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1967 Championship Team

Class AA State Champions

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

1967 Wyandotte High School Basketball State Champions team photo.

Sitting, L- R > Manager Clyde Blair, Manager Larry Martindale, Manager Dick Morrison. --- Kneeling, L- R > Joel Heider, David Nichols, John Poindexter, James Dukelow, Alonzo (Skip) Thomas, John Kohl, Tom Preston. --- Standing, L- R > Coach Don Upson, Dick Shoultz, Pierre Russell, Louis Dunn, Head Coach Walt Shublom, Walter Williams, Ron Russell, Lenny Knudson, Assistant Coach John Trainor.

Season Highlights

Regular Season

  • The 1966-1967 Wyandotte Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 19-1 record.
     

  • The one loss, before a crowd of over 4,000, was in the final regular season finale to the homestanding Shawnee Mission North Indians (now Bison) by the score of 59-53.

    • The Indians win gave them a 10-0 conference record & 1st place in the Sunflower League breaking Wyandotte’s 12-year streak of conference titles.
       

  • The closest game of the regular season was a 53-51 win over the Wichita East Blue Aces. 

    • The Blue Aces had the ball with 1:28 to play trailing by one but turned it over with 0:27 left.  
       

  • The Bulldogs defeated the Wichita North Redskins (now Redhawks) 73-66 for 1st place in the Wichita North Invitational Tournament.

    • Pierre Russell led the Bulldogs with 23 points and 12 rebounds.  John Poindexter & Louis Dunn both added 16 points and Tom Preston contributed 15.  Dunn pulled down 11 rebounds.
       

  • Every other regular season game was won by the Bulldogs in double figures including an early season 63-50 non-conference victory over Shawnee Mission North.

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Regional Tournament @ Shawnee Mission North High School

  • In the Regional semifinals, Wyandotte ousted the Shawnee Mission West Vikings 69-52.

    • Pierre Russell led with 26 points & 14 rebounds & Tom Preston added 15.  Louis Dunn added 10 points & 12 rebounds. 
       

  • In the Regional finals in front of a crowd of over 5,000, Wyandotte defeated the home-standing Shawnee Mission North Indians 66-57 to avenge the season’s only loss.

    • Pierre Russell led the Bulldogs with 18 points & 14 rebounds and John Poindexter added 12 points.  Louis Dunn tallied 12 points & 10 rebounds.

 

State Tournament @ Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas in Lawrence

  • In the quarterfinals, Wyandotte overpowered the Independence Bulldogs 69-47.

    • Pierre Russell led Wyandotte with 16 points and 18 rebounds.

    • Wyandotte was powered by a 72-33 rebounding advantage.
       

  • In the semifinals before a crowd of 7,500, Wyandotte defeated the Ward Cyclones 50-38.

    • Pierre Russell had 15 points & 18 rebounds, Alonzo Thomas had 10 points & 17 rebounds and Tom Preston added 10 points.

    • Wyandotte led 28-19 at half. With the win, Wyandotte advanced to their 17th title game in 22 seasons.
       

  • In the state championship game in front of a crowd of 11,000, Wyandotte defeated the previously unbeaten McPherson Bullpups 56-41. 

    • Pierre Russell led the Bulldogs with 23 points and 20 rebounds & Louis Dunn tallied 13 points & 9 rebounds.

    • Wyandotte trailed 9-8 at the end of the 1st quarter and only led 20-17 at half. The Bulldogs blitzed McPherson with a 15-3 3rd quarter onslaught to secure a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

    • Wyandotte’s pressure defense held McPherson to 24% shooting in the title game.
       

  • In the state tournament, Wyandotte out rebounded their 3 opponents by the margin of 200-122.
     

  • The 1967 State Championship was the Bulldogs’ 9th title in 13 seasons.   
     

  • The total attendance of 27,000 fans was a tournament record.

Special Recognition

Pierre Russell (Class of 1967)

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Early Life

  • Grew up at 17th & Hiawatha Street.  Attended Roosevelt Elementary School & West Junior High School before entering Wyandotte in the fall of 1964.
     

High School Career

  • 1966-1967 senior season

    • Earned 1st Team All-Metro by the Kansas City Star, Class AA All-State, Class AA All-Tournament & MVP.

    • Averaged 22 points and 20 rebounds for the season. 

    • Averaged 25 points per game in the Sunflower League which was the highest mark in conference history.

    • Shot 71% from the field as a senior.  Season highs were 46 points against the Topeka High School Trojans in the season opener and 27 rebounds against the Ward Cyclones.

    • Finished his career as the 3rd highest scorer in Wyandotte history behind Lucius Allen and Larry Comley.

