Tigers' first state champion was followed by another

Central won state basketball and baseball crowns in 1954.

Cape Girardeau's Central High School had not won any state titles prior to the 1953-54 school year.

During a magical year, the Tigers won championships in both boys basketball and baseball. Four athletes -- Don Koch, Paul Stehr, C.W. Suedekum and Wood McComb -- were members of both teams. Lou Muegge coached both squads in the final year before retiring from coaching.

The Central basketball team, which lost one game all season, won the Class A state title before packed houses of hometown supporters at Houck Field House. The finale was a 79-55 drubbing of St. Louis CBC High School on March 6. The Tigers made 72 percent of their shots to CBC's 33 percent.

"It was just one of those nights when we couldn't mess things up," said Paul Stehr, the tournament most valuable player, 50 years later. "We did everything right."

In addition to Koch, Stehr, Suedekum and McComb, fellow senior Jack Boswell was also in the starting lineup while juniors Bob Hunt and Louis Meisenheimer saw significant playing time.

The Central baseball team won its title in Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The Tigers capped a perfect season by beating Lutheran South 5-4.

Koch drove in McComb for the winning run in the seventh inning. Jerry Hinton was the winning pitcher, and Suedekum closed out the final inning.

Joining the basketball foursome in the typical starting lineup for the Central baseball team were Tony Wyatt, Jerry Moore, Malcolm Schack, Arlen Roberts and Tom Womack. Bob Hawn and Larry McKinney also saw playing time.

Muegge, who left coaching to direct the athletics program the following year, suffered a heart attack in February of 1955 and passed away in July.