By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Cross country, track and field, and most recently, volleyball. Ellinwood High School has seen its share of success in high school athletics over the years, but the Eagle boys' basketball team have never claimed a state title. Three times, however, Ellinwood came close with runner-up finishes in 1970 and 1984, and a fourth-place finish in 1976. Last Friday, members of the 1975-76 team were present during the regular-season finale at EHS to celebrate the 50-year anniversary their fourth-place state finish.
“We had great team scoring and team play,” said Rich Meyer, the starting center for that team. “The starters all averaged about 10-13 points, right in that range, so nobody could really count on stopping any one guy.”
Fifty years later, members of the team are now in their mid-60s, scattered around the state and country, or in various states of health. Present Friday were Meyer, Wayne DeWerff, Mike McCarty, and Frank Feemster, who served as manager for the 1975-76 season. Meyer, who stands 6-5, included a bit of memorabilia by wearing the blue Converse sneakers he wore in his final prep season.
Starters that year included Meyer, who grabbed a team-high 240 rebounds and averaged 8.7 points a game. Mark Koch led the team at 13.4 points per game with 209 rebounds. Chris Urban averaged nearly 12 points a night, the late Greg Downing scored 10 points a game, and Ted Petz averaged nearly nine points a contest. Senior David Riffel averaged five points and was fourth on the team in rebounds as one of the first players off the bench. Junior Hartig, who went on to a successful football career at Fort Hays State University, averaged three points as a junior.
“In track practice, we would do a one-lap warm-up,” Meyer recalled. “For the fun of it, I’d tell Junior I was tired that day and to carry me. He’d put me on his shoulder and run a lap, and I was 195 pounds. It was nothing for him.”
The Eagles were coached by Francis Flax. Just three years later, he moved on to the junior college level as the head men’s basketball coach and softball coach at Highland Community College from 1979-1988. After piling up an impressive win total, he moved on to Salina, where he began the athletic department at Brown Mackie College. Serving as athletic director from 1990-2017, he also coached men’s basketball from 1992-2016, winning six Region VI titles in the process. In those six years at the national tournament, Flax’s teams won two titles, and also finished third, fourth, and fifth. Francis’ son, Bryson, stepped down at Southeast of Saline High School in 2024, after six successful years with that program. Francis stepped in to take the reigns and continues to coach the Trojans.
The 1975-76 Ellinwood team was not without some local inspiration. Six years earlier, the Eagles advanced all the way to the state championship game before falling to Hill City 71-58. The Ringnecks finished with just one loss that year.
“We were kids then, and that got us motivated to do the same thing,” said Meyer, who now resides in Wichita.
The Eagles were successful from start to finish that season, winning their first 19 games. Ellinwood won the Sterling Mid-Season Tournament even though reaching just half of their average scoring total for the season. The team suffered its first loss of the season in a 61-54 battle against Lindsborg in the Central Prairie League championship game. The Eagles won their first two regional contests, then took down second-ranked Ellis in the finals. At sub-state, Ellinwood defeated Oberlin and Greensburg to secure a spot at the Class 2A State Tournament at Emporia’s White Auditorium.
As the No. 2 seed, Ellinwood handled Rose Hill 68-50 in round one. The Eagles ran into Oakley in the state semifinals, falling 79-57.
“They shot 63 percent, I think, for the game, and 76 percent in the second half,” said Meyer. “I remember balls just looking like they were going to come off and they would fall in the hole. It was miserable.”
The Plainsmen also made 13 of their 15 free throw attempts that night. Oakley went on to defeat Osborne 62-52 in the state championship game, finishing the season at 25-4 overall after losses to Class 4A Topeka Highland Park and Class 5A Kansas City Wyandotte in the Grand State Tournament featuring teams from all classes.
Even with the loss, the Eagles had the opportunity to play in one of the most famous venues in the state. The showcase paid off for Meyer in ways he did not expect.
“I thought it was awesome,” he said. “All I remember is after the game, the tight end coach for Emporia State stopped and talked to me and recruited me to go to Emporia State. That’s where I ended up going on a scholarship for football.”
Ellinwood could not rebound from the Oakley loss, falling to Erie 72-65 in the 2A state consolation finals. The Eagles finished fourth at state with a 24-3 record. Those 24 wins in a season are still the most for any boys’ team at EHS.
The Eagles (11-12) have their work cut out for them tonight as the No. 11 seed at No. 6 Plainville (16-7). The Lady Eagles will look to carry the torch as the No. 1 seed with a 22-1 record.