This is a collection of newspaper clippings from the scrapbook of Thelma Harness who played on the Clarence High School Girls Basketball Team during 1935 and 1936.
1935
Clarence Proud of Girl Cagers
(The Register’s Iowa News Service)
CLARENCE, IA.—Clarence Consolidated school is quite proud of the fact that its girls’ basketball team has clinched a place in the state tournament in Des Moines this week. There’s a story behind it.
Clarence had no such thing as a girls’ basketball team until four years ago. At that time K. L. Benner, superintendent of schools, organized a team, scheduled 10 games and went to work. The team lost every game that season, but it gained experience and laid the foundation for the successful teams which followed.
New Cage Deal.
Since that disastrous inaugural year Clarence has won 37 of its regularly scheduled games and suffered only four defeats. And Clarence had not lost a game on its home floor in three years, until Wellsburg’s state champions came here last month and won a 33-16 decision. Clarence hopes to avenge that defeat in the state tournament.
Thelma Harness, junior forward, is the offensive star of the team this season. She has hoisted 395 points through the basket in 21 games, for an average of nearly 19 points a game. There are four seniors on the team, led by Capt. Alyce Kelly, guard, who is playing her fourth season. The team is fast and small, has won the Cedar county, Wapsie Eight conference, sectional and district championships this season and has high hopes in the state meet.
Game Is Popular
Girls basketball has been popular here. Receipts for 10 games during the regular season totaled $650. The sectional tournament set a new high with $301 in gate receipts and the district meet played in disagreeable weather, drew about $250.
| The season’s record: | County Tournament |
| Clarence 28, Bennett 16 | Clarence 41, Springdale 10 |
| Clarence 36, Monticello 15 | Clarence 33, Bennett 18 |
| Clarence 33, Wheatland 15 | Clarence 27, Stanwood 21 |
| Clarence 27, Alumni 21 | Sectional Tournament |
| Clarence 31, Calamus 37 | Clarence 33, Wheatland 12 |
| Clarence 41, Bennett 12 | Clarence 45, Calamus 22 |
| Clarence 22, Stanwood 17 | Clarence 34, Oxford Junction 26 |
| Clarence 34, Welton 20 | Clarence 37, Welton 23 |
| Clarence 38, Grand Mound 22 | District Tournament |
| Clarence 36, Calamus 23 | Clarence 26, Monona 20 |
| Clarence 16, Wellsburg 33 | Clarence 23, Quasqueton 33 |
| Clarence 20, Wheatland 13 | Clarence 43, Waterville 15 |
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Tournament Facts
Among the four teams playing four games, Clarence had the least number of fouls called against them with 39 for the total penalties.
The competing teams made a total of 609 points, 482 came via the field goal route.
Clarence scored the most points in the tournament with 149, Oxford Junction was second totaling 104.
All of the people interested in the outcome of the games were not present to see them as evidenced by the number of calls received by the local telephone office. There were 109 out of town inquiries and 621 local calls, which totaled 730 times that local operators gave out information relative to the tournament, according to the manger H. J. Klatt.
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CLARENCE GIRLS SAIL THRU SECTION TO CHAMPIONSHIP
AND
LAUNCH FINAL DRIVE FOR STATE TOURNAMENT TRIP TO CAPITAL
The Sectional Meet
The crack Clarence girls’ basketball team took their third championship in as many weeks when they won sectional honors in Northeast Iowa’s largest tournament last week. The play of the local sexette was the outstanding feature of the meet. The team was clearly the class of fourteen squads representing schools in five counties. It is hardly necessary to write much more about the team for most every fan in the community saw some of the games, and seeing is believing.
After a rather wobbly start in the Wheatland game the girls played championship ball that should carry them on through the district if they can keep it up in the games this week.
Every girl on the squad is in near perfect condition and experienced no ill effects from the four games played last week, three of them against the strongest teams in the tournament. There was no outstanding stars on the team, although Thelma Harness probably established a scoring record in tournament basketball that will stand for a long time when she shot the ball through the net for a total of 89 points, twenty five of them coming in the final game. Thelma played throughout the four games of the tournament without having a foul called on her. Selma Kline was third high scorer in the meet with 36 points and played a fine game. Dorothy Kelly, the third Clarence forward, kept the Clarence attack functioning proper at all times and deserves a lot of credit for being the “sparkplug” in the front line. The guards, captain Alyce Kelly, Irene Hein, and Donna Kelly, played the best defensive ball seen in the tournament and except for a few lapses in the semifinal game held their opponents away from the basket in championship style. The team work among the guards was an outstanding feature of the local teams play.
