Nostalgia and reminiscence were in the air at the Sedalia Country Club on Saturday, Oct. 12, as members of the 1972-73 Smith-Cotton boys basketball team gathered for their 50-year reunion.
Players and coaches got together and shared some of their favorite memories from the year that saw the Tigers place third in the Class L State Tournament.
“It was a magical time for us, team members, coaches and the whole community,” former player Mike Best said. “It was really special back then, and it’s special getting together with everybody, catching up, where everyone is — we shared a lot of memories together.”
Despite having a tough schedule, the team went 23-7 under head coach Jim Dinsdale.
Smith-Cotton won its first two games in the Class L State Tournament to make the first, and so far only, final four appearance in the team's history, defeating Belton 70-49 and West Plains 50-45.
Best and senior Kim Anderson led the Tigers to victory against Belton, as Best had 22 points and Anderson scored 19 before Anderson went on to have 29 points, 23 rebounds and nine blocks versus West Plains.
The Tigers then ran into the eventual state champions, St. Louis DeSmet, in the semifinal round where they lost 64-55.
In the third place game, Anderson, who is top five in state history for career rebounds, led Smith-Cotton to a 68-62 win over Paseo Academy with 28 points and 19 rebounds.
“Our team was very special,” Anderson said. “This team, I always thought, knew how to play basketball and knew how to win. We always talked about how winners win, and I always felt like this team was a winner.”
Outside of the run to state, one of Jeff Hedberg’s favorite memories from the season was when he lost a contact lens during a game.
“We looked for that contact lens for 15 minutes,” Hedberg said, laughing. “It was like 60-70 feet away from where I thought I lost it.”
Jim Sanders eventually found it on the other end of the court from where everyone was looking.
Another moment that stood out to the players was when the team faced rival Hickman.
One of the Kewpies star players had been stabbed by his brother prior to the game. The Tigers found out about this and knew they were not going to go easy on him.
“We had one goal and it was to hurt him as much as we could,” Best said. “We banged that kid all night long and he was bleeding by the time we were done. I was so tired of Columbia Hickman.”
The players also brought up a stands-clearing brawl that happened when Smith-Cotton faced Hickman in a tournament.
Anderson had elbowed one of the Kewpies after bringing in a rebound and the Hickman player responded by bashing Anderson in the head.
“Everybody came out of the stands,” Best said. “I was standing next to a cop who had his gun and I’m like, ‘What the hell have I gotten myself into?’”
After sharing many laughs, the players took time to share where life has taken them after high school.
A handful went on to play basketball in college or coach basketball at the high school and college levels, most notably Anderson who coached at the University of Central Missouri, where he won a national championship in 2014, the University of Missouri and Pittsburg State University.
Among others, Steve Bloess taught at the college level for 40 years, while Jeff Schnakenberg was a public school teacher for 30 years.
Jim Campbell is a doctor in Columbus, Ohio, and is getting set to retire in the next six months. He said he has performed over 30,000 surgeries.
Tony Steele said he has worked in a local factory his entire life.
Cliff Callis started an ad agency 37 years ago and is getting set to retire as well.
Larry Miley earned a computer science degree at Missouri State University and went on to work at Mutual of Omaha.
Miley said he would not have gone so far in life if it was not for the lessons he learned playing on the team and under the leadership of the coaching staff.
“I won’t forget you guys for the rest of my life,” Miley said. “I think you had such a significant impact on my life, my worth, my work ethic and just my being. I want to thank you guys for that.”
Anderson said he did not truly realize the impact his coaches had on him until he became a coach himself.
“As five years go down the road, 10 years go down the road, you like back and say, ‘Maybe Coach Dinsdale was right,’” Anderson said. “I learned that myself when I have players come back to me now.”
Under Dinsdale, the assistant coaches were Dave Porter, Dave Backer and Willie Jenkins.
Dinsdale is to be inducted into the Smith-Cotton Hall of Fame in February.
Porter said there is one thing he learned from Dinsdale that he has taken with him everywhere he has gone on his coaching journey that he will never forget.
“He sat the team down and said, ‘Listen guys, I want you to remember this,’” Porter said. “‘What you gave today, you have, what you didn’t, you’ve lost forever.’ I’m sure everyone here today is here to remember what you gave and what you have.”
Dinsdale said the early 1970s teams will always hold a special place in his heart.
“[They] were very important to me because we won and we did real well,” Dinsdale said. “I appreciate everything, and I appreciate this [reunion].”
Overall, 14 members of the team made it to the reunion Saturday, 10 players and four coaches. Six players have passed away and only two could not attend.
Best, who organized the event with his wife, said he could not have been happier with the turnout and seeing his former teammates and coaches.
“The world is about relationships and we’ve shared so many memories that are going to keep us bound together for the rest of our lives,” Best said.
Sports editor Jack Denebeim can be reached at 660-530-0142.
