Table of Contents
The Dream Comes True
Minneapolis: Wednesday, March 24, 1971, 3:35 PM
The house-lights inside Williams Arena were dimmed. Long-time public address announcer Jules Perlt’s voice reverberated through the decades-old speakers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second game of the Class A afternoon session. Representing Region 6, with a record of 21 and two, last year’s consolation winner, the Melrose Dutchmen.”
“And from Region 7, also with a record of 21 and two, the Two Harbors Agates.”
“First, let’s meet the Agates.”
Number 10, Terry Fleck
Number, 12, Dan Boyce
Number 14, Billy Swanson
Number 20, Dan Battaglia
Number 22, Dwight Lind
Number 24, Lee Klein
Number 30, Dave Battaglia
Number 32, Terry Forsell
Number 34, Rick Mosca
Number 40, Scott MacDonald
Number 42, Gary Cordts
Number 44, Alan Anderson
Number 50, Jeff Bolen
Number 52, Lee Oling
…and Number 54, Mitch Johnson
“The Agates are led by Head Coach, Ray Kortuem and his assistants—Geno Goedel—Nat Sando—and Waddon Johnson.”
“The Agates cheerleading squad includes, Nadine Scotland, Sandie Olson, Sande Halsted, Barb Holisky, Tracey Johnson, and Jennifer Church.”
“Student Managers for Two Harbors are Jim Fleck, Gary Hastings and Brad Miller.”
“Now let’s meet the Dutchmen from Melrose…”
12 Months Earlier - Duluth Arena
“Those of you just tuning in to this KDAL 610 radio broadcast of the District 26 championship game have missed a whale of a ballgame here at the Duluth Arena. The Two Harbors Agates have already knocked-off the 2nd rated Central Trojans and fourth-ranked Denfeld Hunters. The Agates are in their first District finals in 21 years. Can they possibly run the table against all three Duluth schools? We are about to find out. We are tied 71-71. Three seconds remain in the third overtime. Duluth East’s Curt Oberg is about to step up to the free throw line.”
One year before the Agates landed at Williams Arena; they were making waves in northern Minnesota basketball. Two Harbors advanced to the District 26 Championship game with their third win of the year over rival Silver Bay, 64-45. Jim L’Esperance, Scott MacDonald, and Dan Kronlund led the way. Consecutive nail-biters followed this over second-ranked Duluth Central, 53-52, then knocking-off Denfeld, 58-57.
Coach Kortuem cited L’Esperance’s outside shooting in the third quarter as the key performance against Central. His five consecutive field goals delivered the Agates to a 37-37 tie at the end of three quarters. Kronlund then scored six of his game-high 14 points in the fourth quarter to stun Central.
The Trojans were the runner-up in the state tournament the previous year and three-time defending District 26 champs. Arguably, the biggest win for the Agates since 1924.
Phil Bergerson was the surprise hero against Denfeld, pumping in 24 points—all in the final three quarters. Bergerson battled stomach ailments that limited his playing time, but that didn’t stop him from landing a spot on the District 26 All-Tournament team along with L’Esperance and MacDonald.
Two Harbors was on a roll. Silver Bay—gone. Central—gone. Denfeld—gone. East—oh so close to gone. It would have been a grand slam of sorts. Unfortunately, Duluth East’s Curt Oberg made both free throws, and the Greyhounds won, 73-71.
The ’69-’70 season was over.
Postgame, a Duluth Herald sportswriter, succinctly wrote, “It was a fantastic championship basketball game with heroes all over the place.”
Bookend losses. Two Harbors started the year with an 81-77 loss to East at home—then triple OT in the finale. Four-point margin in December, then two 15-foot uncontested free throws in March. Slim margins.
A scan of the 1970 Duluth East yearbook showed 420 graduating Seniors. Two Harbors had 132 in the 1971 yearbook. The Duluth schools had graduating classes two to three times larger than Two Harbors. That didn’t stop the Agates from competing with—even defeating them.
This campaign was preceded by successes on the football field—undefeated in 1968, dominant track and field teams, notable hockey players, and breakthroughs on the basketball court.
Two Harbors was a force.
Dan Kronlund, Class of ’70
“It seemed like we played five tournament games in seven days—all of them at the Duluth Arena. We had unbelievable amount of support from our fans throughout the year. Always a packed house in Two Harbors. Then two or three pep busses traveled to our road games. I don’t think anyone expected us to do as well as we did.”
“The ’68-’69 team was loaded—there were a lot of expectations on our team that year. Unfortunately, we lost in the first round of the playoffs to Esko. There were a lot of talented athletes from that graduating class of 1969.”
“We were in awe of Central and East. They were such big schools. But we looked across the court—they were kids just like us. I don’t know that any of us felt cocky, but we were confident and we wanted to win–everyone just loved competing. We were a very close-knit group—we all got along so well with each other—even with all the “B Team” guys – we just had fun together.”
“We had a great group of guys who grew up together—we were very close knit—the Battaglias, MacDonald, Jeff Rodvold, Scott (Tobie) and Larry Johnson, Larry Otterblad, Larry Sauer, Phil Bergerson. Most of us grew grew up in same neighborhood and played basketball together from 4th grade through high school. We’d play all summer and all winter. Roy LaBounty used to let us move the cars in his driveway so we could play half court ball in Segog.”
Jim L’Esperance, Class of ’70
“When you have a packed-crowd—sometimes standing room only, at the Duluth Arena with the fans going crazy, it was just so exciting. You walked onto the court full of confidence. I felt like I couldn’t be beaten. I felt like we couldn’t be beaten. It was just a tremendous experience.”
“It was always a fantastic feeling warming up before a game. We had those great uniforms, then that moment when we stood, aligned with our teammates for the National Anthem. I was so proud to be an athlete in Two Harbors.”
“The most heroic performance I’ve ever seen was Phil Bergerson against Denfeld. Phil had a terrible ulcer. My dad performed multiple operations on him. Phil was in severe pain. We only won by a couple of points. I was out there throwing up bricks—but there’s Phil—gasping for breath and scoring 26 points. A courageous performance from Phil, and the team.”
“Years later, Phil carried me through my first half-marathon. He was right there with me as we climbed Lemon Drop Hill on London Road. That was the last time I spoke with him—it was a tragedy when he died in a car accident. Phil was probably the most popular, well-liked guy in our class. “
“Ray was a very good coach. Nat Sando was a sly guy—always a big smile. Geno Goedel was a favorite of mine—I thought he was gifted. But together, the three of them were just fantastic.”
Dave Battaglia
“Eveleth won Region 7 that year with big Stan Krebs, who would go on to play for the Gophers. We clobbered them in a scrimmage at the end of the regular season, just before the playoffs started.”
The following year—the powers-that-be decided competitions among schools with such enrollment disparities were unfair. Or, was it to protect the larger schools from smaller upstarts who weren’t intimidated—smaller upstarts willing, even eager to challenge anyone, anywhere, any time?
1970 District 26 Box Scores
1970 District 26 All-Tournament Team
The 1969-70 Basketball Team
The Agates were State Champions in 1924–then waited 25 years to qualify for a District championship game—then another 21 years would pass before returning to the District 26 championship in 1970. It was a great accomplishment.
Dan Battaglia – Class of ’71
“I remember running into Coach Kortuem in the hallway that spring & he said something like, “the word is that we are the favorites for next year. We had a great year in 1970. With us being Juniors and our group of Seniors, we made it to the District finals. This would be the last year of one-class basketball. We ended up beating two Duluth schools—Denfeld and Central then played Duluth East in the championship but lost in triple overtime. This was when we Juniors knew with the two-class system coming in 1971 we’d be tough that next year.”
Scott MacDonald – Class of ’71
“The loss to Duluth East lit a fire under us to come back stronger the next year. It showed that we could compete against the bigger Duluth schools, and built a lot of confidence in us to come back and make it to the state tournament. With all the tournament games we played during those two years at the Duluth arena, it became like a second home court to us.”
Impressionable Youngsters
Imagine being a young boy or girl with the opportunity to watch these four District 26 basketball games at the Duluth Arena. The anticipation during the school day. The excitement of handing your ticket to the attendant as you walked through the turnstile. Walking from the concourse to your seat inside the arena. Listening to the school band and cheerleaders get the crowd going. Watching the THHS gymnasts perform at halftime. Topped-off by watching your favorite team—your heroes perform as admirably as they did.
How could he or she walk away without a deepening love for basketball or sports in general? Even more, they would walk away knowing that kids from Two Harbors could accomplish great things. This would have a positive impact on Agates’ athletics for the decade to follow.
Driving home from that game, one can imagine the following conversation emanating from the back seat of a station wagon along Highway 61. Three boys in the backseat. Hardly a word until they cross over the Knife River bridge.
“Next year, we still have the Battaglia boys, Scott, Terry Fleck, Lee Oling, Klein, Big Gary, Boyce, and everyone else. Dad, what do you think our chances are?
I’d say they are pretty good, boys. What do you think?”
“Well, we sure are going to miss L’Esperance, Kronlund, Bergerson, and the other seniors. But yes, I think we are going to be really good again.” “Class A next year too!”
“Can we go to all of the games?”
“Sure, we’ll do our best to go to all of them, as long as you get your schoolwork done, just like this year.”
“Can I ride with your family to all the games next year, just like I did tonight? I love this car. And my Dad never stops at Sandy’s in Duluth or the A&W.”
“Where did your family stop?”
“Nowhere. We always bring sandwiches.”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s important to save money. What kind of sandwiches.”
“You never know.”
“Sometimes Oscar Mayer bologna with mustard, or PB&J, even braunschweiger with pickles, or tuna fish—though I’ve never understood why they call it tuna fish. I call it a tuna sandwich. Sometimes we bring my favorite—SPAM! “But there’s nothing like that double-cheeseburger or chuckwagon at Sandy’s or a pizza burger and root beer float at A&W. You guys know what you’re doing.”
Organic Beginnings
Winter sports in Two Harbors were quite different. Youth hockey teams were available for kids as young as six or seven years old. Teams would travel to Duluth, Cloquet, Hermantown, Proctor, Superior, or Silver Bay. Our new arena and proximity to Duluth made Two Harbors a prime destination for the Duluth teams to travel to play indoors.
Meanwhile, the ’70-’71 team members couldn’t recall organized competition against out-of-town teams until 7thgrade. But that didn’t mean they weren’t playing. Drive down any alley in town, and you were likely to see at least one or two backboards and hoops tacked onto garages.
Dan Battaglia
“We played lots of basketball outside while growing up. There was a basket a half-block away at Larry Olson’s that we used a lot. When we got a little older, we were always playing at Roy LaBounty’s. He had a garage with a cement driveway with a basket & lights. The Segog boys spent hours on that court.”
“It wasn’t until 7th grade that we all got to play organized basketball together. We were looking forward to this. Dave and I went to the John A Johnson. Lee Oling and Scott MacDonald—two of our best friends, went to the Minnehaha. I remember we had an undefeated 7th-grade football team. Howie Dahl coached our basketball team. We might have been undefeated in 8th grade too. By 9th and 10th grade, our team started to get broken up. Scott was moved up to the varsity team, and we didn’t play together again until our Junior year.”
Lee Oling, Class of ’71
We grew up together in Segog. We were best friends. We never really had youth basketball until like 6th or 7th grade. We’d shovel off Roy LaBounty’s driveway in the winter, so we’d have a place to play. If we wanted to play indoors in the winter, we’d have to break into the gym.”
MacDonald offered, “I mainly played at the basket in the high school parking lot on the backside of the school by the high school hill because it was right next to my house. I played on that court year-round, including the darkest winter when it was icy and snow-covered. My brothers, neighbors, or sometimes just myself would put on leather choppers, which would get very icy. We would pry open the door to a little outbuilding that was filled with sawdust from shop class. We would gather as much sawdust as we could carry onto the court, which would provide some traction for shooting. We had a lot to overcome to shoot a basketball during the Two Harbors winter, but we loved to play.”
We are not sure of the statute of limitations for breaking into the high school to shoot baskets or to steal sawdust in 1971, but it illustrates the lengths these boys would go to play basketball.
MacDonald continued, “Basketball camps didn’t exist back then. We would ride bikes, throw rocks, build forts, and play yard games with the neighbor kids.”
“We didn’t play organized basketball until sixth grade. Our only games were our team, Minnehaha—coached by Jim Keeler, versus John A. Johnson coached by Ozzie Hattlestad. The two teams played once or twice a week. John A Johnson always beat Minnehaha in flag football and softball in sixth grade, but Minnehaha always beat John A. Johnson in basketball. One game we won by score something like 12 to 10. I had 14 points–12 for Minnehaha and two for JAJ. I was a little embarrassed when Ozzie ran onto the court and yelled,” thank you, thank you, thank you!” for scoring a basket for their team.”
Lakeside Court in the Wilderness
Outdoor basketball—streetball, has long been an incubator for hoops greatness. New York City had Holcombe-Rucker Park in Harlem. Chicago had Jackson Park. Mosswood Park was the place to be in Oakland.
Two Harbors, Minnesota—more precisely, Stone Lake—27 miles north of town in Brimson, had its own court of hoop dreams. Located adjacent to the Battaglia and MacDonald families’ cabins, passersby might have expected a makeshift outdoor hockey rink amid the northern Minnesota forest. But a basketball court?
Hardly.
Railroad ties were stacked to serve as the boundaries. Truckloads of gravel dumped, spread with shovels, then smoothed with a blacktop roller. Backboard, hoop, and nets mounted atop downed birch trees, cut to length, planed, and then painted. Lights were installed for evenings when the moon, stars, and northern lights needed a boost.
