Coldwater's "49 championship changed the game

Detroit Free Press article written by Tom Lang (son of 49er Ardith Betts Lang)

But fans share at least one thing: They never forget their championships.

And in Coldwater, they certainly haven't forgotten their 1949 Class B title, when the Cardinals beat River Rouge, 49-42.

The game was considered a classic, not only for the play on the court, but for the basketball masterminds pacing the sideline. Coldwater was coached by Floyd Eby. River Rouge was led that night at East Lansing’s Jenison Fieldhouse by Lofton Greene.

What Greene learned in that defeat changed the style of River Rouge basketball and earned the school 12 state titles in the following 35 years.

Eby is not as well-known as Greene, and he would rather keep it that way,

"I have gotten far too much attention over the years," Eby said from his house on Cardinal Drive in Coldwater. "I am just very lucky to have been able to coach at a school in such a great community with so many wonderful young gentlemen. God has truly blessed me."

But what Eby taught changed basketball forever. He is credited by numerous sources with introducing and popularizing the fastbreak, the full-court press, the box-and-one defense and the one-handed jump shot. In the1940s, that style was unheard of, but was quickly labeled "racehorse basketball."

The '49 state title was Eby's second. His first came in 1940 in Class C at Williamston High. Eby was a rookie coach at age 21 then and still in his senior year at Michigan State, where he played center on the football team.

Eby first taught the new style of basketball at Williamston.

Former Free Press Sports Writer Hal Schram wrote this about Eby in 1959: "His offensive theory is one of basic simplicity. Get to the basket with the shot that will score as soon as you can. You're only going to sink a certain percentage of your shots anyway, so the more you shoot, the more points you'll score. Organized confusion - that’s what they called it then."

Eby also was slightly superstitious. During the tournament, he would wear the same clothes, right down to the socks. He would also get his hair cut before every game (including the regular season) by the town barber and fabled storyteller - Lyle Betts.

As the Cardinals kept winning in the '49 tournament, Eby kept visiting the little shop on Chicago Street. But when Coldwater reached the finals, Betts was still putting in a full day back home.

As Eby and his players were about to take the floor for the state final. a commotion down the hallway 

caught their attention. It was Betts, black bag in tow and two security guards chasing close behind. Betts had sneaked in as the team doctor to make sure Eby got the lucky haircut. The rest is history.

Coldwater, a town of 9,500 a few miles from the Indiana border, tries to keep that history alive. The Cardinal Basketball Fanatics bring former players back as honorary coaches for some regular-season games.

"We were trying to introduce the community and the kids to their tradition and history," Fanatics leader Patrick Rocchio said. "Notre Dame has built a national tradition and we wanted to do the same thing here, on a much smaller scale, of course. We wanted to see who some of these heroes were and what these legends look like."

The legends of '49 have done quite well since then. They include two dentists, an ordained minister, a teacher and coach, two high-ranking Army officers, an airline pilot, a pharmacist, a university science instructor and five businessmen.

Eby, who has written a book about his team still attends a few games and here's most others on the radio.

And whatever happened to the barber? He died of cancer one year ago.

We miss your laugh - Grandpa.

Ex-Coldwater Coach recalls 1949 team's run, run, run for title

1994 Battle Creek Enquirer article by Todd Schulz

The Cardinals beat River Rouge, 49-42, on a Saturday at Michigan State University's Jenison Fieldhouse for the 1949 crown.

"We got up on Sunday, went to church and started home," Eby said. "There were 30 or 40 cars waiting for us outside of town and they escorted us in. The next day they called school off and had a parade."

Ah, the simple days.

"But then all they wanted to talk about was winning it again, " Eby said with a laugh.

Obviously, things haven't changed much.

To the chagrin of the Coldwater faithful, Eby's 1950 squad didn't pull off the repeat. But they're the last school in the Enquirer's coverage area to enjoy the chance.

It's been nearly a half-century since one of 23 local schools won a state title.