The tournament provided a few thrills to the spectators some of which deserve mention as follows:
Welton tossed in the winning basket to outlast Sabula 20 to 19 in the last few seconds of play.
Lisbon’s inspired game put Stanwood, a team doped to meet Clarence in the semi finals, on the defeated list.
Clarence grabbed a ten to nothing lead on Calamus in the first quarter and then proceeded to score ten more points in the next two minutes.
In the finals the local team came back at the half with a 17 to 9 lead and ran the count 32 to 10 in the first four minutes of the third period.
And of course the final thrill came when the trophy was presented to Capt. Alyce Kelly of the winning team.
As winning coach and manager of the tournament the writer wishes to take this opportunity to publicly thank Mayor Hans Klatt for the efficient telephone service given free, and Elmer Engelking for the fine way in which he manipulated his public address system. Few tournaments in Iowa were equipped to keep the crowd amused and in touch with all details during the lull periods as the Clarence tournament provided. I wish to thank Scoutmaster Hyde and all the Boy Scouts for the courteous and efficient services they performed during the joust. No one who has never experienced the thrill of winning a tournament can realize how a coach feels after it is all over, and especially this time when his team played so well. They are a great bunch of girls—girls who have worked hard, trained conscientiously, listened to instructions well, girls who deserve every honor that can possibly come their way.
TOURNAMENT RESULTS
| First round |
| Center Junction 18, Wyoming 16 |
| Welton 30, Grand Mound 18 |
| Sabula 2, Miles 0, forfeit |
| Clarence 33, Wheatland 12 |
| Lisbon 31, Stanwood 13 |
| Oxford Junction 25, Olin 18 |
| Second round |
| Center Junction 25, Bennett 22 |
| Welton 20, Sabula 19 |
| Clarence 45, Calamus 22 |
| Oxford Junction 24, Lisbon 22 |
| Semi-Finals |
| Welton 18, Center Junction 8 |
| Clarence 34, Oxford Junction 26 |
| Finals |
| Clarence 37, Welton 23 |
| Consolation Final |
| Oxford Junction 29, Center Junct. 19 |
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CLARENCE MEETS WELLSBURG AT 9 TONIGHT IN STATE FINALS AT DRAKE
Play Unbeatable Ball in Final District Game to Grab Title—Community Thrilled Over Victory
The District Tournament held the past week provided all that could ever be hoped for in the way of thrills, upsets and good basketball in three evenings of entertainment that included six games. After watching a nip and tuck game in which the lead changed seven times between Waterville and Quasqueton with Waterville finally on top the first evening was made a complete success when Clarence outscored Monona’s polished team 26 to 20 in a battle all the way.
On Friday evening Waterville again proved that they were of championship caliber when they smothered a fighting Monona sextette 30 to 20 in the opening game. Clarence lost the toss of the coin to decide which team should wear their regular uniforms as both were of the same color and the local team came on the floor in red at a distinct disadvantage. Quasqueton with the 172 Hekel shooting baskets from all angles played a dazzling floor game and successfully bottled up the Clarence attack and won handily 33 to 23. The result left the outcome of the tournament in some doubt but most everyone who saw the games thus far conceded the locals very little chance of winning even a second place in and tournament for no one believed Monona would come back strong enough to beat Quasqueton on Saturday night and it was almost to much to ask our girls to whip Waterville by 11 points to get a second place in the tourney.
Local fans were most loyal in their support of our team and came back Saturday night to see if they could do the unexpected. Monona set the stage for the finals of the tournament by completely outplaying Quasqueton in the first half and sailing through to a 37 to 20 win. This surprising upset relieved the mental strain partially and if Clarence could win by a point they would now earn the right to enter the State Finals.
That final game shall never be forgotten. The local team with every girl playing championship ball and the team fighting like they had never fought before scored 15 points before Waterville registered from the free throw line. At the quarter it was 16 to 3 and the team played on completely bewildering a demoralized Waterville sextette to lead 30 to 6 at the half. Perfectly timed passing saw the ball advance down the floor until either Harness, Kline or Kelly was in position to shoot and the shooting was near perfect as most of the attempts counted in the wildest scoring orgy the girls have displayed this year. People could hardly realize that we were not only winning a trip to Des Moines but the District championship as well if we could but maintain that lead in the final half. The girls, usually tired at the half in the other games, seemed fresh and although Waterville retaliated valiantly they were not the team to stop Clarence Saturday night and the three Kellys, Harness, Kline and Hein combination drove on to a 43 to 15 triumph. It was the first time Waterville had lost to a high school team this year and broke their 22 game winning streak.
