2013-14 marked the 100^th season of Hebron boy’s varsity basketball. Hebron has had 538 recorded players and 28 coaches. The all-time record is 1175 wins and 881 losses for a .571 winning percentage. The program has won 9 sectional championships with a 77-85 (.475) record. We have won 16 PCC round robin championships, which are 2^nd to Boone Grove, with a record of 264-141 (.652). Hebron has won a record 19 PCC tourney titles with a 114-75 (.603) record. We won a record 27 South County tourney championships with a 92-58 (.613) record. Hebron has also had a record 15 PCC MVP’s. The program has had 10 Gold Ball/M.E. Dinsmoore award winners and 94 all-conference selections, which are both 2^nd to Boone Grove. Our cheerleaders and cheering sections have won 18 PCC tourney cheering awards, 2^nd only to Morgan.

It is fitting that we celebrate our 100 years of basketball in a game against Kouts. This game will be the 194^th meeting between the two schools. Our first Porter County tourney game in 1925-26 was a 25-14 win over Kouts, we helped Kouts open their new gym in 1937-38 by beating them, 28-23, our first South County tourney game in 1937-38 was a 29-18 win over Kouts, the last game in the gym built in 1914-15 was played in February of 1939, also a win over Kouts 28-17 and the first game of our new gym in November of 1939 was a 26-24 win over Kouts.

A new school was built on the corner of South St. and S. Adams St before the 1914-15 school year. A Gymnasium was built in the basement of the school. "The grand new gym of Porter County", as it was called, had a fourteen foot high ceiling, a concrete floor measuring only 29x59 feet, and held 108 fans, although 200 were squeezed in on numerous occasions. Hebron’s first recorded game was a loss to Crown Point on January 29, 1915. M.E. Dinsmoore was the coach of the first team. Leland Ling, Reid Westbay and Bryant Applegate were the only players listed for the first season. Hebron also lost to Lowell in the first season. Hebron’s first recorded win came against Lacrosse in the 1915-16 season by a 46-25 score. 30 games were reported from 1915 to 1919. Only a handful of games had individual scoring available throughout the decade.

1921 was the first sectional game, a 45-15 loss to Gary Emerson. Coach C.E. Willen’s team of 1923-24 finished with an 18-3 record. The 18 wins stood as a record for 30 years. Junior Monte Morrow scored 12.5 points per game. This scoring mark would be a record for 27 years. The Porter County Principals Association Basketball Tournament began in 1924. Before the 1925 tournament, the Daily Vidette would report that, "Valpo and Hebron were being excluded from the tournament again this year." Later in the article it explained that, "Hebron, despite being a small school, had a very good team last year (1924) and the remaining schools decided to prohibit their participation." Hebron would participate for the first time in 1926. During this time the boys’ basketball uniforms were brown and white.

Hebron finally got a nickname in 1933. An article appearing in the December 14, 1933 Porter County Herald had this to say: "Hebron Team Selects Name-"Hawks": From several suggestions, "Hawks" has been chosen as a fitting name for Coach Phillips’ high school cagers. This name was first selected by the team and later confirmed by the athletic board." New red and white uniforms were purchased for the 1934-35 basketball season. From this point on the uniform colors at Hebron remained red and white. The first South County Tournament was held at Kouts High School on January 1, 1938. Hebron won the inaugural event on a buzzer beating shot by Mike Mylenki. Boone Grove, Hebron, Kouts, and Morgan Twp met around the Christmas and New Year holiday season, every year until 2012, to compete in this tournament. The South County Tournament was believed to be the oldest annual basketball tournament in the United States involving the same, original teams. It wasn’t until the 1937-38 school year that Hebron had official cheerleaders. Betty Scott, Adah Hiatt, and Pearl Kaldahl were the first cheerleaders at Hebron. A new school song was created in the late 1930s. Betty Scott is credited with the words to the school song, Wave the Flag.

Wave the flag of Hebron High School

Cheer her colors grand

Loyal sons of Hebron High School

Are known throughout the land

Rah! Rah! Rah!

