History of the Plano Christmas Classic by Chris Schwemlein
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History of the Plano Christmas Classic by Chris Schwemlein The details contained in this account of the first 50 years gather the information prior to the 50th anniversary event. and beyond of the Plano Christmas Classic are believed A special thanks to Greg Gould of G-Force Labels in to be accurate and factual. This compilation was, in some Plano for having kept tabs online of the Plano Christmas cases, easy to trace and, in other cases, part of a wild Tournament brackets and teams during the digital age for goose chase in tracking down the correct scores, names of good number of years before I started my research, and individuals or schools involved. for sharing that up-to-date information with us so we can continue to chronicle each and every year of the PCC. I took on the task of researching and compiling the PCC because it has been such a heralded event The information posted here was accrued by on WSPY radio (where I have been employed for viewing the Kendall County News, the Sandwich over 30 years) since our station began in 1974. Free Press, the Free Press, the Tri-County Today, And because, at the time, we were two years from the Plano Record, the Sandwich Record, the the 50th anniversary of the PCC and much, if not Aurora Beacon News and the Morris Daily Herald all of its history, had not been documented and/or News newspapers from the above mentioned preserved. I felt a need to find out who was here and what libraries. happened prior to the milestone celebration taking place. Without these resources I could not have compiled as My work could not have been done without the diligence much information as is contained here. I hope whomever of the local and regional newspaper journalists who views the results of the Plano Christmas Classic will have covered the PCC tournament over the years and chronicled as much fun reminiscing about the teams, players and it in their papers. scores of this Holiday tournament as I did in researching it. I would like to thank the Sandwich Public Library District, Subsequently, if any errors or new information is found the Plano Community Library, the Morris Area Public regarding the PCC that is not shown here, it will be Library, the Reddick Library in Ottawa and the Aurora corrected or reflected in this account as it becomes Public Library, their staffs and volunteers, for their help available to me. and assistance where needed in using their archives to ~ Chris Schwemlein History of the Plano Christmas Classic – by Chris Schwemlein 1st annual 2nd annual 3rd annual Plano Christmas Classic/1963 Plano Christmas Classic/1964 Plano Christmas Classic/1965 Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Lemont Injuns Sandwich Indians Newark Norsemen Lockport West Spartans Newark Norsemen Hinckley-Big Rock Royals Plainfield Wildcats Mazon Red Devils Plainfield Wildcats Lisle Lions Lisle Lions Mazon Red Devils Wauconda Bulldogs Wauconda Bulldogs Lisle Lions Oak Lawn Spartans Kirkland-Hiawatha Hawks Sandwich Indians Sandwich Indians Hinckley-Big Rock Royals Minooka Indians 1st: Wauconda Bulldogs—49 2OT 1st: K-H Hawks—75 1st: Newark Norsemen—64 2nd: Oak Lawn Spartans—48 2nd: Newark Norsemen—63 2nd: Hinckley-Big Rock Royals—50 3rd: Plano Reapers—80 3rd: Mazon Red Devils—68 3rd: Mazon(VK) Red Devils—81 4th: Sandwich Indians—72 4th: Lisle Lions—55 4th: Minooka Indians—76 Highlights: Highlights: *All Star Team/Tourney Points Norm Hage/Plano—85 tourney points *K-H—Gene Lamont (78) and Mike Luepses Gil Buttels/Sandwich—84 tourney points *Newark—Larry Larson *Mazon—Larry Hansen (70) *Lisle—Rich Mason (58) Bob Luther/Lisle (81) Doug Carter/Sandwich(83) History of the Plano Christmas Classic – by Chris Schwemlein 4th annual 5th annual 6th annual Plano Christmas Classic/1966 Plano Christmas Classic/1967 Plano Christmas Classic/1968 Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Sandwich Indians Sandwich Indians Sandwich Indians Hinckley-Big Rock Royals Hinckley-Big Rock Royals Hinckley-Big Rock Royals Mazon Red Devils Mazon Red Devils Somonauk Bobcats Minooka Indians Minooka Indians MVK Red Devils Plainfield Wildcats Plainfield Wildcats Burlington-Central Rockets Lisle Lions Lisle Lions Lisle Lions Somonauk Bobcats Somonauk Bobcats Minooka Indians 1st: Hinckley-Big Rock Royals—86 1st: Mazon Red Devils—45 2nd: Plainfield Wildcats—35 2nd: Lisle Lions—36 1st: Hinckley-Big Rock Royals—76 3rd: Minooka Indians—62 3rd: Minooka Indians—75 2nd: Plano Reapers—54 4th: Mazon Red Devils—44 4th: Plano Reapers—66 3rd: Sandwich Indians—80 4th: Somonauk Bobcats—65 Highlights: Top 10 Scorers: Gary Sweeney/Minooka—65 Chris Bayer/Plainfield—59 Rick Beeler/Mazon—52 Rick