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1968 Championship Team

Class AA State Champions

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

1968 Wyandotte High School Basketball State Champions team photo.

Sitting > Manager David Kendall. ---  Kneeling, L- R > Manager Mike Patton, Rob Hassig, David Nichols, Dick Shoults, John Poindexter, Joel Heider, John Hunter, Manager Richard Morrison. --- Standing, L- R > Trainer Bill Young, Alonzo (Skip) Thomas, Richard Morsden, Walter Williams, Head Coach Walt Shublom, Ben Painter, Ron Russell, Glenn Russell, Assistant Coach Don Upson.

Season Highlights

Regular Season

  • Wyandotte finished the regular season with a 16-2 record, tying the Topeka Trojans for the Sunflower League championship.
     

  • In the season’s second game, which was the Sunflower League opener played at Wyandotte, the Bulldogs lost to the Topeka Trojans 58-53. Wyandotte led by 15 points with 9 minutes remaining, but with Alonzo Thomas fouling out late in the 3rd quarter, Topeka outscored the Bulldogs 23-8 in the 4th quarter to win the game.  The Bulldogs were led by 26 points from Walter Williams.
     

  • In the season’s only other loss, the homestanding Ward Cyclones overcame an 8-point Wyandotte lead in the 4th quarter to defeat the Bulldogs 54-52. Alonzo Thomas led the Bulldogs with 22 points.
     

  • A key regular season win was a 59-50 win over the previously unbeaten Sumner Spartans in the semifinals of the Wyandotte Invitational Tournament.  Walter Williams led the Bulldogs with 25 points and 13 rebounds, Alonzo Thomas contributed 11 points and Ron Russell chipped in 10 points.  Sumner’s Leonard Gray was charged with 4 first half fouls and finished with 7 points.
     

  • In an early February road rematch with the Topeka Trojans, the Bulldogs blasted the Trojans 74-44.  Walter Williams led the Bulldogs with 24 points and 17 rebounds and Ron Russell added 23 points and 11 rebounds. Alonzo Thomas chipped in 21 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds.

 

Regional Tournament @ Shawnee Mission South High School

  • The 8-team Shawnee Mission South Regional featured 3 of the top 5 Class AA teams in the state. In addition to 16-2 2nd ranked Wyandotte, the 3rd-ranked Sumner Spartans were 18-1 with their only loss to Wyandotte. The fifth-ranked Ward Cyclones finished the regular season with a record of 16-3.
     

    • In the semifinals, Wyandotte ousted the Bishop Miege Stags 87-62. 

      • Walter Williams led the Bulldogs 23 points & 15 rebounds, Alonzo Thomas added 16 points & 8 assists, Dave Nichols chipped in 15 points and Ron Russell added 12 points and 9 rebounds.  Bishop Miege was led by Terry English’s 18 points. -- Terry English later coached the girls’ basketball program at Bishop Miege for 45 seasons (1975-2021) winning 22 Kansas High School state championships.

      • In the other semifinal, the Ward Cyclones advanced to the regional championship game by defeating the Sumner Spartans 63-56 despite 27 points from Sumner’s Leonard Gray. 
         

    • In the championship game before a crowd of over 4,000, Wyandotte ousted the Ward Cyclones 66-50, avenging one of their two regular season losses.

      • Alonzo Thomas led the Bulldogs with 23 points and 7 assists.  Walter Williams & Ron Russell added 11 points each and John Poindexter contributed 10.

 

State Tournament @ Allen Field House at the University of Kansas in Lawrence

  • Playing before a crowd of 3,000 in the quarterfinals, Wyandotte routed the Pittsburg Dragons 86-58.

    • The Bulldogs were led by 26 points and 25 rebounds from Walter Williams, 15 points from Ron Russell, and 14 from Alonzo Thomas.

    • The Bulldogs’ 86 points tied a Class AA tournament single-game scoring record.
       

  • Playing before a crowd of 6,500 in the semifinals, Wyandotte held on to beat the Wichita East Blue Aces 43-40.

    • The Bulldogs scored their final points of the game with 4:21 left as they utilized a “delay game”.

    • Ron Russell led the Bulldogs with 14 points and 13 rebounds and Alonzo Thomas added 11.

    • The Blue Aces were led by 6’8” senior center Terry Benton’s 19 points.

      • Terry Benton was a 2-time (1971 & 1972) All-Missouri Valley Conference player for the Wichita State Shockers where he was twice the MVC’s leading rebounder. Benton was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 6th Round of the 1972 NBA Draft.

    • The win advanced the Bulldogs to their 13th state championship game in the previous 14 years. 
       

  • Playing before a crowd of 9,500 in the state title game, the Bulldogs defeated the Topeka Trojans 69-54, avenging their other regular season loss.

    • The Bulldogs were led by 29 points from Ron Russell and 18 points from Alonzo Thomas. Walter Williams led Wyandotte with 13 rebounds.
       

  • The win earned Wyandotte its 10th state championship in the previous 14 years.  During this era, Allen Fieldhouse was referred to as “Bulldog Country” among Wyandotte fans.

Special Recognition

Alonzo (Skip) Thomas III (Senior, Class of 1968)
 

Early Life

  • Grew up at 9th & Northrup Avenue in the Riverview neighborhood. Attended Lowell Elementary School & Central Junior High School before entering Wyandotte in the fall of 1965.
     

