Blue Jay Basketball

 1924 Delphos St. John’s Basketball 22-4, 1924 Class B State Semi-Finalists   

            * 1^st St. John’s team to participate in State Tournament

           *  1924 second year of Ohio High School Basketball Tournament

1924 Team Members: Coach Bert Mull, Manager Bob Ulm, John Mueller, Irvin Hanf,

                                   Eugene “Red” Weigle, Frank “Yuck” Schmidt, Dick Ricker,

                                   Cletus Sheibley and Leon “Red” Ulm

                                   *Bob Ulm coached the Blue Jays from 1925-1927 and went 34-40

                                   * Leon Ulm coached the ‘Jays 1930-1934 and went 73-34

Lima St. John               W 25-3

Ohio City                     W 39-12

Glandorf                      W 49-14

Grover Hill                 W 40-31

Glandorf                      W 32-20

York                            W 26-16

Ada                             W 32-17

Grover Hill                 W 38-21

Lima St. Rose              W 31-7

Lima St. Rose              L  14-25

Dunkirk                       W 32-23

Alumni                        W 33-24

Spencerville                W 44-24

Spencerville Invitational Tournament   * DSJ was also 1923 Spencerville Tournament Champion

St. Mary’s                    L  19-32

Bluffton                       W 19-14

* St. John’s did not have a coach during the regular season.  Bert Mull, a referee from Continental was contacted and agreed to serve as coach for the tournament.

District Tournament at Lima Central

            Elida               W 41-2            *Elida two free throws

            Wapakoneta     W 25-9

            Gomer             L  20-26          *Gomer District Champion

            Lima St. Rose  W 24-20          *’Jays beat St. Rose to finish 3^rd in double elimination tournament and qualify for Regional tournament

Regional Tournament at Lima South

            Tiro                 W 29-16          *from Crawford County

            Carey               W 26-14

            Gomer              W 23-13

            Payne               W 32-24          * ‘Jays received large, silver cup as Regional champions

Norwalk St. Paul         W 24-12          *Regular Season Game; Coach Mull unable to attend so team coached by former St. John’s coach Fr. Burkhart who was pastor at nearby Shelby

State Tournament at Ohio State Gym, Columbus (The State Tournament in 1924 consisted of 8 teams)

            Ravenna          W 19-17

            Bellpoint         L  24-36  *Bellpoint State Runner-up 1923, State Champion 1924 & 1925,

                                                     St. John’s led 19-16 at the half before Bellpoint outscored the

                                                     the ‘Jays 20-5 in the second half; Bellpoint went on to beat

                                                     Archbold 24-20 in the state title game

                                                    L. Ulm named to Tournament 1^st Team and Sheibley to 2^nd team

Participants of 1924 State Tournament: Hubbard, Archbold, Ravenna, (Dayton) Fairview, Proctorville, Bellpoint, Muskingum and Delphos St. John’s

Regular season home games were played in the old gym on the top floor of the current grade school. 

1924 Rules: Jump ball after each made basket.  The clock continued to run during foul shots.  Scores in the 40's were rare.

1931 Delphos St. John’s 23-2

Ottoville                                              W 42-14

Decatur Catholic, IN                           L  18-22

York                                                    W 35-23

Northwest School of Commerce         W 38-11

Lima St. John                                       W 28-15

Decatur Catholic, IN                           W 18-15

Lima St. Rose                                      W 24-15

Ottoville                                              W 28-15

Alumni                                                W 37-5

Tiffin Calvert                                      W 18-11

Van Wert                                             W 25-16

Toledo Central Catholic                      W 32-26

Celina                                                  W 28-23

Lima St. Rose                                      W 29-8

Delphos Jefferson                               W 31-15

Toledo St. John’s                                W 22-20

Lima St. John’s                                    W 20-11

Fostoria St. Wendelin                         W 69-9

Decatur Catholic, IN                           W 24-17

Fort Wayne Concordia, IN                  W 42-12

Celina                                                  W 37-15

Decatur Catholic, IN                           W 24-20

Delphos Jefferson                               W 26-21          * 21^st consecutive win

Tournament

            Cridersville                             L 32-33

Vaughnsville                                       W 25-10          *regular season game played after tournament

1949 Delphos St. John’s Basketball 29-3, Class B State Champions

Team members: Coach Dick Bechtel, John Giesken, Ralph Wagner, Dave Schmelzer,

Dick Honigford, Tom Brennan, Don Youngpeter, Alvin (Tony) Osting, Chuck Cramer,

Jim Clement and Jim Etter

Decatur, IN, Catholic  W 61-41

Miller City                  W 54-33

Toledo Central Cath.   W 54-40          TCC only regular season loss, Class A State Runner-Up

Van Wert                     W 54-35

Fort Recovery             W 52-44

Lima St. Rose              W 47-42          1948 Class B State Runner-Up

Delphos Jefferson       W 72-21          *D. Schmelzer school record 38 pts.

