Wray High 1934 Basketball State Champs, Wray, Yuma County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/yuma/schools/whsbb1934.txt Donated by Dick Kearns January 22, 2001 ------------------------- Denver Post March 16, 1934 (Photo Caption) Coach Ray French, F. Benson, Kearns, B. Benson, Johnson, Billings "We are from the Northeastern league, too," said the Wray Eagles, and they duplicated the feat of Sterling by eliminating Pueblo Centennial, highly touted team from the South Central league, in upset No. 2 of the state tournament. Dick Kearns, the hero of the game, is in the picture. Wray 14, Centennial 13 A one-handed "twister" by Dick Kearns, black-haired all-state half-back, swished thru the net with forty seconds to play, and won for Wray, 14 to 13, over Pueblo Centennial in the second big upset of the day. Kearns came thru in the clinch after the South Central entry had whittled away a six-point lead in the second half and forged ahead at 13 to 12. The Bulldogs tried to stall it out with four minutes to play, but lost the ball and Kearns grabbed a pass near the sideline, shot out his right paw and connected. It was a bitter defensive duel with the Eagles outplaying Pueblo by a wide margin in the opening half, only to lose their advantage in the third period. Johnson, a guard of the driving type and a bulwark on defense, smashed thru for three baskets in the first and second quarters to give the Eagles a 10-4 lead at the half. Wray missed numerous other opportunities to increase the margin, muffing three perfect tip-off plays. Pueblo, listless in the first half, came back fighting mad. Four successive baskets, two by Morton and the others by Hawley and Morton, tied the count at 10-10. F. Benson retaliated with a basket to give Wray a 12-11 lead as the third quarter ended, but Bliesner broke away under the hoop on a follow shot to put Centennial in front at 13 to 12. Then Kearns floated one up there and Centennial's titular hopes floated out the window also. The box score: Wray (14) | Pueblo (13) Players G F P | Players G F P B. Benson f. 0 0 3 | Hime f... 1 0 0 Hitchock f . 0 0 0 | Morton f . 3 0 1 F. Benson f 2 1 0 | Bliesner c 1 0 2 Kearns c .. 1 0 1 | Lynn g .. 1 0 1 Billings g . 0 1 0 | Hawley g . 0 1 3 Johnson g .. 3 0 0 | - - - | - - - Totals 6 2 4 | Totals 6 1 7 Referees: Vidal and Bresnahan --------------------------------------- DICK KEARNS PLAYS UNDER GREAT STRAIN (By Robert Gamzey) You've seen it in the movies and read it in the novels, but here's a true story that transpired behind the scenes and before the eyes of 2,500 fans at the state high school tournament Thursday. In the morning when members of the Wray high basketball squad, author of the sensational upset of the favored Pueblo Centennial outfit, sat around the hotel lobby waiting for the tournament opening, Dick Kearns, Wray's crack center and star athlete, received word from home that his grandmother, Mrs. Blanche A. Tyol, had died of a heart attack. She had lived with Dick's parents and there was a deep attachment between the elderly woman and the leading athlete of the team. Besides being a pal to young Kearns, she had been one of the most ardent supporters of the team, and every member of the squad and Coach Ray French, former Aggie star, regarded her as "grandmother of the town." When Mrs. Tyol had operated a hotel, all the village sports used it as a hangout. Kearns' first impulse was to speed home, but his father called by long-distance and prevailed upon him to stay and battle for Wray in the tournament. "Grandmother would want you to play. Go in there and fight for her, son," he counseled the boy. Dick played, but under a terrific mental strain. Few noticed the tears streaming down his face as he battled against Centennial. His teammates knew and they played inspired ball to take an early lead over the Bulldogs. But Centennial pulled ahead and Kearns, who had failed to hit the hoop all thru the game, sank a sensational hone-handed jump shot from the side in the last thirty seconds to bring victory. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.