which highlights a book and amazing story of the Bellfountain High School Boys state championship of 1937 and it reads:
Book relives Bellfountain's ‘Hoosiers' tale
May 24, 2003
Tiny school south of Corvallis was unlikely state champ in '37
It's Oregon's own version of "Hoosiers."
For those who have never seen the 1986 motion picture starring Gene Hackman, "Hoosiers" is based on the true story of Milan High School's unlikely run to the Indiana state basketball title in 1954.
In the Hollywood version, little Hickory High wins the 1951 championship led by Hackman, a disgraced former college coach who took the job after the previous coach died, and a heartbroken star player who reluctantly rejoined the team.
In reality, Milan had 164 students but nevertheless was able to overcome a field including teams from Indianapolis.
If a writer submitted a script based on the exploits of the 1937 Bellfountain basketball team, it would no doubt be rejected as a "Hoosiers" rip-off.
Yet Bellfountain's state title that season was every bit as stunning as Milan's. While a movie might not be among the coming attractions, Wallowa's Bear Creek Press recently released a book on the team, "The Bellfountain Giant Killers," by Joe R. Blakely.
Blakely, a Eugene resident who has a degree in history from San Diego State, noticed Bellfountain School while making research trips to the nearby Hull-Oakes Lumber mill.
He ran across a note in the Eugene Register-Guard about the 1937 title team, and the seed was planted.
Blakely wastes little time setting the stage, recounting Bellfountain's semifinal tournament game in the first chapter. The match-up against Franklin High of Portland efficiently establishes the theme: Bellfountain, with its 27 students, facing Franklin's student body of 2,100.
To complete the David-and-Goliath scenario, Blakely introduces each Bellfountain starter, describing their playing style and pointing out their lack of height.
Point guard Harry Wallace was the team leader who had a soft shooting touch.
There was 5-foot-9 forward Clifford Larkin, 5-9 guard Frank Buckingham and 5-6 forward Stanley Buckingham.
"With his red hair flopping wildly, Stan could arc long shots over the out-stretched arms of much taller defenders," Blakely wrote.
Six-foot center Richard Kessler was described as agile, with the ability to out-jump taller players for the center jump. This was a key to Bellfountain's success. In those days, a jump ball was held after each made basket, and teams with tall centers had a distinct advantage because they could retain possession of the ball score after score, as Blakely pointed out in a chapter devoted to the differences between basketball in the 1930s and today.
"My research uncovered a period of time almost pristine in its gentle beauty," Blakely said in a press release. "This was a time when basketball was played with finesse and when sportsmanship was praised and admired. It was also a time when the smallest school in Oregon could challenge the largest."
Blakely spent a chapter on town history before moving back to basketball and the arrival of the team's first coach, Ken Litchfield, and his discovery of a rag-tag bunch of gym-rats which are among the most compelling pages of the book.
While Blakely does a credible job of storytelling, the birth of the Bells' basketball team spans few pages and leaves the reader wanting more.
The book moves quickly into the 1935-'36 season and state tournament, an important addition because the Bells play deep into the tournament, winning the B state title before being knocked out by eventual A champion Corvallis High.
Blakely relies on play-by-play to take us through the playoff games and devotes an entire chapter to the 1937 championship game against Portland's Lincoln High.
Needless to say, Bellfountain comes out on top.
A nice touch is the appendix with updates on the team members. Three players - Wallace, Larkin and Alvah Hinton - are alive and live in Corvallis.
At 64 pages, including photos, "The Bellfountain Giant Killers" is a quick and easy read, ideal for sports history buffs.
The last teammate from that memorable 1937 team passed away in 2013 at 94. The trophy from the state championship still stands in a large display case next door to the gym in the former school which is currently owned by the Bellfountain Community Church across the road.