Ottoville                      W 49-41

Dayton Chaminade      W 62-39

Bluffton                       W 71-51

Fremont St. Joseph      W 67-58

Elida                           W 74-43

Lima St. Rose              L  35-36

Celina ICHS                W 59-43

Ada                             W 57-29

Lima St. John               W 61-28

Lima St. Gerard           W 61-40

Toledo Central Cath.   L  41-58          * benefit game for March of Dimes

St. Henry                     W 63-44

Minster                        W 62-48

Fort Jennings               W 67-33

Ottoville                      W 38-30

   Exempted Village Tournament

Lima St. John               W 35-25          Record 16-5

Ada                             W 43-29

Lima St. Rose              L  31-35         

   District at Celina Fieldhouse

Oakwood                     W 63-32          9-14

Lima St. Rose              W 44-35          21-4, *8th  game vs. Lima St. Rose in 2 years, atten: 2,450

New Knoxville            W 48-43          21-2, attendance 2,700

   Regional at Toledo Fieldhouse

Ottawa Hills                W 65-57          19-3

Salem (Cornhuskers)   W 65-44          28-1, from Wyandot County, attendance 4,000

1949 State Tournament Teams, Class B

     North Canton          22-6

     New Lexington       25-1    

     Lockland Wayne     30-1     *defending state champion, from Cincinnati area

     Delphos St. Johns   27-3    

   State Tournament at Columbus Fairgrounds Coliseum

New Lexington            W 53-37          25-2, attendance 5,829

Lockland Wayne          W 47-43          31-2, only other loss to Class A State Champ Hamilton

                                                            Attendance 8,117

State Championship

            Delphos St. John’s 12- 8-14-13: 47                Blue Jays scoring- Youngpeter   2 pts.

            Lockland Wayne    13- 5-15-10: 43                                              Brennan         5     

                                                                                                                  Giesken         3

                                                                                                                  Osting            0

                                                                                                                  Honigford     16

State Tournament Team                                                                             Wagner          8

   1^st team; Dave Schmelzer, Dick Honigford, Ralph Wagner                   Schmelzer     13

   2^nd Team; Tom Brennan

All tickets to state tournament 75 cents.

Associated Press All-State Team

   2^nd team: Dave Schmelzer

   Honorable Mention: Dick Honigford, Tom Brennan

*In 1950 the Blue Jays finished 27-2, losing 43-42 to unbeaten, eventual state champion Miller City in the

Regional semi-finals. 

*St. John’s record 1948, 1949 & 1950:   80 wins- 11 losses

1954 Delphos St. John’s, Class B State Runner-Up, 28-5

     Coach Bob Arnzen

Celina ICHS                            W 75-37

New Knoxville                        W 70-54

Toledo Central Catholic          W 57-51

St. Marys                                 W 91-51

Lima St. John’s                        W 63-60

Dayton Dunbar                        W 68-50

Van Wert                                 W 65-64

Coldwater                               W 73-47

Newport Catholic, KY            W 60-51

Minster                                    W 70-48

Lima St. Rose                          W 60-45

Fort Jennings                           W 68-43

Ottoville                                  L  68-72

Ada                                         W 84-34

St. Henry                                 W 73-57

Marion St. Mary                      W 64-47

Delphos Jefferson                   W 58-37

Cincinnati DePorres                W 69-51

Wapakoneta St. Joseph            W 66-54

Lockland Wayne                      L  47-48 o.t.    *1955 State Champions

New Bremen                           L  43-50

Exempted Village Tournament

            Paulding                      W 79-32

            Bluffton                       W 59-38

            Lima St. Rose              W 74-54

            Delphos Jefferson       L 44-49

District Tournament at

            Harrod                        W 70-49

            Mendon                       W 88-49

            St. Henry                     W 87-76

            Delphos Jefferson       W 50-49

Regional Tournament at

            Leipsic                        W 61-53

            Ottoville                      W 74-68

State Tournament

            Copley                                     W  73-65

            New Lexington St. Aloysius    L  63-65         starting point guard C. Geise breaks his ankle in the first quarter

