Evan Massey is a regular contributor to WGIL. He is the former girls basketball coach at Galesburg High School, retired as one of the most successful coaches in Illinois history. He writes history features and a weekly Time Capsule column for WGIL.
The 1988 Silver Streaks baseball team won the Illinois State Championship. Only four teams in GHS history have won a State championship.
I caught up with some of the players and asked them to share their memories of that special year. They share what they think made their team a special team.
Related: Evan Massey: 1988 Silver Streaks baseball — ‘The record speaks for itself’
Lance Aten
Some of your favorite memories from the ’88 season.
Striking out the last batter and the celebration that ensued is certainly at the top. The continued friendships and lifetime bond we share of winning the largest class AA will forever be with me. If we weren’t on the field, chances are we were playing cards or hanging out together. We were a very close team.
Your coaches were Gary Bruington, Dave Peck, and John Shay. What did they bring to your team?
Our coaches brought a closeness and confidence to the team. One of my best coaching memories of Coach Bru was from the 1987 team. We only had a couple of seniors, and at 18-13 were probably getting complacent looking ahead to the 1988 season. He snapped us back demanding we focus on what we had in the season at hand, and don’t wait until next year because it may not happen. We ended up making it to the first round of the state tournament which was an incredible experience, and invaluable for our confidence the following year.
What are some of the favorite Coach Bru stories?
While there are countless stories that get shared, and sometimes embellished when we get together, one that always comes up is the infamous chip spitting incident. We lost a game to E Moline that we definitely should not have lost. It was lunch time, and Coach Bru did not take a break from eating his potato chips during his “pep talk.” Most ended up spraying all over our uniforms. He got his point across as we did not lose many games after that.
Why were you able to win State? What made your team special?
The experience of making the state tournament in 1987 brought additional confidence to us that we could do it. From that moment forward, every time we broke a huddle in the pre-season through the last pitch in the Championship game with “State Champs!” And, we had a reason to be confident as nearly everyone from that team played college baseball with 8 playing at the Division 1 level.
As you reflect on winning State, how has that season impacted you?
There is still not a week that goes by that something happens and briefly reminds me of it. It helped shape me into the college athlete I was, and person I am today. Winning the largest AA class in the State of Illinois with such a close group of friends is such an amazing accomplishment.
Advice you would have for today’s athletes?
I would encourage today’s athletes to ignore the distractions, and don’t let yourself look back with any regrets. As Coach Bru would constantly preach to us we had the rest of their lives to do whatever, but only one small moment in time to do something really special. If you give it everything you’ve got, you can be comfortable with the outcome no matter what that may be.
What did you do after high school, and what are you up to today?
After high school, I went on to play the outfield and DH at Eastern Illinois University. I always had the mindset of a Student-Athlete. I earned a degree in Finance, and today have a career that I love. This is my 24th year of owning AtenNorth Financial Planning in Galesburg. I am married to Laurie Aten, and this year we will celebrate our 30th anniversary. We have two amazing sons, Connor and Grant. They both played baseball at Heartland in Bloomington, and made the Jr College World Series 3 out of their 4 years with Grant’s Freshman year team winning the Championship.
Joe Schwab
Some of your favorite memories from the ’88 season.
Lots of laughing. I remember the bus rides and how everyone seemed to like each other and we got along very well. Seemed like the buses were never quiet! The games were fun as well. I thought the coaches did a great job of keeping us focused but letting us have fun as well.
Your coaches were Gary Bruington, Dave Peck, and John Shay. What did they bring to your team?
The coaches were great. Throughout my time at GHS I thought the baseball coaches did a great job teaching us about baseball and providing enough guard rails to keep us on the path.
What are some of the favorite Coach Bru stories?
Coach Bru had some choice words for us after we were swept by Limestone. He decided to chew us out at the same time as he chewed on some potato chips. So we were all showered in chips. It wasn’t time to laugh but we definitely laughed later. We needed that chewing out. His point was that we have a lot of talent but you cannot just turn it on and off. We needed to be great each day and prepare each day. That was a turning point in our season and we never looked back.