High School Career

  • Basketball

    • Helped lead the Bulldogs to State Basketball championships in both 1967 & 1968.

      • 1967-68 senior season

        • Earned 1st Team All-Metro by the Kansas City Star.

        • Earned 1st Team Class AA All-State, 1st Team Class AA All-Tournament & Class AA Player of the Year.

        • Averaged 12.6 points per game, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
           

      • 1966-67 junior season

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

 

  • Football

    • Competed for the Bulldogs as an offensive end and defensive back.

    • Earned 2nd team All-Sunflower League in 1967.

    • Earned Honorable Mention Class AA All-State in 1967.

    • Earned Honorable Mention All-Metro by the Kansas City Star in 1966.

 

  • Track & Field

    • In the 1968 Track & Field season recorded the 2nd best triple jump in the city with a jump of 45’ 0 ½”.

College Career

  • Arizona Western Junior College (1968-1970)

    • Played for the Arizona Western Junior College Matadors for two years (1968-1969 and 1969-1970) where he earned Junior College All-American football honors & also competed on the basketball team.

    • Signed to a football scholarship with the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans football program coached by John McKay in the spring of 1970.

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  • University of Southern California (1970-1972)

    • In his junior season (1970) with the Trojans, Thomas played wide receiver and defensive back.

    • In his senior season (1971) with USC, Thomas was a starting cornerback helping the Trojans to a #20 ranking.

    • Served as a “walk-on” for the Trojan basketball team coached by Bob Boyd in both his junior and senior years.

    • Drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the 176th overall pick in the 7th round of the 1972 NFL Draft.

Alonzo (Skip) Thomas III Wyandotte HS basketball star and, defensive back USC Trojans football.

Alonzo (Skip) Thomas III, defensive back,
USC Trojans football

Historically Significant College Football Game

  • In his first game as a member of the University of Southern California Trojan football team, Thomas and his Trojan teammates, including fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham and an all-black offensive backfield, defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 42-21 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama on September 12, 1970.

    • The decisive result of the game was an impetus for the University of Alabama (coached by Paul (Bear) Bryant) and later the rest of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) universities to integrate their college football teams.

      • The game was featured in an ESPN College GameDay documentary, “How an Alabama Game vs. USC led to the Crimson Tide integrating its football team.” > View Documentary

Professional Career

  • Played his entire NFL career (1972-77) as a cornerback with the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders.
     

  • In his 6-year career with the Raiders coached by John Madden, Oakland won the American Football Conference (AFC) West 5 times and played in 5 AFC Championship games (winning one).
     

  • Helped lead the Raiders to their first Super Bowl win in a 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI that was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on January 9, 1977. 

    • Thomas recorded 4 unassisted tackles and multiple pass breakups in the game.
       

  • As a starting cornerback for the Raiders, Thomas was a member of the “Soul Patrol” defensive backfield that included NFL Hall of Famer Willie Brown and Thomas at cornerback & Jack Tatum and George Atkinson at safety.

    • The “Soul Patrol” is widely recognized as the best defensive backfield in NFL history.
       

  • Earned the nickname “Dr. Death” due to his reputation as an aggressive tackler.
     

  • Led the Raiders in interceptions both in 1974 and 1975 with 6. Finished his career with 17 career interceptions.

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Historically Significant Football Game

  • In the AFC Divisional Playoff round in Thomas’ rookie season with the Raiders, Oakland lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-7 in the “Immaculate Reception” game on December 23, 1972, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

    • On the game’s final play, with the Steelers trailing the Raiders 7-6, Steeler running back Franco Harris caught a deflected pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw and ran into the end zone for a 60-yard game-winning touchdown.

Player Accomplishments

Reference Team Photo - Seated

Reference Team Photo - Kneeling, from left to right

  • Mike Patton, Manager

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  • David Nichols (Senior, Class of 1968)

    • Contributed as a starting forward.

    • Served as team captain for both the 1967 Bulldog football and 1967-68 Bulldog basketball teams.

    • Played football for the University of Kansas Jayhawks.
       

  • Dick Shoults (Junior, Class of 1969)

  • John Poindexter (Senior, Class of 1968)

    • Contributed as starting guard for both the 1967 & 1968 State Championship teams.

    • Earned 1968 Honorable Mention All-Sunflower League honors.

    • Played basketball & baseball for the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Kangaroos.
       

  • Joel Heider (Senior, Class of 1968)

    • Contributed as a forward.

    • Also competed for the Bulldog Baseball team.

    • Played basketball for the KCK Community College Blue Devils from 1968-1970.

    • Played basketball for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks for Coach Larry Van Eman from 1970-1972.

    • Elected Team Captain for the Razorbacks his senior season of 1971-72.

    • Served as a high school basketball coach & administrator at Turner High School & Ward High School. Coached the Ward Cyclones basketball program for 30 years.

    • Received the Tom Colwell Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association in 2014.
       

  • John Hunter (Senior, Class of 1968)

    • Contributed as a forward.

    • Also competed in the shot put for the Bulldog track & field team.
       

  • Richard Morrison, Manager

Reference Team Photo - Kneeling, from left to right

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