S.A. Pepper, who took over the coaching reigns from Harold Jory, inherited a green roster with only Hugh Cole bringing experience to the maple. The forward played alongside 1922 hero Ted Mays the previous year and emerged as the scoring leader of the 1923 basketball team.
Thurston Lay and Aubrey Estes manned the center position and guard position respectively. Speedy guard Glenn Marr was the team’s designated defensive stopper, trailing the opposition’s lead guard all over the floor.
Despite returning just Cole from the 1922 championship and state tournament squad, the Eagles bolted to a win over Wallowa in Joseph on January 12, 1923. Wallowa figured to be a strong contender for the Eastern Oregon district title. On January 19, La Grande invaded Joseph fresh off a string of victories and was prepared to add Joseph to the list. The union county lads were eager to make up for a disappointing season in 1922.
With “on to Salem” as their slogan for 1923, La Grande was confident in their basketball team. They quickly learned that the re-loaded Joseph team was not to be taken lightly.
Joseph raced out to an 11-3 lead before La Grande began to push the pace. Joseph, quickly becoming known as a fast team, countered with their own fast pace until soon the game resembled a football contest.
La Grande rallied from their early eight-point deficit but Joseph met every rally with a run of their own and eventually prevailed 26-22. Joseph was led by ten points from Cole while Lay and Estes chipped in six points apiece in the victory.
Scrappy guard Glenn Marr seemed to enjoy the football type atmosphere of the game. For much of the game, Marr “was either over, under, or around his man all the time. In fact, he once got so tangled up with his man that he had to fight to get loose. This caused a ruckus for a few seconds but the boys shook hands and agreed to play the game from then on.” [1]
A road trip through Union County gave them wins at North Powder (36-12) and at Union (29-19). The referee from the contest at Union declared Joseph “the fastest basketball team he has seen this season.” [2]One night after the win over Union, Joseph ventured into La Grande and lost 31-21.
The Joseph Herald provided no insight into the events of the game; instead spending it’s time denouncing the officiating.
“If the originators of the game had desired to make a football contest of it, they would have written the rules to that effect... [I]t is the office of the referee to see that the players obey these rules. It is therefore, a matter of justice and equality that the referee be a rank outsider; preferably a man who does not know a player on either team. Had there been such a policy adopted by both La Grande and Joseph there would not now be any doubt as to the relative strength of the two teams. In fact, we are quite certain that the Joseph team’s slogan would be “On to Salem…” [3]
A heated rivalry was brewing in northeastern Oregon. La Grande vs. Joseph was the focus of the district in 1923.
Following the disheartening loss at La Grande, the following Friday spirits sunk to a new low in Joseph after Wallowa knocked Joseph flat on their backs, 32-21. After the grueling trip through Union County the previous weekend, the Joseph team had practiced hard in preparation for the tough game against Wallowa. They never woke up and never challenged in the game.
The Herald openly questioned coach Pepper’s decision to run the team through a week of tough practices ahead of the Wallowa contest. No matter, the loss put a return trip to the state tournament in serious peril. After all, the previous year, two loses meant that the best hope to win the district flag was to hope for a tie and win the one-game playoff. Things looked grim in Joseph, particularly with La Grande seemingly cruising after their January 19 loss at Joseph.
A banner headline from February 15th in the Joseph Herald cried, “Jo-HI Team Out of Championship Race.” [4]
There were still several weeks and games to play in the season, but the morale around the basketball team was at an all-time low.
North Powder was the perfect cure for what ailed the Joseph Eagles. Joseph poured in 76 points in a 76-12 win over the Badgers.
But the best news of the night happened over in Baker County, where the Baker Bulldogs gave Joseph some much needed help by upending La Grande 17-10. Baker’s win threw the standings into disarray and brought La Grande and Joseph level with two losses.
Baker and La Grande still had to play a return game in La Grande the following Saturday, while Joseph had three games remaining.
Joseph had a favorable schedule, with two games against winless Enterprise and one at home against Union. Union was a scrappy quintet that could not be overlooked but with a win over Union at Union already, the Eagles figured they could take the Unionites on the local floor.
For Joseph to have a say in the district championship, it had to take care of its final three games.
The following Friday, led by Cole’s 28 points, Joseph easily bested the county seat, Enterprise 50-12. After the win over Enterprise, the Eagles enjoyed a relatively easy week with big wins over Union (61-12) and a non-league win over Imbler (39-12).