Why were you able to win State? What made your team special?
We were able to win because we all had faith in one another. There was a lot of talent on the team which, of course, was very important. However, we played as a team and there were no interpersonal problems on the team. We all liked each other and had a lot of fun playing. I think the fun aspect of the team allowed us to play a bit looser and prevented us from getting too worked up about what would have otherwise been stressful situations.
As you reflect on winning State, how has that season impacted you?
I still talk to my kids about that team. It still comes up in conversation and I don’t live in Illinois anymore. I would say that accomplishment continues to mean a lot and perhaps even more when one reflects on life. It is particularly true since some of the team are no longer with us. I still remember most of the guys frozen in their 1988 selves. It was a great time in America and a great time in our lives.
Advice you would have for today’s athletes?
I would advise leaving everything you have on the field. When you are young and playing sports, it seems like the time will last forever. You should give it your all and be sure to enjoy giving maximum effort physically and mentally. You can bond with your teammates by having a conversation and also by silently giving your best effort alongside them. These bonds are strong and will last forever.
What did you do after high school, and what are you up to today?
I am an orthopedic surgeon and a researcher. I have a laboratory that builds wearable devices for wellness and healthcare. I live in Los Angeles since 2023 after spending 17 years in Boston. My wife is the chair of surgery at our hospital Cedars Sinai. I have three children, Peter, who is a junior and plays lacrosse and wrestles. My daughter, Annamaria, is 15 and she runs cross country and plays lacrosse. My youngest son Joe is a baseball player and an aspiring wrestler.
Dusty Rhoades
Some of your favorite memories from the ’88 season.
The pitching performance by Corny (threw a 1 hitter) in the quarterfinal, then by Jake Libby in the semifinal and then the State Championship game was a great memory…watching how our team offensively dominated other teams…Toby Davis handling catcher duties to our great pitching rotation…
The coaches had all the players during the off season workouts ready for the season…
The players on the team from batting, pitching and position players were elite…
It is a great feeling to reflect back on what we accomplished as a team to win state…
When I was young, playing baseball with my friends in the neighborhood was a huge part but playing catch with my dad was the biggest part of what made me better to be able to make the teams from Little League and so on…always thankful to my mother making sure my uniforms were clean and ready for the game…
What did you do after high school, and what are you up to today?
After High School, I played 2 years of baseball at Carl Sandburg College…in 1994 I started working for Rex TV and Appliance in Galesburg along the way moving to Lincoln, Nebraska, then Des Moines, Iowa, and then to Lake Jackson, Texas (an hour south of Houston and Galveston about 20 minutes from the Gulf) which I currently still reside…in 2008 I started work for Dish Network…in 2018 started work for Redman Communications (Data Communications company) which I currently work…My family is my wife Bryn Erin, my late son Tyler passed in 2015, Nicholas (16) and daughter Brooklynn (20).
Doug Sholtis
Some of your favorite memories from the ’88 season.
Being on that field after the last out was made. Coming into that game as an underdog, to see what we had accomplished with a score so lopsided was incredible. The absolute joy of every team member as we were in a pile on the field was a moment I won’t forget.
A funny memory was while pitching in practice one day, Coach Bru was standing right behind me while I was throwing as he wanted to watch the movement of one of my pitches. He was super close to me, and as I released the ball, my arm made contact with Bru and ended up hitting Coach Peck who was standing nowhere near the catcher.
Your coaches were Gary Bruington, Dave Peck, and John Shay. What did they bring to your team?
They each brought stability and personal knowledge, great attitudes, and a willingness to help each of us get better. They knew how to motivate each player based on how they took feedback, and they kept us focused. Most importantly, they each liked to laugh and they kept the game fun.
What are some of the favorite Coach Bru stories?
