The Shabbona High School Indians and Lady Indians competed hard and were successful during many seasons in their history.  They were a great source of pride for the town and school system. The boys competed in baseball, basketball, track, and soccer while the girls were offered volleyball, track, softball, and basketball.  School team colors an fight song are needed, as well as the better team records and coach's names.    

 

 

The Shabbona Lady Indians gave the school its highest finish in State Tourney Competition!  The girls finished THIRD in the 1978 State Class 'A' Track Meet.  The effort of NANCY PURDY led the way with two Gold Medals in the one mile and two-mile runs, an incredible double!  The mid-1980s were hi-lited by the three Medals won by DEE DEE JESKE including a GOLD in the high jump in 1985!!

 

 

 

                                             Two Mile Run             STATE CHAMPION!!

 

                   1)  New Lenox (Providence Catholic)              31   
                   2)  St. Joseph (S.J.-Ogden)                          16

                   3)  SHABBONA HIGH SCHOOL                   12

                   3)  Auburn                                                   12   
                   5)  Freeburg                                                 11

                   5)  Kankakee (McNamara)                             11  
                   7)  Piasa (Southwestern)                                9  
                   7)  Normal (University)                                    9  
                   7)  Teutopolis                                                9  
                 10)  Prophetstown, Johnston City, Edinburg,      7

                        Mahomet (M.-Seymour)

 

 

 

 

Two undefeated regular seasons, four District titles, five Regional titles, and a Sectional title hi-lited the SHS success in this sport.  If you can help fill in the abundance of missing information please send us an e-mail.

 

 

**Ron Espe was point guard on Shabbona's Cinderella basketball team of 1959.  Other starters on that team included Gerry Wisted, Marv Straw, Dennis Fleming and Bill Mullins. A nice article about this team is available at the bottom of this page.

 

The Shabonna High School Basketball Team of 1958-59                                                          by Brian Hoxsey   The Indians were 8-0 entering the annual DeKalb Holiday Tournament (which featured schools much larger than tiny Shabbona).  Shabbona rolled to the title with wins over Rochelle (66-41), Aurora West (69-67), Maine (59-46) and Rock Falls (78-64) in the championship contest.  Following that tournament, Shabbona was given a fourth position ranking in the United Press International's ratings of the state's top teams.   Little Ten Conference Champs in both the regular season (9-0) {the closest game was a 70-52 win over Leland} and league tournament (defeated Earlville 97-38, Serena 81-35 in the semifinals and finally Leland 91-51 in the title game.)  That 40 point win in the championship game is still the largest margin of victory in the tournament's 89 year history. (Marv Straw, Jerry Wisted and Ron Espe were all named first team All-LTC, while Bill Mullins and Denny Fleming were on the All-LTC second team)   They ended the regular season 27-0 and began post season play in their own district tournament.  They opened with a dominant 102-35 over Hiawatha and captured the title with a 92-48 drubbing of Waterman, who fell to the Indians for the third time that season.   Next, the Indians moved to the DeKalb Regional, they started with a 63-38 victory over Genoa-Kingston.  They moved into the title game with a 58-33 win over Sycamore to set up the third straight regional title match-up with DeKalb, who had beat them the previous two years.  The Indians were able to get over the hump as they triumphed over the Barbs 48-37 to capture the regional title and move on to the HInsdale Sectional to play the host squad.   With a jam packed gym of over 5,000 fans the Indians were out-sized by the taller Red Devils and trailed 19-15 after one quarter.  Hinsdale's Dave Brown nailed a 35-foot desperation at the halftime buzzer to give his club a 32-25 advantage at halftime.  Shabbona found themselves down by ten (41-31) early in the third period, but mounted a come-back to trail just 45-43 entering the fourth quarter.  The Indians took their only lead of the game with :19 left in regulation when guard Denny Fleming scored a lay up to make it 54-52, but Hinsdale was able to convert two free throws with :08 left to send the game to overtime.    Hinsdale opened the scoring in overtime with two free tosses, but Shabbona center Jerry Wisted put the teams even again (56-all) with a lay in. In the final seconds, with the game still tied, Bill Mullins stole the ball from Hinsdale and made a quick pass to Wisted, who nailed a jump shot that sent the Indians joyfully running into their locker room.  However, after a lengthy discussion between officials at the scorers table, it was ruled Wisted's shot came a fraction of a second after the official timer's gun.  In the second "sudden death" overtime, Hinsdale won the jump ball and seventeen seconds later Brown was fouled and calmly sank both ends of a one-and-bonus sent end Shabbona's magical season.       Notes:  Every seat in the gym was filled and hour and fifteen minutes before tip-off.    Hinsdale's front court went 6-foot-8, 6-5 and 6-3, while Marv Straw was Shabbona's tallest player at 6-4, Wisted 6-2, Mullins 6-1.  The Indians out-rebounded Hisdale 30-17 in the game.    Marv Straw was named 5th team all-state by the Champaign News Gazette following the season.    Those who moved on:    **Marv Straw went on to play at Iowa State.  A three-year starter, Straw was named All-Big Eight in his senior season after averaging 14.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds and was awarded the George Clarkson Award, given to the top senior player in Iowa Collegiate basketball. He completed his career at Iowa State scoring 813 points in three varsity seasons (Freshmen could not play varsity in college in those days.). Nominated for selection to Iowa State's All-Century Basketball Team in 2007.  Marv Straw was selected by the St. Louis Hawks (N.B.A. draft) with the second pick in the eleventh round, but never played professionally. For more information regarding Marv Straw including college statistics please visit  http://ltcbasketball.tripod.com/id62.html     **Jerry Wisted went on to have a great college career at Illinois Wesleyan.  Wisted was named All-College Confernece of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) in both his junior and senior seasons.  Illinois Wesleyan won the CCIW championship Wisted's first three years and finished third in his senior year in which he was named team captain.  Is still on the Illinois Wesleyan's all-time scoring list with 1,248 points which ranks him 21st all-time following the 2007-08 season. Also played baseball and led CCIW in RBI in 1963.

