but in the upper midwest region of Illinois also.
Sadly Coach Johnson passed away on June 12, 2006 at the young age of 63. He will be sorely missed
by the people of Wyoming and Stark County. During the 2006 football season, the Wyoming football field was renamed Gary
Johnson Field in the late coach's honor.
Wyoming High School Enrollment (Grades 9 - 12)
1954-55 209
1955-56 200
1956-57 201
Seeking Further Information
We are seeking any further information regarding Wyoming High School. Please drop us an e-mail via the
School Submission Form or Guest Commentary. We are also seeking a photo of the old Wyoming High School building.
You may write us at:
OR
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago. Il. 60631
