Trafford Publishing: Kats With a K

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Kats With a K

by Dean W. Hockney

238 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1684; ISBN 1-4120-1306-2; US$25.00, C$32.00, EUR20.80, £14.41

Kokomo, Indiana may be the auto technology center of America, but it is the basketball team that has kept the interest of thousands of fans for 100 seasons.

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about the book about the author sample excerpts or Table of Contents catalogue info

About the Book

The Kokomo High School basketball program has one of the most storied histories in all of Hoosier Hysteria. From its origins in 1903-1904, to the Lady Kats winning the Class 4A state championship in the year 100, Kokomo has been on the front of the statewide sports page on a consistent basis.
But how did this school in Central Indiana, located 50 miles north of Indianapolis, become among the elite programs of the state? And who were the key figures along the way?
These are just a couple of the questions that will be answered in this look back at the days of basketball gone by. back to a time when Kokomo had to sell split-season tickets and have a lottery for tournament tickets despite a downtown 7,000-seat basketball Mecca for hoop junkies to watch the beloved game. Back to a time when the Kats were in the state title game, playing against a 7-foot monster. It is the story of a team called 'Kats with a K'.

About the Author

This is the first book authored by Dean Hockney, who was born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana, and is a 1986 graduate of Kokomo High School. Dead started his sportswriting career soon after graduating from KHS, with his first works appearing in the Kokomo Sports Page. He later served as the Associate Editor of the Indy Sports Magazine in Indianapolis. Dean honorably served nine years in the United States Air Force -- where he worked for various military publications and proudly was awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the NATO medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Armed Forces Service Medal. He is currently the Managing Editor of the Kokomo Perspective newspaper after serving as a sportswriter and Sports Editor at the publication. Dean is a regular contributor to the Indiana Basketball History Magazine, and has been published in the American Legion Magazine and The Harmonizer.

Sample Excerpts or Table of Contents

Excerpt 1: Preface

Kats with a K.
My friend Wil Hampton, Sports Director at WISH-TV in Indianapolis, coined that phrase for use in his telecasts when referring to the strange spelling Kokomo High School uses for its nickname, the Wildkats. However, when Coach Louis Guetz led Kokomo High School onto the basketball floor for the first time in 1904, the name Wildcat - or as it would officially become later, Wildkat - was a nickname not even thought of at the school bordering the Wildcat Creek. And no one was sure the sport would take hold in what would become the City of Firsts. In fact, as you will read, the girl's program actually was the forerunner of the boy's team.
I have the unique advantage of watching Kokomo High School basketball from one of the best seats in some of the best gyms in the entire United States - press row. And, being a 1986 graduate of Kokomo High School, I have always been enamored with the Red and Blue. Unfortunately, I was not a gifted basketball player, so I did not have the opportunity to dress and run the floors at Memorial Gymnasium.
Now, when I play in charity basketball games at Memorial Gym, I look up at the stands and think back on 50 years of history that was produced in the famed complex. And I dream of the 100 years of hardwood action that has taken place on the courts through the years. Even when I cover a game for my newspaper, the Kokomo Perspective, I can't help but look into the rafters and stare at the banners from the years gone by. One always seems to stand out - the 1961 boy's basketball state championship banner.
Sure, the girl's program has flourished into the best in Indiana with its three state titles in the last 11 years. But it is the magic of the boy's title, back in a day when people actually lived and breathed the game invented by Dr. James Naismith all those years ago.
It was a magical time, a time when fans of Kokomo basketball actually stood in line to get in the gym before a game -- even when they had tickets. A time when the Kokomo administration decided to sell split season tickets so everyone had a chance to see the game on Friday or Saturday night. And this was in a gym that held more than 7,000 screaming fans. I often wish I had lived during those And the sectionals? That was something special. I can't even imagine what it was like to have to sit in Memorial Gym during a raffle to get tickets to the hottest game in town.
In this day of class basketball -- which I am against but have come to accept -- the game just isn't the same. Can you name Indiana's Mr. Basketball of two years ago? Or who were the four state champions just last year? My money says the majority of people reading this book -- most of whom are knowledgable basketball fans -- can't answer those two questions. And that is why I find the history of Kokomo basketball so compelling. Sure, current head coach Mike Wade is doing an outstanding job as the Wildkat mentor, but the days of entertaining a packed house are gone. There are no more sellouts of Memorial Gymnasium. In fact, what was once a grand temple to the game of Hoosier Hysteria has now shriveled in size to less than 6,000 seats. What a shame.
Thus, this book is written to tell the story of days gone by, when the game actually mattered to an entire city. I am writing history for all Wildkat fans. And while I am on the subject, I just want everyone to know that I will use the term *Wildkat* instead of *Wildcat,* simply for the sake of uniformity. I know that may offend the diehard oldtimers, but please bear with me, because this book is for you to relive your memories -- and for a new generation to fall in love with a team one man fondly calls, Kats with a K.
Excerpt 2: The Splendid Splinter

