1932: Cape County's big year in Class B high school basketball

Fruitland is not a location that pops up in most memories as a high school basketball powerhouse. Nonetheless, the Fruitland High School Greyhounds won the Class B state title in 1932, with the College High Preps taking second. Class B included high schools with fewer than 500 enrolled students.

So how did two small schools, both of which no longer exist, take the top honors? Part of the answer lies in basketball game strategy, which was different in the 1930s. Players in rural areas practiced their skills in handling, dribbling and shooting in front of a barn door, oftentimes with substandard basketballs in terms of performance. The most effective percentage shots were lay-ups and shots taken at short range. Thus, execution of effective passing was a key skill. Coaches thought dribbling was "showboating" and not effective team playing.

Most players shot two-handed underhand free throws from the knee-level or lower. The rare long-distance shot typically occurred in the same manner. Game strategy emphasized defense -- true man-to-man defense. The result was a defensive game with mostly short-range shots and low scores. Few games had scores higher than the 30s.

The Greyhounds' route to the title began with a successful season leading up to the Southeast Missouri district tournament opening March 9. The Greyhounds, Preps and Jackson Indians qualified for the tournament after sub-district play. The Preps won over the Greyhounds at that level. In all, 16 teams vied for the honors. The Preps defeated Charleston 20-14, and Fruitland outscored Caruthersville 32-13 in the first district games. In the second games, the Preps outdid Portageville 40-16, while Fruitland defeated Festus 27-6. The semifinals saw the Preps defeat Diehlstadt 22-15, and the Greyhounds best Fremont 33-17. The Greyhounds faced the Preps in the final. The hard-fought game saw the Preps leading at the half, due to scoring by center Eugene McDonald. Brothers Lloyd and Ell McDowell each scored 11 points for the Greyhounds, and in the end the team defeated the Preps 24-22.

Both teams went to the state tournament in Columbia. In the first game March 17, the Preps faced Glenwood, winning 22-11, while the Greyhounds drew a bye. The Preps went on to defeat New Point (21-14) and Competition (21-20). Fruitland bested Maysville in a romp (35-9), then Forsythe (21-20) to enter the finals. The two teams faced off March 20. The Preps pulled ahead 7-2 in the first quarter, then failed to score in the second. They scored seven more points in the second half. The final score was Greyhounds 21, Preps 14. The McDonald brothers were standouts for the Preps, and the McDowells and Whitledge led the Greyhounds in passing and shooting.

Fruitland built a strong basketball record from 1921 to 1939, when the district merged with the Jackson School District. During the 18 seasons of the program, the Greyhounds had 15 winning seasons. The Preps of University High School, successor to College High, played their last season when the school closed in 1986.