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Johnson reflects on Geneva's '63 state team, praises current squad

Times certainly have changed since Geneva's basketball team last earned a downstate berth in March of 1963.

Back then, the price of gas was 25 cents per gallon.

You could buy a Hershey candy bar for a nickel.

The minimum wage was $1.25.

The average price of a new home was less than $20,000.

Our president was John F. Kennedy.

Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Beatlemania was the rage across the "pond."

Unbelievably, 1963 also was a memorable year for local college and professional sports fans. The Chicago Bears edged the New York Giants 14-10 to win the NFL Championship.

Illinois captured the Rose Bowl with a 17-7 victory over Washington.

Loyola's basketball team, coached by George Ireland, earned the NCAA national championship with a 60-58 triumph over Cincinnati.

On the high school scene, Geneva's basketball team took the area by storm.

Guided by legendary coach Mel Johnson, the Vikings got off to somewhat of a slow start, splitting their first 4 games.

Then they caught fire.

Led by starters Bob Johansen, Tom Busch, George Peck, Pete Burgess and Dick Krell, the Vikings won their next 28 games, highlighted by their first sectional championship victory over York and a 60-52 supersectional win over third-ranked Bloom in Hinsdale.

For a then small farming community like Geneva, advancing to the state quarterfinals in Champaign was a highlight in itself.

In those days, the smaller schools competed in district tournament eliminations - with the winner moving on to the sectional.

After capturing their fifth consecutive district title, the Vikings became the first district champion since Hebron (1952) to win a sectional crown.

On Tuesday night, Geneva punched its ticket downstate for the first time in 52 years with a dramatic 57-52 double-overtime victory over Lake Park at Northern Illinois University's Convocation Center in DeKalb.

With the win, coach Phil Ralston's Vikings (30-3) matched the school's single-season victory total from 1963.

The achievement drew rave reviews from someone who knows a little bit about high school basketball and was sitting a few rows up from center court Tuesday night - Hall of Fame coach Ron Johnson.

Johnson, who compiled a 710-406 record during his 42-year high school coaching career at Kaneland (1957-63) and St. Charles (1963-98), watched his dad, Mel (563-332 career record), during Geneva's last downstate appearance.

"That was an exciting time for us and the whole family," said Johnson, who was sitting with an area contingent that included his former Saints assistant coach, Jim Parker. "This is a re-enactment of that."

In 1963, Johnson was in his final year at Kaneland before heading to St. Charles.

"I tried to go to as many of my dad's games as I could," said Johnson. "I scouted and was pretty occupied there but I went to all of them (games) after our season was over."

The '63 Vikings had their title hopes dashed following a 57-50 quarterfinal loss to Chicago powerhouse Carver at brand-new 16,000-seat Assembly Hall.

"Carver went on to win it," recalled Johnson. "There were a couple questionable calls in a close ballgame that could have turned the tide in Geneva's favor but hopefully we'll have better luck from here on in."

Easily recognizable with his trademark crew cut, the 82-year-old Johnson admits that Geneva's current state run has brought back a flood of memories.

"It sure does," he said. "It makes me wish I was playing or that I was coaching - one of the two."

Johnson, who enjoys watching local high school basketball action at St. Charles North (former player Tom Poulin is head coach), St. Charles East, Geneva and Batavia when he isn't attending a Lyons Township game where his son, Jeff, is a varsity assistant, undoubtedly will root for the Vikings during Friday night's Class 4A state semifinal game against Normal Community.

"I'm a Geneva fan," said Johnson, who plans to head to Peoria this weekend. "I go with the winner from our area - whoever that might be. It's nice to see Geneva have a good ballclub."

Johnson, who attended Geneva's sectional victories over Rockford Auburn and Rockford Jefferson last week, has been very impressed with the Vikings' play - and stature.

"That's the biggest high school team I think I've ever seen," Johnson said of the Vikings' roster that features 6 players 6-foot-7 or taller - Chandler Fuzak (6-10), Loudon Vollbrecht (6-8), Mike Landi (6-8), Nate Navigato (6-7), Bennett Fuzak (6-7), and Bryan Callaly (6-7).

"They've got depth, too. When they make a substitution, they get even bigger."

Johnson sounded a bit envious of Ralston's situation from the Vikings' bench.

"That (height) gives you an advantage to start with," he said. "I don't believe I ever had more than one (6-7 or 6-8) guy on a team at one time. I think I had one kid who was bigger than that - and that was it. To have the luxury that Geneva has now - it gives them a lot of flexibility."

Johnson offered high praise as well for Ralston and assistants Rob Wicinski and Scott Hennig.

"They're well-coached," he said. "They use all the boys well. They get them in and out. They share the ball well. Nobody is selfish whatsoever - and that's important."

No matter what happens this weekend, Johnson relishes the opportunity to be a small part of it.

"I've been going back down there to the state tournament since I was a little kid with my dad and I'm still going," he said. "I'm still doing it and I'm still enjoying it."

You can reach Craig Brueske at csb4k@hotmail.com

  Geneva's Pace Temple made this floater over Lake Park's Marcus McDaniel (30) and Stefan Meccia (22) at the Class 4A DeKalb supersectional Tuesday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
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