As a result of the almost perfect play of the locals in the final game three Clarence girls were placed on the mythical All-District team selected by the referee and three coaches present after the tournament. Here it is:
Burlingame No. 8 Monona, forward.
Harness No. 6 Clarence, forward.
Hekel No. 14 Quasqueton, forward.
Hein No. 3 Clarence, guard.
A. Kelly No. 1 Clarence, guard.
Puls No. 9 Waterville, guard.
Other fine players in the tournament who were outstanding were: Spinner, Waterville; Taake, Monona; Seeland, Monona; Clark, Quasqueton; and Kline of Clarence.
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The Clarence High school girls basketball team will be one of the contenders for the state championship here this weekend. The squad, shown here, included, left to right, front row, Donna Kelly, Selma Kline, Alyce Kelly, Irene Hein, Thelma Harness, Dorothy Kelly; back row, Supt. K. L. Benner, coach; Verne Mae Brink, La Vonne Baltisberger, Mildred Stock, Honora Sonnemaker, Miss Reinking, assistant coach.
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Office Offerings
By K. L. B.
Girls Honored on All-State Teams
Captain Alyce Kelly, scintillating and diminutive guard on the local championship sextette the past four years was given signal honor by being placed on the second All-State team from elections compiled by Bert McGrane, sports editor of the Des Moines Tribune. Out of a great array of sharpshooting forwards the best the State has ever known Thelma Harness won a place on the Third All-State Sextette at forward. She was rated ahead of such stars as Persels of Cumberland, Stice of Johnston, Lutterman of Wellsburg, Lundquist of Stratford, Housman of Gilman and a host of other scintillating ball players. Irene Hein and Donna Kelly were both given honorable mention on the All State Teams. The school is indeed proud to have the girls make these respective teams and to our knowledge it is the first time any Clarence players have been so honored.
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The Clarence Girls basketball team left early Tuesday morning after the greatest sendoff any athletic team in Clarence ever received at a monstrous pep meeting in which the student body, alumni and townspeople participated.
There were sixteen in the party, including the twelve girls, Miss Reinking, Mr. and Mrs. Benner and John Dettman. They will spend most of the day on the trip making frequent stops to eat, rest and relax. The party will put up at the Martin Hotel which is on Locust Street one block east of the Savery. The team will workout on the Field House floor some time Wednesday and be all set to battle the State Championship Wellsburg team at nine o’clock Thursday evening.
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Basketball Fans Enjoy Telephone Broadcast
Some 400 basketball fans and followers of the championship girls’ basketball team gathered at the school house to hear a play by play account of the Clarence-Wellsburg game. Thanks to the local manager, Hans Klatt, and the Bell Telephone company for this unique and popular service. The broadcast came in clear and those listening could understand every word Mr. Klatt said in his play by play description of the contest. Many compliments have been heard by the writer about the fine manner in which he announced the game and some have given him the title: “The Carl Menzer of Clarence”. Broadcasts of other games were heard at Grundy Center, Centerville and Holstein.
More than forty persons drove to Des Moines and saw some of the State Tournament games last week.
By winning 19 out of 23 games against more than ordinary opposition the Clarence girls’ basketball team deserve mention as the outstanding athletic group ever to represent the local high school. This group of girls played stellar basketball in every game. They easily adjusted themselves to the new two court game and played smartly in almost every game. The team won the Wapsie Eight conference, the Cedar County Championship, Sectional Title and District Honors. The Harness-Kline-Kelly combination scored a total of 743 points during the campaign or a little more than a point a minute to rank with the very best of Iowa’s girl basketball teams. Their opponents were held to 441 points by the great guarding of Alyce Kelly, Irene Hein and Donna Kelly.
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1936
CLARENCE GIRLS POLISH ATTACK
Coach Irons Rough Spots
CLARENCE, IA.—After filling the guard posts and one forward berth with inexperienced performers this season, Coach K. L. Benner has ironed out rough spots to bring Clarence High’s girls team back to the pace the Cardinals set last year in going to the state tournament.
The team is built around Thelma Harness, who won a place on the third all-state selection, and Selma Kline, both of whom are playing their fourth season as forwards for Clarence High. They share the captaincy of the team.
Donna Kelly, sophomore guard who was one of the few freshmen competing in the state tournament last season, is the third veteran of the sextet. She has been a defensive standout with Myrtle Stock and Frances Lenndt as her mates in the rear court.
Mildred Stock, twin sister of Myrtle, is filling in the vacant forward post of the team that has tied Bennett, lost to Stanwood, and beaten Lisbon and Oxford Junction.