    • Named 3rd Team All-American in Parade Magazine.

    • Joined on the 3rd team by Spencer Haywood, Artis Gilmore, and Dean Meminger.

    • Named to the Scholastic Magazine All-American team (top 40 high school players in the U.S.).

    • Signed with the University of Kansas Jayhawks and Coach Ted Owens in April.

    • Honored for his high school accomplishments at a dinner at the First Baptist Church at 5th & Nebraska in May.

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  • 1965-1966 junior season

    • Earned 2nd Team All-Sunflower League honors.

    • Won the 1966 Class AA pole vault state championship.

College Career

  • Played for the Kansas Jayhawks from 1967-1971 seasons.  Helped the Jayhawks to the 1971 Final Four.

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  • 1970-1971 senior season

    • Helped the Jayhawks to a 27-3 record, 1st place finish in the Big 8 Conference, and a #4 national ranking.

    • Averaged 10.3 points & 7.8 rebounds per game earning 2nd team All-Big 8 Conference honors.

    • As the winner of the Big 8 Conference, Kansas earned the #1 seed in the Midwest Regional that was held at the Henry Levitt Arena on the campus of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.

    • Kansas defeated the Houston Cougars 78-77 in the semifinals and the Drake Bulldogs 73-71 in the finals to advance to the 1971 Final Four.

    • In the 1971 Final Four, Kansas fell to the UCLA Bruins 68-60 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.

    • Russell contributed 12 points as the Jayhawks’ second leading scorer in the game.

    • UCLA went on to defeat the Villanova Wildcats 57-55 in the National Championship game.

Pierre Russell, 1967 Wyandotte High School Basketball, KCKS.

Pierre Russell playing for the University of Kansas Jayhawks.

  • 1969-70 junior season

    • Helped the Jayhawks to a 17-9 record and 2nd place finish in the Big 8 Conference.

    • Averaged 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game as the team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder.

    • Earned 2nd Team All-Big 8 Conference honors & was named team MVP by his teammates.
       

  • 1968-69 sophomore season

    • Helped the Jayhawks to a 20-7 record, 2nd place finish in the Big 8 Conference, and a #19 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.

    • Averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game earning Honorable Mention All-Big 8 Conference honors.
       

  • 1967-68 freshman season

    • Played for the Jayhawk freshman team in 1967-68 with future Jayhawk varsity teammates and NBA players Dave Robisch and Roger Brown.

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Professional Career

  • Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 13th round of the 1971 NBA Draft.

  • Played 2 seasons (1971-1972 and 1972-1973) in the ABA for the Kentucky Colonels.

Player Accomplishments

Reference Team Photo - Sitting, from left to right

Clyde Blair, Larry Martindale, and Dick Morrison, Managers
 

Reference Team Photo - Kneeling, from left to right

  • Joel Heider (Junior, Class of 1968)

  • David Nichols (Junior, Class of 1968)

  • John Poindexter (Junior, Class of 1968)

  • James Dukelow (Senior, Class of 1967)

    • Contributed as a guard.

    • Captain of Bulldog football team where he earned 2nd Team All-Sunflower League honors.

    • Played football as a starting linebacker for the Kansas State Wildcats and Coach Vince Gibson.
       

  • Alonzo Thomas (Junior, Class of 1968)

  • John Kohl (Senior, Class of 1967)

    • Scored 7 points in the Regional Final win over Shawnee Mission North that avenged the season’s only loss.

    • Contributed key defensive work against Shawnee Mission North’s top scorer Skip James.
       

  • Tom Preston (Senior, Class of 1967)

    • Earned 2nd Team Class AA State All-Tournament.

    • Earned a varsity letter as a reserve for the 1965 State Championship team.

    • Played basketball for the Northwestern University Wildcats of the Big 10 Conference.

      • Played for 3 seasons from 1968-1969 through 1970-1971 as a reserve guard.
         

Reference Team Photo - Standing, from left to right

  • Don Upson, Assistant Coach

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  • Pierre Russell (Senior, Class of 1967)

  • Louis Dunn (Senior, Class of 1967)

    • Earned 1st Team Class AA State All-Tournament & 2nd Team Class AA All-State.

    • Earned 1st Team All-Sunflower League despite being 13th in the League in scoring at 11 points per game.
       

  • Walt Shublom, Head Coach
     

  • Walter Williams (Sophomore, Class of 1969)

  • Ron Russell (Sophomore, Class of 1969)

  • Lenny Knudson (Senior, Class of 1967)

    • Contributed as a forward.

    • Scored 11 points in a February game against the Topeka Trojans.
       

  • John Trainor, Assistant Coach

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