Decatur athletes review old game films from the 1970s

January 31, 2018 at 5:00 a.m.

by Staff Report

Westside Eagle Observer/SUBMITTED The 1945-46 Decatur High School senior girls' basketball team was photographed in front of the old high school (Decatur City Hall). Members included Ruby Austin (front, left), Barbara Jean Peek, Genevie Bredehoeft, Sally Hitch, Faye Dewey, Ruth Amos, Imogene Welch (row two, left), Mary Ackerman, Zelia Rae Sproies, Lila Miller, Kathryn Miller, Betty Bolch (row three, left), Barbara Vogelsang and Helen Martin. The school superintendent and girls' basketball coach, W.D. Barnes, is in the back row. Football and basketball was the topic of the first Decatur Historical Committee's movie night in the old gym (community room) in Decatur Jan. 22.
Westside Eagle Observer/SUBMITTED The 1945-46 Decatur High School senior girls' basketball team was photographed in front of the old high school (Decatur City Hall). Members included Ruby Austin (front, left), Barbara Jean Peek, Genevie Bredehoeft, Sally Hitch, Faye Dewey, Ruth Amos, Imogene Welch (row two, left), Mary Ackerman, Zelia Rae Sproies, Lila Miller, Kathryn Miller, Betty Bolch (row three, left), Barbara Vogelsang and Helen Martin. The school superintendent and girls' basketball coach, W.D. Barnes, is in the back row. Football and basketball was the topic of the first Decatur Historical Committee's movie night in the old gym (community room) in Decatur Jan. 22.

DECATUR -- Eighteen Decatur High School alumni and guests gathered in the old basketball court (community room) at Decatur City Hall Jan. 22 to relive past glories and meet up with old classmates during the Decatur Historical Society's first movie night.

The movie night was part of the inaugural showing of the Decatur High School athletic department football and basketball game films which were donated to the Decatur Historical Committee by Jeff Gravette, superintendent, and John Unger, Decatur athletic director.

In May of 2017, Unger was given a box of old 16mm game film from 1970-1982. He later contacted Mike Eckels, chairman of the Decatur Historical Committee, to see if they wanted the old films. Eckels agreed and the films were turned over to the committee. Two months later, the committee turned the 54 film collection into a six DVD set.

Word quickly spread through the community that these long-lost films were recovered. Several Decatur residents contacted Eckels and Linda Martin, council representative, wanting to see these old films, giving rise to the Decatur Historical Committee's first movie night.

Seven films from the set, including two football films from 1973, two basketball from 1975 and two football from 1977 and the state championship game with Harding Academy were part of the night's program.

Several Decatur athletes from 1975-1977, including one person who drove to Decatur from Bartlesville, Okla., talked about the old days, remembering old friends, coaches and teammates.

With the success of this event, the Decatur Historical Committee will host future events in the coming months.

The committee is still looking for several missing game films from 1976. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of these films is asked to contact the Decatur Historical Committee at 479-422-0208.

General News on 01/31/2018