An idyllic setting with an audience of deer, dragonflies, and lightning bugs would breed the composure and skills needed to excel before thousands. Peaceful setting to prepare for the limelight. It seems counterintuitive, but it worked.
Summer camp at Stone Lake wasn’t just relaxation on the beach. Walleyes were sparse in that lake. The Battaglia and MacDonald boys—and their teammates and friends, indeed were exonerated from suspicion of surpassing their daily limit. They were too busy building their court—then having fun while perfecting their skills.
Families now spend thousands on sending their sons and daughters to athletic camps. None would be better than this northwoods court surrounded by evergreen and birch trees. The smell of pine cones. Leaves rattling amid the breeze. Hours of ball. Break for hot dogs or burgers on the grill. Then back to the court. Finish the day with a quick sauna, then plunging into the lake. S’mores around the campfire. Falling asleep with cabin windows open, the sound of crickets and frogs lulling them to sleep.
Perfect.
As if that weren’t enough, haven’t we all played some barn basketball?
No?
Well, the youngsters of that era did—particularly those who graduated in 1970 or earlier.
Dan Kronlund
“The Otterblad and Johnson families owned barns within a couple of miles of each other, a few miles north of town adjacent to the Waldo Road. Each barn had a loft where they built basketball courts—hoops on both ends. Weather permitting, we’d ride our bikes up there almost every Saturday and Sunday and play full-court games throughout the summer and winter. We just loved to play.
Lee Klein, Class of ’71
“I remember playing in the Johnson barn loft with Dave and Dan, Terry and Lee Oling. I don’t know who lined it up, but it was fun.
Mark MacDonald—Class of ’69
Mark laughed when the subject was broached: “I hadn’t thought about that in 50 years! It was great to play in those barns because you didn’t have the facilities to shoot around back then. My recollection was that the Otterblads loft had a better floor. There was a spot in the Johnsons’ floor where there was a two-inch drop, so you had to be careful. I remember being able to see through the cracks in the floor down to the lower level. You could shoot from one end to another but not all that high or you’d hit the ceiling. Our games had to be limited to two-on-two, or three-on-three at the most because the courts weren’t wide enough for more. I always thought those families were so lucky to have baskets in their barn where they could practice. Our go-to place to shoot in town was the hoop behind the high school.”
Few people had a better “front-row seat” to the Agates’ success than Jim MacDonald. A graduate of 1976, Jim would enter 7th grade for the 1970-’71 school year. Older brothers, Dave, Mark, and Scott—all were outstanding athletes–as was Jim. Jim was an impressionable 12-year-old when the Agates traveled to the State Tournament.
The youngest of the MacDonald boys recalled, “As we were growing up, we spent a lot of time playing on that court at Stone Lake in the spring, summer, and fall. Mark had a couple of his teammates from UMD come over. Lee Oling was up there a lot. My older brother Dave and Mike Battaglia also played a lot with us. Even Geno Goedel—assistant coach on the ‘’71 team would play. He had a cabin on the lake too. Generally, we all know he was a mild-mannered guy, but he was one heck of a competitor during those games at Stone Lake.”
“My three brothers and the Battaglias built that court up at Stone Lake. The area is overgrown now, but there might one plywood backboard laying around.”
Indeed, there is. See the pictures below.
The wildnerness and barn courts apparently worked. From 1968 thru ’71, Two Harbors basketball teams had a leading scorer with MacDonald’s last name—Mark, the first two years, Scott, the last two. Then another in 1976.
Click on the pictures below to see the remnants of the court at Stone Lake.
Border Wars
The rail, shipping, and manufacturing town of 4,386 people had a strange dynamic amongst its youth. A town divided. In the late ’60s and early ’70s, imaginary borders separated the townspeople. Wikipedia contains a lengthy list of divided cities—somehow, Two Harbors was not among them. 7th Avenue separated north from south, and the railroad tracks split east from west. Segregation—Lake County style. Socialization across those dividing lines was largely verboten.
The city evolved from the waterfront. The primordial houses built south of 7th Avenue were all built between 1890 and 1910. The privileged uptowners lived in “new” homes—mostly constructed between 1911 and 1930. More modern. Exuding the future. A downtowner’s dream. But the basements uptown leaked just as readily as downtown.
Kids lived among their neighborhood tribes. It was unthinkable to organize a pickup basketball game with anyone on the wrong side of the border. Uptowners had the John A Johnson playground. It included a hill, a baseball field with a backstop, a basketball hoop, and playground equipment—a swing, monkey bars, and a merry-go-round. Every lunch hour, the north-siders would gobble down their chili con carne, pizza squares, delicious hamburger gravy, or the deplorable Spanish Rice, then run to the playground for a game of “500.”
Minnehaha had blacktop. And a basketball hoop. Oh, and a fence perfectly placed to allow kickball participants to send rockets into the front yard of the Principal of the John A. Johnson school—Miss Priest.
The only legitimate reasons for the Uptown kids to cross the border were to go to a movie at the Harbor Theater, watch a boat arrive in Agate Bay, play pinball at Northlands or attend Crazy Days.
The only legitimate reasons for the Downtown kids to cross the border were to visit their relatives in the hospital, attend the County Fair in mid-August, or go golfing.
These borders were real. Children even wrote fight songs about the division. All knew the most popular.
Uptowners sang:
“Minnehaha upside down.”
“John A Johnson best in town.”
Downtowners flipped it:
“John A Johnson upside down.”
“Minnehaha, best in town.”
This wasn’t just about uptown or downtown. There was another border—the railroad tracks on the west side of town. Beyond them, the unexplored territories of northern Minnesota wilderness, the hamlet known as Segog, and one famous body of water—The Duck Pond.
A rite of passage for any uptown or downtown boy or girl was the adventure of walking across the tracks, then a quarter-mile down a lightly-worn, forested trail to the Duck Pond. To an eight-year-old, it felt like an African Safari. Put a couple of bologna sandwiches in a paper bag, then embark. To ease your concern about encountering a bear–or someone from Segog, you felt safer if one of the older boys was armed with a wrist-rocket slingshot. Ammo was free and plentiful. Stop at the railroad tracks and fill your pockets with the ultimate slingshot munition—taconite pellets. The reward for the expedition to the Duck Pond was viewing Lake County’s largest congregation of tadpole clusters.
Even then, you weren’t quite to Segog. This area was part of the Northshore Addition—the buffer zone between Segog and the town.
Segog travel presented unique challenges for a youngster prone to nightmares. First lesson—do not return from Segog at night. A 10-foot tall chicken lived in Segog. Some thought it inanimate. Wise kids knew it sometimes disappeared.
Where did it go?
Was it hunting…
…for kids?
Meanwhile, halfway between Segog and the railroad tracks stood a 100-foot tall giant named Pierre the Voyager. His eyes burned red at night. He was on your left. On your right? The local cemetery. We all saw “Night of the Living Dead” in 1968. Vincent Price, The Munsters, and Dark Shadows had all of us freaked out about cemeteries.
Departing Segog at night on a bike was substantially quicker than during the day. Every kid knew how fast they were riding by the amount of noise generated by the baseball card clothes-pinned between your bicycle spokes. That noise was never louder than traveling home from Segog at night.
Ironically, the Duck Pond now lies adjacent to “Battaglia Blvd,” named after “the twins’” father, Dave, a respected political figure in Minnesota for decades.
We didn’t know it in 1970, but the snow globe we lived in was a societal crystal ball. Two Harbors was never perfect. But most now consider it an idyllic place to grow up. Predominantly, a town of equals. Homogenous. There were three wealthy families in town, then 90% of everyone else had roughly the same family income—though yes, there were many impoverished families. We were 99.9% white. Our ancestors had very similar life experiences. Many grew up in Two Harbors. Never left. Dropped anchor beside the lake. We cooked and ate the same foods—mostly Swanson frozen dinners, pot pies, and Roma frozen pizzas.
Yet, despite many commonalities, we viewed those kids on the other side of 7th Avenue, or the railroad tracks, as lesser than us—the opposition—foreigners.
All because of one reason–we hadn’t taken the time to get to know each other, to overcome our preconceived ignorance.
In 2020, we watch the news and scratch our heads. How can the world be so messed up? How can we be so divided? Simple. We don’t cross the tracks. We don’t take time to understand the people across the divide. We don’t build bridges—we dig deeper ravines. In the grand scheme, Two Harbors is an extremely minor case–but if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere.
Once we crossed 7th Avenue or the railroad tracks, we rode our bikes together, played basketball, baseball, hockey, and golf together, had a sleepover, played a board game, threw snowballs or apples at cars together, or were forced to sit in alphabetical order in class—inherently forced to learn each other’s names, and we realized—hey, those other kids are just like us. They are fun. They are nice. They like many of the things we like. And they do some fun things we’ve never tried.
Dan Kronlund recalled: “When were kids, there was such a rivalry between the John A Johnson and Minnehaha kids. In our Senior class, Jim L’Esperance was the only one who had attended the Minnehaha. Of course, by the time we were in high school, we all became friends, but the rivalry was real when we were younger.
“All the kids who grew up in Segog or, like me, in the North Shore Addition behind the car wash went to the John A Johnson. This was along with the kids from north of 7th Avenue. Jimmy L’Esperance was the only one of our Seniors on that team who went to the Minnehaha.”
Later graduates of THHS concurred regarding the divide. Ron Barthell–Class of ’78, the divide was real. It was bizarre–the uptown kids hung around together, had a solid bond, and didn’t cross over to downtown. I don’t think I played basketball with anyone from downtown until 9th grade! When we played baseball, we had three teams in town–uptown, downtown and Segog.”
Jim MacDonald, Class of ’76, recalled with a laugh, “I remember going to Sunday School and not knowing who these uptown guys were. I just thought they were all rich—you know, living in their new uptown houses!”
“We had our downtown gang who played a lot at the Minnehaha–Scott Ross, Kevin Morsette, the Schuelke boys, Tad Forsell, the McCannels, Hank Harper, Bob Nartonis and Joe Sega. Stevie Johnson played with us too–until their family moved uptown. Then, that was over.”
“Back then, Grades 7-12 were all in the high school, so we’d be walking the halls with all those older guys we looked up to. We also started to get to know the guys from uptown and Segog.”
For the record:
Uptown: Coach Ray Kortuem
Downton: Scott MacDonald, Rick Mosca, Gary Cordts
Segog: Dan Battaglia, Dave Battaglia, Lee Oling, Terry Fleck
Homewood Loop: Lee Klein
In 2020, many of our country’s problems could be solved by walking across the street or crossing the railroad tracks.
We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Call the Movers
Some families anchored in Two Harbors for generations. Other families traveled in search of employment. Relocations to and from town were big news. Old friends moved away. Strangers moved in.
“Hey, I heard a family is moving here from Grand Rapids, and one of the kids plays hockey.”
“Hey, I heard a family is moving here from North Dakota to manage the Co-op, and one of their kids plays basketball.”
These were big stories in a small town.
One such story led a basketball coach and his young family to northern Minnesota.
Ray Kortuem—and his wife, Yvonne, moved to Two Harbors with their young family in 1966 from Clara City, Minnesota. He almost didn’t make it. A fortuitous act of kindness landed him on the north shore. Ray had teaching interviews scheduled with Hibbing and Duluth East but picked up a hitchhiker who told him about a job opening in Two Harbors. Keith Erickson was that hitchhiker. Soon after that, Kortuem was visiting with Superintendent Ray Stensvad. Without much delay, Two Harbors had a new teacher of Social Studies and Driver’s Education—and a new basketball coach.
After attending college at Mankato State, Kortuem began his coaching career in Clara City, MN in 1958–112 miles west of Minneapolis. The 2010 population of Clara City was 1,310. By contrast, Two Harbors was a bustling metropolis. Kortuem coached Clara City to several winning seasons. But he didn’t have the caliber of athletes there that he was about to lead in Two Harbors.
Kortuem reminisced:
“The Battaglia boys were great, hard-nosed competitors. Very smart basketball players, both gifted with great anticipation.”
“Scott MacDonald was a great athlete. Went on to play basketball at West Virginia then played one year on the football team and scored the game-winning touchdown in the Peach Bowl against North Carolina State.”
“As a left-hander, Lee Oling made a lot of contributions. Was a matchup problem for other teams. He always kept the team loose.”
“We had our big lineup with Oling and Cordts, then our smaller, quicker lineup with Klein and Fleck.”
Regarding Kortuem, Oling reminisced: “He just made us feel good about playing basketball. He put a lot of work into it, worked us hard, and he cared about us. I think his energy carried him through the most. He also assembled a wonderful supporting cast of coaches. Geno Goedel knew the game—he had played it and lived it. Nat Sando was very good, and Pee Wee Johnson balanced things out.”
Jim MacDonald, THHS Class of ’76, shared the following thoughts about Kortuem: “Early in my coaching career, who was there to support me? Ray Kortuem. When my teams at Fridley went to the state tournament—who would call me to offer support? Ray Kortuem. I thought he was a great motivator and innovator—he did many things to confuse the opponents. His strategies are still in play today—he was ahead of the game. He gave us some boundaries, then turned us loose to go win the game.”
“Ray and my Dad were great friends. Ray would usually come over to the house after games, and the two of them would visit for hours. Ray, Nat Sando, Chuck Halsted, Geno Goedel, Jim Krysiak—they all influenced me when I became a coach.”
Coach Kortuem reflected, “It was a special time in our lives. My life in Two Harbors has been wonderful. Our family was very blessed to have landed here.”
