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1955 Championship Team

Class AA State Champions

Select or scroll down to view:  Season Highlights  |  Special Recognition  |  Player Accomplishments

Kneeling, L- R > Assistant Coach, Robert Wachs - Head Coach - Carter Burns - Manager, Bruce Irwin --- Standing, L- R > Bob Kohler, Jon Morrissey, Al Roots, Larry Comley, Tom Lewis, Jerry Sewell, Monte Johnson, Al Donaghue, Bill Doherty, Paul Bader, Rex Beach

Season Highlights

Regular Season

  • The 1954-55 Wyandotte Bulldogs finished the regular season with an 16-2 record and won the Sunflower League championship. Wyandotte’s average margin of victory was over 18 points per game.
     

  • Wyandotte defeated the Topeka Trojans 57-43 in the second conference game at Wyandotte.  Alan Donaghue led with 18 points and Bill Doherty added 14.
     

  • In the only regular season win that was decided by a margin of under 10 points, Wyandotte defeated the Parsons Vikings 55-47 in the semifinals of the Wichita North tournament. Monte Johnson led the Bulldogs with 17 points, Bill Doherty added 16 points, and Jon Morrissey with 11.  Parsons’ second leading scorer was senior Bill Guthridge with 11 points.
     

  • In the championship game of the Wichita North Invitational Tournament, the Bulldogs fell to the Wichita North Redskins (now Redhawks) 51-47. Wichita North extended a 1-point halftime lead to a 37-27 margin at the end of the 3rd quarter and held on for the victory.  Bill Doherty led the Bulldogs with 22 points & Jon Morrissey added 11.  Wichita North junior forward Curtis McClinton scored 7 points for the Redskins.
     

  • The Bulldogs set a single-game team scoring record in beating the Washington Wildcats 90-67.
     

  • The Bulldogs defeated the Leavenworth Pioneers 69-52 in a game at Wyandotte.  Bill Doherty led the Bulldogs with 30 points which set the record for most points in a game played at the Bulldog gym.
     

  • The homestanding Topeka Trojans avenged the earlier loss to Wyandotte by beating the Bulldogs 64-60. Wyandotte led 31-27 at half before the Topeka rallied in the 3rd quarter with a 19-8 run.  Alan Donaghue led with 21 points, Bill Doherty added 15, and Monte Johnson contributed 10.
     

  • Coach Walt Shublom was the “Reserve” (junior varsity) coach in 1954-1955 before taking over as head coach from Coach Carter Burns in the subsequent 1955-1956 season.

Regional Tournament @ Shawnee Mission High School (now Shawnee Mission North)

  • In the semifinals, Wyandotte defeated the Bishop Ward Cyclones 66-47.  Bill Doherty led with 19 points, Alan Donaghue added 18, and Monte Johnson scored 10.
     

  • In the championship, Wyandotte defeated the Shawnee Mission Indians (now Shawnee Mission North Bison) 61-39.  Bill Doherty led with 19 points & Alan Donaghue finished with 18.

 

State Tournament @ Ahearn Field House at Kansas State University in Manhattan

  • Wyandotte entered the 1955 state tournament after 2nd place finishes in the previous two state tourneys.
     

  • In front of a crowd of 5,000 in the quarterfinals, Wyandotte defeated the Dodge City Demons 71-55. Alan Donaghue led in scoring with 33 points and Monte Johnson added 11.
     

  • In the semifinals, Wyandotte defeated the Chanute Blue Comets 58-49. Wyandotte led 32-29 at half and 44-37 after the 3rd quarter.  Alan Donaghue led with 24 points, Monte Johnson added 14 and Bill Doherty had 13. Chanute defeated the defending Class AA champion Wichita North Redskins 59-46 in the quarterfinals.  Wichita North also had handed Wyandotte their first loss in their earlier meeting in the Wichita North Invitational Tournament championship game.
     

  • In the state championship game, Wyandotte defeated the Leavenworth Pioneers 53-43.  Wyandotte led Leavenworth 20-8 at the end of the 1st quarter and was never threatened.  Bill Doherty led with 19 points & Monte Johnson added 11.
     

  • The 1955 championship started a string of 6 titles in next 7 years but was the Bulldogs’ first since 1941.

Alan Donague
Special Recognition

Alan Donaghue (Junior, Class of 1956)

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Early Life

  • Grew up on 63rd and Parkview Avenue

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High School Career

  • Helped the Bulldogs to three Class AA state title game appearances and the 1955 state championship.

  • Earned 1st team Kansas City, Kansas All-Stars by the Kansas City Star.

  • Earned 1st team Class AA All-Tournament and Tournament MVP.

  • Earned 2nd team Class AA All-State.

  • Earned 1956 1st team Kansas City, Kansas All-Stars by the Kansas City Star.

  • Earned 1956 1st team Class AA All-Tournament.

  • Accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Kansas and Coach Dick Harp in the spring of 1956 over offers from the Kansas State Wildcats and Coach Tex Winter and the Air Force Academy Falcons (lead recruiter was Assistant Coach Dean Smith).

