The Nebraska High School Basketball All-State Project - Saluting 1964.

Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2015, at 11:51 AM

Gibbon's Kurt Lauer (left) and Henderson's Ron Regier - Two of the finest "Bigs" in 1964, regardless of class. *(photo courtesy of Journal and Star)

By Bobby Mills (1000 Yard Guy)

First, let's review the State Tournament, class by class, in a year that featured some heavy duty scoring players.

*Class D: The Herman Cardinals drew the role of tourney favorite entering the 1964 Big Show despite the fact there were three other unbeatens and Beaver Crossing could score almost at will. Defending champ DeWitt made it back and still had Doug Tietjen, an all-state selection from the year before. Herman made it a game against DeWitt in '63, so this "D" field was just simply stacked.

In the first round, 3 undefeated teams advanced but one of them wasn't Stapleton. Beaver Crossing sent the Broncos from western Nebraska packing with a 68-43 pasting. Unbeaten Maywood nipped a stubborn Orchard team 47-45 in overtime and both Herman and Sumner, paced by the amazing 2 time all-state Ron Simmons advanced.

In the Class D semi finals the East prevailed over the West....by the skin of their teeth. Herman slipped past Sumner 56-54 and the Trojan's Ron Simmons contributed big time but his effort fell short by 2 seconds. In the other semi final, Beaver Crossing's Bob White cashed in 2 free throws with 8 seconds to lead the Beavers to a 51-49 win over undefeated Maywood. The Tiger's twin 6-5 towers of Delson Cox and all-stater, Arvene Schultz just couldn't hold a 42-37 lead they gained at the start of the 4th stanza.

In that finals game, lefty Steve Eberspacher tossed in an 8 footer with 5 seconds left to lift Beaver Crossing to a 51-50 win over Herman. It was the 2nd straight year Herman played in the championship tilt and ended up a bridesmaid. The Beavers had only five players score in the game, led by Mike Heser's 18 points. Herman, who had 2 players back from the 1963 all-tournament team in big Tom Green and Robbie Andrew, just could hold a 45-37 lead they had with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

Beaver Crossing, whose only loss of the season was a 60-55 loss to Hordville, landed Heser on the "D" All-Tournament team. Herman had Robbie Andrew, along with Sumner's Simmons (duh), Maywood's Schultz and DeWitt ace Larry Wattjes.

*In Class C, Stanton was the prohibitive favorite coming in, but Gibbon had the incomparable Kurt Lauer and Henderson had high scoring Ron Regier. Speaking of Henderson, after not making the state tournament for 23 years, the town had the misfortune of being invaded by several cases of the 3 day measles. One team member, Erland Bergan, was quarantened for a few days so as not to spread the stuff. More and more Henderson students had been showing the dreaded dots before the big dance and the grim reaper even got too close when the team's tall man, Ron Regier acquired a polka dotted brother a few days before state. But all ended well for the Huskies before it all began on Thursday.

Gibbon and Stanton just seemed to be on a collision course from the start. Kurt Lauer scored 35 points, Rich Robinson netted 25, and Don Keiper added 23 as Gibbon set a Class C scoring record with a 90-58 thrashing of Sidney St. Pats in the 1st round. Stanton sent Tecumseh home, Waverly disposed of Scribner, and Ron Regier was a one man show for Henderson as the Huskies, measles and all, defeated Arapahoe, 59-49. Regier scored 23 points and pulled down three fourth's of the rebounds for Henderson in the win.

All season I had dreamed of a Lauer/Regier match-up and got my wish in the "C" semis. Even though Lauer was pinned between 2 Henderson defenders all day, one of whom was Regier, he still managed to score 31 points to lead the Buffaloes to a come from behind 56-52 victory. Regier was held to 13 points in the Huskie loss. Stanton had to withstand a failed last second shot by Waverly's John Westland to defeat the Vikings, 53-52.