Coach Kortuem—and family, deserve massive credit for this story. Many of the pictures and stories were beautifully preserved in scrapbooks by Ray, Yvonne and the kids.
And yes, that’s Lee Oling in the picture with the Kortuem family!
Kortuem Family Scrapbook - Page 1
Coach Kortuem graciously acknowledged the support of a wonderful woman who worked behind the scenes for all Two Harbors athletes—Cora Harper. Harper served ISD 381 for decades, caring for each team’s laundry and even opening the gym for the basketball team every morning. Credit also to the team managers who support every team–pictured here are Brad Miller, Gary Hastings and Jim Fleck.
The Road to the Barn
As leaves were falling from the trees in late 1970, circles were drawn on calendars: birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the opening night of the high school basketball season.
The Agates didn’t need a publicist.
The town knew.
Destination—Ashland, Wisconsin. One hundred miles on a school bus. Plenty of time to think—back to last year—forward to this year. As the Agates rolled westward on Superior Street, the Duluth Arena was already waiting. Within months, that bus would turn left on Lake Street instead of traversing the Blatnik Bridge into Wisconsin. Between now and then, 18 games would be played.
Indeed, no team in northern Minnesota boarded the bus for their first game in late 1970 with more swagger than Two Harbors.
This team knew.
Every other team knew.
Fans traveling to Ashland knew.
Yet, nothing was guaranteed. Sports are fickle. A bad bounce here. A bad call there. A twisted ankle. A broken wrist. Good performances, good health, good fortune—the equation for destiny—all had to fall in line. There would be bumps in the road—most would be overcome.
One would not.
Ashland would provide a smooth glide into the season for the Agates. The returning core last walked off the court in March following the heartbreaking triple-overtime loss to Duluth East. The boys let off some steam, opening up a 38-16 halftime lead on their way to a 73-35 victory. Scott MacDonald began his march to Minnesota All-State Team with 30 points. The duo forever known as “the Battaglia Twins” combined for 34. Lee Oling added seven and Dan Boyce, two.
The bus ride back to Minnesota was filled with relief that the new season had commenced, along with thoughts of their next opponent—the Duluth East Greyhounds. The Agates performed amazingly well for three of the four quarters—outscoring East 47-41. Unfortunately, the Greyhounds won the game with a 16-2 gap in the third quarter en route to a comfortable 67-49 win.
There’s an old expression in sports that you can learn more from losing than winning. Perhaps it was coined by someone who lost a lot, then became smart. But indeed, the East game reminded this team that they were darn good—but not invincible.
The Agates would win 15 of their final 16 regular season games—losing only to the eventual Class AA State Champions—the Duluth Central Trojans. The game was shifted to UMD to handle the anticipated overflow crowd.
The first half was competitive as Central led 22-19 at halftime. The Trojans would extend their lead in the third and fourth quarters on their way to a comfortable 51-36 victory. The late Como Pontliana led Central with 18 points.
Central would lose only once—to Morgan Park, during their championship season. Meanwhile, Two Harbors would defeat Morgan Park twice on their way to Williams Arena.
Even the loss to Central provided a moment of levity. Starting Guard, Terry Fleck recalls the moments leading up to the game. He glanced down the court, seeing Central’s fancy uniforms, then realizing he was moments from a new experience. Growing up in North Dakota, Terry had no experience playing against a black man—in this case, Larry Potter. Terry didn’t let that stop him from being Terry. Always a bit of an agitator, Terry approached the 6-foot, 5-inch Potter, reached out to shake hands and introduce himself:
“Hi there, I’m Terry Fleck, and I’m going to spend the next 90 minutes doing everything I can to steal the ball from you. I might even give it back once or twice, just to be nice.”
Potter didn’t miss a beat.
“Don’t even think about giving the ball back to me—I won’t need your help. I’ll just easily steal it right back,” Potter said with a wink and a confident smile.
Fleck reminisced, “We hit it off right away. You remember and appreciate the guys who respected your skills as much as you respect theirs.”
Potter finished with 13 points against the Agates and was a key member of their state championship run.
Two Harbors would win their next eight regular-season games, entering the playoffs with a 16-2 record. The Agates topped 70 points 11 times during the regular season, and—aside from East and Central, the Agates won their other 16 regular-season games by an average score of 75 to 54.
Dan Battaglia:
“Thinking back to our senior regular season, I remember a few good teams. Morgan Park and Proctor were tough in Class A. In AA, it was Duluth Central and East. We ended the regular season with our only losses to East & Central. Morgan Park played us tough, but we won in OT. We beat them in the championship game in District. We ended the season with a 21-3 record. Two of our three losses were to the AA and A champs.
“Our game against Duluth Central was moved to UMD because of the big crowd. Fun! ”
We loved playing at the Duluth Arena. We played several games there in 1970. In 1971, it felt like our home court. We were able to play Regions there, too. I remember the great crowds! “
OLING: “Dave and Dan were tenacious on defense. They’d hunt you down—just such great defenders. I wouldn’t want to go against them—they never got tired!
DAVE BATTAGLIA: Regarding the ’70-’71 season, “I thought we’d be pretty good. Even more confident as we learned 1971 would be Minnesota’s first two-class basketball tournament! We returned three starters–Scott, Dan, and myself, from ‘70 season when we were District 26 Runners-up to Duluth East—a game we lost by 2 in triple OT.”
1970-'71 Regular Season Box Scores
Home Court at the THHS Gymnasium
Admission to a high school basketball game was the hottest ticket in town during the 1970-71 school year. The team’s performance the previous year raised expectations. The ’70-’71 team met them
During a school-year afternoon, the gymnasium at THHS was often the scene of anxiety and trepidation as students clad in modest Phy Ed attire served as immobile targets in dodgeball games, or were humiliated as their peers watched them struggle to do a single pull-up. Regularly scheduled pep fests in the gym helped reset the vibe of the building. But nothing was quiet like a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday night during basketball season.
The airplane hangar doors separating the east from west courts glided apart. Portable bleachers rolled in from the smaller, east gym to frame the stage that was the varsity court. Concrete blocks, steel beams, wooden floors—inanimate composition, yet seemed full of life on game nights. Cars occupied every parking spot in front of and behind the school, and all through the neighboring streets.
Darkness and cold prevailed outdoors. Indoors, the stage was lit, vibrancy abounded, anticipation flowed.
“Sweet Georgia Brown” reigned down from the balcony from the best high school band in Northern Minnesota, led by John Downs. The champs emerged from the southwest staircase. School song. Warm-ups. Introductions. National anthem. Then a methodical dismantling of the visitors. The Agates were not typically the most hospitable hosts. There was business to be conducted, along with an abundance of flair for entertainment from their coach and their players.
Terry Fleck recalled. “The Duluth Arena was great but for us, it didn’t really matter where we played—we just wanted to play. But there was nothing quite like a home game in Two Harbors. When they opened the wall on the east side, that place just roared.”
Some youngsters rarely saw the second half of a basketball game at THHS. At halftime, they’d rush behind the east-side bleachers—the basketball version of the children’s table at Thanksgiving, to play, do stupid stuff, or bully each other around. A chaperone—typically a teacher, monitored the antics to ensure things didn’t get out of control. They’d play H-O-R-S-E, or gather others for mini two-on-two games in the confined space. If the game was close, perhaps they’d return to their seats for the last few minutes—and to provide reassurance to mom and/or dad that they hadn’t run off and joined the Army.
Far more often than not during that era, the locals went home happy. A perfect evening would continue over pizza and a pitcher of soda at Cudda’s, or a late-night game of bowling, hosted by Dale Anderson at Harbor Bowl. Beat a few loops. Wave to every car that drove by. Then scoot home to pre-empt a curfew violation reprimand.
All this while the hockey players were home studying.
Fall asleep with a smile.
Life was good in Two Harbors
District 26 Playoffs - March 1971
Roughly three months after the season opener in Ashland, that ISD 381 school bus would indeed turn left on Lake Street in Duluth, traveling back “home” to the Duluth Arena for the District 26 playoffs.
Thousands of basketball fans would join them. Most arrived for basketball. Some arrived for dinner. Whether you arrived for a Saturday afternoon hockey triple-header or a District 26 basketball tournament, settling into your seat with a Frosty Malt Cup and wooden spoon, a Polarena sausage on a rye bun—mustard only, and a large 7-Up was peak childhood for a youngster in the Arrowhead of northern Minnesota.
Families would arrive not just to watch Two Harbors, but the games before or after the Agates. Sure, without the ability to record your favorite television shows, the family might miss Marcus Welby, MD, The Flip Wilson Show, or Gunsmoke, but this wasn’t an era of couch potato-ism. Getting out of the house was a societal norm.
Two Harbors would need to win five playoff games to advance to the State Tournament.
DISTRICT 26 QUARTERFINALS: MONDAY, MARCH 8, 1971
TWO HARBORS 80
CROMWELL 44
The District 26 opener was over early as the Agates scored 12 of the game’s first 13 points, then held a 44-21 halftime lead as they cruised to an 80-44 win over Cromwell. Gary Cordts, Lee Oling, Mitch Johnson, Rick Mosca all joined the Battaglias, MacDonald, Fleck on the scoresheet.
One down. Four to go.
DISTRICT 26 SEMIFINALS: THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1971
TWO HARBORS. 60
ALBROOK 52
Next, they’d face a surprising Albrook team who’d just knocked off Hermantown in the opening round. Albrook outscored Two Harbors 35-30 in the second half but the Agates held on for a 60-52 victory. Craig Seeland of Albrook led all scorers with 21 points.
For the second straight year, Two Harbors was headed to the District 26 finals.
Two down. Three to go.
DISTRICT 26 FINALS: FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1971
TWO HARBORS. 60
MORGAN PARK 48
One year earlier, Two Harbors lost to Duluth East in the finals of District 26. Now they were back. So were 3,500 basketball fans in the Duluth Arena. Morgan Park—the only team to defeat eventual Class AA state champion, Duluth Central, would be a formidable opponent. In the regular season, Two Harbors needed double-overtime to defeat Morgan Park, 78-73.
The score at the end of the first quarter was:
Scott MacDonald 12
Morgan Park 9
MacDonald would finish the first half with 18 points before Morgan Park focused their second-half defensive efforts on him. As always, the depth of the Agates paid off as Dave Battaglia finished with 16 while Fleck added eight, and Dan Battaglia and Lee Oling each added six points. MacDonald finished with 24. Two Harbors out-rebounded MP by 37-27 and played one of their best games of the year while defeating the Wildcats by a dozen, 60-48.
Coach Kortuem was quoted in the Duluth Herald, “My kids are really tough in the clutch. I was concerned when they got within four in the last quarter, but our kids sure took care of it. All our kids were great. They’ve worked over two years for this, and they deserve it. What a win.”
For the first time since 1947, Two Harbors advanced to the Region 7 high school basketball tournament.
Three down. Two to go.
Region 7 Playoffs - Greenway
TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1971, 7:30 pm
In the first game of the evening, the Rush City Tigers advanced to the Region 7 finals with an overtime win over Aurora Hoyt Lakes. Two Harbors had beaten A-HL, 65-48, in the regular season. The score comparisons seemed to bode well for the Agates. But, in sports, you never know.
Two Harbors’ opponent in the Region semi-finals was the Greenway of Coleraine Raiders. Everyone in Minnesota was familiar with Greenway—but for another reason—in 1969, the diminutive, yet dynamic, Mike Antonovich led the Raiders to the State Hockey Tournament. As Greenway would prove against Two Harbors, high school sports were thriving in the small town nine miles northeast of Grand Rapids.
Greenway—with a record of 12-8- proved to be the biggest scare of the Agates’ playoffs. Two Harbors opened with a 20-13 lead in the first quarter. Greenway showed their mettle, outscoring the Agates 29-25 during the second and third quarters. Midway through the final quarter, Two Harbors led by the slimmest of margins, 49-48. Truly a season on the brink.
But the Agates were battle-tested—playing on their home-away-from-home court in Duluth—and—as Coach Kortuem stated after the Morgan Park game, they were ready to handle the pressure. They would outscore Greenway 12-4 during the final four minutes to close out a 61-52 win.
MacDonald finished with 28 points—almost half of the team’s total of 61, including 18 in the second half. The Battaglias combined for 24, and Terry Fleck added nine. A consistent theme in numerous game recaps for the year referenced the defensive prowess of the Battaglia twins. The Greenway game was yet another example.
Four down. One to go.
The stage was set. The Rush City team and coaches were able to sit back, relax, probably have a Polarena and Frosty Malt, while watching the cast of characters they’d face 48 hours later. They saw four players–the Battaglias, Fleck and MacDonald, score all the points for Two Harbors against Greenway.
These four players were surely on their radar.
One Agate was not.
Region 7 Championship - Rush City
THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1971, 7:20 PM
That’ “goldarn”–or something like that, Lee Oling!,” Rush City Junior Center Jerome “Jerry” Siljendahl would exclaim 49 years later—not just once during an interview for this story but multiple times. Siljendahl’s tone was good-natured, fun, and frustrated all at the same time.
Against Greenway, with Rush City watching, Oling was held scoreless. Surely, Rush City didn’t build a game plan to stop him.
That was a mistake.
As Herb Brooks would state nine years later in a pregame speech in Lake Placid, “Great moments are born from great opportunities.” Oling’s performance epitomized Brooks’ sentiment. This was the moment of Lee Oling’s basketball career.
Rush City coach, John Erickson, stated after the game, “Oling was a surprise to us. We hadn’t seen Two Harbors play that much. But this must have been his best game of the season.”