Our team is ever victorious

So fight fellows for this game

So we’ll back our own dear high school

For the red and white with fame

Hebron built their new school on South Main Street before the 1939-40 school year. In January of 1939, the junior class purchased a new electric scoreboard that was to be installed in the gymnasium of the new school (west end of current middle school gym). The new gym must have seemed enormous, with a twenty-three foot ceiling, a floor measuring 48x75 feet, and enough room to hold 700 fans. A capacity crowd was on hand to dedicate the gym in a game against Kouts, which was won 26 to 24 by Hebron. The floor of the gym ran north and south, with the bleachers and balcony along the west sideline. The only things on the east sideline, (approximately the half court line in the current middle school gym), were the team benches and scorers’ table, that were against the outside wall. 1940 graduate Floyd Johnson was the first Hebron player to win the Porter County Tourney Gold Ball Award. Floyd also held the career scoring record for 12 years with 590 points. Hebron’s cheerleaders won the Porter County Tourney cheering award for the first time in 1940. They would also win in 1944, 1945, 1946 and 1948. Hebron was the South County Tourney Champs in 1941, 1942 and 1949. The 1949 team won Hebron’s first Porter County Tourney championship.

The 1950’s was a decade of great accomplishments. 1952 graduate Augie Burns became the first Hebron player to score 40 points in a game, classmate Bill Urbas was the first player to score over 600 career points and won the Porter Country Tourney Gold Ball award and 1954 graduate Herb McKay became Hebron’s first 1000 point scorer. Herb’s 1066 points would be the record for 12 seasons. Coach John Bastin led the 1953 and 1954 teams to Hebron’s first 2 sectional championships. The 1954 team had a 22-3 record and also won the Porter County Tourney and South County Tourney. Before the 1953-54 basketball season, the smaller schools in the county tried to form a basketball conference. The meeting resulted in Chesterton, Portage, and Hebron, the three largest schools in the county behind Valpo, all voting no. The "smaller schools" decided to go ahead and form a conference on their own. The "original" Porter County Conference was formed. This conference was a basketball only conference. Jerry Steinhilber won the Gold Ball Award in 1955. George Miller became the coach in 1954-55 and won 4 straight South County Tourney titles. In 1957-58 the idea for the "keg" was born. The "keg" was to be competed for among the smaller schools in Porter County during basketball games. Despite not being in the conference, Hebron was invited to compete for the "keg". Hebron custodian Wayne Fry found the old water keg and cleaned it up to use as the traveling trophy. The following year, 1958-59, another meeting was held among the "smaller schools" in Porter County. The result was the formation of the Porter County Conference that is known today. This time Hebron voted to be a part of the conference. Lee Pierce and Gordon Roeske were the first All-Conference selections for Hebron. The cheerleaders won the cheering award at the Porter County Tourney a record 5 straight years from 1958 to 1962.

From 1960-61 thru 1964-65 Hebron won 27 straight PCC round robin games. Hebron was the PCC round robin champions 6 times in the decade. They also won the Porter County Tourney 4 times. Four South County trophies were also won in the 60’s. Don Broughton took over the coaching duties in 1962-63, a 20-3 season. Sophomore Bob Smock led the way with a 20.8 scoring average. Smock would be named the PCC most valuable player 3 times, still a PCC record. Bob established himself as one of the best Hebron has ever seen when he graduated as the top scorer (1469), rebounder (760), and assist man (203) in school history. In 1963-64 Bob Smock and Bob Ellenson both averaged over 20 points per game (26.0 and 21.9). Bill Smock stole some thunder away from his brother in 1966-67. Bill averaged 28.5 points and 17.6 rebounds per game to set mark’s that still stand today. Bill ended his career with 1267 points and 931 rebounds. Paul Knauff won the last Gold Ball Award at the Porter County Tourney in 1962. The award was changed to the M.E. Dinsmoore award the following year. Chuck Riley, Bob Smock and Bill Smock won the award. Paul Schroeder took over as coach in 1968-69 and won 3 straight Porter County Tourney titles. Hebron played at 5 different sectional sites during the 60’s.

The 1970 team was 21-2 and won the PCC round robin, Porter County Tourney and South County Tourney. The team had a PCC record 4 all-conference players. 1970 graduate, Mike Hofferth became the 2^nd leading career scorer with 1415 points. Mike also set the single game scoring record with a 46 point game and won the M.E. Dinsmoore award. 1971 classmates, Rick Ragland and Gary Scroggins just missed the 1000 point club (993 and 940). Scroggins became the all time assist leader with 313 for his career. Mike Lord took over the coaching post in 1971-72. Under Lord, Hebron won sectional titles in 1973, 1974 and 1976. Mike Broughton led the 1973 sectional winning team on his way to 1018 career points. The 1974 team was the first to win a regional game. Mark Stokke and Mike Chapman led the team in scoring. Hebron’s third gym was completed during the 1973-74 season. The direction of the floor was changed to run East and West with balconies on both ends (the current middle school gym). Larry Cooley (20.2) and Dick Rust (19.1) almost became the second duo to average more than 20 points per game in 1974-75. The 1975-76 team won 22 games led by seniors Dick Rust (16.8 ppg and 14.4 rpg), Phil Searle (17.0 ppg and 9.3 rpg), and Bob Pass (16.0 ppg). Senior Joe Gericke set records with 210 assists and an 8.1 per game average. Both are still records today. Dick Rust finished his career with 1055 career points and 865 rebounds. The 1977-78 team was 20-5, led by Jeff Pass (16.4 ppg and 13.9 rpg) and Dan Largent, who scored 45 points against River Forest to set a Hebron gym record.

