Team loses every game, but keeps its sense of humor

I wanted to share a story as reported in the 1911 Morningside College yearbook. Basketball started slowly at Morningside back in the early 1900s. In 1910, the team went on trains for an eight-game road trip, apparently during the break between semesters, and lost every single game. There were a few autos back then, but they were mostly owned by well-to-do folks, and the trains at the time were numerous, on time and affordable.  Different accounts in the Collegian Reporter told of only five or six players – Capt. HI West 1911, GT Pendelk 1910, Guy Stiles 1910, Robert Smylie 1912, Howard Berkstresser 1911 and maybe Allen Berkstresser 1910, plus Coach John Hollister. They played a game at the University of South Dakota later, and lost that one, too, to finish at 0-9.  Where did they practice? It was probably in the basement of Lewis Hall – 32 feet by 43 feet by 15 feet with several pillars, which served as a screen now and then.  Ah, the “good old days.”  If you want to learn more, I have written a book about 100 years of Morningside basketball that has lots of pictures, records and stories based on 40-some interviews with players, coaches, referees and fans. It is called “A Century of Hoops,” and it is available in the college bookstore.

-Dr. Sharon Ocker

Basketball

     Basketball of the season of 1910 transformed itself into a trip down state. We left town at 12:50 p.m., Jan. 29, after waiting some time for the train bound for Emmetsburg. Here we met two more of our team on their way back from St. Paul. We had a game that evening, but the score has been forgotten. In fact we found it convenient to forget several of the scores of that trip. We had a good time at Emmetsburg and everyone went away saying to himself, “They know how to treat a team at that place.”

     From Emmetsburg we journeyed on to Charles City. Here we had an unfortunate experience, which is better forgotten than related. We left Charles City Monday night and arrived in Dubuque in time for sandwiches and coffee. Here we stayed for three days, playing games with St. Joseph’s College, Epworth Seminary, and the Y.M.C.A. Here it was, also, that our manager found it necessary to telegraph home for the wherewithal to carry us onward, and it was because of this incident that we received some notoriety from the press.

     Our next short dart was to Fayette. We left very early in the morning and would likely have missed our train, if Goodsell Taylor hadn’t roused us two hours beforehand. We had to change cars at Delaware, and were transferred across a half mile of prairie in a bobsled.

     After staying in Fayette overnight, and playing to the largest house of the trip, we journeyed to Decorah. “We walked right in and turned around and walked right out again.” But we played the game between walks. “They have a nice school at Decorah.”

     “All aboard for home” – this was the relief signal we heard about 3:40 Sunday morning. We were all glad to take the train. A worn out, tired, and more or less grimy bunch, we arrived in Sioux City on the afternoon of Feb. 6, well pleased with the trip. . .

–Capt. H.I. West 1911