Truer words, never spoken. Lee had been averaging 3.6 points per game but would score 17 in the biggest game since 1924 for Two Harbors High School. Big man. Big stage. Big game.
“I had a great game. Afterward, Dwight Lind and a couple of the other guys picked me up onto their shoulders and carried me off the court. It was an amazing night, said Oling.”
The Agates led 50-47 with just over four minutes remaining. But as Coach Kortuem was quoted postgame in the Duluth Herald newspaper, “These guys really get it going when the going gets tough.” Two Harbors had gone on a 15-4 run to close out the game, winning 65-51 and punching their ticket as Region 7’s representative in the State Tournament.
The Minnesota Vikings had Bud Grant. The Two Harbors Agates had Ray Kortuem.
Stoicism on the purple sideline. Flamboyance courtside with the maroon and gold.
“When we won that game, I jumped in the air and split my pants!” Coach Kortuem recalled.
Lowell Nelson, a Junior forward for Rush City, was forced to watch the game from the bench due to injury but shared his memories:
“We had been on a good run heading into the playoffs—beating teams by 25 points, or so. Our team relied heavily on our top five. Not as much bench rotation as you see now. In our first Region 7 playoff game, we beat Aurora Hoyt Lakes by one. Their top scorer missed a short, three-foot shot as time expired, so we were fortunate to advance.”
“We were very familiar with Scott MacDonald. I think he was averaging like 28 points per game. We game-planned around stopping him—figured if we could hold him to low double-digits, we’d have a good chance to win. Then we let that Lee character get out of hand. I think his last name started with an “O.”
Oling?
“Yes, Oling. He had the game of his life. I still remember him. He wore those same black, thick-framed glasses like me.”
MacDonald would finish with 21 points while Oling added 17.
Rush City’s leading scorer throughout the year, Kevin Schlagel, led the Tigers with 21 points.
When interviewed for this story, Schlagel reminisced, “We didn’t have a long history of basketball success in Rush City, but things started to change in the late ‘60s when my brother, Bob—who was an excellent player, came along with a few other good athletes. We had a nice run for three or four years.
“Rush City had never been to the State Tournament, so it was a tough loss for us. We were in the Regionals the year before in Hibbing, where we were defeated by Eveleth, led by Stan Krebs, who played for the Gophers.”
“When thinking about that game, the thing that stands out to me was just how big and physical they were up front. You’ve got to give their coach credit for putting Lee Oling into the lineup. If I recall correctly, he wasn’t always a starter. Left-hander. He had a big night against us. We planned to have Jerome Siljendahl on MacDonald that night. Jerome was a very good player and did a nice job. We just didn’t have anyone to match up with Oling. I remember it was a close game until the fourth quarter when we got into foul trouble.”
“We were fortunate to play in Rush City for a guy like our coach–John Erickson. He made basketball fun for us. It’s always fun when you’re winning, but nice to play for a coach who makes the game fun. I took that philosophy with me during my coaching career.”
Schlagel graciously concluded, “Well, if I can’t sleep tonight, I’m going to have to blame you (Tom Smith) for making me revisit that game against Two Harbors!”
Siljendahl added, “We saw Two Harbors beat Greenway and had one practice to prepare for them. We figured that if we could keep MacDonald below his average, we could win. We did that, but that (goldarn) Lee Oling! In the previous game, he couldn’t hit the backboard. But, against us, everything he was throwing up was going in. We thought we did what we were supposed to do. Oling beat us.”
“I went on to play football and baseball at Minnesota Morris while Oling was playing football for UMD. I ran into him in Duluth, and we had a great time talking about that game. Lee laughed about it, played himself up like a big hero—he’s such a funny guy. I gave him some crap too.”
Oling: “Our fans were into it. Somebody planned that if we won, they would grab the basketball and throw it up to the next level of the Duluth Arena. I think Tom Gow was at the top level. He eventually got his hands on the ball and ran to the parking lot with it. All planned by our classmates. They sure had fun that night!”
Terry Fleck: “I sat up on the rim after we cut down the net. We lived a dream—every kid that touches a basketball—every kid dreams of going to state—we lived it.”
Per Lee Oling, “I remember visiting with Jim MacDonald a while back. Jimmy said he has a good friend who played for Rush City (Schlagel). Jim said that Schlagel jokingly warns him that if you ever mention Lee Oling’s name, I’ll kill you. He had the game of his life. He prevented us from going to the State Tournament.”
DAVE BATTAGLIA:
“The ‘71 season went pretty much as I had hoped with a regular-season record of 16-2, followed by a nice run through District 26 and Region 7 tournaments. Dan, Scott, and I were regular starters & we used a couple of different lineups depending if we wanted size (Lee Oling 6’3” & Gary Cordts 6’8”) or speed (Terry Fleck & Lee Klein). With a big win over Morgan Park, we were in the Region Tournament. Then, a win over Rush City and the (21-2) Agates were back in the state tournament for the first time since 1924—dating back to the “Snapper” Stein days! The town and school were “crazy.” Everyone was an “Agate” fan. Media galore came to TH to write stories about the team!”
Two Minnesota high school state tournaments had far more prestige than the rest—basketball and hockey. The reason was simple—statewide television coverage.
The Agates were about to be on TV.
A big deal back then.
A big deal even now.
Road Trip to Minneapolis
As the scoreboard clock during the Rush City game counted down from 10 to 9, then 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…and zero, folks from Lake County clapped their hands for a few seconds, then looked at each other:
“We have to go to Minneapolis!”
How will we get there?
Where will we stay?
Will we go down and back, same day?
Can we get tickets?
How many people can we fit in our car?
Will the kids travel on the pep buses?
What if there’s a blizzard?
Oh gosh—where exactly is Williams Arena?
Travel planning was infinitely more difficult then than now.
No Expedia. No Google Maps. Hotels.com would arrive decades later. Yelp didn’t exist—where would we eat? They’d have to trust Jack McKenna’s forecast on the Channel 10, WDIO newscast instead of weather.com.
How could humans possibly traverse the state without the modern conveniences?
They did. Quite happily, too.
These challenges didn’t stop the late Larry “Looper” Larson and others from camping overnight in front of the high school to ensure they were first in line when tickets went on sale at 7:30 am on the Monday following the Rush City game. More than 1,100 tickets were sold that day. Hundreds more would be purchased the next two days. Upwards of 40 percent of the town’s inhabitants would travel to the Twin Cities. Probably 90 percent of the rest would be watching on television.
Mark Krysiak recalled, “I was working at Bob’s Drive-In (hamburger stand) at that time, and since I was a hockey player and everyone else wanted to go to the game, including my bosses—Bob and Shirley Wilson, I had to stay back and work. Talk about “nobody in town” that day! I think I had three customers. Believe me–Two Harbors was a ghost town!
Ticket prices were steep. Reserved seats cost $2.00. Yes, two dollars. General Admission tickets cost one dollar.
Times have certainly changed.
School busses would make the trek. Greyhound busses were chartered. Family roadsters would migrate from north to south and back.
Before leaving Two Harbors, many families would venture to the Holiday gas station to fill the tank and stock up on snacks.
“Fill ‘er up?” the gas station attendant would ask.
The reply was often, “no, just four dollars worth,”
Today’s response was, “yes sir, fill ‘er up, we are going to Minneapolis!”
While the attendant went to the back of the car, flipped down the license plate to access the gas tank, then began refueling, washing your windows, and checking your oil, Mom or Dad would go inside for the snacks. Good parents returned to the car with two tubs of Top The Tater, two large bags of Old Dutch Ripple Chips, and a few cans of Dad’s, Hires, or Rooti root beer. Bad parents returned with a bag of pretzels or a Hefty bag sized bag of stale popcorn.
The kids remained in the car monitoring the attendant’s pit-stop activities, waiting to hear the cool sound of the metal oil can spout slicing into a new can of oil. Others wondered how many years the attendant had that dirty rag in the back, right pocket of his pants. The studious young travelers would be ignoring the commotion while studying their fold-out road map or Rand McNally Road Atlas to identify the towns they’d be traveling through today.
Natives of Two Harbors were still enjoying the novelty of the completed expressway between Duluth and Two Harbors.
Construction concluded in 1967–no more dirt road between town and the Homestead Road.
Cars were not as reliable in those days. Driver’s kept one on eye the road and the other on their engine’s thermostat gauge as they climbed Thompson Hill, hoping the car didn’t overheat on the way. The trip to Minneapolis truly seemed to begin when you reached the crest of the hill, and Lake Superior disappeared from rearview mirrors.
Minutes later, the stinky smell from the paper mill in Cloquet would seep through air vents. The inevitable, “who farted?” joke would ensue.
It never got old.
Another landmark would arrive at the point on I-35 where there are no longer any pine trees in the median between the north and southbound lanes. Many Two Harborites are now scratching their heads—hmmm—I’ve never really thought about that.
Just as neighborhoods separated Two Harbors, the community was divided by which turn signals they chose at the Hinckley/Sandstone exit.
Most turned left for Tobie’s Cafe—then a cozy cafe—now a conglomerate.
Fine diners turned right for the more intimate experience provided by Cassidy’s Golden Pine restaurant.
Tobie’s had cinnamon rolls. Cassidy’s, the salad bar—perhaps the first ever encounter with lettuce and cherry tomatoes for many young Two Harborites.
The only place on the trip garnering more traffic than Tobie’s was the rest stop just south of Forest Lake. Some families bypassed Hinckley. Inevitably for them, root beer saturation would lead backseat youngsters to exclaim, “I have to pee.” Experienced passengers knew to sip instead of slam their beverages because the sooner you had to pee, the longer you’d have to hold it. If you reached discomfort as early as Moose Lake, you’d be holding it for 86 grueling miles until arrival at Forest Lake.
The next highlight on the trip was the I-35E/I-35W split in the road – straight to St Paul, veer right for Minneapolis. This was March of 1971. The pre-global warming version of March. Veering towards Minneapolis would inevitably lead to passengers observing the frozen series of lakes that comprise Lino Lakes, as you gazed out the windows on the left side of the car.
Those opting not to stay overnight in “the cities” either before or after the Melrose game, would take the University Avenue SE exit to directly proceed to Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota. Others—perhaps staying at the Normandy Inn, Leamington Hotel, or The Curtis Hotel would cross the Mississippi River then look to the Minneapolis skyline where the soon-to-be tallest building in Minnesota—the IDS building, was halfway completed.
Families with a mom or dad bent on nostalgia would take old Highway 61. Locations shouted out from the back seat as youngsters spotted the classic water towers in Wyoming, Pine City, and Rush City. Anticipation would build as the car neared the snowman statue in North St. Paul. When you saw it, you were officially in the Twin Cities.
A trip to the Twin Cities was a special event for any Two Harbors youngster in the ‘60s and ‘70s. You might be able to see downtown Minneapolis and the notorious, legendary Hennepin Avenue. Perhaps the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul. You might be able to see a shopping mall, like Brookdale or Southdale. You might be able to see Metropolitan Stadium or the Met Center.
On other rare trips to the Twin Cities, we might be going to see Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Joe Kapp, Alan Page, and the rest of the Purple People Eaters, or Bill Goldsworthy and Gump Worsley.
On this trip, the entire town was driving to the Twin Cities to see…
…Lee Oling.
But what about a trip to Minneapolis when you know half the town is following you for the sole purpose of watching you play basketball at Williams Arena?
This trip was different. This was unique. This was awesome.
Forty-nine years later, we are still waiting for it to happen again. Those boys and their coaches gave us a gift.
1924. 1971.
Next?
Time will tell.
Team Departure and Arrival in Minneapolis
On Tuesday, March 23, the school would hold a “pep fest” for the team before they departed for Minneapolis at 9:00 am.
Four members of the 1924 State Championship basketball team—Lloyd “Snapper” Stein, James Meindl, George Swanson, and Waldemar Mattson, attended the pep fest. Nobody knew Williams Arena better than Stein. After graduating from THHS, he attended the University of Minnesota, played on the football team, then served as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Gophers athletic department for 40 years.
Somewhat surprisingly, the team wouldn’t travel to Minneapolis by bus. “We all rode to Minneapolis in cars driven by coaches—Halsted, Kortuem, Sando and Pee Wee Johnson. There were not enough players to justify a bus,” recalled Scott MacDonald. “I had the opportunity to play at Williams arena in 1969 when we played against Minneapolis Marshall in a preliminary game to the Minnesota Gophers regular game. But this time will be entirely different.”
Dave Battaglia: “A week in the Curtis Hotel was pretty special too for the small-town kids from Two Harbors.
OLING: The night before the Melrose game, the cheerleaders came around to each room and put good luck stuff on the doors at the hotel. The whole town got behind it, I had previously been to Minneapolis when Chuck Halsted took us to a Vikings game, but I had never been to Williams Arena.”
The team had a 45-minute practice at Williams Arena on Tuesday at 6:45 pm in advance of the Wednesday afternoon game.
The Curtis Hotel was buzzing when the team arrived. MacDonald recalled, “the Curtiss Hotel seems to take up a whole city block. It seemed massive to us.”
The Agates appeared to some to be right at home according to a story by Merrill Swanson story in the Minneapolis Tribune. Swanson wrote:
“The Two Harbors team arrived in matching maroon blazers, the same color as the coats worn by the Curtis bellhops. And, inevitably, there was the little lady who walked up to one of the players and said, “Excuse me, young man, but my bags…”
Two Harbors Agates vs Melrose Dutchmen
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1971, 3:35 PM
“And now, representing Region 6, with a record of 21-2, last year’s Consolation champions, let’s meet the Melrose Dutchmen.
