1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959--finishing second with their famous Cinderella team in 1951, and winning the Class B title in 1958.
A fine tribute to the Roland Rockets basketball team was paid by Bob Brown, Sports Editor for the Fort Dodge Messenger, when he recently wrote:
". . . Before closing its doors, Roland left a record of success that perhaps will never be matched or even approached by any school. Roland is now consolidated with neighboring Story City so the Rockets as we knew them in the 1950s are no more.
"During the glory years, a 10-year period starting with the 1948-49 season to and including the 1957-58 season, Roland won a fantastic 297 games and lost just 25.
"That's a winning percentage of .922 and an average of 29.7 victories and 2. 5 losses a year.
"The records for the 10 seasons went this way: 1949 (29-2); 1950 (29-2); 1951 (35-1); 1952 (31-3); 1953 (32-2); 1954 (28-3); 1955 (30-2); 1956 (22-5); 1957 (27-4); 1958 (34-1).
"There were some other great Roland seasons not included in this 10-year success story. There was a 29-2 season in 1959, a 28-2 in 1948, and a 27-1 in 1960.
"The Rockets made the state tournament in 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1955 when there was just one class, the old 'Sweet Sixteen'. They also made the state meet in 1957, 1958 and 1959 in the two-class setup and won the Class A title in 1959.
"Roland had a big plus going for it. The Rockets were launched for four years by Gary Thompson, a name legendary in Iowa basketball despite the fact the guy is still young enough to be a win man on a fast break.
"Roland upset Des Moines East and Waterloo West one year, before bowing to heavily favored Davenport in the title game in the state tournament of 1951.
"That was the one when the little Thompson, just 5-6 and socks sagging over the tops of his shoes, was a sophomore. Another Rocket of that tournament was Don Holland, now coach at West Bend.
"The Rockets became the darlings of the state in 1951. When it came down to the title game there were 15, 000 fans in the Iowa Fieldhouse. Five thousand were pulling for Paul Moon's Blue Devils by reason of home geography. The other 10, 000, and the remainder of the state's citizenry, were pulling for the Rockets and their little leader.
"Thompson also led Roland to the state tournament in 1952 and 1953. The Rockets finished fourth both years, losing to Keokuk in the 1952 semifinals and to Clinton St. Mary's in the 1953 semis. St. Mary's . . . won the state championship by upsetting Ottumwa in the title showdown.
"The stories of Gary Thompson out in the snow of February, wearing four-buckle overshoes and shooting baskets, spurred a generation of basketball players.
"The sight of the little guy, socks flopping over the tops of his shoes . . . is a sight that will long remain with anybody who saw it. The shooting, passing, and leadership of the 15-year-old from Story county is one of the all-time legends of Iowa basketball. "
The Roland Rockettes started playing interscholastic basketball in 1942,
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