1973 Delphos St. John’s Basketball, Class AA State Runner-Up, 18-8, 

WBL Co-champs 8-1

     Coach Bob Arnzen

Toledo Central Catholic          L  58-64

Kenton                                    W 64-52

Toledo St. Francis                   L  64-72

Elida                                       L  80-87

Ayersville                               W 60-52

Columbus Watterson               W 70-57

Lima Bath                                W 72-64

Lima Central Catholic              L  70-79

Celina                                      W 73-68          WBL Co-Champs

Lima Shawnee                        L  45-47

Coldwater                               W 75-67

Dayton Dunbar                        L  80-92

Wapakoneta                             W 57-54

Lima Senior                             L  68-77          DSJ 7-7 record

St. Marys                                 W 86-65

Van Wert                                 W 90-59

Ottawa-Glandorf                     W 79-62

Lima Central Catholic            W 66-62

Sectional

            Ottawa-Glandorf         W 81-64

            Haviland Wayne Trace W 80-60

District

            Lima Central Catholic  W 63-57

            Hamler Patrick Henry W 77-68

Regional

            Rossford                      W 67-62 o.t.

            Genoa                          W 88-67

State

            Elyria Catholic            W 72-61          DSJ 11^th consecutive win

Columbus Ready         L  66-79

1976 Delphos St. John’s  19-1, WBL Champs 9-0

     Coach Bob Arnzen

Alumni                                    W 44-28

Delta                                       W 71-45

Van Wert                                 W 83-64

Ayersville                               W 87-57

Columbus Walnut Ridge      W 102-74

Columbus East                        W 85-58

Ottawa-Glandorf                     W 84-47

Kenton                                     W 106-58

Lima Central Catholic            W 73-59

Elida                                         W 92-60

Lima Shawnee                        W 92-57

Lima Bath                               W 91-52

Dayton Dunbar                        W 83-63

Celina                                      W 74-46

Fort Wayne Elmhurst, IN         W 71-67

Defiance                                  W 70-66

Wapakoneta                             W 83-41

St. Marys                                 W 88-63

Lima Central Catholic             W 84-55          *DSJ ranked #1 Class AA

Sectional

            Coldwater                   W 86-36

            St. Marys                     L  66-70

DSJ record 1975 and 1976 seasons: 36-3

1982 Delphos St. John’s Class A State Semi-finalist, 24-3, WBL Tri-Champs 7-2

     Coach Bob Arnzen

Alumni                                     W 39-25

Delta                                       W 82-49

Defiance                                  W 78-54

Newark                                   W 75-63          Newark 6'9 Mike Giomi

Wapakoneta                             L  41-44

Dayton Dunbar                        W 90-74

Worthington                             W 74-67          Class AAA Worthington 8-1

Lima Central Catholic             W 65-54

St. Marys                                 W 58-40          DSJ 24^th consecutive home win

Lima Shawnee                        W 35-30          Shawnee slow down

Van Wert                                 W 64-46

Toledo Start                            W 71-35

Ottawa-Glandorf                     L  58-73

Cincinnati Aiken                     W 86-57

Kenton                                    W 80-58

Toledo St. Francis                  W 74-53

Elida                                       W 88-42

Lima Bath                                W 74-43

Celina                                      W 68-52

Upper Sandusky                      W 62-50       Upper Sandusky 15-3

Coldwater                               W 67-54       ranked #3 Class AA 1^st loss, 18-1, played at St. Henry

***Delphos St. John’s Class A team but played only Class AA and AAA teams during regular season

Sectional at Van Wert High School

            Rockford Parkway      W 76-45

            Antwerp                      W 82-43

District at Elida Fieldhouse

            Kalida                         W 49-47          1981 State Champs

            Miller City                  W 74-48

Regional at Anderson Arena, Bowling Green State University

            Elmore Woodmore      W 91-52

            St. Henry                     W 67-58

State at St. John Arena, Columbus

            Middletown Fenwick    L 48-50           MF Jay Byrne