Girls Basketball at Crawfordsville High School
Crawfordsville High School (CHS) was one of the first high schools in Indiana to field a girls’ basketball team. CHS had a girls’ basketball team as early as 1901-02, although only one game is recorded for that year. Again, in 1904 only one game (with Covington) is recorded. In 1905-06, the girls’ team went 4-2 for the season and then for the 1906-07 season they were 2-0.
Inter-school competitive girls’ basketball ceased to be played at CHS after the 1906-07 season. It was not revived until1920, and inter-school games were played until 1925. After 1925, girls’ basketball was not played again at CHS until 1973.
In the modern era, CHS girls’ best seasons were 2007-08 when they won their conference championship and 2008-09 when they won the sectional and regional tournaments. The coach during this time was Darren Haas who coached the girls team from 2001 to 2010.
Four women who played for Crawfordsville High School are in the Montgomery County Basketball Hall of Fame: They are: Shannon Hardesty Cantu (1987), Maggie Bryant Wolcott (1991), Carrie Fruits Wolter (1993), and Britney Froedge Carpenter (2002). Shannon Hardesty Cantu holds the honor as the only woman from CHS to be selected for the Indiana All Star Team. She was selected in 1987. Jacqueline Graham Burton who graduated from CHS in 1964 is in the Montgomery County Basketball Hall of Fame although she did not play at CHS because there was no girls’ team when she was in school. She played basketball at Ball State University and is in the Montgomery Hall Basketball Hall of Fame for her coaching.
Jacqueline Graham Burton (1964) is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Short History of CHS Boys’ Basketball
Since the early history of Indiana basketball is centered in Crawfordsville, Crawfordsville has come to be called, “the cradle of Indiana basketball.” The first recorded basketball game played in Crawfordsville was in 1894 between the Crawfordsville YMCA and the Lafayette YMCA. Crawfordsville High School began competing as a high school team in 1900-01. Since in those early years there were few high schools playing basketball, Crawfordsville High School often played club teams or college teams. Although the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) did not sponsor or recognize a state high school basketball tournament until 1911, Crawfordsville High School claimed state championships in 1904-05, in 1905-06, and in 1909-10 based on their won-loss records. Crawfordsville, coached by David Glascock, won the first IHSAA sanctioned state tournament in 1911. This was the only state championship ever won by Crawfordsville, although the Athenians made it to the final four in 1918-19 under coach J. D. Blacker, and in 1941-42 with coach Charlie Cummings, and to the final championship game in 1957-58 with coach Dick Baumgartner.
In 1914-15, the IHSAA began using a sectional format for the state championship playoff. Crawfordsville won its first sectional in 1915, and has won 40 of the 97 sectionals played between 1915 and 2012. Crawfordsville also won 11 regional tournaments between 1923 and 2012.
Nine men who played/or coached at Crawfordsville High School are in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. They are: David Glascock (1905), Ward Lambert (1908), Robert Vaughn (1908), Maurice Chadwick (1920), Karl Dickerson (1925), Faye Branham (1928), Paul Malaska (1933), Dick Haslam (1958), and Dick Baumgartner (coach: 1956-63).
Harry Reiman, a graduate of CHS (c. 1899) is in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame although he did not play basketball at CHS since CHS did not have a basketball team when he was in high school. He played at the Crawfordsville YMCA just after basketball was introduced in Crawfordsville at the YMCA (c. 1892). He went to Purdue University and was captain of Purdue’s first basketball team.
Ward Lambert (c. 1908) is the only Montgomery County basketball player in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (National). Lambert played at CHS and at Wabash. He went on to become a legendary basketball coach at Purdue University where he coached John Wooden.
Fifty-five men who played at Crawfordsville High School are in the Hall. They are: Harry Gill (1901), William Sprow (1904), Henry Harter Walter (1904), Ralph Wicks (1904), Ward Lambert (c. 1908), Justin Maloney (1907), Ernest Herron (1910), Dave Glascock (1911), Clio Shaw (1911), Hugh Miller (1912), Ben Myers (1912), Carroll Stevenson (1912), John Green (1914), Noble Shaw (1914), Paul Manson (1916), Monte Grimes (1917), Don Shelton (1919), Maurice Chadwick (1920), Maurice Shelley (1920), Bob Dinwiddie (1924), Karl Dickerson (1925), Paul Groves (1929), Don Haffner (1929), Greg Layne (1930), Paul Malaska (1933), Dick McGaughey (1937), Oscar Hybarger (1940), Ed Ross (1941), Bob Clements (1942), Don Swarat (1943), Pierce Green (1945), James Smith (1948), Toliver Kennedy (1948), Phillip Warren (1955), Dick Haslam (1958), Joe Krutzsch (1958), Bill Burget (1959), Bill Williams (1960), Dick Wilkinson (1961), Jeff Davis (1963), Bob Williams (1964), Joe Pierce (1967), Larry Grimes (1968), Kelly Cochrane (1968), Bob Reese (1971), Clint Dennison (1973), Mark Hesser (1974), Gary Rice (1976), Jeff Bonifield (1979), Kerry Seward (1979), Mike Reath (1982), Matt Petty (1989), Darrin Haas (1993), Matt McCarty (1994), Josh Fitzwater (1998).
Four men who coached at Crawfordsville High School are in the Hall. They are: Dick Baumgartner, Paul Curtis, L.J.C. Freeman, and H. T. McCullough.
Crawfordsville High School – School Song Stand up and cheer Cheer loud and long for dear old Crawfordsville For today we raise The Gold and Blue above the rest Our boys are fighting And they are bound to win this game. We’ve got the team They’ve got the steam For this is dear old C’ville’s day. Yea Rah Yea Onward C’ville, Onward C’ville Fight on for your fame. Run the ball around old (opponent) A touchdown (basket) sure this time. Onward C’ville, Onward C’ville Fight on for your fame. Fight fellows fight And we will win this game.
* Tune of “On Wisconsin”