Number 11, Dave Schneider
Number 13, Ron Maus
Number 15, Herb Ehlert
Number 23, Tom Herges
Number 21, Marty Meyer
Number 25, Tom Walz
Number 31, Neil Thelen
Number 33, John Thelen
Number 35, Paul Meyer
Number 41, John Herkenhoff
Number 43, Dean Westendorf
Number 45, Rick Beuning
Number 51, Mike Hertzog
Number 53, Butch Moening
Number 55, Randy Douvier
“The Dutchmen are led by Head Coach, Dave Linehan and Assistant Coach, Del Schiffler.
“This afternoon’s game will be officiated by Jim Robinson and Verne Berglund”
The two pictures above were provided by Sande McLeod (Halsted)
More than 14,000 basketball fans gathered at Williams Arena—“The Barn” on the University of Minnesota campus to watch the Class A State Tournament’s afternoon session. Thousands more watched on television—probably black and white, for most. This was—and will forever be, the most focused-on game in THHS history:
- Sold out arena.
- Statewide television audience.
- Zero smartphones in possession of anyone.
People watched the game. Everyone was present. Sure, everyone looked around Williams Arena, fascinated with the old structure. But the basketball court was king.
On the court, the fans were about to watch two teams that had won a combined 42 games and lost only four during the year. Undeniably, the two best Class A teams in the state played each other in the first round of the tournament. The score-by-quarter statistics: 15-13, 17-16, 19-13, 22-21, confirmed the competitive balance of the teams.
If only this were a best of seven series.
Well into the second quarter, Two Harbors led 30-23 before Melrose scored seven consecutive points. The most troubling statistic of the first half was that All-State player, Scott MacDonald, picked up his fourth foul with just over a minute remaining in the second quarter. The halftime score was 31-30 in favor of the Agates. Two Harbors would play the third quarter without him and played admirably but were outscored by six.
MacDonald wouldn’t be the only Agate in foul trouble. Lee Oling and Dan Battaglia both fouled-out before the game concluded.
The bottom line is simple: Two Harbors played very well against an outstanding team. Melrose won 70-66.
Nearly 50 years later, Melrose star Butch Moening would reminisce: “I will say this—the officiating played a significant role. That allowed us to take control. MacDonald had to sit much of the second and third quarters. When he was in the game, he had to play a more reserved role to avoid fouling out. “
“I felt Two Harbors was the best team we played all year until we played Duluth Central. They were the best of the three teams we ran into in the Class A division—including East Grand Forks in the semi-final and Red Wing in the championship game. I have nothing but respect for them.”
Moening’s classy comments were expressed with every bit of sincerity a Lake County resident would hope for.
MacDonald also dialed the calendar back to 1971 when he offered the following: “The thing I remember the most about the state tournament was the confidence and excitement I felt, followed by the deep frustration. I could not play my best or fully help my team because I was on the bench due to early foul trouble. I remember sitting on that bench, helpless, hoping the other players could maintain, but we lost in a close game to Melrose. It was a game we could have—and should have, won. At the time, I could not stop thinking about the “what ifs.” I remember spending the whole week reliving every play, every shot, every call by the officials. At the time, it was a crushing disappointment. I still wish it had gone differently. Over the years, of course, everyone learns that there are much more important wins than basketball wins and much more devastating losses than state tournament losses, but at the time, it was the center of my world and the basis of so many of my memories.”
Lee Oling
“I remember running onto the Williams Arena court and seeing thousands of people. I was really nervous. My parents rarely sat together at games, but I looked up and saw them sitting side-by-side. I almost (crapped) my pants. There were some phantom fouls where we never touched a guy. If Scott had played the whole game, the outcome would have been different. The sad thing was that it was a one-and-done situation. There was no consolation bracket. So, we just spent the next few days in Minneapolis, dejected, and looking for something to do. We went to one of the pancake houses, spent a lot of time walking the streets. Yes, we even went shopping–we had nothing else to do. I think we had four of us in a suite at the Curtiss Hotel. It was an unbelievable experience.”
Dave Battaglia
“That first-round game with Melrose went down to the wire. Looking back on that, it was a great effort when you realize Dan & Scott spent much of the first half on the bench with fouls. Little did we know as players that Melrose returned all their starters from the 1970 state tournament & were Consolation champs. That made us feel pretty good about our effort. We finished the season with a record of 21-3—one loss to Class AA state champs Duluth Central, one loss to Class A state champs Melrose, and one loss to Duluth East—the Greyhounds lost three games all season—all of them against Central.”
Butch Moening
“My most prominent memory was that we knew we’d have to stop Scott MacDonald to have any chance of winning the game. As the game progressed, the two twins—the Battaglias, became an even bigger threat. Their starting five was as good as any—outstanding. Our team was unique—we didn’t have a superstar. On any given night, anyone could lead our team in scoring. We had four guys with double-digit scoring averages. We also had a great coaching staff with Dave Linehan, Del Schiffler, and Frank Shelton.
“Melrose was a so-so team when I was a freshman. Then coach Linehan arrived—set the tone with a “new sheriff in town” mentality with some different rules. During my freshman year, some seniors didn’t buy-in and didn’t even try out for the team. Matt Herkenhoff was a great athlete from Melrose. He went on to play for the Gophers, then ten years for the Kansas City Chiefs. I was a sophomore when Matt was a Senior. We went to Regions but lost. As a Junior, we were consolation champs in the single-class tournament. I was just very fortunate to be part of it. The ’70/’71 team was so good that Mark Olberding, who was a freshman, wasn’t good enough to break into the lineup. But he was a phenom and dominated the following three years.”
Dan Battaglia
“Williams Arena seemed packed—official attendance was 14,049, and was fun to play in. The locker rooms were crappy—old and dark. The Gopher trainer Lloyd “Snapper” Stein tried to get us the Gopher locker room, but that didn’t work out. Snapper was an old Agate. The Melrose game was close all the way. I think we led at the half with Scott on the bench for much of it with foul trouble. We lost to a very good team which had been there the year before. Disappointing, but not bad. The week of the State Tournament flew by. I’d tell the kids now to enjoy the moment – it goes so fast. We lost the first day at State but spent the rest of the week at The Curtis Hotel. What a great time!”
Lee Oling
Ruby MacDonald had recorded the radio announcers. Butch Moening was a big guy, like me. While Butch and I were standing beside each other, one of the announcers said. ”I don’t want to be rude, but between them, there’s a side of beef on the floor. The other announcer said, “yes, they are quite fleshy.”
Lee Klein
I remember doing some shopping, and there was a hospitality room for the players that we went to once in a while, but other than that, we must have just hung out at the hotel.
Scott MacDonald
“What did we do in Minneapolis? Good question. Being in a somewhat state of depression at the time, I don’t remember a lot. I remember hanging out and walking around the Curtis; it was huge. I remember walking around on Nicollet Mall and Hennepin Avenue. Some of us went to a matinee showing of Midnight Cowboy, which was controversially rated X at the time. Some guys played poker in the rooms or would find a pinball machine to play. I remember watching games on television, thinking it should have been us.”
Media Reaction
Ask any Two Harborite for their most prominent memory of the Melrose game and a vast majority will cite the officiating. Perhaps it’s best to let objective sports journalists—none of whom are from Two Harbors, address this topic.
Patrick Reusse, Minneapolis Star
“Two Harbors had more to complain about than (others).
The Agates game with Melrose was dominated by neither team but by the officials, Jim Robinson and Vern Berglund. Their officiating was sometimes hilarious, but generally hapless.
A total of 42 fouls were called and Two Harbors had to play the entire third quarter without its 6-5 star, Scott MacDonald, who had four first-half fouls.
Dick Gerzic’s Yankee Doodles, Duluth Herald newspaper
“I may be nice, too, but not that nice, so I’ll say it: Two Harbors was robbed.
What makes me say that?
Well, it’s an accepted fact that when a referee is doing a good job, he’s never noticed. He’s not supposed to be. But believe me, I noticed the referees in the Two Harbors-Melrose game. It was hard to concentrate on the two teams involved. I sort of got the feeling that two men were out there before 15,000 or so fans to show their own talents; that they needed a couple of high school teams to complete the setting.
That night while I lay in bed, I kept seeing a couple of gentlemen in striped shirts telling me, “Watch how I call this foul.”
“No one will ever convince me that Two Harbors didn’t have the best Class A team in Minnesota this season.”
Sports Slants by J.K. (Jim Klobuchar), Minneapolis Star
“Two teams which bit the dust in the first round of the state high school tourney, Two Harbors and Robbinsdale, were excellent teams which could have conceivably gone all the way. Poor foul shooting and extremely technical officiating was their downfall.
If college basketball referees called fouls as the officials did in the state tourney, the college basketball arenas were empty and fans would probably watch gymnastics where the referees are not the whole show.”
Newspaper Stories Regarding Officiating
Credit to Melrose
Officiating aside, Melrose had a collection of outstanding players who formed a great team.
In 1970, when Minnesota did not have Class AA and A, Melrose was the Consolation Champions in the single-class 1970 State Tournament. Melrose won the 1971 Class A tournament after defeating Two Harbors. Led by future NBA star, Mark Olberding, Melrose would be the Class A runner-ups in 1972 and 1973, then State Champs in 1974, including defeating the Class AA champion, Bemidji in the “Playoff Game” between the AA and A champions.
If Two Harbors had to lose to somebody, losing to a program as honorable as Melrose was far from embarrassing. The Dutchmen, their families and their town had a very special basketball program in the early ‘70s.
Team Effort
Those who read this story, study the box scores, then review the team pictures might wonder about the experiences and contributions of those who didn’t often appear in the box scores. Scott MacDonald offered the following perspective blessed by the Battaglias, Oling, Fleck and Klein:
“As with all successful teams in any sport and it may sound cliche, but the 1970-71 basketball team truly was a team effort. Playing all the way to Minneapolis added not only games to our resume, but it also added many more days of practice. Practicing right along side of myself and Dan, Dave, Lee , Gary, Terry, and Lee K, were Dick Mosca, Alan Anderson, Terry Forsell, Dwight Lind, Dan Boyce, Billy Swanson, Jeff Bolen, and Mitch Johnson—staying after school an extra two hours, running every conditioning drill, every defensive drill, every offensive and shooting drill, shooting extra free-throws, providing opposition in scrimmages, and vocally providing support and encouragement. It was these teammates and our managers Gary, Jim, and Brad and of course the tremendous energy and support we felt from our classmates, teachers, and the whole City of Two Harbors that really made you really feel good and want to win for them as much as for yourself.”
Heroes Return - Sunday, March 28, 1971
As Two Harborites returned home from Minneapolis, they surely felt a bit of empathy as they drove past Exit 159. We knew the sting of loss. The folks who lived a couple miles east of that exist also knew. Days earlier, Rush City fans and team members drove south from Duluth, filled with pride and sorrow. Now Two Harborites were driving north—carrying the same emotions.
Both towns experienced the highs and lows.
Both towns were blessed to be captivated by their teams.
Ashland to Minneapolis. Many stops along the way. The Two Harbors community traveled with this team throughout the year. They would now travel with them one last time. On Sunday, March 28, eight miles southwest of Two Harbors, fans gathered in Knife River—prepared to escort the District 26 and Region 7 champions home. Fire trucks. Police cars. Families. Friends. Classmates. Strangers.
Dan Battaglia: “I remember coming home to a fire truck escort…maybe both out of town and on our return. Packed gym. You would have thought we won the tournament by the reaction of all the cheering fans. We signed lots of autographs and were congratulated by many people.”
Lee Oling: “Our fans were unbelievable. Folks like Looper Larson camped overnight to buy tickets. We had police escorts on the way to Minneapolis and back to town. It was really special that the whole town showed up. It brought us to tears.”
The caravan arrived at the high school at 2:30 pm. The gymnasium was jam-packed one last time. The scoreboard couldn’t count the cheers, tears, smiles, reflection, dejection, and reverence offered during the next 90 minutes. This reunion had it all.
Various speakers offered expressions of adoration and support. Fans stood to cheer as often as they sat. One last time together—fans, team and the court.
Each player had an opportunity to share his thoughts. Agate Senior, Gary Cordts, took advantage to share a memorable moment: “I went to Minneapolis with $50 dollars to my name” then he reached into his pocket, grabbed a fist-full of coins then stated, “and this is all I have left,” as he threw the coins onto the gymnasium floor, surely sending the youngsters scrambling.
Cordts allowed everyone to laugh. To relax. To smile. And cheer.
The ending of this chapter had arrived. Every athlete has lived through it. As a youngster, dreams of playing for the high school team seem an eternity away.
Then you blink.
It’s over.
For some, it’s over forever. No Bulldogs, Gophers, Badgers—or Mountaineers, in your future. The final bus ride home with your teammates, then clean out your locker.
All good things must come to an end.
Or do they?
Memories can’t be erased. They live on forever.
This basketball team lifted the spirit of the town for months—actually years. The town would return the favor—lifting the spirits of a disappointed team for a few hours. Perhaps that feeling of appreciation would persist among the players for a few days—maybe months—years—forever.
A town. A team. This was a good match. They served each other.
An imperfect ending.
A glorious experience.
Unforgettable.
Thank you, boys.
Sincerely,
The Citizens of Two Harbors, Minnesota
March 28, 1971
Rick Ray - Family Car Welcomes Home the Agates
Car Caravan Arrives in Two Harbors
Coach Kortuem Addresses the Fans
Aftermath
Small Towns
Two Harbors, Melrose, Rush City. Small Minnesota towns with more commonalities than differences. No great histories of success. Just the right forces coming together at the right time in each town.
