Wildcats taking best shot, and Lavelle had his

NEWARK - Bill Lavelle can smile about Newark's memorable basketball season, knowing he has his own place in Wildcats' lore.

A little over 70 years ago, Lavelle banked in a half-court shot against Coshocton before an overflow crowd in the Fifth Street Gym. It brought Newark from behind late in regulation en route to an overtime win, helping carry the Wildcats to the Central Ohio League championship. Their 1946-47 team photo still hangs in that building.

"Don Smith was our All-Ohio guard," said Lavelle, who has lived in Newark for all but two of his 87 years. "He wasn't very big and was lefthanded, but he was tough. They double-teamed him as he came across the center line, and he got the ball to me. We were down 1 and time was running down, so I decided, 'it's time to turn it loose.'"

Then a senior guard, Lavelle was part of a golden era in Newark basketball. After winning 1936 and 1938 state championships under Clifford Orr, the 1943 team, led by eventual college and NBA star Fred Schaus, claimed a state title in the first season coached by Max Douglas. The 1945-46 team went 21-4 and won COL and district title. Lavelle's 1946-47 team went 22-4, won the COL and was district runnerup after falling to Upper Arlington. The following year the Wildcats went 20-4.

"The 1943 team played a 1-2-2 zone, and Schaus was tall and played at the top of it," Lavelle said. "Later, Max Douglas helped Fred recruit Jerry West to West Virginia."

Lavelle's team might not have won the state, but it provided a lot of big moments.

The Wildcats won at Middletown, the Middies' first loss at home in five years. The Middies went on to win the state title. The next night, Newark played at Hamilton against the Big Blue, who had a big sophomore named Joe Nuxhall. They split with Coshocton, which had Karl Sturtz, who went on to play fullback for Ohio State. The district final loss, at Ohio Wesleyan, especially stung. "We really wanted to play Middletown again," Lavelle said. "We were just way off that night."

The fact Lavelle started in 1947 began a perseverance that has carried him well throughout an interesting and productive life.

"My junior year, we had 13 players and they could only keep 12," he said. "I was the last one cut. I was determined to make it the next year. I worked at the cemetery and got stronger. I came back and became a starting guard."

That cemetery gig turned into a lifetime job. He was superintendent and general manager at Newark's Cedar Hill Cemetery for 32 years. He then took the same job at Union Cemetery in Columbus for 36 years, near Ohio Stadium. He just retired in 2015, at age 85. But he still commuted from Newark.

Twenty-four years ago, he and his wife, Virginia decided to build a house on 33rd Street near Moundbuilders Country Club. The lot number and his address: 26. His number at Newark: 26. In 1970, when Ohio voted to allow signature license plates, Lavelle immediately jumped on his. It simply says, "Newark." It's the only one of its kind and he's had it for 47 years.

The only thing more valuable may be his certificate from the Newark Agonis Club award banquet, which honored his 1947 team. He stood and watched as it was signed by two baseball Hall of Famers, Honus Wagner and Cy Young.

"Wagner was manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he stopped on his way here and picked up Young in Newcomerstown," Lavelle said. "Also in attendance at the banquet, was the football coach at Denison: Woody Hayes. It filled the whole basement of the Elks Club." When Hayes died, he was interred at the Union Cemetery which Lavelle ran.

Lavelle has certainly gotten the most out of life. He served two years in the Army at Fort Knox, Kentucky, during the Korean War. He was a basketball official for 27 years, doing both high school and collegiate games. Since he was 7, he has been an outstanding pool player and was a professional pool instructor. He placed fifth in the world in the 60-and-over division in Las Vegas, and 15 years ago, played on a Drumm's pool room team that won a state title. Lavelle is the oldest member of the Newark Lions Club in years of service, going on 60 years. And he was a Newark city councilman in 1984-85.

Five members of the 1947 team survive, including Lavelle, Don Smith, Dick Retherford (who became a 1948 All-Ohioan), John Makris and Bill Knox. Lavelle may be doing the best out of all of them. He and Virginia have a daughter, Gayle, son Dana, four grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. Dana kept statistics for Newark basketball and is a CPA.

It might have been 70 years ago, but Lavelle still feels a strong connection with the current Wildcats. "It would be great to have another state tournament team, another state title," he said. "We had our chance, and this is theirs."

dweidig@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8557

Twitter: @noz75