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A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
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During the depression of the 1930s, the small village of Waterloo in the southeastern corner of Ohio with its population of 150, was home to an inn, a barbershop, a granary, a mortuary, and a few stores.
Waterloo was also home to something quite remarkable - an odds-defying, unprecedented, two-time state championship high school boys basketball team with only five players.
Orlyn Roberts, his cousin Wyman Roberts and their friends Stewart Wiseman, Beryl Drummond and Curtis McMahon were known collectively as the "Waterloo Wonders!"
Coached by the high school's principal, Magellan Hairston, the "Wonders" captured consecutive Class B championships in 1934 & 1935. They won 94 out of 97 games, including victories over many Class A and college teams, just for the fun of it! In their 1934 season they finished undefeated with 34 mostly lopsided scoring victories.
As kids, the Wonders played basketball rather than baseball or football because it took fewer kids to play. They had no equipment, so they improvised by making a ball out of rags tied together with string. Their playing court was burrowed out of the dirt using a horse-drawn grader with a barrel ring for a hoop. Their rag-ball didn't bounce so by the time they played in high school, their passing game was unmatched even by professional teams of the day.
The Wonders entertained sold out crowds, whenever and wherever they played. Their offensive schemes of passing - such as crosscourt, behind the back, between their legs, or over their shoulder - empowered their trick-shot artistry. Hook shots from the corners, set shots from mid-court, or bouncing free throws were all just to make the game more fun.
The Waterloo Wonders are considered to be one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled in Ohio high school history. The Ohio House of Representatives honored the Waterloo Wonders with a resolution following their second State Championship in 1935. On the team's 50th anniversary in 1994,The Waterloo Wonders were celebrated with a historical marker in their honor.
Waterloo was also home to something quite remarkable - an odds-defying, unprecedented, two-time state championship high school boys basketball team with only five players.
Orlyn Roberts, his cousin Wyman Roberts and their friends Stewart Wiseman, Beryl Drummond and Curtis McMahon were known collectively as the "Waterloo Wonders!"
Coached by the high school's principal, Magellan Hairston, the "Wonders" captured consecutive Class B championships in 1934 & 1935. They won 94 out of 97 games, including victories over many Class A and college teams, just for the fun of it! In their 1934 season they finished undefeated with 34 mostly lopsided scoring victories.
As kids, the Wonders played basketball rather than baseball or football because it took fewer kids to play. They had no equipment, so they improvised by making a ball out of rags tied together with string. Their playing court was burrowed out of the dirt using a horse-drawn grader with a barrel ring for a hoop. Their rag-ball didn't bounce so by the time they played in high school, their passing game was unmatched even by professional teams of the day.
The Wonders entertained sold out crowds, whenever and wherever they played. Their offensive schemes of passing - such as crosscourt, behind the back, between their legs, or over their shoulder - empowered their trick-shot artistry. Hook shots from the corners, set shots from mid-court, or bouncing free throws were all just to make the game more fun.
The Waterloo Wonders are considered to be one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled in Ohio high school history. The Ohio House of Representatives honored the Waterloo Wonders with a resolution following their second State Championship in 1935. On the team's 50th anniversary in 1994,The Waterloo Wonders were celebrated with a historical marker in their honor.
May 11, 2023