After receiving word of Imbler’s 76-17 loss at winless Enterprise the night before, head coach Pepper decided to rest two of his regulars and Eagles still dominated.
With a run of four straight easy wins, the Joseph Herald began singing a different tune…just one week after essentially ending Joseph’s season.
“… [The] Joseph team has developed from an unknown quantity to one of surprising strength. We’d like to bet our last year’s hat on the local team to beat the La Granders on a neutral floor with an outside and unbiased referee.”[4]
Jo-hi defeated Enterprise 52-20 and La Grande won out meaning the heated rivals were deadlocked with two losses apiece at the end of the season.Once again, the fate of the Eastern Oregon championship would come down to a one game playoff. After two contentious regular season games in which the teams won on their own home floor, La Grande and Joseph would have to battle for the one spot reserved for Eastern Oregon in Salem.
Unlike the title tilt in 1922, the 1923 district championship would be decided on a neutral floor. Once again Enterprise was the site of the game, this time however, it was La Grande vs. Joseph for the district 1 crown.
Joseph grabbed an early lead behind Cole and stingy defense. According to the Herald, “They (La Grande) had no chance to play football and only on one occasion did they prove dangerous.”[6]
In the second half, La Grande did fight back to grab a one point lead before Joseph tightened up on defense. The game began to get physical when Joseph tightened up their defense and La Grande was whistled for several fouls, which allowed Cole to “retrieve his free-throwing reputation.” [7]
Cole lengthened the lead for Joseph and La Grande was staging one last rally before the whistle blew giving Joseph the 32-29 victory securing their second straight trip to Salem.
Again the town rejoiced behind the local team. They were treated as conquering heroes around town for the week before leaving to Salem and enjoyed banquets, first at the home of Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Gaulke and then a community celebration at Collinsworth Hall.
With masses of food, speeches and backslapping for hours, the town of Joseph celebrated the young men of Jo-High. Members of the community gave speeches and honored the boys and their achievements.
But the travel across the state was not cheap. At the meeting at Collinsworth Hall, prominent members of the community presented the financial needs of the team to travel to Salem. A committee was formed and by the end of the evening, enough money had been pledged to cover the expense of the trip and supply the boys with spending money.
Loaded with fighting spirit and plentifully supplied with money and advice, coach Pepper and his team of eight, Cole, Marr, Lay, Estes, Beith, Rowe, Gaulke, and Spray took the train for Salem on Tuesday ahead of their game on Friday where they were to take on the winner of the Salem and Athena game.
Athena, champions of District 2, was rated a favorite and the Eagles hoped for a chance to take out the Gladiators in round two. So when Athena fell 50-29 to Salem, Joseph knew that chances were bleak on advancing past the powerful Capital City quint.
The first half was “snappy” but the Salem quintet quickly proved adept at shooting and Joseph simply could not match Salem in this area. “The Salem lads had been coached in a different manner about shooting baskets and this proved to be a serious handicap to the Joseph lads.” [8]
Cole did his part in pivot, maneuvering for 16 of Joseph’s 22 points. Thurston Lay scored the other 6 for Joseph. When Salem’s long range shooting display was complete, they had run up a score of 59 points to Joseph’s 22.
The team returned to Joseph the following Monday after nearly a week in Salem. For many boys it was their first trip to the big city.
The Herald wrapped up the season, saying:
“…it might be said that basketball was the least of their interest in the trip. They had worked hard all season and won a clean-cut title to the local championship and were entitled to the trip. Feeling that way, the citizens of the town provided generously for expenses and are happy that the boys got to go.”[9]
[1] “La Grande Humbled by Joseph Hoopsters,” Joseph Herald, January 25, 1923 Page 1
[2] “La Grande takes Game from Joseph,” Joseph Herald, February 8, 1923 Page 1
[3] Ibid
[4] “Jo-Hi Team Out of Championship Race,” Joseph Herald, February 15, 1923 Page 1
[5] “Basketball Season Closes Tomorrow,” Joseph Herald, February 22, 1923 Page 1
[6] “Joseph Wins Coveted Trip to Salem by Defeating La Grande 32-29 in Fast Game at Enterprise,” Joseph Herald, March 8, 1923, Page 1
[7] Ibid
[8] “Salem High Blighted Joseph Team’s Chances,” Joseph Herald, March 25,1923 Page 1
[9] Ibid
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