 

 

 

Coach Ken Dawson led the Lady Indian roundballers to three consecutive Regional Championships.  Included in this string was an overall record of 67 - 6 and an UNDEFEATED regular season record in 1985-86.  Coach Dawson's overall record at Shabbona during his nine seasons at the helm was an excellent 143 - 60, a .704 winning percentage!!    

 

1981-82     12 - 7                                                          Coach Ken Dawson
1982-83     14 - 8                                                          Coach Ken Dawson
1983-84                                                                       Coach Ken Dawson
1984-85     17 - 2                                                          Coach Ken Dawson
1985-86     22 - 1   UNDEFEATED REGULAR SEASON!  Coach Ken Dawson

1986-87     22 - 2   Regional Champions                       Coach Ken Dawson
1987-88     23 - 3   Regional Champions                       Coach Ken Dawson
1988-89                                                                        Coach Ken Dawson
1989-90     16 - 7                                                           Coach Ken Dawson

 

 

The girls proved themselves on the vollyball court as well winning Regional Titles in 1983 and 1993.

 

 

 

The boys soccer program had their shining moment in 1986 with a Regional title hi-liting the program's success.

 

 

 

Coach Gary Richardson led the girls softball program to three good seasons in the four that he coached at the school.

 

1989-90      7 - 4                   Coach Gary Richardson
1990-91    13 - 5                   Coach Gary Richardson
1991-92    15 - 4                   Coach Gary Richardson
1992-93                               Coach Gary Richardson

 

 

Three athletes carried the Shabbona banner in boys track & field. Joel Espe earned a 6th place medal in the 1967 meet, a one-class meet.  Presenting the medals to the athletes that year was Jesse Owens!  Joel's effort was followed in 1968 by his cousin, Scott Krahenbuhl, who placed 6th in the long jump, again in a one-class event.  Derek Jeske won medals at the IHSA State Class 'A' Track in the long jump in consecutive seasons during the mid-1980s!  Derek is a brother to the Lady Indians track star, Dee Dee Jeske who also medaled for Shabonna in the mid-1980s (see above).

 

 

1967-68        Individual Medalist - Scott Krahenbuhl   Long Jump        6TH Place

 

**From Cheri Espe:

"On January 3rd, 2012, cousins Joel Espe and Scott Krahenbuhl were inducted into the Shabbona High School Hall of Fame.  They were the first athletes from Shabbona HS to ever advance to the State Championship in any sport and the first to medal at a State Championship in any sport. Both did so when it was a one-class system in Illinois."

 

Scott Krahenbuhl set the conference record in the 180 low hurdles his senior year with a time of 21.7 seconds. He was the first track athlete from Shabbona to ever get a first place finish in the District Track Meet. He competed in the long jump at the state track meet his junior year and senior year he placed 6th, at that time there was only one class. During his senior year, Scott beat the conference record in the 100 yd dash, 220 yd. dash, 180 yd. low hurdles, and long jump. Scott was a varsity letter winner and starter in basketball for two years. During Scott's senior year he had 385 points, 61 steals, 41 assists, and 207 rebounds. He averaged 14.3 points per game and led the conference in scoring with 385 opints. In baseball, Scott played center field. Shabbona was conference champs his sophomore,  junior, and senior year. He received the Dr. Harry L. Keene Athletic Award his senior year. Scott attended Northern Illinois University and participated on the Varsity Track Team and Freshman Basketball Team.