Sixty basketball seasons ago, these Bluffton Pirates finsihed 11 and 6 overall and third in the Western Buckeye League.
Team members from left are Jim "Spike" Berry, guard; Jim Fisher, guard; Ron Lora, forward; James Matter, forward; Thorne Lauriat, forward; Jack Fields, center; Ron Geiser, forward; Don Alspach, center, Marvin Diller, guard and Joe Urich, guard.
This team was the 1955-56 non-county tournament champs.
Here's a "one-of-a-kind" Bluffton High School boys' basketball team. It's the 1964-65 season and is the first-ever for the combined school districts of Bluffton and Beaverdam. Interesting to note that there are five Beaverdam players and five Bluffton players.
Somewhere in the past the identity of a "Bluffton" student and "Beaverdam" student disappeared. But during the first few school years from '64 on, you were identified by one or the other community.
Here's the Bluffton High School Pirates varsity basketball team from 48 seasons ago - 1966-67 season. One of these guys played football at Ohio State University (Jim Opperman).
The team had a respectible 12-8 record.
The player names are listed in the photo. CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE.
Fifty-six varsity boys' basketball seasons ago - these were the Bluffton High School Pirates. It was the 1958-59 season.
Front row from left, Don Deerhake, Dave Bash, George Burkholder, Dale Schiffke and Ken Logan.
Standing from left, Dave Little, Charles Baber, Ramon Lewis, Rudi Steiner and Larry Smucker. Joe Harris was the team coach. This team's record was 8-10.
Forty-seven seasons ago, these Pirates, with their black Red Ball Jets tennis shoes, finished 12-9 overall and set a school record scoring of 103 points in a game (versus Perry in tourney opener). Names of the players are attached to the photo. This was the 1967-68 Bluffton boys' team.
It was 52 basketball seasons ago. This was the Bluffton High School varsity boys' basketball team. Joe Harris was the coach and Beaverdam had its own high school. The year was 1962-63. Games were in the "old" BHS gym.
Names of the players are on the photo. Click on image to enlarge.