All had places where the locals would gather on the day of—or day after, sporting events to discuss the latest buzz around town, including the successes and failures of their sporting teams. Two Harborites might enjoy pancakes and coffee at a local cafe—Miller’s, Oscar’s or The Golden Gate. Coffee, cinnamon rolls—or one of those wonderful crescent shaped doughnuts with banana icing at either Lex’s or Homekraft bakeries. A Schmidt, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Style or Hamm’s beer at one of the watering holes such as the VFW, Legion and Moose Clubs, or Doulas’s, Smokey’s or the Beacon Tavern.
Face-to-face social networking over food and drinks.
Advantage, 1971.
Speaking of Hamm’s beer. How did any child of Minnesota grow up to drink any beer other than Hamm’s as an adult? What child wasn’t inspired to drink beer by the catchy jingle and frolicking Hamm’s Beer bear?
“From the land of sky blue waters…”
But I digress.
Another dynamic separated small towns from large cities. If someone moved into or out Minneapolis, who would know? If a family moved into or out of Two Harbors, everyone knew. Terry Fleck added spirit. Ray Kortuem added guidance.
Terry Fleck
“I couldn’t possibly imagine landing in a better place in 1969 than Two Harbors, Minnesota. My dad moved the family there in 1969 so he could manage the Co-op grocery store. I felt like I was the luckiest kid on earth. They needed a point guard and I was in the right place at the right time. I lived in Segog along with Lee Oling and “the twins.” We were always playing basketball somewhere in that town. We were a group of guys that just clicked. How could I have walked into a better situation? I was blessed.”
Faced with the possibility that a good friend might be moving out of town, Dan Kronlund recalled: “Jim L’Esperance’s dad—Barney, was a great surgeon. He had opportunities to move elsewhere and before our Senior year it looked like that was going to happen. Jim broke the news to me. We’d been playing basketball together since 4th grade. We were just crying at the thought of his departure. Jim told me he expected us to go the State Tournament that upcoming year—without him. It was just an example of the type of friendships you develop. Obviously, their plans changed and Jim was a big part of our success in ’69-’70. “
Dan Kronlund
I remember driving to the Duluth Arena with Terry Fleck, who was a sophomore, to watch the Harlem Globetrotters. Lousy weather. Lost control of the car on the way out of town and we spun a 360. I just froze. Meanwhile, Terry said, “that was fun!!”
That was Terry!
We got out of the game and the rain had turned to ice. We couldn’t unlock my car so Terry went in to get a few cups of hot coffee which we poured on the frozen door locks. It eventually worked and we made it back home.
Garry “Wally” Freeman – Melrose
“In those days, Melrose was just nuts about basketball. They had just won it all—not just Class A, but also the playoff game against the AA champion, Bemidji. Earl’s Bar in Melrose was the placed to be after basketball and football games. The owner—Earl, tended bar until he was at least 89 years old. He ran a no-nonsense place and was fiercely loyal to teachers—like myself. Earl and I became real good friends. Their coach, Del Schiffler, would hold court at the end of the bar after every game.
In a December of 2013 the St. Cloud Times had this segment regarding Moening:
“There was Butch Moening, a star on the ‘71 team who became a long-time high school coach at Park of Cottage Grove and is now the principal at South St. Paul High School.
“I remember that if you didn’t get here by the start of the JV game, you probably weren’t getting in,” Moening said. “We (the players) would go in through the janitors’ door because it was the only way we were getting into the gym. Those days are somewhat gone.”
Lowell Nelson – Rush City
Things were different then. When Rush City had a road game, you might as well have turned all the lights off in town because it seemed like most of the town came to watch us play.
Kevin Schlagel – Rush City
Those few years in Rush City were a special time for everyone. The entire community rallied around our team. Everyone from town was up in Duluth for that game. I’m sure it was the same way for Two Harbors. Small towns were just the way.”
Jerome Siljendahl – Rush City
Basketball was a big deal in Rush City. The support we had was phenomenal—just really something. They still follow the team quite well. Sometimes, I’ll go back home and take my mother to a game—she still enjoys it. You see some of the same people are sitting in the stands as when I played. And it’s amazing when I go back to “the muni” and the same people sitting in the same places at the bar as 15 or 20 years ago.”
“I remember playing in a slow-pitch softball tournament in Melrose. A team from Two Harbors was there. They had quite a few fans along with them. They were there to play ball, but also to win the beer drinking trophy—they were apparently the defending champions. You could tell this was not their first rodeo. That trophy stood four or five feet high. They had a game plan, stuck to it, and won the trophy again. I had a great time visiting with them.”
And in a reflection about the nuances of small town life, Jerry shared, “When I’d go to this baseball game, that football game or a basketball game somewhere, my wife would jokingly ask, “how many people do you think you’re going know when you go to the game today?” It’s just one of those things about being involved in sports in Minnesota—no matter where I go, I always seem to run into someone I know.”
Butch Moening – Melrose
“Lee Oling and I became good friends. We’d cross paths at basketball clinics. He’s just a classy guy. I also crossed paths many times with the Battaglias at clinics and camps.”
Jim MacDonald, Class of ’76
“On our street—5th Avenue, we also had the McInerny and McMahaon families. Those guys were great athletes. We had a few sleepovers growing up and my buddies, like Scott Ross and Scott Gulan were kind of starstruck being around my brothers. That was how I felt whenever I was around the Battaglias.”
“We had some great athletes and great teams in Two Harbors. It just a matter of passing the torch from one group to the next.”
“As young kids, we were really into supporting the older guys.”
“As 7th and 8th grade boys, we’d be at the basketball games and do all the cheers with the cheerleaders at all the games. I remember riding to one of the games in Duluth with Rick Ray. We were driving down Superior Street in Duluth with the windows down while yelling all the cheers as loud as we could:
“We’re from Two Harbors, couldn’t be prouder!”
“We’re from Two Harbors, yell a little louder!”
I want to do that!
50 years have passed since the beginning of the 1970-71 high school basketball season. It still reverberates for those who lived it and observed it.
Ordinary kids from small towns like Two Harbors, Rush City, Melrose and the central hillside neighborhood of Duluth would meet the other kids in town, try various sports, play and practice together. Gathering together people of different backgrounds. Or just enthusiastic youngsters who wanted to chase their dreams all the way to an old barn on the campus on the University of Minnesota.
A strong case could be made that the success of this basketball team led to other athletic successes in Two Harbors for the during the next decade. Kids who watched the 1971 Agates basketball team realized that their dreams could come true. They saw the ultimate example of how much fun sports can be. The timing coincided with Title IX. It wasn’t just a gymnasium full of boys watching the games. Girls watched. They’d soon play.
We often wonder what his going through the minds of youngsters. For those watching the Agates’ basketball team at the THHS gym, Duluth Arena, or Williams Arena, it’s safe to assume that all of them looked at the court and thought:
“I want to do that,”
They saw that success was attainable—their heroes, after all, were the neighbors who lived down the street—or, heaven forbid, downtown.
Dan Battaglia
“I still can’t believe it will be 50 years, next year since we went to State. Even harder to believe that no boy’s basketball team from Two Harbors has returned.
Lee Oling
“It was really special…to this day, I’ll see somebody and they’ll say, Oling, you played on that state basketball team in 71…it was so special. We used to pack the gym. It was just good basketball.”
Scott MacDonald
“I remember so many classmates and other people from Two Harbors driving to our games that we would always seem to have the biggest the largest crowd there. I remember my mom and dad and siblings at every game. My parents always sat on the top row behind the scores table at all home games.”
Lee Oling, regarding the late Gary Cordts:
“Before he died in 2011, I went to visit him in the hospital. He had been a forester up in the International Falls area. We laughed about always been the last ones to finish our sprints or running the stairs even though we’d cheat. He was a great guy.”
Ron Barthell – THHS, Class of ’78
“At the time, Ray’s son Greg and I were best buddies. When the team was traveling to road games, Greg and I would wait on 7th Avenue for the team bus to come by and pick us up. We always sat up front close to Ray. It was quite an experience for a 12-year old who loved basketball.”
Sliver Bay’s Chris Viola
In three games against the Agates in ’70-’71, Chris scored a very admirable 23, 10, and 19 points.
Chris recalled, “That Two Harbors team was very good and deserved a better fate at Williams Arena. They had a great group of athletes with four of them playing collegiate football or basketball.”
Gordie Klein, former Prinicipal at Two Harbors High School
“It was a very special time for athletics in Two Harbors. That era in the mid-to late ‘60s and early ‘70s produced some of the best athletes we had during my 25 years with the school.”
Charlie Halsted – former Athletic Director and Principal, Two Harbors High School
Charlie prefaced his comments with a laugh in his voice and with, “You have to remember that I’m 92 years old now and that was 50 years ago. I’m not sure how much I can offer.” Then he proceeded to offer numerous sharp incites about the era.
“We really had some outstanding athletes back in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s.
Scott MacDonald was one of the best athletes and also one of the best people to I had the pleasure of coaching. Nothing went to his head–he was a straight-arrow all the way through. He received a lot of publicity but always kept his head in the right place. He was an outstanding individual who anyone would be proud to have for their son.
Regarding the Battaglias, “they were the same way as Scott. Never shot their mouth off. Just did their jobs. Never looked for recognition. Just very good leaders and outstanding athletes.
Terry Fleck was a pleasant surprise. He wasn’t a big guy, but a tough, strong-willed competitor—every team needs guys like that. He had a really outgoing personality, was very well-liked, and a good addition to our sports teams.
Lee Oling – undoubtedly one of the most pleasing personalities with his humor and his attitude. Everyone always wanted to be around Lee—his personality rubbed off on everyone. It’s been a pleasure to know Lee, and we can’t forget that he had lot of talent too.
We had a collection of strong individuals on that team.
It was heartbreaking to see that year end the way it did in Minneapolis. Obviously, everyone remembers the foul trouble. But the team sure generated a lot of excitement at the school, and throughout town.
The Melrose Connection
The most significant event in Two Harbors in 1982 was the “All-Class Reunion.” This was the predecessor to Heritage Days, an annual event attended by thousands, including a street dance on First Avenue, among other activities. Yes, adults from uptown do cross 7th Avenue to attend this predominantly downtown event. The All-Class Reunion of ’82 had big aspirations, including a live band and dance in Lake County Arena. The event was well attended and provided inspiration for the Class of ’59 graduate Terry Zimmerman. Terry returned to town and shared laughs with numerous old friends. As with most Two Harborites, you can leave town for 15 years, then stop by a bar, the golf course, or curling club, and within minutes of visiting old friends, it feels like you never left.
Zimmerman left the reunion determined to continue the fellowship. Terry’s first departure from town was immediately after high school—he served honorably in the military in the early ‘60s then pursued a teaching degree at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. In the fall of ’71, Zimmerman landed his first teaching job in a town roughly the same size as Two Harbors. As a teacher, he became restless in summer and sought opportunities to keep busy. When the gentleman who had been running their golf course retired, Terry expressed interest in taking over and was promptly hired. Realizing that so many of his friends were also golfers, and inspired by the All-Class Reunion, he organized what would become an annual gathering. The event would continue throughout the ‘80s and became well known—legendary—notorious—for darn good times.
Golf events are often named after the location where they were played—the British Open, the US Open, etc.
Zimmerman’s event?
“The Melrose Open.”
Yes, that Melrose.
Zimmerman’s teaching job landed him in the land of the Dutchmen, just six months after Two Harbors and Melrose squared-off at Williams Arena.
Throughout the ’80s, cars with mischievous current and former Two Harborites would traverse Minnesota’s two-lane roads to misbehave in—of all places—Melrose. This was akin to the Custer family having a reunion at Little Big Horn.
Unimaginable.
Yet, Terry’s infectious personality led to years of fun. Zimmerman had organized quite an event. The author of this story even won the Melrose Open during the drought-ridden summer of 1988.
Zimmerman started an unexplainable trend. Well, unexplainable until you dig deeper.
Garry “Wally” Freeman served as a youth hockey coach for many Two Harbors youngsters. He was my first hockey coach. Wally left Two Harbors to pursue a teaching career—he would also be an integral member of the rise of hockey in his new home. Garry taught them how to flood the local rinks properly, provided lessons, coaching, and even raised a son who would score the first varsity goal in the history of their new program.
Where?
In Melrose.
Freeman was a vital community member who started the hockey program in the Melrose/Sauk Center/Long Prairie.
And in the most notorious surprise of all, the Melrose school district recruited a highly talented UMD graduate named Mary to serve as a Speech Therapist for the district.
Mary’s last name?
Battaglia.
Mary Battaglia Zeher recently retired after a distinguished 38-year teaching career in Melrose. She recently recalled, “Never in a million years did I want to come to Melrose. I hated them because they beat us in the tournament. But it became my happy home. TZ’s (Terry Zimmerman’s) family became my adopted family. When I first moved here, I was lonely, and they took me under their wing. I worked with Garry Freeman, too—he was very active in our union. He could be real gruff at times, but I wasn’t afraid of him—I’d stand up to him. He’d then break down and laugh.”
Conspiracy theories abound. Unsubstantiated suspicions are that the Melrose school district targeted former Two Harborites and paid Zimmerman, Freeman, and Battaglia far more than other teachers—hoping they’d raise their athletically-gifted families in Melrose—hoping their children would someday win championships for Melrose based solely on their athletic talents, without need for invention by referees.
