Glory days on display Saturday

Basketball history from Creston and other schools throughout southwest Iowa will be celebrated in an event Saturday afternoon at Anson’s Bar and Grill.

The event is free admission and open to the public.

Among the speakers is Jack Davis, former Panther player who donated the center circle of the “Panther Pit” gym floor from the former Creston High School. That donation spurred local historian John Walters to work on a display of photos and lists of all girls and boys all-state players in the history of those schools.

A meet and greet with refreshments begins at 1 p.m., with the program of speakers and unveiling of the full display at 2 p.m. Social hour follows at 3 p.m.

Speakers on the early years of Creston girls basketball and some of the first all-state players will be Margy Gammell, Polly Gammell, Roxanne (Sammons) Lamb and Robbie (Noecker) Tanner. Lamb and Tanner played in the era of coach Eldon Gammell’s six-on-six teams that made two state tournament appearances in 1977 and 1978, and advanced deep into the regional tournament in 1976 and 1979. Todd Jacobson and Tony Neubauer coached Panther teams in five-on-five regional finals in more recent years (2007, 2020, 2021), and Mike McCabe coached multiple all-staters on the display list.

Among those speaking on boys basketball history are former all-staters Brad Baker, Scott Driskell and Larry Goodrich of Creston, and Nodaway Valley state champion coach Darrell Burmeister. Representatives of Creston’s 1997 state championship team were unavailable to speak this weekend, but a photo of that team on the front of that year’s News Advertiser, signed by the players, is part of the display.

Goodrich was an all-state player in 1962 and a teammate of Davis. Both Goodrich and Panther teammate Ron Jessen were inducted into the University of Northern Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame for their participation on the 1963-64 NCAA Regional championship team that went 20-2.

Walters said any all-state players attending Saturday’s event will be asked to sign one of several regional posters of all-state players that will be displayed in the east dining area of Anson’s near the front window.

Several other historical photos will be part of the display. State championship boys teams honored are Diagonal 1938, Creston 1939 and 1997, and Nodaway Valley 2006. In 1939 Creston defeated Diagonal 25-20 for the state championship.

Diagonal and Corning (1976) had state runner-up teams as well, and Nodaway Valley was second in 2005. Creston (1996) and Nodaway Valley (2007) also placed third.

Twelve local businesses have contributed to the cause, covering costs of picture frames, all-state posters and other features that are part of the display, and publicity efforts including the programs available to the public at the event.

“Whoever shows up, we’ll try to take some group photos and add to the display,” Walters said. “When people come in and see what we’ve done, word will get around and more people will want to see it. It could be even bigger next year.”