Remembering Algoma’s beloved Elephants

ALGOMA – The Wolves’ 1950-51 basketball team won the conference championship with an 11-1 mark. Recently, the last two living members of this team, Jack Rutz and Jack Cepek, passed away within a month of one another X Cepek on Oct. 11 (age 91) and Rutz (92) on Nov. 5.

After not seeing each another for nearly five decades, the two renewed their friendship in the early 2000’s, and remained friends until their deaths.

The team was affectionately known as “The Elephants,” a tribute to their size. Clare Eddy, the team’s first-year coach, was blessed with an all-senior starting lineup. The front line consisted of Gilbert Lohf and Peter Groessl, both 6’3,” and 6’2” Wayne Younk. Louie Kirchman at 6’ and Jack Rutz, a mere 5’8,” formed the backcourt. Cepek, Russ Younk, Jerry Seiler, Roger Stangel and Dan Bahr, all of whom were 6’ or more, were the reserves.

“Lohf, Groessl and Seiler, who were also linemen on the football team, were all broad-shouldered and possessed great upper body strength as well,” recalled Rutz prior to his death.

In a 92-26 victory over Seymour on Jan. 26, 1951, Wayne Younk poured in 52 points on 24 baskets and four free throws, decades before the three-point field goal made its high school debut. Younk’s 52 points remains a school record to this day, more than 75 years later.

Algoma’s only conference loss came at Oconto in December. In the Blue Devils’ return engagement at Algoma in February, the Wolves prevailed in a tense 54-53 contest before a standing-room-only crowd (“Wolves leave fans limp with hectic victory” trumpeted Algoma Record-Herald headline). Since television wouldn’t come to northeastern Wisconsin for another two years, fans regularly packed the old high school gym on the corner of Sixth and Cleveland.

In a late-season game against arch-rival Kewaunee in Algoma, an altercation between opposing players took place, resulting in fans of the two schools spilling onto the court. Order was restored, thankfully without any injuries or arrests.

Algoma won its first three tournament games to advance to the sectional at Menasha. At the time, the state tournament was a single class affair. Since schools in the powerful Fox River Valley Conference weren’t participating in the tournament at the time, fans eagerly looked forward to the Wolves advancing to Madison. Unfortunately, Algoma dropped an eight-point decision to Shawano, 40-32.

Wayne Younk won the conference scoring title while Groessl was in fifth. The Wolves finished with an overall record of 17-6, including non-conference victories over Kaukauna, Kimberly and Waupaca.

In addition to his duties as head basketball mentor, Eddy also coached the football and baseball teams. To top off its basketball title, Algoma won the conference title in both football and baseball during that school year.

The football championship was won in the season’s final game, a 13-6 win at Sturgeon Bay before 2,478 fans, likely an all-time record crowd for an Algoma High School athletic event. Cepek quarterbacked the team while Rutz played both fullback and middle linebacker. Kirchman led the baseball team with a .393 average (13 hits in 33 at bats). Rutz, the team’s catcher, wasn’t far behind with a .351 mark (13 for 37).