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Sports Memories by Tom Jones

Two weeks ago I got back into coaching basketball with the seventh-grade girls’ team at Southwest Middle School. The historian that I am, I thought I would look back this week at the beginnings of basketball in Albert Lea.

A story from the 25th anniversary edition of the AhLaHaSa published in 1937 noted that the first high school basketball game in town was played in 1906 when a boy who loved basketball and had played in Des Moines moved to Albert Lea. A great interest was shown from this boy talking about the game, and by the time the season was approaching, a book of rules was purchased and a team was formed.

Professor Rollins, the manual training teacher at the high school, was selected as coach, although it was written he didn’t have as much knowledge of the game as his players.

The boys practiced in a hall above a building that was called the Creamery Supply Company in the downtown area. They purchased their own uniforms and basketballs from the receipts of their first game. If ticket sales made a profit at their games, the school kept the money. If there was a loss, the boys suffered it.

Members of the team were Ray Sheehan, Albert Hancock, Reid Edwards, Bob Stevenson and Forest McKey. The team wore all white uniforms.

Reminiscing for the article, Reid Edwards said “the reason we always won on the home court was because of a post right in the middle of the floor and when the ball was tipped off, one of my teammates would pin the guard against the pillar, giving me time to run down the court unguarded, receive a pass and drop it in the basket.” In those days no dribbling was allowed in high school basketball.

Owatonna’s Pillsbury Academy, Northfield and Faribault were opponents for the team with Faribault noted as the toughest.

In 1919, Albert Lea won the state high school basketball championship that was held at Carleton College in Northfield. To earn the championship, they defeated Red Wing, Fosston, Little Falls and New Ulm. They also placed three players on the All-State Team.

During the regular season, the team played Waseca, Austin, Owatonna, Faribault Shattuck, Osage, Faribault and Blue Earth. Austin sent 200 fans to the game on a chartered train for the contest in Albert Lea and in the return game played in Austin, there were more fans from Albert Lea than Austin.

Team members on that championship team were Leonard Thune, Gordon Malmer, Harold Kaplan, Clair Willadsen, Thayer Porter, Clarence Malmer and Mevin Warrington. The trophy for winning the state title is on display at the high school.

The AhLaHaSa article also noted that in 1914 the Albert Lea High School girls’ basketball team won the Southern Minnesota title by winning five of six games from Owatonna, Austin, Wells and Lake Mills. In 1920, influenza ended their regular season schedule, and their only games were played against local faculty members.

Blue Devil notes

This year’s Riverland Community College Blue Devils women’s basketball team features 2024 Albert Lea High School graduates Alexis Jones and Erin Boorsma, along with 2023 United South Central graduate Jade Beckman. Former Albert Lea girls’ head coach and assistant boys’ coach Gina Klennert is now an assistant coach for the team. The Blue Devils will host Sisseton Wahepton College from Sisseton, South Dakota, at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday in Austin.