Just kidding.
Kind of.
Two Harbors' Secret Admirer
The following vignette was entirely possible.
A northeast wind and thick blanket of fog cooled an otherwise beautiful summer day in August of 2012. A tall gentleman and his lovely wife introduced himself to the bartender.
“Hi, I’m Butch. Nice town you have here. I played in a basketball game against Two Harbors a while back.
“Oh ya, who did you play for?”
“A team from Melrose.”
Every head within earshot of Butch snapped in his direction. The bartender quickly responded.
“Really? Your name isn’t Moening, is it?”
“Sure is, how did you know that?”
“Mr. Moening, everyone in this town knows who you are.”
The bartender raised his voice.
“Hey everyone, silence for a minute. Everyone who has ever heard of Butch Moening, please stand up.”
It was as if the National Anthem was about to play—everyone in the bar rose to their feet.
“Well, we have a distinguished guest here with us tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to meet Butch Moening.”
While dramatized, the Moenings have spent plenty of time on the North Shore.
“Leora and I love the North Shore and Two Harbors. I remember stopping by that bar on Main Street—it was in the building with the video store. (The Landing). I’d just be BS’ing with the guys then introduce myself to the next and inevitably I would hear “WE GOT ROBBED” from everyone in the bar. But they were all good people. We have always enjoyed our stops in Two Harbors.“
Whatever Became of...?
What will become of…?”
Whatever became of…?”
We’ve all been there. Wondering about the future of someone. Wondering about the past of someone. All too often, these contemplations go unanswered.
As a 10-year old boy watching these athletes, I likely asked, “what will become of…”
As a 59-year old boy,—yes, boy, compiling this story, I often asked, “Whatever became of…”
Many of those contemplations were answered.
I learned of a coach who—in his 80s, is now as antsy to learn of the fishing successes of Lake Superior boaters as he was back in ’71 to learn of the achievements of his teams against forthcoming opponents.
I was reminded of the indelible, life-directing imprint that sports participation can have on the lives of boys-become-men who chose to “pay it back” for those who opted to “pay it forward” as coaches during their childhoods.
I learned of the “small world” realities where seemingly disparate paths lead to ironic intersections years—even decades later.
Sadly, questions of “whatever became of” Phil Bergerson, Gary Cordts, Como Pontliana and Larry Potter?”, were answered by the ultimate life lesson—life is short.
Dan Kronlund: “Phil Bergerson was a stellar “6th Man” on our team. He had 40% of his stomach removed during his freshman or sophomore year. There was a guy who’d have been a starter on any team without the health issues. Phil was a great athlete and a great person.”
The story of Potter particularly moved me. We saw him play in a couple of basketball games—perhaps in person, possibly on television. We remember him as an outstanding basketball player. But virtually all of us would lose track of him after 1971. Others remember him as much more.
Racism still exists in 2020. Obviously, it was present in 1971. As they watched, some may have thought lesser of Larry Potter because of his skin color. Hopefully, most Two Harborites rose above that.
I hoped to visit with Larry just as I visited with other athletes who competed against the Agates. During my research, I learned of his death in 2016. If someone had predicted that I’d include an obituary in this story, I’d have offered a bewildered shrug.
But I’ve rarely—if ever, read a tribute as beautiful and timely as Potter’s daughters, Cana and Tia, wrote in November of 2016.
LARRY POTTER
“This is not our father’s life story. It’s almost nothing, in fact—just a few words about him from somebody who loved him. I will never be able to tell it the way it really was. Seen through my eyes, it can only be the perspective of one person—one person out of the hundred thousand other beings whose paths he crossed over 64 years.
Most of this community will know our dad as Mr. Potter, their Phy Ed teacher, or Larry Potter, a local basketball legend, or Brother Larry, an active member of their church. To my sister and me he was just “dad.” He made the best hamburgers, but put too much pepper in the eggs. He popped popcorn the old-fashioned way, on the burner with lots of butter added at just the right temperature, so it didn’t shrink the puffs. When he laughed, he put his full body into it. “Still has impeccable teeth,” my mom said in his last hospital room. She used to joke that if the house ever caught on fire, he’d stop to brush and floss before escaping the flames. He spoke each word slowly and deliberately, and paused to absorb your words with a nod of understanding before speaking again. He taught himself to read music; the memory of him picking out a song on the guitar, strolling around from room to room as he sang in his mellow tenor voice is a favorite of ours. He taught me to stand up for myself, even when it meant standing up against him, a man who towered over most at 6’5″.
He was quirky, private, tenderhearted and generously giving. He was intelligent, much more so than he believed himself to be. When he set his mind to a project, he presented it with every detail thought through. When he wrote, it was in capital letters, slanted and finished with a little loop at the angles. He pulled out a ruler to underline a passage and a stencil to circle a number.
He was a spectacular athlete. Celebrated for achievements in track and football, he is remembered most for the way he could light up the basketball court. With grace in his movements and the ability to connect instinctively with his teammates, he caught the eye of scouts from across the nation and in Europe, even spending a short time playing in the Phoenix Sun’s post-draft pro summer league. Forty-five years later my stepdad can still tell me stories of his games heard on the radio, impressed upon the young mind of a Detroit Lakes farm kid.
Our dad was a black man, coming of age during the violent shift of the Civil Rights Movement. Merely one generation above us, he was among the first black American citizens who could vote. I used to see him waving to strangers we passed, though he never said much about why. Years later, I finally understood that the strangers, all dark-skinned, shared in silent acknowledgement a perspective that had been marred with experiences of hatred for hating’s sake. How do you forget that? How do you see some of the things he had seen and love generously anyway?
But, he did, and people noticed. I take away most vividly the collective ways in which he worked to uplift as many individuals as he could reach: in teaching, preaching, giving, singing, and creating music.
Our dad, unfortunately, focused on his shortcomings instead of his strengths, and he spent most of what I saw of his life in that state of mind. I’m not writing to tell you he was perfect, or paint a shiny portrait of only the best parts of him. Like every one of us, he was a human being with a life painted in both brights and grays. It’s my hope, as one—just one—of those people who loved him for who he was, that you will remember him for all of his truths, not just the best of him, knowing that, for the rest of our own lives, we will celebrate and miss him because of the man he never stopped trying to become.
He attended Central High School (Duluth, MN), Vermillion Community College (Ely, MN) and Moorhead State University, graduating with a B.S. in Education. He was an educator and coach at Park Christian School and Moorhead Public Schools. He worshiped at Baptist and Assemblies of God congregations.
Larry died November 5, 2016 in Sanford Health, Fargo, ND.
To all who are reading his story, to all who have loved him, to all who have crossed his path, we thank you for adding to the richness of this man’s life.
The basketball teams of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s didn’t just compete against strangers from towns we knew little—if anything, about. They competed against good people. Great people. Nice people. People, who in hindsight you wish you knew all along.—perhaps visited with over a breakfast of pancakes and coffee. Or, to share a tub of Top The Tater and Old Dutch Chips. Or, a bowl of perfectly buttered popcorn.
Wouldn’t that be a better world to live in?
My thanks to Cana and Tia Potter for blessing this tribute of their Dad in this story.
Coaching Tree
When you’re a youngster, some big questions are on your mind. What will I big good at? Will I always live in my home town, or will I move away? Will I ever get married? Will I ever become a Mom or Dad? Then there was another big one—what will I be when I grow up? Back in that era, with the Apollo program capturing everyone’s attention, many kids would look up at the moon and tell their parents, “I’m going to be an astronaut.” Others would watch TV and proclaim, “I’m going to play for the Vikings—or Twins—or North Stars—or all of them! Others watched Lew Alcindor lead the UCLA Bruins and Milwaukee Bucks and declare that someday play in the NBA. Jerry West of the LA Lakers so inspired one young northern Minnesota boy that he chose to follow in his footsteps as a college athlete at the University of West Virginia. More on that little guy later.
Several of the boys, central to this story, found the answer right in front of them. Inspired by the fun they had competing as athletes and those who served as role-models teaching them Math, English, Science, and so on, they would choose the noble career path of elementary, middle, and high school teaching and coaching. Their on-court performances often electrified gymnasiums. Their off-court, post-high school performances changed lives.
Many of the boys and coaches who crossed paths on the basketball courts in northern Minnesota in the winter of 1970-71 went on to impact countless young students, athletes, and families. Their on-court performances electrified gymnasiums. Their off-court, post-high school performances changed lives.
LEE OLING
Taught English and coached football in Askov for two years. While there, Dan Battaglia was hired and became Lee’s assistant. “They didn’t have a football field at the time, but Dan and I worked together with members of the community to change that. Before you knew it, Dan and I were out there installing the goalposts on the new field. They played their very first football game when Dan and I were there. After two years in Askov, I moved on to Wrenshall, where I was the Head Coach in basketball and an assistant football coach for 18 years. I then moved to Cloquet but and served as a counselor but didn’t coach.
DAN BATTAGLIA
“I started teaching in Askov, MN, in 1976. I taught Physical Education for 39 years and coached basketball and/or football for 40 years. I was a head coach in football, basketball, and girls basketball. I was probably a head coach for 24 years and assistant for 16 – always at the varsity level. Askov and Sandstone consolidated to become East Central while I was there. I had a team win one Section championship in football—made lots of section finals.
Other coaching:
- Girl’s Basketball – Head Coach, four years,
- Girls Basketball: Assistant Coach, three or four years.
- Junior High basketball for a couple of years
- Junior High baseball for a couple years.”
“One of my favorite coaching moments was in approximately 2002-03 when we played Two Harbors in football. Scott Ross had been calling East Central for a while. The first year he called, I said no because we only had four Seniors. We were a 2A or maybe even a 1A school by then, and Two Harbors had to be 3A. Well, I finally said yes, and we beat them both years. One of my boys was the starting quarterback at the time, and that was fun. We were able to play on the old field in Two Harbors, where I had played in high school. It was the good old days again.”
I have four boys and was lucky enough to be the Head Football Coach for all four. They were all quarterbacks, and at least one of them was the QB for eight straight years at East Central—that is kind of neat in itself.”
DAVE BATTAGLIA
Dave was a high school teacher/principal for 34 years—33 of those in Carlton. “I coached for 32 of those years—mainly as a varsity head or assistant coach in football or basketball, in Carlton and Cloquet. Since I retired in 2010, I’ve been a boys varsity assistant basketball coach in Cloquet, where my son Steve is the head coach. I’ll be entering my 43rd year of coaching this winter!”
“As an added treat, I‘ve been an assistant in basketball for six trips by Cloquet to the state tournament. Four with the boys in ‘97, ‘98, ‘00, ‘14 and two with the girls in ‘01, ‘04. My son was the head coach in 2014, and I had sons playing in ‘97, ‘98, ‘00 & a daughter playing in ‘04. Quite an experience to coach in a state tournament with your kids playing!”
NOTE: Lee Oling, Dan, and Dave Battaglia played football for the UMD Bulldogs.
KEVIN SCHLAGEL
After graduation from Rush City High School, Kevin spent the next 40 years at St Cloud State University
- Four years as a player
- 18 years as an assistant coach
- 17 years as SCSU’s Head Coach
Kevin’s brother, Bob Schlagel, spent 30 years as the basketball coach in Rush City, as well as serving as Activities Director
JERRY SILJENDAHL
“I started teaching and coaching in St James, Minnesota, then a friend recruited me to move up to Duluth. I started coaching up there—football, baseball, ran the East End Junior League football program for 10 or 12 years. Ran a 32-team Legion Baseball tournament for ten years. Helped with UW-Superior baseball for three years. Altogether, I coached for approximately 25 years.
BUTCH MOENING
Montgomery-Lonsdale High School
- Four years as Assistant Basketball coach
- Nine years as Head Basketball coach
- Montgomery’s only State Tournament appearance in 1982
- Three years as Head Baseball coach
- Nine years Football Assistant Coach-Defensive Coordinator
Cottage Grove High School
- 11 Years Basketball Head Coach
- Coached Sam Jacobsen – future Minnesota Gopher and first-round pick of the LA Lakers
- 11 Years Football-Assistant Coach-Defensive Coordinator
- 11 Years Activities Director, District 833 including Park and Woodbury HS
- 12 Years, Principal, South St Paul High School
- Overall Record as a Head Coach: 237-126, seven conference titles, one trip to State Tournament
JIM MacDONALD
Fridley High School
- One year as Assistant Coach – Boys Basketball
- 33 Years – Head Coach – Boys Basketball
- Inducted into the Minnesota High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
MARK MacDONALD
- Received football scholarship offers from Notre Dame and Minnesota.
- Graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth after playing three years with the Men’s Basketball team.
- Pursued his Masters degree at University of Louisville during their 1980 National Championship season–coached by Denny Crum. That team was led by Darrell Griffith.
- Louisville’s opponent in the first round of the Final Four was Iowa–coached by the guy who used to be neighbors with the MacDonalds–Lute Olson.
- Then, in the “small world” file, Mark crossed paths with Olson again in Seoul, South Korea, while both were attending the 1988 Summer Olympics.
- MacDonald coached overseas for 18 years–first in Saudi Arabia, then Indonesia.
Terry Fleck Takes the Long Road Home
After graduating from THHS, Terry Fleck attended Brown Institute in Minneapolis then embarked on 32-year career in broadcasting which took him—among other places, to Houston, Beaumont, San Antonio then back to Minot. Before the era of media conglomerates, he was part of a group that started their own company and built 12 radio stations.
