I could make a case for many of these guys to be on the first team list, just like I could make a case for those on the honorable mention team.
But somebody had to be left out and I tried to remain true to positions, with a center, two forwards and two guards.
What follows is our 1930’s Second Team All-Decade Team.
Harrison Wallace (pictured at left) – Bellfountain – From his guard position, Wallace was a consistent scorer for the Bells in the two years they competed at Salem. Never scoring more than 11 points but never scoring less than seven, Wallace was a steady hand to lead the Bells to the state title. His work in the 1936 tournament earned him 1st Team All-State selection as a B-leaguer when he averaged 9 points per game, just behind center Dick Kessler who averaged 10.25. With the entire squad back for a run at the state title in 1937, Wallace was once again the leading guard for Bellfountain, helping to lead the Bells to the state title. He scored 10 points in a first round win over Amity, 11 in the state “B” championship game. He was named to the “B” 1st Team All-Tournament team for the second year in a row. Stats aren’t available for Wallace’s totals in the state semifinals win over Franklin but the senior added five points to his total in the state championship win over Lincoln. So good was Wallace, that he was named to the “A” 1st Team All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the tournament.
Bill Abrams – Nehalem – Nehalem entered the 1932 tournament with a 21-3 record. Nehalem also boasted four of the top 10 scorers in the 1932 tournament. Adams was the second leading scorer in the tournament with an average of 12.25 points per game.
Abrams' teammate Chester Kebbe received the post-tournament accolades after a solid outing, but Bill Abrams was Nehalem’s leading man. Abrams helped carry Nehalem in their quarterfinal loss to Corvallis, tallying nine points in the 38-35 loss. He put up his best scoring game of the tournament with elimination on the line when he tossed in 18 points in a 46-23 win. Abrams tied for leading scorer with forward Eugene Neketin with 10 points in the 4th place game.
A bevy of good guards likely contributed to Abrams being left off the All-Tournament list. Probably not the first qualified player snubbed by post tournament awards and certainly not the last.
Howard Fox (pictured at right) – Thurston – Led by the first, and to this date, only female coach to coach a men’s team in the state tournament, Howard Fox and his brothers helped lead Thurston through the vast Lane County and District 16 Tournaments into the state tournament. Fox appeared to be the only one of Thurston’s player unafraid of the big stage in the first round game against Chiloquin, the state runners up from 1937. Fox scored 13 of Thurston’s 28 points in a first round loss to the Tigers. The next day Fox tossed in 17 points in a 34-20 win over Adams to stave off elimination from the tournament. Howard received little help from his teammates when Thurston fell at the hands of Woodburn 32-27 in the consolation semifinals. Even an average game from his brothers, Leo and Kenneth would have likely resulted in a victory for Thurston.Fox’s scoring exploits all season are notorious. 17 vs. Vida. 23 vs. Mohawk. 20 vs. Mohawk in the first round of the Lane County Tournament. 19 vs. Lowell in the Lane Co. Championship. 16, 22 and 17 in three straight District 16 tournament wins. Clearly, Fox could put the ball in the hoop.
Fox, the rugged and dedicated forward was the unquestioned leader of the Thurston “Pansies” and he was rewarded with first team All-State mention in the state “B” tournament and second team mention in the overall state tournament.
Eugene Neketin – Nehalem – Neketin was somewhat overlooked by the press during the 1932 tournament. Chet Kebbe earned all-tournament honors. Bill Adams was the second leading scorer in the entire tournament. And fellow forward Hilding Norberg earned accolades after an opening round win where he scored 16 points. Neketin was a steady and consistent all-tournament. Whereas Norberg was shut-out in the final two games of the tournament, Neketin was busy putting up 33 points in the four games, good for 8th in the tournament.
William O’Donnell – Columbia Prep – O’Donnell led the “Preppers” into two-straight state tournaments in 1934 and 1935. Columbia Prep, the first private school team to appear in the state tournament, was 22-4 heading into the state tournament. Despite a small enrollment, Columbia Prep was a definite factor in the mid-30’s. Leading the way for the “Preppers” was the lanky center O’Donnell. He put up big numbers for Columbia Prep who went 3-1 in the 1934 tournament to capture the consolation trophy. Only a three-point loss to Ashland in the first round kept Columbia Prep from doing major damage in the tournament.
Only O’Donnell returned to Columbia Prep in 1935 and the overall record showed. They lost their first four games of the season and had an up and down season. They even lost to St. Stephens of Milwaukie in the championship game of the first ever Catholic School tournament. But the Prepper’s would rebound to defeat St. Stephen’s twice in the District 4 Tournament to gain entry into the state tournament.
Once there, they shocked Marshfield 28-23 in the opening round behind 21 points from O’Donnell. According to the Oregonian, “practically all of O’Donnell’s points were made close to the basket. His teammates took few shots, being content to feed their star center.”[1] Dealing with constant double teams in the quarterfinals, O’Donnell scored seven of Columbia Preps’ 12 points in a 22-12 loss to Salem. Ashland would continue the double team tactic in the fourth place semifinal game and held O’Donnell to six points in a 32-19 loss. Ultimately, O’Donnell did not have enough support to advance.
In five state tournament games spread over two years, O’Donnell tallied 88 total points, good for a hefty 17.6 average.
[1] Forrester, Bud “Astoria Victor in Fast Battle; Jeff, Ashland, Salem, Preps also Win,” The Oregonian, March 20, 1935, Page Unknown
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