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Left to right, back row: Supt. K. L. Benner, coach, Bockhaus, Phillips, Russell, Kelly, Baltisberger, Lenndt, Stock, Miss Paula Reinking, physical director. Middle row: Capt.Thelma Harness, E. Sonnemaker, Kline, H. Sonnemaker. Front: Meyer, Tacker, Leinbaugh. |
Special to The Gazette.
CLARENCE, Ia. - The Clarence high school girl's basketball team opened the season Friday by upsetting Oxford Junction in a decisive fashion.
The Team is undefeated in a regularly scheduled game on the local floor in the last three years. During that time it has was 52 games and lost 12. Three of the losses were suffered in district tournaments. The team proved its worth last year when it walloped the Waterville sextet, 43-15, in the district finals and went on to Des Moines where it was nosed out 16-15 by the state champion Wellsburg team.
Three members of last year's team were entioned on the all-state selections. Captain Thelma Harness has few equals in girl's basketball as a highscoring forward. Last year she scored 493 points and was a arked girl in every contest. Donna Kelly, a sophoore this year was one of few freshman players ever to win recognition on an all state team selection. Both of thses players with Kline, another sharpshooting forward, form the nucleus for what looks like anothter powerful team.
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SCHOOL BASKETBALL
The Clarence Girls’ Basketball team are still the champions of Cedar county. They won the 1936 Cedar County tournament last Saturday by defeating Stanwood and Bennett. The victory marked the eighth championship and the twelfth trophy Clarence girls’ teams have won since March 1934. The champions deserve all the praise and all the compliments they have received for the splendid brand of basketball they displayed in defeating Stanwood and Bennett under adverse conditions at Bennett last Saturday. Once more it was condition and sheer determination that brought them the coveted trophy and a more coveted victory over the strongest team ever to represent Stanwood. Here is what happened in the Stanwood game: Our girls jumped into an early lead as both Kline and Harness sank reasonably long shots in front of the Stanwood zone defense. This unexpected change in the offensive tactics of the local team threw the opposition out of gear and at one time our force led 21-13 in the second quarter. Donna Kelly had been shifted to the front court and registered a fine goal from the side soon after the change and speeded up the dazzling passing of the locals. Stanwood’s great front line was not to be denied and they dropped in enough goals to bring the score 23 to 19 as the half ended.
In the second half Stanwood continued to pour the leather through to tie and forge ahead of the C. H. S. sextette as the Bennett and Stanwood fans went mad. Harness and Kline were not to be stopped and matched the great shooting of the Stanwood players in a desperate final quarter rally. With seven minutes to play Stanwood was leading 31-23 and seemingly had the victory well put away. From here on the cool playing of the local girls was much in evidence as they battled the tiring Stanwood six. Kline arched a long one that picked up 2 points. It was our ball at center and Harness sunk her seventh long shot. Stanwood passed into Kelly’s hands and after a quick return Kline brought Clarence into the thick of the fight with another shot from far out on the court. Again it was our ball at center and again Harness connected on the fourth goal scoring shot in less than two minutes to tie the score. Kline’s foul shot was good. Stanwood took the lead with only 1 ½ minutes to play as the score stood 33-32 in their favor. Kline was awarded two foul shots and made them both and again it was our ball at center. After some fine ball handling our girls put the game on ice by dividing a pair of field goals as Stanwood picked up a free throw on Donna Kelly’s fourth foul. A great team went down to defeat and a great team won a thrilling victory—the most thrilling the writer has sat through since the Wellsburg game at Des Moines.
Bennett was all set to defeat what they thought would be a tired and worn Clarence sextette. They took an early 8-2 lead but after our girls warmed up they tied the score at the quarter and forged ahead never to be stopped although the game was hard fought and rough throughout. Bennett has a good team but the condition told as our girls played equally as hard in the final half as they did in the Stanwood game.
To Thelma Harness goes the major share of the victory laurels as far as scoring honors are concerned. Thelma had a great evening scoring 20 points in the 31-23 championship game. In the first half she shot five goals most of them from far out and in the second period rammed home four more with a pair of free throws. Her running mate, Selma Kline comes in for an equal share of the glory, for while she was scoring 9 points, she was giving the greatest defensive exhibition and best display of ball handling ever seen in a girls game on the Bennett floor. The guards Donna Kelly, Myrtle Stock and Frances Lendt had the tricky Bennett forwards at their mercy throughout the game. Bennett has one swell player in the Weimann girl and she was largely responsible for the showing her team made as she scored 12 points, during the game. Mildred Stock the third forward on the Clarence team scored two free throws and was just too tall for the Bennett guards. She played her best game at the tournament.
The trophy is the best ever awarded at a girls tournament. It has an ebonite base surrounded by a gold plated band with the inscription, “County Championship 1936” engraved and is surmounted by a pillar of green onyx which supports two girls statuettes in the act of jumping for a tie ball. The award is on exhibition in the Clarence Savings Bank.
