Looking Back: 1978
(The old fashion way)
The old Democrat building on Washington Street was sold recently and the Clinton Daily Democrat moved to a new home on Main Street, on the east side of the square. The Democrat’s new space is shared with ‘The T-Shirt Factory’, by Birdman Apparel Company.
Newspapers were the internet before the internet. They were also the ‘icloud’ before the ‘icloud’. Modern newspapers, like the Democrat, have done a good job blending print with digital sources. Before the internet, editions of newspapers were physically bound together and stored. Many bound editions of the old Democrat have been saved and I recently flipped through page after page of the bounded 1977-78 Democrat; the months January-March, to be exact. If my math is right, 1978 would be 45 years ago. I’ll give you a feel for Clinton sports in the winter of ‘78. But, first let me give you a few ‘77-’78 general headlines that caught my eye: 1) Truman Lake Development Continues. 2) CHS Band Goes to New Orleans. 3) Angry Coal Miners Strike. 4) Police Officer Dragged by Car. 5) Harlem Majestics play Sherwood Misfits. 6) Two Subdivisions Accepted by Clinton. 7) Deepwater Man Abducted, Shot. 8) ‘Howard Scott, Shot.’ 9) Shoot-Out near Norris and 10) Farmers Strike.
Side note: A new baseball field was being built on Sedalia Ave. (Wagoner East) and Full Line Lumber opened.
Sports: The CHS boys’ and girls’ basketball teams were fighting for wins and both did fine. The boys ended with a 9-11 record. They were led by David Brock, Chris Newell, Bruce Titus, Mark Hines, Rick Armstrong, and Dennis Hays. The girls ended with a 16-6 record led by Donna Brock, Stacy Sunderwirth, Carolyn Ross, Julie Wall, Janelle Smith, Susan Carter, Sarah Carter, and Tracy Farrens. It is fun to note that Clinton back then would play schools like Ray-Pec, Raytown, Blue Springs, and Lee’s Summit. Of course, these towns later out-grew us. We played in the West Central Conference which included Butler, Warrensburg, Ray-Pec, Holden, Harrisonville, Knob, P. Hill, and El Dorado. The boy’s basketball team was 3rd in the conference standings in ‘78 with a WCC record of 5-3. The girls with an overall regular season record of 14-5 were second in the WCC with a 6-2 conference record.
The boys were led by coach Les Roark, the girls were led by Ron Aldredge. This was only the second year for the girl’s program. The Lady Cards were ranked #7 going into the 3A Regionals. In the second round, the Lady Cards beat Blue Springs 39-36 in OT. In the semifinals, the Lady Cards surprised Raytown South winning 50-43. They moved on to play Lee’s Summit for the Regional Title and a chance for the State Championship. Unfortunately, the Lady Cards fell flat and lost 57-23. The Lee’s Summit team went on to become State Champs. The ‘78 players still remember that painful ending to their season.
The 53rd annual Boys Clinton Invitational Tournament was held in 1978. The tournament had evolved many times trying different formats. In ‘78 the tourney only had six teams: Butler (seeded #1), Ray-Pec, Clinton, Warsaw (#2), Harrisonville, and Sherwood. Clinton beat Ray-Pec in a nail-biter 58-56 to advance to the semifinals vs Butler. Harrisonville beat Sherwood 65-47 moving on to face Warsaw in the semifinals. Clinton lost a cliffhanger to the Butler Bears 60-59. I bet the old gym was hopping that night. Warsaw beat Harrisonville 64-58 in OT after the Harrisonville coach had two Tech fouls called on him. Butler won the CIT Title beating Warsaw 60-59. The Cards beat Harrisonville 62-55 to take third. Clinton’s Dennis Hayes was on the tourney’s All-Star team. The girls’ side of the CIT did not start until 1979. The CHS boys’ team won the CIT Title in 1979.
The Cardinal wrestling squad was led by Fran Schwenk. He had a hard-working group to include Mark Ellis (1st in WCC), Randy Creek (1st), Bobby Honn (2nd), Buddy Littleton (2nd), Bill Skaggs (3rd), Wayne Shriner (4th), Mike Blackwell, Mike Wykoff, Jim Mock, and Rick Hunter. The team took third in the WCC wrestling tournament, and were 5-8 in duals. The wrestling program was still on the young side. It started in 1965 making the ‘78 season their 13th year. A group of boosters sponsored the 50th reunion of the program in 2015, and many of the ‘78 squad attended. Great stuff.
Other Sports: The 1978 Democrat covered the Ballard Town Team Tournament that started on March 14. Town teams were still quite popular. (I used to ref many of these tourneys). The Clinton Teachers had a team in the eight-team tourney. The Clinton Teachers beat Adrian 95-85, but then lost to Ed’s Team, 101 to 75. Obviously, these teams had some offense. (I most remember no player ever thought they made a foul.)
The Democrat also covered nine bowling leagues. Two years later (1980) yours truly, as the new owner of Meadowlark Lanes, would be sending scores to the paper via Brian Hanney. As the ‘78 spring moved in, the Democrat covered CHS Track, Tennis, Golf, and even a Gymnastic Night. CHS had 100 students out for track and was coached by Bill Crawford. Earlier in the ‘78 school year the CSD, because of a budget crisis, talked about cutting wrestling, golf, and tennis, calling them ‘minor’ sports. Thank goodness they did not, the Cardinal wrestling team went on to be one of the best in the State for many years, winning the State Title in 1991.
It is always interesting to “Look Back”, even if you have to do it the old fashion way.
Until next time.
