Stage set for ‘67 Libbey-Eastwood tourney rematch

Should Eastwood and Libbey meet, it would be a rematch of a Class AA district semifinal match in a sold out Whitmer Field House in 1967. If Buckeye Cable Sports Network had a BCSN Classic channel today, that game would be primetime.

Current Eastwood coach Todd Henline is the son of Dennis Henline, a player on the 1967 Eastwood team that defeated fourth-ranked Libbey. Dennis’ grandchildren are ball boys now, and Eastwood’s current official scorer, Mike Gardner, was a starting guard for the 1966-67 Eagles.

Eastwood, coached by Pemberville resident and now-retired teacher Dale Bruning, had completed an 18-0 basketball season and won a Northern Lakes League championship.

Libbey was coming off a state tournament appearance the previous season and was led by 6-4 freshman forward Abe Stewart and a young guard named Jeff Jones, among others. Eastwood forward Ted Bowlus, now a Perrysburg medical doctor, said part of the game plan was to take advantage of Libbey’s height with a full court press, even though the Eagles had three starters who stood at least 6-3.

“We knew we could compete because we scrimmaged them. They were expected to go to state,” Dr. Bowlus told The Press. “We weren’t as intimidated as they thought. Coach Bruning said we were going to press them because our ball handling was better. He thought they were overconfident and it turned out, they were.”

In 18 regular season games, the Eagles outscored opponents by an average score of 76.2 to 49.8, including a 109-64 win over Springfield. Co-captain Jim Mandell, who was fourth in county and NLL scoring, had an 18.9 average, followed by Mike Gardner (15.4), and co-captain Bob Wilson (14.4).

Ken Hamen, a 6-3 sophomore forward who later went on to a successful college cage career, grabbed 191 rebounds, Bob Wilson was second with 183 and Bowlus had 153. Bowlus averaged 8.8 points and Hamen 7.3, but two years later at 6-4, Hamen would average well over 20 a game in leading the county and the NLL.

“One of the strong points was we were an unselfish team,” Dr. Bowlus said. “We didn’t think about who was going to score the most points. We concentrated on one game at a time. As reserves we were undefeated, but nobody thought as varsity players we’d be undefeated.”

The two guards, Mandell and Gardner, both well under 6-0, were nicknamed “The Dynamic Duo” for their ability to keep turnovers to a minimum. “Batman” was a hit television show about that time.

However, in the district final one night later, the Eagles lost to Sandusky, closing a 22-1 season.

“Bigger schools like Sandusky have a lot of depth and we couldn’t rotate a lot of people through,” Dr. Bowlus sighed. “We were tired in the district final.”

Coach Bruning said if the 3-point shot had been in effect then, it would have been easier for the ’67 Eagles to reach the regional and state tournament playing the bigger schools.

“We had Mandell, Gardner, and Hamen,” Bruning once exclaimed. “Most of what Mandell, Gardner, and Hamen shot were 3-pointers. They were at the top of the key and around the perimeter.”

Gardner later got his chance to be an Eastwood basketball coach and remains the golf coach today. One of his prodigies is current Central Catholic coach Jim Welling.

“What I’ve learned to appreciate is it only happens like that at any school every 25 years,” said Dennis Henline, today a downtown Pemberville businessman.

“It’s one of those things,” Dennis Henline said.

“Of course, I’m going to be prejudice, but this probably is the best basketball team Eastwood High School has ever had,” Bruning said, “along with the one (Coach Doyce “Frenchy”) Filiere had in 1960 with big John Bruggemeier and Jon Busdecker — they are probably the best two teams Eastwood has had.”

(Much of this article is reprinted from a previously published Suburban Press feature.)