The Monroe City Panthers boys and girls team play Friday night against Montgomery County. Girls' game begins at 5 p.m. While enjoying the game, check out the new banner announcing the 100th MHS basketball tournament, the oldest tournament in the state. Pictured here are some of the tournament committee members: (from left) Brock Edris, Joyce Adams, Howard Pruitt and J.R. Chisham.
The Monroe City R-1 High School 100th Tournament Committee members are: Dave Almany, chairman, coach from 1984-85 and 1988-89 with a record of 111-36, three district and CCC championships and a third place finish in state; Tony DeGrave, superintendent of schools and former Panthers player; Ed Talton, MHS principal and former Panther player,; Brock Edris, head boys’ basketball coach and athletic director; Sister Suzanne Walker, retired principal of Holy Rosary School; J.R. Chisham, official for 25 years including 15 years of calling the Monroe City basketball tournament and former MHS basketball player; Howard Pruitt, Washington School historian and retired University of Missouri employee; John A. Hays, former Holy Rosary Trojans player and Panther supporter; Linda Geist, writer for University of Missouri Extension and former owner of The Lake Gazette newspaper; Joyce Adams, long-time school board member and former Lady Panthers player; Darin Yager, school board member and former Panther Player.
Game Day!
MS Basketball @ Macon
A Girls: 5pm, B Boys, A Boys
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The 1948-1949 teams were among some of the best to play in Monroe City. The boys' team won the Monroe City Tournament. Note that the Lions Club awarded sweaters to the boys' team. The girls' teams did not receive sweaters, but they had an outstanding season. The girls lost consolation in the tournament to Holy Rosary girls by one point.
Mr. Patterson was the library guest reader with Mrs. Humes kindergarten class.
Panther Plaque Trophy Winners are 8th grade with the least amount of tardies!
Game Day!
Boys Jamboree
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Saluting some of the more recent teams - the 1985-86 girls and the 1985-1986 boys. Note that you might see Principal Ed Talton was coached by Dave Almany, both members of the 100th basketball tournament committee.
Middle School Basketball
Final Scores!
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58-59 girls
Not only did MHS' oldest living male player, Jack Jones, play for the MHS Panthers, he also coached the Holy Rosary Lady Trojans. Among the teams he coached were the 1958-1959 Trojanettes:
Back row left to right: Delores Davis, Roseanne Quinn, Gloria Whiston, Judith Greening, Coach Jack Jones, Dorothy Engle, Cynthia Saunders, Regina Lindhorst, Marilyn Whiston, Peggy Tuley; bottom row left to right: Cecelia Kendrick, Jean Marie Utterback , Judy Whiston, Sue Ann Simmons, Mary Ann Hays, Cecelia Kendrick and Martha Elliott/
Some of the players are pictured in this photo of the 8th and 9th grade girls in 1957-1958:
Bottom row left to right: Sue Ann Simmons (Thomas), Marilyn Whiston (Lawler), Annette Tuley (Carmean), Cecelia Kendrick (Shuck), Judith Whiston (Quinn); Middle row left to right, Coach Jack Jones, Mary Ann Hays (Hagan), Judith Greening, Carole Shively (Hays) and Msgr. Edward Connolly; Back row left to right: Edward Charlson, Assistant Manager
Judy Osbourn (Hagan), Frances Couch (Long), Kay Roland and Hope Gander (Goodwin).
One of the oldest living female MHS players is Janann Roland Hedberg, a 1950 graduate . She makes her home in Cottleville near her daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She played basketball one year at Rensselaer High School and the remaining three years at Monroe City. She was on the varsity team all four years.
Janann recalls that the players’ uniforms had short shorts and high-top tennis shoes.
Janann said she learned the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship by playing basketball. She recalls that the team was very disciplined and they worked well together. She remembered that the coaching was “outstanding” and that they won most of their games. In fact, she believes they only lost one game her senior year.
Her late husband, Charles A. Hedberg was a junior when Janann was a senior. He played basketball for the Panthers from 1947-1951. After graduation, they attended the University of Missouri and had two children, Jeff Hedberg and Jan Hedberg Schneider.
The high school sweethearts owned and published the Monroe City News for 7 ½ years and went on to own the Centralia Fireside Guard for 33 years. Janann recalls that the team could have six players on the court at a time, but only four could be on half of the court at one time.
Janann was born in February of 1933.