Terry was part of a team that made headlines in Minnesota. He continues making headlines—now, in North Dakota. Inducted into the North Dakota Fishing Hall of Fame in July of 2016, Fleck has merged his business acumen and love of the outdoors to work with numerous organizations for the benefit of North Dakota’s energy and environmental future.
In a 2013 story in the Dickinson Press newspaper, Amy Dalrymple wrote:
“When Terry Fleck goes fishing or hunting, he aims to leave the area better than how he found it. That’s the same attitude the Bismarck man hopes oil and gas companies will have about development in North Dakota. Fleck spent 30 years in the radio and television industry and retired to become a public speaker known as The Attitude Doctor.
Now Fleck is using his skills as a communicator to bring together the oil industry with outdoor and wildlife groups to promote energy development while minimizing the impact to the state he loves. “We would hope that North Dakota is a better place after this, if and when it ends,” he said.
Fleck, both an avid outdoorsman and a partner in an energy company, believes there’s room for both interests in the state. He brought together oil companies and wildlife and conservation groups to form the Sporting and Oil Industry Forum, which has developed best practices for the industry to follow and continues to meet regularly.
“We have much to protect. This is a unique part of the world,” said Fleck, originally from the small town of Flasher. “How do we protect those quiet places and make sure we still have some?”
Decades after being an integral part of this memorable team, Fleck’s charisma hasn’t waned. The Minot Daily News also took notice when Fleck was inducted into the North Dakota Fishing Hall of Fame:
“Terry Fleck is a resident of Bismarck and he has served as a leading advocate for sportfishing and recreational interests concerning Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River System over the past 15 years. Terry has been chairman of the Friends of Lake Sakakawea since 2006 and has served as an eloquent and dedicated spokesperson in leading that group in its efforts to advocate for the preservation and improvement of Lake Sakakawea. This has included testifying at many public hearings to include the annual operating plan meetings of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. While testifying, Terry is always unquestionably an extremely strong advocate for the fishing, hunting, and recreational interests concerning Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River System.
Terry has a never-ending passion for protecting opportunities for sportfishing and other recreational opportunities on Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River. He is a proven leader who has volunteered untold hours in his efforts to protect and provide education for these great natural resources. His efforts have definitely led to increased attention by Federal and State agencies as to importance of Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River system as an extremely valuable natural resource in North Dakota.”
Tragically, Terry lost one brother to cancer and another to a car accident. For the rest of his life, he has adopted a credo of “I don’t live for me, I live for thee.” Two Harbors was blessed by Fleck’s few years as a resident, just as North Dakota is blessed to have him now
MacDonald the Mountaineer
It’s not very often that a small-town athlete attracts the nationwide attention of coaches. Following the 1969-70 school year, Mark MacDonald and Steve McInerny had scholarship offers to play football at Notre Dame and Minnesota. They chose the Gophers. Jim L’Esperance also had an invitation to play for the Fighting Irish as a “walk on” athlete.
As an All State athlete, offers were inevitable for Scott MacDonald. Scott described the process and experience:
“When I chose West Virginia over other schools it was because WVU played major Division I basketball in a city of only 20,000 people and the school of only 18,000 students (both have grown substantially since 1971) . Being from a small school in a small town I did not want to be overwhelmed by the size of the city or the size of school that many of the schools that were recruiting me were, either by location or by student enrollment size and some even both. And maybe I had visions of being the next former WVU player Jerry West.
I was fortunate I was able to choose, although recruitment of athletes was so different than it is now with social media , texting etc. Everything was done by regular mail with a few telegrams thrown in there. I was recruited by too many schools to name…most of the Big Ten schools, most of the Big Eight schools( now the Big 12, some of the ACC, SEC (formally the SWC), a few Ivy league schools, most of the Military academies and a host of independents. I think I heard from every college in Minnesota from the biggest to the smallest.
WVU turned out great for me because in 1971-1972 freshmen were still ineligible under the NCAA rules for basketball and football, but eligible in all other sports. In the 1972-1973 the NCAA changed the rules to add basketball and football on par with all of the other sports and made freshmen eligible. What that did for me was give me another year of eligibility much like being redshirted. The caveat the NCAA put in was that that fifth year couldn’t be in the sport you were there on scholarship for. At the time that was the farthest thing from my mind. But, come my senior year I had a lingering stress fracture of my right tibia that lasted all year and hindering my playing time and effectiveness.
After my final basketball season Frank Cignetti, who was Bobby Bowden”s offensive coordinator on the WVU football team approached me and said they did some checking and I was eligible for football the next year. I said if you gave me a scholarship for my fifth year of school I would come out for football, he said come out for spring football and if you show you can still play and help the team we will give you that scholarship. I ended up starting for them as a receiver playing both tight end in a double tight end formation and splitting out wide to play a wide receiver and I guess I played well enough to be drafted into the NFL (by the New Orleans Saints).
I don’t think this opportunity would have presented it at another school, so I was happy with my choice of WVU over the other schools.”
MacDonald competing for West Virginia against Notre Dame
MacDonald scores the game winning touchdown against North Carolina State. That's former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher failing to tackle Scott as he approaches the end zone. Fast forward to the 5:10 mark of the video to see the touchdown.
Small World...Tidbits
- Lee Klein was one of the best baseball pitchers in THHS history and caught the attention of multiple teams such as the Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins.
- James “Butch” Kuronen, acquired his forever nickname from Jim MacDonald due to the fact he was built like Butch Moening, and was also a left-handed shooter—same as Moening. Butch–also known as “Butchie,” would bike three miles from his home on Highway 61 to play basketball with the downtown gang at the Minnehaha playground. He would even drive his father’s car to town to play ball—long before he was old enough to drive! Kuronen served as an Assistant Coach for the UMD Bulldogs for 26 years, and was their Head Golf Coach for seven years. There are people who tell stories, then there are great storytellers–Butch Kuronen was the latter. He is dearly missed by all who knew him, and his contributions to this story would have been memorable.
- Scott MacDonald began his career in sales for American Cyanamid before going into the financial services industry in the Chicago area. He and his wife have five great kids and is a proud grandparent. Now retired, his current hobby is home remodeling–including a home in Rock Island, IL where all of his kids went to college at Augustana.
- Jim MacDonald’s wife and Butch Moening’s wife are good friends
- One memorable basketball game at the Stone Lake court had a team of Mark and Scott MacDonald against Geno Goedel and former Two Harborite–and MacDonald neighbor, Lute Olson. Olson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
- Scott Ross and this story’s author—Tom Smith, once sold insurance for American Family Insurance along side Jerome Siljendahl, who had moved from Rush City to Duluth.
- From Andy Mosca: Three things about my dad. You’ll remember he was a State Trooper. When Mondale was VP my dad was often his driver when he came to town. After driving him around my dad would say “Today I shook the hand that shakes the hand.” He once gave Carl Eller of the Vikings a speeding ticket. He was fond of saying that it took Eller 10 minutes to climb out of his Corvette. And one late winter day, when the boys of ‘71 returned to town after the tournament he was part of the law enforcement escort back into town. Those were three of my dad’s favorite stories, but he lit up the most when he recalled leading the boys back into town. I wish he were here to read your story. He would have liked that a lot.
- The author of this story once won “The Melrose Open,” the annual golf tournament and gathering of golfers and beer drinkers, hosted in Melrose by former Two Harborite, Terry Zimmerman.
Intersections
A pair of 11 and 12 year old Two Harbors boys heavily influenced by the Agates of 1971. A pair of brothers who grew up 125 miles away in Rush City. And a nickname emanated from a character in central Minnesota town where Charles Lindbergh once lived. They would all intersect 21 years after the Two Harbors versus Melrose game. Quintessential example of small town Minnesota life.
Current Two Harbors Activities Director, Scott Ross, spent 1992-93 as a teacher in Rush City. Somewhat ironic that a Two Harborite would land in Rush City–but as “The Melrose Connection” illustrated, anything was possible.
While there, he also served as the Head Coach of the Girl’s Basketball team. Rush City’s Activities Director at the time was Bob Schlagel—Kevin’s brother. At the time, Kevin was an Assistant Coach for the St. Cloud State Men’s Basketball team.
Bob would often pile a few Rush City coaches in his car then drive 64 miles over to SCSU to watch his brother’s team play. Brother Kevin always provided prime tickets. On this night Ross—and his new acquaintances from Rush City, sat two rows behind the Huskies’ bench.
St. Cloud’s opponent that night was the UMD Bulldogs, coached by Dale Race, and his assistant—James “Butch” Kuronen–a native of Two Harbors. Kuronen and Ross–best buddies from their childhoods in Lake County, often helped Race with basketball camps at UMD so Race and Ross were well acquainted.
St. Cloud had a tradition at the start of every game. Their fans would stand at attention and clap non-stop until the opponent scored. It was quite intimidating for visiting teams. For Scott Ross, UMD picked a bad night to go cold—they wouldn’t score until four or five minutes elapsed on the game clock. In reality, it was closer to 15 minutes of standing and clapping, waiting for the Bulldogs to score.
Ross was in a bind. His new boss drove him to the game. His new boss’s brother gave him a free ticket to see St. Cloud State play. Ross was a graduate of UMD. His best friend was coaching for UMD—and his good friend reported directly to the guy who provided Ross with prestigious summer coaching opportunities.
Coach Race knew Ross was in attendance. During an early timeout—and before UMD had scored, Race—who had a reputation for being quite intense, turned to Kuronen and told him, “if your buddy Ross is over there standing and clapping, he will never—ever, be allowed on the UMD campus again.”
Would Scott Ross stand with his Rush City acquaintances, or sit in support of his hometown friend and collegiate alma mater?
Ross would neither stand, nor clap.
He endured verbal abuse from all the St. Cloud supporters around him.
“Stand up!!!!”
“Clap your hands!!!!”
“What is wrong with you??!?”
There was nothing wrong with him. Small town roots–lifelong friendships, won the day.
Game by Game Statistics - 1971
Photo Gallery
1969-70 Newspaper Stories
'70-'71 District 26 Newspaper Stories
'70'-'71 Region 7 Newspaper Stories
State Tournament Pictures and Stories
'71 State Tournament Teams
Letters and Telegrams
We are having fun!
The "Melrose Open" Golf Tournament: Letters and Stories
Credits
- The Duluth Herald newspaper for their stories, photos and box scores. Support your local newspaper.
- The Minneapolis Star newspaper
- The St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper
- The Two Harbors Chronicle
- The St. Cloud Times newspaper
- The Minot Daily News newspaper
- The Dickinson Press newspaper
- Ray Kortuem and family for their scrapbooks.
- Sande Halsted, Rick Ray and Scott MacDonald for sharing pictures.
- My thanks to all the contributors for being “good sports” about everything.
- Thanks to my family of proofreaders–Carol and Dennis Healy, Larry Smith, Charlie Dahl, Larry Sorensen.
Tom,…this was so very good. I loved it. The references to the uptowners,downtowners, Harbor Bowl was so fun to remember. This old cheerleader had no idea about the barn basketball or the cabin court at the Battaglias. I had to laugh when I read Jim M words about doing the cheers w/ the cheerleaders. I do remember that!! It was very nice to learn about Terry Fleck.He always brightened every room. It was profound to read about Larry Potter especially due to our world today. Beautiful work.. I loved it… you really should write a book. You are a beautiful writer. My dad always talked about all the great stories about the Knife River athletes & why they were all so tough. Maybe there is a story for you there,,,again, thank you. You are a gifted writer!!!
Thank you Sande–and thanks for the fantastic pictures of the Two Harbors section and cheerleaders at Williams Arena. The Knife River idea is also a good one.
What a great tribute to so many great athletes. I grew up in Duluth , played in the B team that Championship team, friends with all of them still to today. Ironically, meet all the Agate boys when we played football at UMD together. Still great friends today. Played BB at their cabin, went to Melrose for the softball tourney, knocked down Oberting at the plate when he tried to come home. He payed center field by himself shorthanded, caught everything. The best part of that weekend was waking up, and Lee Oling and a few other Agates had taken all lawn movers, etc. left outside the hardware store, and moved them all over town!! Now I know why, like Lee needed any motivation. A tremendous story, thank you! Nick G.Patronas
Nick – thanks for taking the time to read the story and share your thoughts. Much appreciated. And yes, Oling was—and still is, quite a character! I’m sure there are some folks in the Duluth area who would enjoy reading this—please share with your buddies.
Thanks Nick!
Hi Nick – thank you for taking the time to read the story and post this comment. Much appreciated. And yes, Oling was a character then, and a character now. I’m sure a few folks around Duluth would enjoy reading the story–please share with your buddies. Thank you Nick.
Tom.
Great Job Tommy. Loved the up town down town stories. When my dad was a school kid, he road a bus from the country side to town for school. He told me that when they got off the bus, they had to be ready to fight the town guys who were waiting for them. Some things never change.
A lot of this info was new to me because of a divide at the time between people who loved basketball and the emergence of hockey which I think our teams started. I hardly saw a game because of the scheduling overlaps if I remember correctly.
Great job on your sourcing and documenting. You are a very very good writer.
Hi Brad,
Thanks for kind words. And I agree, your teams did initiate the emergence of hockey in Two Harbors. I definitely remember watching you play. I also remember going from the high school gym to the hockey rink on the same day/night to watch both the hockey team and basketball team.
Interesting story about your dad. As you said, some things never change. That was such an interesting dynamic about Two Harbors. An outsider would never guess, but it was real.
Good to hear from you–and thanks for taking the time to read the story and offer your thoughts. Much appreciated!
Tom
I would be very Interested in watching that Game against Melrose in the state tournament ?? I seen it on TV in 1971 !!