Mike Broughton returned to Hebron to coach for 2 years, followed by Gary DeSmet for 2 years and Kevin Leising for 3 years. Dennis Foster took over in 1986-87 and held the job for 12 years, accumulating a record 161 wins. 1980 grad, Jeff Patz ended a great career as Hebron’s assist leader with 437. Led by a record-tying four all-conference players John Kobza, Rick Blood, Matt Thomas, and Tim Roeske, the 1981-82 team finished 21-2. John Kobza came up just short of 1000 points with 942, while Tim Roeske handed out 304 career assists. The 1985-86 team, which finished 20-4, was led by Clair Knapp’s 20.9 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. Dana Hernandez and Jamie Fankhauser both averaged more than 6 assists per game. Knapp finished with 1274 points and won the M.E. Dinsmoore award, while Hernandez became only the 4^th player to have more than 300 career assists (303). Both teams won PCC round robin and Porter County Tourney titles.

Ron Kobza, a 1990 graduate, established himself as one of the best to ever play for Hebron. Kobza finished his career with 1505 points (1^st), 945 rebounds (1^st), 286 assists (5^th), and 144 steals (3^rd) and won the M.E. Dinsmoore award. Classmate Shawn Ryan scored 1194 points with 112 3-pointers. The 1989-90 and 1993-94 teams finished 24-1. They both won South County and Porter County Tourney championships along with sectional titles. The 1993-94 team was led by Josh Spinks, who finished his career with 1337 points and 802 rebounds and won the M.E. Dinsmoore award. Justin Moore (94 games played), Bill Miller (.862 ft pct), and Jac Eldridge (113 3-pointers) all set career records during the 90’s. Prior to the 1997-98 school year, the IHSAA voted to split the state into a class system. Joe Hoernig (1992) and Bryon Anderson (1999) just missed 1000 points with 958 and 943 respectively.

Coach Mike DeFries, who took over the coaching duties in 1998-99, got Hebron back on track in 2001-02 after 6 losing seasons. The 2001-02 team won the South County and County tourney’s and finished in a 5-way tie for first in the PCC. Joe Luchene and Ryan Ragland led the way for Hebron. 2001 grad Andy Marks finished his career with 1321 points and a career record 165 steals. Ryan Ragland blocked a record 145 shots. Hebron built the new school and gym prior to the 2005-06 season. The 2006 team won the sectional with Caleb Biggs, Ryne Marshall, Eric Luchene and Ryan Guzorek as the leading players. 2006 graduate Caleb Biggs set the career record for 3-pointers made with 155. Brenda Drook became only the 2^nd female boys varsity basketball coach in IHSAA history, when she coached from 2008-2010. Andrew Shrum won the M.E. Dinsmoore award in 2008.

John Steinhilber became the coach in 2011. The 2012 sectional championship team was 23-2 and won the PCC tourney and South County tourney. Damon Wallace (18.4 ppg and 118 steals) and Cody Artuso (16.4 ppg and 8 rpg) led the team. Damon set single season (118) and career (228) steal records and Cody set the career blocked shot record with 177 and finished his career with 931 points. 2012 was the 75^th and final year of the South County Tourney. John Pauer won the M.E. Dinsmoore award in 2012. In 2013-14, the 100^th season in Hebron history, the team won the PCC tourney.

Mike Grennes took over the coaching duties in the 2017-18 season and led the team to a 13-10 record.  Carson Roeske, a 2018 graduate, became the 12th 1000 point scorer in Hebron history.  He finished his career with 1225 points (8th place).  Josh Clemens won the M.E. Dinsmoore award in 2019.

A big "thank you" goes out to all of the players, coaches, administrators, parents, families, faculty, local businesses and the entire community for making the last 100 years of Hebron basketball a success. As we begin our second century of basketball, we can only hope it is as memorable as the first 100 years.

Written by Sean Bell, class of 1986