1951-52 Dons Basketball Team To Be Inducted In DHS Hall of Fame

The 1951-52 Dons basketball team will be inducted into the DHS Hall of Fame for accomplishing the difficult feat of achieving State Tournament status in a time before there were district or class divisions.

The Dons started that year with decisive wins. Their first game was an away game at Van Buren. They won it 58-38 and then came home to give Koshkonong a 102-37 loss. They were invited to the Broseley Invitational Tournament soon after and defeated Broseley, Naylor and Ellsinore to take first place.

With a 12-0 record, the Dons entered the Cape Girardeau Christmas Tournament. The State Champion Puxico Indians were there and it was expected that the two teams would meet in the final. Instead, they met in the first round. The game was close and didn’t end until the last few seconds when the Dons lost by four points.

The Dons did not let that loss stop their momentum. The Prospect-News of that year ran headlines such as: Dons Continue Winning Streak, Dons Pass 100 Mark for Second Time and Dons Overwhelm Neelyville.

They kept winning and with a 24-3 record the Dons were invited to the Regional Tournament. In quick succession they defeated Cabool (59-37), Piedmont (50-38) and Salem (60-49). Their record was now 27-3 and they were on their way to Columbia to compete in the State Tournament.

On Wednesday, March 5, the Dons met the Kirksville Tigers. The Dons gained an early lead, ending the first quarter 13-8. They kept the lead the entire game, never letting the Tigers get closer than four points. By the end of the game they increased that lead to a more significant margin and won 49-34.

The Dons’ opponent in the semi-final round was St. Louis University High. Again the Dons took a first quarter lead but lost it in the second quarter. They played hard, scoring 46 points but on that day, the St. Louis team played harder, posting 74 points.

St. Louis University High would go on to win the state tournament. The Dons came home with a 28-4 record and the headline: Dons Close Record Breaking Basketball Season. Players Bill Gatlin and John Harder would go on to be selected for the All-State team.

Former 1951-52 Dons player Roger Green will be at the Hall of Fame induction. After graduating from Doniphan, Green attended the University of Missouri where he graduated with a degree in medicine in 1960. Dr. Green had a decades-long practice in Newport, Ark., retiring two years ago.

Of the state tournament and his scholastic sports experience, he said, “It taught me discipline and how to compete at all levels of life.”

The DHS Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Jan. 6 at the Bill L. Wright Gymnasium.