In the finals, Gibbon's Lauer dropped in 35 points, but could not overcome the all-around team play of Coach Fred Letheby's Stanton squad, and lost 77-63. Despite giving up 35 points, Stanton's bespectacled #42, Terry Hinnrichs did a nice job defending the 6-8 Lauer. Kurt may have shattered the tournament scoring record in the game considering the fact he had 27 points at the half. But he also had 4 fouls, at least 3 initiated by Hinnrichs. Stanton's balanced scoring was just too much for Gibbon as both Howard Hansen and Hinnrichs contributed 21 each.

*There wasn't one sports scribe in Class B that didn't think Omaha Holy Name would waltz through the 1964 State Tournament but nearby Ralston had something to say about that one. The Rams, who had not won a title in the first 53 years of the state tournament, derailed the high flying Ramblers of Holy Name in the finals, 58-52. After connecting on only 10 of 59 field goals in the first half, Coach Bob Mackey's club rallied from a 29-23 halftime deficit with some sizzling 2nd half shooting to take the Class B title. The Rams took only 17 shots after intermission, hit the bulls eye on 14 of those those aeriels.

Ralston really didn't think they could stop Holy Name's incredible John Moylan but still thought they could pull off the win. The Rams didn't slow down the Rambler's all-state whiz as Moylan scored 25, but second half hero Steve Neal provided the late spark Ralston needed in the game's waning moments. After canning the first of 2 free throws, Neal clanked the second but followed his miss, came up with the rebound, and applied the death grip as he put back the shot to give the Rams a commanding 58-52 lead with 9 seconds left in the game.

Moylan was a unanimous selection to the Class B All-Tournament team. Ralston's 6-3 junior, Dick Cottingham also made the team, along with Jim Mau of Wayne, Ken Klaasmeyer of Gothenburg, and York's Keith Staehr.

*In Class A, Bellevue came in as the logical favorite, but Creighton Prep had the best big man in the state in Wally Anderzunas. In the end it was Tom Brosnihan's tourney tested Junior Jays from Prep that derailed Bellevue Dick Agnew and his Bellevue buddies, 64-53 in the finals.

In the first round Agnew actually broke Fred Hare's single game scoring record of 35 points when the smooth 6-5 senior blitzed Pius X with 38 points in an 87-65 win over the Bolts. Bellevue had to play a Boys Town team in the 2nd round they had only beaten 56-55 in January. The Chieftains overcame Boys Town's 2 hot shooting sophomores, Ron White and 6-7 center Jim Hester, to turn back ther Cowboys.....you guessed it, by 1 point, 57-56. Meanwhile Creighton Prep was destroying Norfolk 58-42, leaving no doubt with a 23-8 1st quarter lead.

Grand Island made it to the Class A Dance that year, led by another boyhood hero of mine, John Sanders. The future Husker baseball coach and his Islander mates unfortunately ran into Prep the first round and were sent packing 73-56. But Sanders still made the All-State team.

In the finals, Prep raced to a 37-28 halftime lead and appeared to be coasting but a torrid 3rd quarter charge led by Dick Agnew, altered things a bit. Prep's lead was cut to 48-46 going into the money quarter, but the Junior Jays defense smothered Bellevue in that frame, limiting them to just 7 points, providing the final 64-53 count.

Only Agnew and Anderzunas made the All-Class, All-Tourney team in '64. Sumner's Ron Simmons, Kurt Lauer, and Holy Name's John Moylan cracked to squad to complete the Fab 5. However, Bellevue's Steve Shefte and Creighton Prep's Dave Burnett cracked the Class A squad, along with Anderzunas, Agnew, and Boys Town sophomore, Ron White.

...And now................................

