Historical Perspective: The Walkovers win Terre Haute's first commercial basketball league

[Rob Robbins]

From this morning's Tribune-Star:

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Historical Perspective: The Walkovers win Terre Haute’s first commercial basketball league

By Mike McCormick Special to the Tribune-Star

----- — Dr. James Naismith invented basketball at the YMCA gymnasium in Springfield, Mass., during December of 1891.

Less than 20 years later, the Indiana High School Athletic Association was considering a statewide basketball tournament. Officials at Wiley, then Terre Haute’s only high school, contemplated entering the competition.

Meanwhile, Terre Haute’s first commercial basketball league was founded Jan. 8, 1911. It was only appropriate that the venue for league contests was the local YMCA at 644 Ohio St.

Tryouts were conducted to select the 42 best players to make up teams sponsored by six businesses: Foulkes Bros., Myers Bros., Walkover Shoes, Valentine Drug Co., Sparks Milling and the Terre Haute Tribune.

Once the players were chosen, the selection committee tried to align them so as to produce six well-balanced teams. Competition began Jan. 11. The champion received a silver cup from Swope-Nehf Jewelers.

Each team was assigned a captain based upon skill and experience. The captain for Foulkes Bros. was Edd Conners, the oldest active basketball star in the association.

At least 32 years old in 1911, Conners began playing competitive basketball in 1896 under the tutelage of Fred Barnes, first physical director of the local YMCA.

A star on a team that represented Terre Haute in statewide YMCA competition until it disbanded in 1904, Edd later was head basketball coach at Indiana State Normal for one year. He played for the Wabash Business College Has Beens and other independent teams.

Now best remembered as “Eddie Conners,” for whom an award is named by the Vigo County School Corp., Edd then worked at American Car & Foundry Co.

Henry “Heine” Knauth, one of the most skilled players in the community, was captain of the Walkovers. An accountant for the Vandalia Railroad, he had a superb all-around game and always finished among the area’s top scorers.

Floyd Foltz, another YMCA old-timer, was captain of the Sparks. Known for his defensive work, the 24-year old Foltz had been playing the game for seven years with independent teams such as Hulman’s, Carl Wolf’s and the Central Christian Church. Foltz was a paperhanger. He had a wife and 2-year old son.

Anton Stinson, who played for Wiley during the 1907-08 season, was captain of the Valentine Drug Co. He was one of the best passers in the area. John Farris, captain of Myers Bros., was a star on Wiley’s 1910 team. He delivered newspapers for a living.

Though smaller than the other captains, Gail Tolliver was assigned to lead the Tribune team. He was a good shooter and known for his quickness.

YMCA physical director Allie Franklin put together a round robin schedule. John P. Kimmel of Indiana State Normal was enlisted to assist and served as an official.

Two games were played each Wednesday night. On Jan. 11, Fred A. Reckert, president of the YMCA board of governors, emceed the opening ceremonies.

Myers Bros. edged Valentines in the opener, 17-16. John Barrett led the winners with seven points. Teammates Herb Scofield and Farris added five points each. Stinson was the game’s top scorer with ten points, all from the free throw line.

In the second game, the Walkovers beat Sparks, 16-14. Zimmerman scored nine of the Walkovers’ 16 points while Knauth, who excited spectators by “doing wild and weird things,” had six. Zack Swanagan had five points to lead Sparks.

The crowd at the first session far exceeded expectations. As a result, director Franklin and the board established an invitational attendance policy. Each Monday 250 tickets were available to members of the teams and their families. YMCA members also were admitted but seated at the ends of the court.

Despite restrictions or, perhaps, because of them, a larger crowd showed up on Jan. 18. This time the games were one-sided. In the first game, Bill Sabiston scored nine points for the Tribune but Foulkes Bros. had more depth, devastating its opponent, 31-17. Mabry and Conners had eight and seven points respectively for Foulkes.

In the nightcap, Sparks beat Valentines — which scored all of its points from the free throw line — 17-5. Patton, a transfer from Crawfordsville, led the winners with six points.

“Like a bolt out of the blue,” Knauth exploded for eight points in the last four minutes to propel the Walkovers from a slim 13-11 lead to a 21-11 victory against the Tribunes on Jan. 25. Knauth finished with 13 points. Pfleuger, a transfer from the Louisville YMCA, was the defensive star for the losers.

Once again, John Barrett was the star for Myers Bros., which defeated Foulkes Bros., 25-17. Barrett scored 14 points. Despite inclement weather, the gymnasium was almost packed.

The Walkovers took over sole possession of first place Feb. 1 with a 19-10 win over Valentine Drugs. Zimmerman had eight points and Knauth seven for the winners. Heine’s “finishing power” fueled a last quarter rally. Will Owens was the top scorer for the losers.

The second game of the doubleheader, between Myers Bros. and Sparks, was canceled because of illness of players on both teams. Official J.P. Kimmel also was sick.

The Walkovers moved a half-game ahead of Myers Bros. in the standings. That lead did not last as Myers Bros. smothered the Tribune, 32-10, on Feb. 8, behind Barrett’s spectacular 22-point show. Meanwhile, Myers Bros. drew a bye. In the second game, Conners scored nine points to lead Foulkes Bros. over Valentine, 17-15.

On Feb. 15, Conners posted 10 points and held Knauth scoreless as Foulkes Bros. edged the Walkovers, 17-13. Sparks beat the Tribunes, 21-13, despite Tolliver’s 11 points. With two weeks in the season scheduled to go, Myers Bros. moved into first place.

Sparks upset Myers Bros., 18-14, on Feb. 22 to throw the league into a four-way tie. Rose Poly athlete Joe Carter of the Sparks was ejected for tackling an opponent around the neck but Myers Bros. allowed him to continue to play. Fred Muncie was the scoring star for the winners with eight points. Wendell Givler led the Tribunes past the Valentines, 14-8.

The Walkovers and Sparks won March 1, setting up a playoff game between the two. Knauth outscored Barrett, 14 to 8, in the opener to defeat Myers Bros., 17-10, while Foulkes Bros, lost, 13-11.

The Walkovers received the Swope-Nehf Cup by defeating Sparks in the playoff, 16-11. Zimmerman and Knauth led the way. Each member of the winning team received a watch charm from the Tribune. Myers Bros. beat Foulkes Bros., 20-7, for third place.

 

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