1963-03-06-sr-p5-basketball-fever-gripping-reardan

March 06, 1963 Spokesman-Review Page 5:

BIG DAY ARRIVES--IT’S TOURNAMENT TIME

Basketball Fever Gripping Reardan

By LARRY YOUNG

If tiny Reardan fails to win the Washington State Class B High School Basketball Tournament (and few experts give them much of a chance) it won't be for lack of support from the town.

The 16-team tournament starts at the Coliseum here, this morning and one of the first games in the four-day classic is the 10:30 a.m. pairing of Reardan and Kittitas.

"If the town would burn down Wednesday night,: School Superintendent Joe Johnson said Tuesday, "I doubt if you'd find anyone here!"

Basketball fever Tuesday gripped Reardan, wheat-growing center of little more than 300 souls Tuesday, and it was the only topic of conversation.

“Eight school buses will carry all but a handful of high school students to the Spokane tournament,” principal Glen Wisdom said.’ “We'll leave here about 9:30 a.m, for the game.”

A convoy of adults in cars will accompany the buses.

Basketball Is the “big” sport of the town, Wisdom said, although football interest has grown slightly in recent years. "I expect that about three-quarters of the town has followed the team to out-of-town games up to now. I think most of the town will go Wednesday."

Proud of Team

Typical of the town comments about the honor earned by the team in making the state tourney is that of Mrs. Miriam Heffner, waitress at a cafe in Reardan:

"We're real proud of those kids down here."

Asked if she was going to Wednesday's game she said "Are you kidding? I have to feed those weary travelers. Seriously I wish I could get off to go."

The town's Lion's Club Tuesday had some "Go Indians" stickers printed and distributed them around town. Afterward, Mrs. Heffner said they dropped in to drink coffee and "play basketball."

The Reardan cheerleaders and song leaders will show up today in new red and white uniforms for the tournament, thanks to some overtime put "in by students’ mothers.

The mothers worked until 11 pm, Monday night in the high school sewing and hemming and worked again Tuesday morning to finish up the outfits. Townspeople donated about $45 for materials at the district tournament Saturday at Cheney.

Hard to Study

In the elementary school which adjoins Reardan High, basketball head coach Frank Teverbaugh was teaching mathematics to an eighth grade class in an atmosphere charged with excitement. When a cameraman entered the classroom to take the coach’s picture by the blackboard, students didn't have to be told why.

“It’s about the tournament tomorrow,” one blurted out.

Outside the room, Teverbaugh adjusted his necktie and said, "It's kind of warm in there. The kids are het up.'

Teverbaugh, in addition to reaching the state tournament with the high school team, coached a championship elementary school team this year. This is his first year of Reardan High coaching. He started coaching the elementary team last year.

Holiday is Likely

Unlike other towns, which encamp in Spokane during the four-day event, Reardan is close enough to commute daily to the games.

“But if we win,” high school principal Wisdom promised, "there'll be no school on Thursday."

Although Lions Club stickers and printed posters advertising the tournament were very much in evidence all over town, there were no banners or decorated Store windows Tuesday. And no Pep tallies or special events have been held. The town was busy making preparations to leave.

Win or lose, the Indians will be cheered to the last basket.

[photo]

Pep Sign Urges Reardan Victory

Diane Kohlieber and Ron Workman decorate bus.