Teams

1938-39 Rockford High School Boys’ Team

Year Inducted: 1990

Category: Teams

Schools / Organizations: Rockford High School

Biography: The 1939 State Championship team from Rockford was from an era of great teams and coaches.  The team was led by Coach Jim Laude, a colorful, demanding, combative leader, a teacher ahead of his time, and assistnat Coach Lowell Spurgeon.  The team was a team of leaders who took on the daily challenges and were defeated only twice in a conference judged by many as the strongest in the state.  The team played before sellout crowds in every city.  It was truly hoops madness.  Stassica, Wallin, Speck and the rest of the players became household names.  All players who have followed worked to live up to the standard set by this team.  In defeating Canton High School, Zeigler High School, Wood River High School and Paris High School, they earned a place in basketball history.

Team Members in the Picture:

Back Row (L to R): Vito Gerdavsky, Coach Jim Laude and Al Volsch.

Center:  Bob Wallin.

Front Row (L to R): Harlan Anderson, Keith Mulford, Frank Alonzo, Stan Stassica, Norm Anderson, Gene Speck and Paul McDaniels.