Local Legends: The Stories Behind the Headlines100 Years of Southwestern Indiana Sports History

Authored by Ron Eaton, this hardbound book is dedicated to local sports. Unforgettable sports stories and other major events are highlighted. Also featured are photos of athletes, action shots, and an array of sports memorabilia.

Local Legends brings generations together with over 300 pages and over 300 photos that chronicle the rich sports history of southwestern Indiana. With a dash of humor and occasional sadness, Local Legends tells the stories of some of our greatest people and places. The table of contents is listed below.

Introduction and Dedication
Local Sports IQ Quiz

Chapter 1 (1907-1949)

Reitz Football: A Tradition of Excellence
The Byers Family: West Side Royalty
The 1923 Alices in Wonderland
Edd Roush: The “$10,000 Man”
Bob Hamilton: “It’s a great world!”
Pete Fox: Evansville’s First World Series Champion
The Dope Bag: A 34-Year Tradition
The Ping Era: When the Tigers Reigned Supreme
Billy Hillenbrand: The Evansville Express
100 Years of Washington Basketball
Bosse Goes Back-to-Back in ’44 & ’45
Cyril Birge: A Piece of Hoosier Hoops History
The Wildcat Wonders, Jasper’s 1949 State Champs

Chapter 2 (1945-1965)
Local Girls Had a League of Their Own
Lee Hamilton: From the Court to the Capitol
Lincoln High School: The End of an Era
Marty Amsler: Persistence and Patience Pay Off
Roger Kaiser and Bob Reinhart: Dale High School’s Pair of Aces
Carson Jones: The Nebo Flash
1950– ’51: A Season to Remember
Gil Hodges: An American Hero
Larry Stallings: He Tackled the Best
Quentin Merkel: Memorial’s Mr. Baseball

Chapter 3 (1957-1962)
The Perfect Panthers of 1961
Don Hansen: Big Man in the Middle
Mike Madriaga: Fear Factor Made Him a Winner
Princeton’s Jerry Scott: ‘The Snake’ Could Do It All
The Volkmans: Ed, Eileen and the Boys
Once in a Lifetime Journey
Bosse’s 1962 State Champs: A Touch of Class
Dave Schellhase: A Game for the Ages
Our Fields of Battle

Chapter 4 (1950-1975)
Aces Basketball: An Incredible Journey
The Golden Age of Aces Basketball
Arad McCutchan: The Man with the Plan
Gus Doerner: The Mackey Marvel
Hugh Ahlering: ‘The Old Man’ Was a Winner
Ed Smallwood: The Big Smoke
Buster Briley: Sweet Guy with a Sweet Shot
Larry Humes: Still #1
Jerry Sloan: Simply the Best
Steve Welmer: A ‘Whale’ of a Career
Don Buse: From Poverty to the Pros
Chapter 5 (1958-1975)
Bob Griese: From Sandlot to Super Bowl
Senior Moments
Vaughn Wedeking: A Winner On and Off the Court
Jerry Brewer: 44 Years of Winning
Larry and Haley Harris: Like Father – Like Daughter
Paul Gries: A Lifetime of Sports
Vincennes University: A Stepping Stone for Talent
The Owen Family: Three Generations and Counting
The Lochmuellers: Father and son Hall of Famers
Basketball and Strawberry Shortcake
Vincennes Basketball: The Memering Era
Gunner Wyman: He Did It His Way
Tom Kron: UK Blue Through and Through

Chapter 6 (1960-1990)
The ’67 North Huskies: How Sweet it Was!
Bob Ford: Mr. Clutch
The Mattingly Brothers: Talent and Class
Don Mattingly: Donnie Baseball
Woodie Sublett Walker: At the Top of Her Game
Bob Winchell: Brains and Brawn
Scott Studwell: ‘Little’ Man Made It Big
Andy Benes: From #3 to #1
Area Bowling Centers Are Steeped in Tradition
Bosse’s Bulldogs: Back-to-Back Perfection
Castle’s Rise to Football Prominence
Cheryl Dowell: The Queen of Mean
Fütbol: The New Kid in Town
Vincennes Lincoln: #1 in ’81
Chapter 7 (1960-1990)
Richard Lankford: The Voice of Gibson County
The Lander Family: Daddy’s Little Girls Made It Big
The ’81 Lady Panthers: Super Team – Super-stitious
Kevin Hardy: As Tough as They Come
Lanae Renschler: A Perfect 4 for 4
Lights, Camera, Action
Mike Blake: A 35-Year Stopover
Chris Lowery: A Coach on the Floor
Mark Buse: Flying High
Calbert Cheaney: Mom Showed Him the Way
Elissa Kim: “Off the Record”
Walter McCarty: You Gotta Dream
Mt. Vernon Swimming: “There is no secret.”
Pat Shoulders Brought the World to Evansville

Chapter 8 (1985-2007)
1994 Castle Football: From Outhouse to Penthouse
Memorial Girls Tennis: A Legacy of Love
USI: From Ugly Duckling to Swan
‘Big John’ Hollinden: A Giant of a Man
LeAnn Freeland: A Small Town Girl with Big Dreams
Mike Pegram: The Man with the Golden Touch
Boonville Softball: He Built It, and They Came
Heritage Hills Football: Pipeline to the Pros
Jay Cutler: God-Given Talent
Ken Dilger: Super Bowl Champion
Matt Mauck: Natural Talent, Natural Leader
Stephanie Hazlett: A Competitor at Every Level
Mater Dei Wrestling: Decades of Dominance
Jamey Carroll: Little Man with a Big Heart

IHSAA State Champions
Legends in the Making
Acknowledgements