Platt's first year with the Wildkats saw his squad go 16-10 in 1950-1951, losing to rival Muncie in the Semi- State. The following season, Kokomo returned to the semistate, but lost once again to Muncie in the final game, ending the season at 25-3. Kokomo's regular season dominance continued in year three of the Platt Era, as the Kats once again won the sectional and regional to reach the semi-state. But, as in the previous two seasons, Kokomo fell, this time to Hartford City, 71-53.
Platt's fourth season saw Kokomo win the sectional and regional once again. But, hard luck fell on Platt's troops as they lost to Mississinewa, 66-55, in the morning game of the semi-state. But fans of basketball around the state were now really taking notice of Platt, as his teams played in the Semi-State each of his first four years at Kokomo. But then came the three year span of sectional upsets, and the fever began to subside, that is, until the 1957-1958 season. With Jimmy Rayl now a junior and a state phenomenon, the Wildkats cruised through the season with a 17-3 mark and the North Central Conference crown. Rayl's explosion on the sports scene saw him lead the conference in scoring with 216 points - breaking the NCC record. For the season, the *Splendid Splinter* scored 680 points, including a 46 point outburst against Indianapolis Crispus Attucks. The high-flying Kats flew through sectional play, downing Burlington, Camden, Flora, and Delphi. The Kats were so dominant in that sectional that they averaged 941/2 points, while giving up an average of 48, or a 461/2 point scoring difference. The roll continued through the regional with wins over Noblesville and Wabash, but the semi-state monkey remained on Platt's back, as Elkhart handed the Wildkats a season ending loss, 59-57. In three trips to the Fort Wayne Semi-State, the Kats were 0-3 under Platt.
The following season - Rayl's senior campaign - saw Kokomo finish the regular season 15-5. But it was the Splendid Splinter, so named for his tall but lanky frame, who would garner most of the press across the state. Most players dream of joining the exclusive 1,000 Point Club during their careers. But in a record setting senior year, Rayl's sweet jump shot -- still considered to be one of the best jumpers in the history of high school hoops -- had cracked that barrier very early in the season en route to a school record 858 point season, or nearly 30 points per game. In fact, KHS records show Rayl was the first player to crack the 1,000 point barrier. He also shattered his own NCC record with 269 points.
The Wildkats, who were led by Roger Thurston, Chuck Fawcett, John Gillem, Mike Astell, and Bob Ferguson, were now poised for a run at the state title. The Kats entered the sectional and had an unexpected struggle with Eastern, beating them by eight points, 51-43. But they corrected their sluggishness and downed Western, 81-41, and Northwestern in the final, 78-32. In the Kokomo Regional, the host team took out Wabash, 89-52, and Noblesville, 81-62. That win sent Kokomo to the Fort Wayne Semi-State -- a place the Kats had not won a game since the series moved from Muncie. In the morning game, the Kats were matched with the Archers of Fort Wayne South Side, and it looked as if the jinx of Fort Wayne would remain on Platt and his Kokomo team. But, with two seconds left, Rayl nailed one of his patented 30-foot jump shots, sending the Kats to jubilation with a thrilling 92-90 victory. The Splendid Splinter finished the game with a game-high 40 points, out-dueling South Side gunner Tom Bolyard's 33. Kokomo faced NCC-rival Marion in the finale, and downed the Giants, 66-55, sending Kokomo to the Final Four for the first time since 1944.
The opening game of the state finals was another barn burning, last second win for Kokomo. This time, the Kats faced New Albany, and Chuck Fawcett scorched the nets at the overtime buzzer to give the Wildkats a 58-56 win - and a shot at the elusive state crown. Kokomo now faced Crispus Attucks, a team that Rayl had ripped for nearly 50 points the year before. But this one was never a contest, as Attucks knocked the Kats down for a 92-54 win, which at the time was the second worst loss by a team in a state championship game. Kokomo's fans tears soon turned to joy after the game, as Rayl was named the Trester Award winner. The Splendid Splinter ended his marvelous Kokomo career with a school-record 1,632 points, a state championship runnersup trophy, and a pair of All-NCC selections. His 114 tournament points in the Final Four was a state record. But his most memorable accomplishment may have been when he was named Mr. Basketball of Indiana in 1959, and where he won the Star of Stars Award in the annual Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Series.
Rayl continued his outstanding career at Indiana University, where he was a two-time All-American and All-Big Ten selection. His 1963 All-American distinction was one of two for the Hoosiers, as his IU teammate and former adversary Tom Bolyard was also tapped for the high honor. Rayl set the IU single game scoring record with 56 points - twice. The record still stands today. He was the IU MVP his senior year, and finished with 1,401 career points. And he made every one of his points without the help of the modern day three-point line -- leaving fans wondering how many points he would have scored if the line were in play during his era.
He played on the World Cup gold medal winning USA team in 1966, and for an AAU national championship team. As a member of the Indiana Pacers, he had a game high 32 points. He was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989, and was named to the Indiana University All-Century team - one of just 15 players on the ceremonial squad. And this year, he was inducted into his hometown Howard County Sports Hall of Fame as one of six Charter Class members.

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