Al Donaghue, 1955 Wyandotte High School Basketball, KCKS 350px.jpg

College Career

  • Averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds during his Jayhawk career.

  • Played for the Kansas freshman team during the 1956-1957 season when that season’s varsity Jayhawk team, led by sophomore center Wilt Chamberlain, lost the National Championship game (held at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri) 54-53 in triple overtime to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

  • Teamed with Wilt Chamberlain and fellow Bulldog Monte Johnson, helped the 1957-1958 Jayhawks to an 18-5 record and a #7 final ranking in the Associated Press poll.

  • Helped the Jayhawks to the 1957 Big 7 Conference Holiday Tournament Championship.

  • Helped the Jayhawks to the 1959-1960 Big 8 Conference Co-Championship.

Alan Donaghue, playing for the Kansas Jayhawks, c. 1959.

Monte Johnson

  • Scored a career-high 27 points in the Jayhawks’ 66-64 loss to the Colorado Buffaloes in Allen Fieldhouse on January 20, 1959, which was the Jayhawks’ first nationally televised basketball game. At halftime of the game, the Jayhawks switched their red uniforms to white because the television audience (watching in “black and white”) couldn’t distinguish between their red and the Buffaloes’ gold uniforms.

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Monte Johnson (Senior, Class of 1955)


Early Life

  • Grew up at 11th and State Avenue.
     

High School Career

  • Earned 1st team Kansas City, Kansas All-Stars by the Kansas City Star.

  • Earned 2nd team Class AA All-Tournament.

  • Accepted an academic scholarship to the University of Kansas in the Spring of 1955.

Monte Johnson 1955 Wyandotte High School Basketball, KCKS 350px.jpg

Monte Johnson, playing for the Kansas Jayhawks, c. 1956.

College Career

  • Started his college basketball career as a “walk-on” but became a part-time starter during his career.

  • Played for the Jayhawks from the 1956-1957 season through the 1958-1959 season for Head Coach Dick Harp.  Averaged 3 points and 4 rebounds per game during his career.

  • Played for the 1956-1957 Jayhawk team that was led by sophomore center Wilt Chamberlain that lost the National Championship game (held at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri) 54-53 in triple overtime to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

  • Played for the 1957-1958 team that finished with an 18-5 record and finished 2nd in the Big 8 Conference and a #7 final ranking in the Associated Press poll.  Former Wyandotte teammate Alan Donaghue was a member of the 1957-1958 team as was Wilt Chamberlain playing in his second and final season with the Jayhawks.

Professional Career

  • Served two stints in the University of Kansas Athletic Department.  Johnson’s first stint was as a director of public relations and business manager starting in 1961.  After stints in the banking & real estate industries, Johnson was hired as the Jayhawk Athletic Director in 1982 in a role that he held until 1987. In 1983 Johnson hired former NBA and UCLA basketball coach Larry Brown to replace Ted Owens who was released after the 1982-1983 season.

Player Accomplishments

Reference Team Photo - Kneeling, from left to right

  • Robert Wachs, Assistant Coach -- Carter Burns, Head Coach -- Bruce Irwin, Manager

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Reference Team Photo, - Standing, from left to right

  • Bob Kohler (Junior, Class of 1956)

    • Contributed as a guard.
       

  • Jon Morrissey (Senior, Class of 1955)

    • Contributed as a forward.

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  • Al Roots (Junior, Class of 1956)

    • Earned 1956 2nd team Kansas City, Kansas All-Stars by the Kansas City Star.

    • Played college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

    • Played 2 seasons (1959-60 & 1960-61) for the Huskers averaging 6 points & 3 rebounds per game.
       

  • Larry Comley (Sophomore, Class of 1957)

  • Tom Lewis (Junior, Class of 1956)

    • Earned 2nd team Kansas City, Kansas All-Stars by the Kansas City Star.

    • Earned 1956 1st team Kansas City, Kansas All-Stars by the Kansas City Star.

    • Earned 1956 1st team Class AA All-Tournament.

    • Played basketball for the William Jewell Cardinals.

    • Played on the first Cardinal team to make the NAIA Final Four in the 1959-60 season.
       

  • Jerry Sewell (Junior, Class of 1956)

    • Contributed as a center.
       

  • Monte Johnson (Senior, Class of 1955)

  • Al Donaghue (Junior, Class of 1956)

  • Bill Doherty (Senior, Class of 1955)

    • Earned 1st team Kansas City, Kansas All-Stars by the Kansas City Star.

    • Earned 1st team Class AA All-Tournament.

    • Earned 2nd team Class AA All-State.
       

  • Paul Bader (Senior, Class of 1955)

    • Contributed as a starting guard.

    • Earned Honorable Mention Kansas City, Kansas All-Stars by the Kansas City Star.

    • Played freshman basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats on the same 1955 squad as future NBA All-Star & Olympian Bob Boozer.

    • Played college baseball as an outfielder for the Wildcats where he was the first player in program history to win All-Big 8 Conference honors in 1958. 
       

  • Rex Beach (Sophomore, Class of 1957)

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