So what was so special about those 1949 Cardinals?

Talent? Sure, there was Rex Corless, a high-scoring, All-State forward. But Coldwater's success hinged on its scheme.

"We played race-horse basket-ball," said Eby, 76, who retired from coaching Coldwater in 1964. "When we got the ball, we went. And we pressed the whole game. We didn't want it any other way."

Coldwater ran, ran, ran. The Cardinals didn't have time to slowdown for the traditional two-handed set shot.

"I told them to start throwing it with one hand," said Eby, who still lives in Coldwater. "It was the one-handed jumpshot. We didn't hit the backboard for the first few games. But then we started sinking them." In those days, one official called each game. But one wasn't enough for Coldwater's pace, Eby said.

"The officials didn't like it," he said. "One referee couldn't keep up. He couldn't see all the fouls. We got some breaks and we got some cheap (baskets) off the fast break. "It was organized confusion. Only, most (opposing coaches) didn't bother using the word, 'organized." But it won and I'm not apologizing."

The 1949 Cardinals were 21-2, including a great tournament run. They knocked off defending Class B champion, St. Joseph, in the regional final, edged top-ranked Alma by one point in the quarterfinals and defeated Godwin Heights in the semifinals. Forward Jim Rhodes, guards Eugene Sowles and Gene Fry and center LeRoy Cox joined Corless in the starting five that year. Max McConnell, Tom Engle, Harry Cooper, Marvin Rosenberg, Bernard Hoogenboom, Fred Weeks, Larry Porter - a player who Eby said walked "seven miles," each way to practice - and Bob Simmons were the reserves.

"I carried 13 - my lucky number," Eby said with a chuckle. "I had a lot of fun. I was tough on them. "But I loved 'em. And they loved me."

About Harry's

..."What he and I didn’t realize was that the place of business was actually known for many years as The Velvet. I do not know which came first, the fantastic ice cream that they produced in the spotlessly-clean shop located north of the alley behind the store, known to everyone as Velvet Ice Cream, or if the ice cream was named after the place of business which manufactured this delicious product.

Now there is a problem that I am sure someone can solve. If you know the answer, you win the prize for the week and I will buy you an ice cream cone at the location of your choice, even though it won’t be velvet. If Jim Warkoczeski wins, he only gets a single dip, because he may have some inside information.

You know this establishment played a very important part in the lifestyle of so many people, it is almost mind-boggling. Now Peggy and Pauline, don’t get your dander up, I assure you that the Blue Bird, and Nicks will get equal mention in future articles.

I can remember even as a small child being taken to the Velvet after a movie by my mother and the Awe that greeted me as I walked through the door. The sweet goodness of the Aroma of Candy, ice cream, those sweet and succulent syrups, those marvelous machines they had that could juice an orange or lemon, or whip ingredients for a malted milk shake, that fantastic soda fountain which could spew out carbonated water in an instant, the chrome, stainless steel, the marble, the brightly polished mirrors, your mind could conjure up the feeling of ecstasy of a banana split even if you could only afford a nickel coke.

As we grew older and more mature, our outlook changed because you could meet a girl at Harry’s, or hang out with your friends and talk about meeting girls, always hoping that perfect person would walk through the door and you could share a coke and get better acquainted.

Harry’s was quite well known as an information source, in those days we didn’t have a local radio station and if you wanted to know how the game was going, you called Harry’s and Tony, Gene, or Bill would give you the score, or final results, they could even tell you what the other Twin Valley Scores were because of the constant flow of fans coming into the store and relating this information.

I am sure that many married couples today may have met for the first time at Harry’s, or by a message left to call or contact a particular person have created lasting bonds. Stop and think what influence Harry’s Velvet Ice Cream Parlor had on your life."

Thanks, Joe, for bringing back the memories. Perhaps this is why we were privileged during the past two reunions - with many thanks to Irma - to have our final breakfast prepared there by our two fine 49er Chefs - Chez Woods & Fredericks.