1963 All-State Teams:

*As selected by the Lincoln Journal-Star

*1964 Class D All-State Team*

Ron Simmons-Sumner- 6-1, 165 Senior*

Doug Tietjen-DeWitt - 6-3, 180, Senior*

Mike Heser-Beaver Crossing - 6-2, 175, Senior

Arvene Schultz-Maywood - 6-5, 175, Senior

Bill Waltz-Plymouth - 6-2, 155, Senior

*Ron Simmons was just simply a super man of his day, averaging 36 ppg. Nobody stopped the 165 dynamo, who ended his career with 2,406 points, 909 of those coming in 1964. That career total ranks 2nd all-time only to Wilsonville's Bill Holliday's 2,748. Beaver Crossing, who won the 8-Man football in '64, was led by Heser, who had a great surrounding cast. DeWitt's Tietjen was the pride of SE Nebraska and averaged 23 ppg and 18 rebounds. Tietjen was also an assist wizard. Schultz ruled SW Nebraska by throwing down 25.8 ppg. The slim, trim Waltz led the Plymouth Pilgrims (of course they were) with 20 points and 16 boards a game.

I saw Simmons play when I was a freshman and never forgot the way he just floated the shot off his hands. The kid was sooooo good. Some names you may recognize on honorable mention all-state were: Ron Laux-Hildreth, Dave Macken-Platte Center, Lee Jacobsen-Elba, Ed Bauer-Lodgepole, Larry Vlasin-Madrid, and Jerry Schurr of the Farnum Greenbacks.

Lots of high individual scoring feats in 1964 and the big men ruled the roost. This was the golden era of the LouPlatte Conference too with players like Gibbon's Kurt "The Tower" Lauer, Glenn Mays of Wood River, Harold and Gerald Schenck-St. Paul, Carl and Mick Ashman of Burwell, and the late Joe Tozcek of Loup City. Players could shoot the ball then with no 3 point shot in sight. Another thing that helped back in that day is the fact if you breathed on a big man underneath, you were whistled for a foul. But there were pure sharpshooters like Simmons and Regier that would have scored a gazillion points had their been a 3 point shot then.

*1964 Class C All-State Team*

Leonard Canarsky-Oakland - 6-3, 215, Senior

Roger Elrod-Utica - 6-2, 180, Senior

Kurt Lauer-Gibbon- 6-8, 205, Senior*

Chuck Lacey-Tecumseh - 6-2, 155, Senior

Ron Regier-Henderson- 6-5, 180 Senior

*Lauer was, of course, my boyhood hero. The 6-8 "giant" averaged 38.1 points every time he stepped on the court and ended up scoring 956 points in 1964, best ever in state history. His career total of 2,247 ties him for 6th all-time with Gibbon's Rylee Reinertson, who graduated a year ago. How's that for irony. Not sure if anyone ever topped his 38.1 ppg either. 22-2 Stanton beat Lauer's 20-5 Buffaloes 77-63 for the title that season. Lauer's top individual performance was 59 points. Henderson's Regier was nothing short of amazing. He averaged 25.5 ppg and 17.7 rebounds...unheard of. I saw Regier lay 61 points on Milford and 56 on another occasion. Tecumseh's Lacey, a slim lad indeed, averaged 21.5 ppg and was SE Nebraska's best. Roger Elrod averaged 17.7 a game but pulled down 19.3 boards an outing. They just DO NOT do that these days. Oakland's Canarsky poured in 21 a contest.

Lauer has a very successful construction business in Ohio these days. Still love that guy. Some names on honorable mention of note: Glenn Mays-Wood River, Don Kobza-Valparaiso, Dave Aspegren-Harvard and Craig Kinsella of Norfolk Burns.

*1964 Class B All-State Team

Les Krenk-Seward - 6-3, 170, Senior

Ray Nelson-Minden - 6-4, 185, Senior

Ernie Strasil-Falls City - 6-5, 180, Senior*

Joe Johnson-Bridgeport- 6-6, 220, Senior

John Moylan-Omaha Holy Name - 6-4, 177, Senior

*Ralston (23-2) clipped Omaha Holy Name (22-2) 58-52 for the title in '64. Strasil was a long range bomber for Falls City, while Minden's Nelson averaged 21.5 points a game for coach Gene Armstrong. The 6-6 Johnson muscled his way to 26.1 ppg for Bridgeport while Seward's Krink connected for 17 points per contest. Holy Name's Moylan just simply had bloodlines and was so good.

