Monday night, Collinsville basketball fans enjoyed a special treat when members of the school’s 1956 State Champion girls’ basketball team were recognized with a 70th anniversary ceremony.
Betty (Dolezalek) Graham, Juvean (McWhorter) Snell, Doris Ann (Rector) King and Zoretta (McWhorter) Smith were in attendance Monday night and accepted the recognition on behalf of the team.
Additionally, a table of memorabilia including photos, newspaper articles, patches and trophies were on display for visitors to admire. The ceremony was scheduled to take place after last Friday’s home game, but winter weather caused the event to be rescheduled.
The celebration was the latest chapter in a story that began in 1953, when 8th grade teacher Lloyd Henderson (who knew quite a bit about basketball) began working with the Collinsville students, teaching them basketball skills. After he left, beloved Principal Milton Pearce took over. While he didn’t know much about the sport, he studied books so that he could do his best to coach the girls to victory.
The team was made up of girls from a very rural Collinsville area, many of whom were from farm families. Team manager and Pearce’s right-hand man, Nim Voelkle, feels it was the girls’ work ethic from their farm life that led to their ultimate state championship win.
“The girls worked in fields chopping cotton, hauling hay. In 1953, the cotton crop was so big that they let school out early so the kids could help with the harvest,” Voelkle said. “When our girls played Southmayd, all those Southmayd girls had pin curls in their hair – our girls didn’t have curls in their hair. They were tough. That’s why they were so good. They were in good condition from all of that farm work.”
During that time, there was no official gymnasium for the girls to practice, so an old tin barn was renovated to serve as a gym. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer, but it had a regulation wooden basketball court with adequate bleachers for the crowd.
Pearce led the team to their first State Championship in 1954, which they nearly won. The following year, star player Juvean (McWhorter) Snell decided she wanted to shoot overhand like the boys. After lots of practice, she eventually mastered the technique so that she became nearly unstoppable by opposing teams.
In 1956, the team was undefeated all season and went all the way to the State Championship game in Austin. There, a dozen state records were set in their win over Sulphur Springs North Hopkins, 83-75. The 12 state-tournament records the team set in 1956 were:
(1) High individual score in 1 game – old record: 53; Juvean – 68.
(2) High individual score in a series (3 games) – old record: 118; Juvean – 168.
(3) Field goals by individual in series; old record: 46; Juvean - 70.
(4) High team score in 1 game – old record: 74; Collinsville – 83.
(5) High team score in series – old record: 203; Collinsville – 219.
(6) High team score in championship game – old record: 66; Collinsville – 83.
(7) High individual score in championship game – old record: 53; Juvean – 68.
(8) High team score in championship series: old record: 203; Collinsville – 219.
(9) High total in championship game: Collinsville vs. N. Hopkins – 158.
(10) Most field goals by a team in a game – Collinsville – 34.
(11) Most field goals by an individual in 1 game: Juvean – 28.
(12) Most field goals by an individual in 3 game series: Juvean – 70.
Snell was named to the All-State Girls Basketball team at the conclusion of the tournament.
“She was very good,” Voelkle said of the team’s star player. “It wasn’t until she was in her fifties that she learned she only had three heart valves. Imagine being such a successful athlete with only three heart valves!”
On May 17, 2014, Snell was inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame, an honor that has never been matched by any Collinsville High School athlete. Later, Snell’s jersey number was retired by the CISD basketball program.
Joining Snell on the state playoff roster were her cousin Linda (McWhorter) Hall, Marsha (Scoggin) Roberts, Nancy (Boren) Parker, Clova (Wood) Schenk, Wanda (Click) Stowe, Charlsie (Hite) Stiles, Irene (Hite) Paasch and Betty (Dolezalek) Graham. Also on the travel team were Gloria (Ragsdale) Coxwell and Linda (Carney) Mitchell. Team managers were Anna (Heffley) Cline, Voelkle and Velva Koebelen, the girls’ adult chaperone. There were many other girls who were not on the travel team but who played a vital role in helping the team succeed.
After the State Championship, as the team arrived back in Collinsville from Austin, they were greeted with the most memorable reception.
“There were no rings, no individual trophies and no special monuments, but as players we could not have been more excited,” Graham said. “When we came home to Collinsville, our bus was met by the Collinsville fire truck at Crossroads and we were escorted into a town that was erupting with enthusiasm and excitement. It was such an incredible experience!”
Team manager Anna Cline remembers the State win like it was yesterday.
“We were so excited in being able to participate at State,” she said. “We thought that was the coolest thing ever.”
At only 4’11”, Cline was never destined to play on the team, but she was thrilled to serve as the team manager. Her ability to take shorthand earned her access to all the games, as Coach Pearce would dictate ideas to her about ways the team could improve for next time. The following day, Cline would provide him with typed notes.
“After the team won the semi-finals, we went back to the hotel and the girls were so tired – their feet were hurting, so I massaged all of their feet,” Cline said “I figured since I couldn’t be on the court playing with them, it was the least I could do.”
After the team won, all of the girls were given a letter sweater – including Cline. The honor is among one of her proudest moments.
While most of the 1956 State Champion team is now in their 80s, they still remember the experience as though it happened yesterday. Monday night, they were touched that so many people in the community remember their success, too.
“Monday’s ceremony was a fantastic honor,” Cline said. “It made me feel very good that someone was remembering us.”