In 10 high school games the girls’ team has played this year Selma Kline has scored 167 points, just one more than Thelma Harness who has a 166 point total. Between them they have scored 333 or 33.3 per game, a little more than a point a minute.
Thelma Harness established an individual scoring record that will probably stand for a long time in Cedar county tournament history. She scored 37 points in the two tournament games last Saturday, which included 15 long shots in front of the zone defenses of the opposing sextettes.
The Cardinals played through both games of the county tourney with only one substitution. Lolita Backhaus went in for Donna Kelly the last 15 seconds of the Stanwood game. Much as we would like to give the inexperienced players their chance the regulars have had their hands full in most of the games and it seems advisable to keep them playing together as much as possible.
The Stock twins, Myrtle and Mildred, players who get very little publicity, are an invaluable asset to this year’s sextette. Their play in the season’s schedule and in the county tournament has been an important factor in the victory streak of the local cagettes. They are juniors and have one year of competition left.
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CLARENCE LOSES FINAL GAME
Cards Falter Under Strain of Long Victory March
By L. L. Long
The law of averages for no apparent reason, finally caught up with K. L. Benner, and as a penalty, wrested the sectional basketball title from his hands, which, had he won, would have made the third consecutive year this honor befell his teams.
To the contrary however, in the final classic, Saturday night, those Stanwood neighbors of ours won a thriller from the Cards 28 to 26 after our girls had snatched a slim two point margin with two minutes of play left in this torrid game.
Never, at any time during the game, was there more than three points separating these two determined teams as they tried their best to win the coveted blue ribbon. Finally, to show the closeness of this contest the score by quarters, in which Stanwood held the lead, was 9-9, 15-15 and 17-14.
Then, in the last quarter, three quick baskets by Kline put Clarence in the lead and local hopes brightened again. Koch, cool Stanwood Freshman forward, sank two charity tosses to tie the score. Then, those brave visiting forwards, came through with the basket that gave them the right to represent this section in the district tournament that begins at Stanwood this evening.
Koch of Stanwood was the leading scorer in the finals collecting sixteen points. Kline and Harness hit for thirteen and eleven to follow in that order. The work of both sets of guards was highly commendable.
In the semi-finals Stanwood held Center Junction scoreless the last half to defeat them 28 to 7. The Cards had an easy time, after holding a 32 to 7 lead in the third quarter, to defeat the gallant Wyoming crew 32 to 14.
At the start of the second round, Wyoming won the game which permitted them to participate in both the semi-finals as well as the consolation game, as they beat Welton 26 to 17. G. Carson, Wyoming forward, and Greer, guard, starred in Wyoming games.
Clarence’s big lead against Oxford Junction was shortened, when Allen went on a scoring rampage against the Cards’ seconds, and by scoring a total of 24 points, which was high for any tournament game, she brought the score up to 25 to the Cards 35. Harness, local senior ace, played sensationally to collect 22 points.
Wheatland surprised Stanwood by gaining the lead in the last half only to have their victory hopes dimmed when Endorf, fine forward, left the game on personals. She collected 15 markers to Koch’s 14.
Center Junction won a hard 20-17 battle from their Jones county rival by stamping a last minute Olin rally. D. Schellin’s 12 points topped Otton’s 11 for scoring honors.
In the first round, Oxford Junction beat Calamus in a slow game 12 to 7, Clarence defeated a well coached Martelle team 39 to 20, Olin won a rough game from Bennett 26 to 10, and Center Junction had an easy time with Lisbon 33 to 14.
Thelma Harness, brilliant Card scorer, and Selma Kline, equally famous Clarence senior, led all forwards scoring by collecting 63 and 53 points. Even in defeat, these all-state seniors closed their basketball days for C. H. S. in a blaze of glory. Will there ever come a time when a team is blessed with another Harness and Kline combination in it’s front line?
Koch, only a freshman at Stanwood, playing the game with the ease and ability of a boy was outstanding to collect dividends on 40 points in three games.
M. Otten, Center Junction playing in four games, took home the honor of fourth place scoring with 40 tallies.
Some outstanding visiting guards were York, Stanwood; Mizour, Oxford Junction; Courtney. Center Junction; and Greer, Wyoming.
The tournament was climaxed Saturday night when a record breaking crowd jammed all available space to pack over 900 people in the gym. Klatt’s fine public address system, Benner’s excellent ability as a manager with Steger’s fine officiating made this a tournament, long to be remembered.
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Photo Collage from the 1936 Clarence High School Yearbook