Some honorable all-state names you may know: Don Bartholomew-Ainsworth, Alan Cetak-Ord, Don Grubaugh-David City Aquinas, Gale Jensen-Central City, Gerald Schenck-St. Paul (brother Harold was great also), Bob Schweizer-Albion, Fremont Bergan's Rick Hansen and Dick Shafer of Gothenburg.

*1964 All-State Team/Class A All-State Team

Dick Agnew-Bellevue - 6-5, 190, Senior

John Mackey-Omaha Tech, 6-3, 185, Junior

Wally Anderzunas-Creighton Prep - 6-7, 202, Senior*

John Sanders-Grand Island - 6-2, 188, Senior

David McGuire-Boys Town - 5-10, 150, Junior

*Anderzunas was lauded as the best big man in Nebraska high school basketball history by many coaches at the time. Not confined exclusively to the pivot area, the 6-7 Prep star could move outside with effectiveness. When the Jays needed points, they relied on the handsome Anderzunas.

*John Sanders was a shining star on an otherwise pretty weak Grand Island team in 1964. Regarded as the most versatile athlete in outstate Nebraska, Sanders was the one of the finest outside shooters in the prep ranks. Sanders proved his worth in that first round loss to Prep at the state tourney by scoring 24 points. Being that oustanding on a team without much help is sort of like being Valedictorian of your summer school class, huh John? Sanders was a good one for sure.

*Probably tough to find too many players better than Bellevue's rangy redhead, Dick Agnew. The 6-5 senior was the Master of the Dribble Drive back in that day. Wow. So fluid for a big guy and smooth as silk. Proficient rebounder and led his team to a season where the Chieftains suffered only 3 losses.

*The junior southpaw John Mackey of Tech helped carry on the rich basketball tradition there and certainly eased the pain of heavy graduation the Trojans suffered with the departure of Fred Hare and Joe Williams.

*Junior David McGuire was the floor leader for Boys Town and was one of three outstanding underclassmen for the Cowboys. A deadly outside shooter and efficient driver for George Pfeiffer's forces, McGuire was the ring leader of Boys Town's menacing pressure and pressing defense.

*Honorable Mentions: John Kamerzell-Alliance, Wayne Riecker-Beatrice, Steve Shefte-Bellevue, Henry Clausen-Columbus, Mike Draemel-Fremont, Steve Eller-Kearney, Arlyn Westergren-Holdrege, Bob Vasatka, Frank Brill-Lincoln High, Jerry Motz-Lincoln NE, Steve Bock-Lincoln SE, Chris Wickham-Lincoln Pius X, Roger Leitner-McCook, Bob Noyes-Norfolk, Ron Johnette-Omaha Benson, Dennis Morrison-Omaha North, Walter Guille-Omaha South, Bozar Starks-Omaha Tech, and John Buller-Omaha Westside.

Here is a footnote to add to this 1963/64 basketball season. Many thanks to Central City head boys basketball coach Jimmy Motz for this tidbit, which is huge, by the way.

Jerry Motz, Jimmy's Dad and also one of the Central City assistant coaches, accomplished something in 1964 that may never be duplicated.

Jerry Motz was honorable mention all-state Class A in 1964. In a game up at South Sioux City, the elder Motz missed his first 4 field goal attempts, then proceeded to drain his next 23 shots. TWENTY THREE. He set the Class A single game scoring record that evening with 57 points.

Check this out. That record still stands today, 51 years later. Amazing. Maybe even more astounding is the fact that the very next night against Lincoln High, Jerry Motz nailed his first 9 field goal shots. That's 32 straight field goals without a miss! Has that ever been duplicated in Class A? Motz was not a 6-8 post player that put up the majority of his shots under the basket. His shots were from all points on the basketball court, and many from beyond today's three point line.

Remember, there was not a three point shot in those days.

That, my friends, is just unbelievable. Mr. Motz, you must have been some kind of basketball player, man. We salute your outstanding basketball feats, sir.