Honorable Mention All-Decade Team - 1930's

Sometimes I take my oldest son to the Dollar Store so he can get himself a little something. When we get to the store, he scours the racks, picks up a toy, analyzes it and then carefully places it back in its spot. He moves on, grabs the next item, analyzes it, gives it a test play and sets it back down. He’s searching for the perfect toy. Ultimately, the exercise is futile because there are simply too many things to choose from.

Which brings me to my dilemma with the 1930’s All-Decade team. There are just too many worthy candidates. Too many good toys and candy calling for my lone dollar.

The 30’s produced some incredible small school teams. The obvious leader of this pack is the 1937 Bellfountain Bells, enrollment 29 and Oregon state champions. Fifteen years before Milan High School shocked the state of Indiana and become the basis for the movie “The Hoosiers,” Bellfountain did it first.

The 1930’s featured a future NBA player and Hall of Famer. A slippery forward from Yamhill County who nearly led another small school to a state title over the big boys in 1938. A burly forward led by his female coach racking up 47 points in three state tournament games. And many many more.

What follows is the Honorable Mention All-1930’s Team.



Jack Webber – Center – Athena – The center position is among the most difficult to select. Webber had a stellar career for Athena and teamed with the Jenkins brothers and Leo Geissel to make two-straight trips to Salem in 1932 and 1933. He had a high point total of 15 points in a consolation round game against Burns to avoid elimination. He followed it up with 9 points against University High in a 33-20 loss that eliminated the Athenians from the tournament.

Chester Kebbe – Center – Nehalem – Another center worthy of mention on the first two teams. Kebbe earned 2nd Team All-State mention for Nehalem in the 1932 tournament as the seventh leading scorer in the tournament. Probably would have rated higher if not for a zero point effort against Corvallis in Nehalem’s quarterfinal loss. In fact, even an average game out of Kebbe against the college town boys probably would have sent Nehalem into the semifinals.

Harold McPheteridge – Forward – Mitchell – McPheteridge was probably the lone bright spot for Mitchell in their only state tournament trip in their history in 1934. The forward tallied 8 points in a 37-21 loss to Coquille and then came back with 12 against Columbia Prep in a 39-25 loss.

Leland Jenkins – Forward – Athena – A member of Athena’s back-to-back teams of ’32 and ’33, Leland Jenkins was overlooked by pundits at the ’33 tournament. He outscored his brother by 10 points but Lowell’s work running the team and the influx of quality forwards made Jenkins a long-shot for all-tourney honors. In reality, he and fellow forward Leo Geissel were the leading men for Athena.

Leo Geissel – Forward – Athena – Leo teamed with Leland Jenkins for form a dynamic frontcourt duo. Flanking big Jack Webber perfectly, Geissel was Athena’s leading scorer in the 1933 tournament. He rang up 36 points in the four contests, including 25 in the first two games of the tournament to push Athena to the semifinals against Salem.

William Ledbury – Forward – Columbia Prep – Ledbury teamed with William O’Donnell to form a potent front court. Ledbury was a consistent scorer, win or lose for the “Preppers”. High point total included 11 in a win over Mitchell in the 1934 tournament and 10 vs. Silverton later that same year.

Santee – Center – Monmouth – Monmouth’s “tall center” battled Baker’s Vernon O’Neil in the 1931 and singlehandedly kept the small school in the game by scoring 13 of his team’s 20 points in the loss.

Sheldon Stutz – Guard – Pleasant Hill – The “Billies” upset the dope by knocking off University high in the District 6 tournament in 1931. PH drew Benson in the first round and dropped the contest. Stutz, the speedy guard tallied 12 of the his team’s 19 points.