Yesterday, 12 members of the Monroe City High School Band participated in Truman Honor Band at Truman State University, rehearsing all day and performing a concert in the evening with 100 are area band students. Congrats to these students and thank you for representing our school and community well!
MS Basketball Final Score
Panthers Split
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The Middle School was in the Christmas spirit today! Thank you to Mrs. Baymillers Panther Hour for helping decorate the lobby!
Margaret Tipton Raetz, who now makes her home in Columbia, is one of the oldest living basketball players to hit the hardwood in Monroe City. Born in March of 1933, she is a 1951 graduate of MHS. Margaret worked as secretary to the superintendent of schools until her marriage. After raising her children, she worked at the Monroe City Bank (now Macon-Atlanta) from 1970 until her retirement in 1995. Her husband, Jack, owned Jack’s Hy-Klas Market until 1970 and then Sears Catalog Store. Jack, a 1945 MHS graduate, also was a long-time school board member. Photos are from the 1950 and 1951 yearbooks. The couple had four children: Jan, Jackie, Jeff and Joe.
Do you know who the second oldest living female MHS basketball player is? We think it is Billie Romig McClintic. Billie, a 1949 graduate of MHS, has lived in St. Joseph, Mo for more than 70 years. She continues to live on her own and has a phenomenal memory. Billie, now 91, graduated in 1949, the same year as her slightly older sister, Pauline Romig Perrine, because their mother wanted them in the same class. Billie attended grade school at Woodlawn and came to MHS in her freshman year.
Billie and Pauline both played guard and Pauline was the captain.
Billie remains active, playing cards four times a week and bingo on Thursday nights. She bowled on the same Wednesday morning league for 58 years until the Covid era. She also waterskiied until she was 73.
She and her family lived across the Imperial station (now Campbell’s) on U.S. 36 when she was growing up. Prom and the senior play ,“The Atomic Bomb,” were highlights of her senior year. She played a maid in the play. After high school, she worked at Spalding Pharmacy for several years and then Bastian Truck Service. Both businesses are now closed.
Billie and Pauline played on the team that had a perfect season in tournament play. The girls won three tournaments with teams entered from as far south as Sturgeon, and as far north as LaPlata, and won them all. At that time, the Monroe City girls team was the only team in the state with a perfect tournament record. C.L. Gottman played dual roles as girls’ coach and superintendent.
Game Day!
MS Girls/Boys host Marion County
5pm Tip Off
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Congratulations to Audri Youngblood on her selection to the Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association All-State Team!
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Athletic Office
Weekly Activities
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Are you a descendent of the 1925 graduating class - seniors when the first Monroe City basketball tournament began? Comment on here if so, please. Can you imagine the excitement that filled MHS halls in anticipation of the first basketball tournament? 1925 Graduates were Thelma Benson, Mary Berry, Thomas S. Burditt, Mary Elizabeth Conway, Ruth Elizabeth Corder, Irene Dinwiddie, Adelbert Ely, Donna Fern George, Harold Glenn, Elizabeth Gibbons, Joseph M. Hampton, Alice Virginia Hatton, Dorothy Jackson, Bessie Margaret Kaden, Paul A. Kimea, Paul E. Jones, Joseph M. Longmire, Mary Mayes, Oza Dean Matthews, Bernarnened Meeker, Forrest Miller, Alfred H. Morthland, Raymond Noel, Anna Abilgail Owen , Perry Phillips, Naomi O’Bryan, Roy Poore, Lenora Quick, Elizabeth Ragland, Mary Leona Schmidt, Blanche Scobee, Paul Kenneth Smith, Vada Teed, Lillian Thurman, Ida Mae Turner, Alice Lee Waddill, Frances E. Williard, J. Nelson Fitzgerald and Marvin C. Poore. The 1925 yearbook, the fourth published by MHS, was called the Zizzer. Photos courtesy of Jack Jones
1925 MHS boys’ team was coached by W. A. Swearengen with members: Captain Longacre, Conway, T. Randell, Hoover, Sharp, Graham, H. Ransdell and Abbott. The girls’ team, coached by Mrs. James H. Stokes included Mildred and Jean Wade, crane, Alexnder, McFarland, Young, Hawkins, Nash, Jackson, Ballard, Walker and Karr. The tournament book included advertisements from H.E. Stream Tonsorial Parlor and Levy’s Department Store. An ad for the Monroe City Bank (now Macon-Atlanta Bank) listed capital assets of $50,000 with surplus and profits of $60,000
