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By: Chris Evans
Posted March 29, 2009
It was an impressive gathering as an estimated 200 people attended a banquet celebrating the 2009 state championship basketball team as well as honoring the previous five state championship teams inside the Guthrie High School cafeteria, Thursday evening.
Guthrie Basketball has won six state titles in school history including 1954, 1956, 1968, 1969, 2008, and 2009. Each title team had members to represent their championship team. The alum's and family were shown the 2009 championship game highlights that was made available by Gary Hurren and family.
Current Jays head coach Pete Papahronis, who was introduced by Guthrie Superintendent Mr. Terry Simpson, thanked the administration, community, local businesses, fellow players, trainers, assistant coaches, and his players.
The 1954 Class A title team was represented by Jon Gumerson, former Guthrie mayor, and Gene Yarbrough. The '54 squad opened a new 200,000 gymnasium (junior high) that season en route to a 25-5 season that included the first ever state championship for Guthrie High. The Jays took down Chickasha 59-53.
Roy Craberry, who averaged 18 points a game, and Chuck Faulkner, who averaged 12 points, were selected to the All-State list which proved to be the first for any Guthrie basketball player. The Daily Oklahoman began selecting all state teams in 1943.
The '56 Class A state champion team was represented by John Balsiger, Bill Ward, Steve Conner, Gene Yarbrough, Charles Crooks, former GHS basketball coach, and Tom Bailey. The team was coached by Arthur Kroeger and the coach won his second title with a win over Blackwell 45-38. Guthrie finished that season 24-5.
The Jays next championship came in the '68 season that included a 14-game winning streak to finish 25-5. Representing the team was Jerry Ball, Larry Dunn, Donnie Canning, Ron Shipman, Marvin Mack, and Kevin Galbreath. Bob Griffin was the head coach, who witness his Jays take down Clinton, 63-48, for the 2A state championship. Guthrie finished the season on a 7-game winning streak.
The following season in '69, Guthrie would move the winning streak to 31-games in a row and pulled off an undefeated season (24-0) to win the 2A state championship with a 73-68 win over Tulsa Webster to pull off the best overall season in Guthrie history.
Donnie Canning, Kevin Galbreath, and Reginald Galbreath were on hand to be honored. The title gave Coach Griffin his second title by going back-to-back.
The program would have to wait 39 years until their next championship in 2008. Papahronis and the Jays was in the state tournament for the third straight year, but had dropped their first round games the two previous state appearances.
However, Guthrie, who finished 23-4 that season, would get wins over Tulsa Kelley, Tulsa Edison, and Tulsa Washington to earned their fifth gold ball. Guthrie won all three games by a combined 11-points and avoided game winning shots by Edison and Washington at the buzzer. Junior Donte' Foster was named the most valuable player of the tournament.
Guthrie returned five seniors the following season and was the pre-season No. 1 team and would hold onto that ranking for the entire season by going 27-2 and winning back-to-back state championships with wins over Shawnee, Tahlequah, and Tulsa Edison. Foster, once again, was named the tournament's most valuable player and later was selected to the All-State team by the Oklahoma Coaches Association.
Guthrie's two losses came in double overtime (Midwest City) and overtime (Carl Albert). Papahronis became the third coach in BlueJay history to win multiple state titles.
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