Anderson/Somonauk—49 Karl Csiszer/Plano—46 John Carothers/Lisle—43 Tom Joy/Lisle—43 Larry Yunker/Minooka—43 Bob Lindgren/Lisle—42 Randy McKirgan/Plano—37 History of the Plano Christmas Classic – by Chris Schwemlein 7th annual 8th annual 9th annual Plano Christmas Classic/1969 Plano Christmas Classic/1970 Plano Christmas Classic/1971 Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Sandwich Indians Sandwich Indians Shabbona Indians Somonauk Bobcats Somonauk Bobcats Minooka Indians Burlington-Central Rockets MVK Red Devils Somonauk Bobcats Minooka Indians Minooka Indians Wilmington Wildcats MVK Red Devils Richmond-Burton Rockets Plainfield Wildcats Hinckley-Big Rock Royals Ohio Bulldogs Mazon Red Devils Lisle Lions Montini Broncos Montini Broncos 1st: Burlington Central Rockets—60 1st: Montini Broncos—65 1st: Shabbona Indians—63 2nd: Plano Reapers—57 2nd: Plano Reapers—62 2nd: Plano Reapers—49 3rd: Sandwich Indians—72 3rd: Sandwich Indians—93 3rd: Somonauk Bobcats—75 4th: Lisle Lions—67 4th: Minooka Indians—77 4th: Wilmington Wildcats—74 Highlights: All Tournament Team: Highlights: Trophies: Charles Koch/Plano MVP—Dan Anderson/Shabbona Indians Keith Burkhart/Sandwich Mazon Red Devils—Sportsmanship Trophy Ron Oberle/Ohio 1st Team—Leigh Kolka/Plano Kevin O’Malley/Montini Frank Chervanak/Montini Tourney MVP: Frank Chervanak/Montini Minooka Indians—Sportsmanship Trophy History of the Plano Christmas Classic – by Chris Schwemlein 10th annual 11th annual 12th annual Plano Christmas Classic/1972 Plano Christmas Classic/1973 Plano Christmas Classic/1974 Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Oswego Panthers Serena Huskers Serena Huskers Serena Huskers Mazon Red Devils MVK Red Devils Wilmington Wildcats Lisle Lions Lisle Lions Shabbona Indians Somonauk Bobcats Somonauk Bobcats Minooka Indians Minooka Indians Minooka Indians Somonauk Bobcats Marmion Military Academy Marmion (Aurora) Military Cadets Mazon Red Devils Shabbona Indians Shabbona Indians 1st: Oswego Panthers—96 1st: Minooka Indians—62 1st: Marmion Military Cadets—46 2nd: Wilmington Wildcats—74 2nd: Lisle Lions—33 2nd: Plano Reapers—24 3rd: Shabbona Indians—56 3rd: Somonauk Bobcats—73 3rd: Minooka Indians—68 4th: Serena Huskers—37 4th: Marmion Military—72 4th: Shabbona Indians—66 Highlights: All Tourney Team: Highlights: All Tourney Team: Trophies: Highlights: All Tourney Team: Trophies: 1st Team: Doug McDaniel/Plano John Momper-Marmion Ed Baker/Plano Dan Grandgeorge/Somonauk Tim Fichtel-Marmion Randy Carroll/Oswego John Momper/Marmion Gary Wiley-Somonauk Mike Hickey/Shabbona Jerry Banks/Minooka Ken Benner-Shabbona Dennis Morton/Shabbona Jerry Nelson/Minooka Frank Stegman-Serena Larry Peterson/Shabbona Frank Stegman/Serena MVP—John Momper/Marmion—73 Tourney 2nd Team: Plano Reapers—Sportsmanship Trophy points. Steve Luby/Plano Kent Van Duyne/Wilmington Dale Skelton/Serena Jerry Nelson/Minooka Don Hagemann/Oswego Shabbona Indians—Sportsmanship Trophy History of the Plano Christmas Classic – by Chris Schwemlein 13th annual 14th annual 15th annual Plano Christmas Classic/1975 Plano Christmas Classic/1976 Plano Christmas Classic/1977 Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (8) Field of Teams: (16) Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Plano Reapers Serena Huskers Serena Huskers Sandwich Indians Mazon Red Devils Mazon Red Devils Serena Huskers Lisle Lions Lisle Lions Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers Somonauk Bobcats Somonauk Bobcats Streator-Woodland Warriors Minooka Indians Minooka Indians Dwight Trojans Marmion (Aurora) Military Cadets Marmion (Aurora) Military Cadets Yorkville Foxes Shabbona Indians Shabbona Indians Mazon Red Devils Reddick Bulldogs 1st: Marmion Military Cadets—88 1st: Marmion Military Cadets—84 Shabbona Indians 2nd: Minooka Indians—45 2nd: Minooka Indians—45 Tonica Warriors 3rd: Plano Reapers—68 3rd: Serena Huskers—72 Waubonsie Valley Warriors 4th: Somonauk Bobcats—58 4th: Mazon Red Devils—50 Somonauk B obcats Newark Norsemen Highlights: All Tourney Team: Trophies: Highlights: All Tourney Team: Trophies: Seneca Fighting Irish Tim Fichtel/Marmion Tim Fichtel/Marmion Earlville Red Raiders John Momper/Marmion John Momper/Marmion Junior Keigley/Serena Junior Keigley/Serena 1st: G-SW Panthers—53 Tim Meyer/Somonauk Tim Meyer/Somonauk 2nd: S-Woodland Warriors—50 Steve Bates/Mazon Steve Bates/Mazon 3rd: Dwight Trojans—76 4th: Yorkville Foxes—62 Highlights: All Tourney Team: Rick Tollefson/Yorkville Mike Warren/Serena Bob Murray/Mazon Darren Brooks/Gardner-S. Wilmington Don Riesenberg/Waubonsie Valley Rich Mau/Newark Tracy Clausel/Newark Tim Halloran/Dwight Rob Mehalic/Streator-Woodland MVP—Rob Mehalic/Streator-Woodland History of the Plano Christmas Classic – by Chris Schwemlein 16th annual