Everybody will probably bring this up, and I can’t remember if it was between games or after the double header, but we came out flat and didn’t play well against East Moline. Bru was chewing us out on the bus while eating his lunch, specifically a bag of potato chips. As he’s chewing us out, potato chips are spraying out of his mouth, landing on whoever happened to be close to where he was standing. Classic!
Why were you able to win State? What made your team special?
That team was special because it had no real weakness. Everybody was a tough out at the plate, we had great front line pitchers, and everybody wanted to win. There was a lot of experience and depth, and everybody was pushing each other at practice. There was an expectation on that team, and everybody was pushing to reach that goal. Each individual on that team was strong and we played together.
As you reflect on winning State, how has that season impacted you?
No one expected to win that game 21-4. At the moment we didn’t have perspective for what we’d accomplished, but after 38 years you appreciate how talented and deep that team was. I believe most or all those state records still stand, and that best represents the overall dominance of that team.
Advice you would have for today’s athletes?
Focus on being the best athlete you can. Play different sports and build different muscles, and most importantly have fun. Those are memories you’ll carry forever.
What did you do after high school? What are you up to today?
I played collegiate baseball at Bradley University and then started a career in insurance and financial services that took me all over the Midwest. Three years ago I had an opportunity to move back to Galesburg to be closer to family and friends. I now work as a Team Lead at Corteva Agriscience and also serve as a Career Coach for Promark helping people who have been laid off due to company downsizing. I’ve been married 32 years and have two grown daughters.
Corny Stanley
Some of your favorite memories from the ’88 season.
I have 2 fond memories of the 88 season the first was pitching a one-hit shutout in the opening game of the state tournament and second was the team scoring 21 runs in the championship game to win it all.
Your coaches were Gary Bruington, Dave Peck, and John Shay. What did they bring to your team?
All our coaches were knowledgeable about the game of baseball. They taught us to work hard every practice and every game. Our team was loaded with talented players that listened to all the coaches so it was pretty easy to coach us.
What are some of the favorite Coach Bru stories?
One of my favorite Coach Bru stories is when we were acting up on the bus coming back from Rock Island Alleman and he said don’t bring your gloves to practice — we are gonna run the whole time. Unfortunately we did run the whole time.
Why were you able to win State? What made your team special?
As I stated before our team was loaded with talented players — we had good pitching, hitting, fielding and speed. We had made it to State the year before and got beat the first round and we vowed to win the title the next year. We did our off season workouts at Cooke School and we wrote on the board “State Champs in 88.”
As you reflect on winning State, how has that season impacted you?
That one season has been one of the greatest accomplishments of my career. I can’t go anywhere without someone mentioning that year to me and even still. It was great that we can be remembered for something like this and it was great to bring a championship back to Galesburg.
Advice you would have for today’s athletes?
Advice I would give for current players is you have to be dedicated to the game and there are no shortcuts. We need to bring back more backyard baseball like we used to play. Players today have more distractions (social media, game systems, and phones).
What did you do after high school? What are you up to today?
After high school I went on to play baseball at Western Illinois University for 4 years. Got my Bachelor’s Degree and I work for Lakeland College as a Career Technology Instructor at Henry C. Hill Prison in Galesburg. I am married with 5 kids and 6 grandkids.
Jeremy Kleine
Some of your favorite memories from the ’88 season.
The way we all got along — we were not only teammates but were, and still are, friends.
We could all laugh, talk smack and make fun of each other on and off the field.
When it came time for the games, everybody was locked in.
We were one of the first teams to have access to an “indoor baseball facility.” Cooke School had closed shortly before these baseball years and Coach Bru had the vision to use it for an indoor batting cage, pitching lane and we used to run sprints and jump rope in the hallways.
We used this over the winter months and bad weather during the spring.
Coach Bru would make us go to McDonalds for breakfast prior to our Saturday conference double headers. As 16-18 year olds we all acted like it was a pain, but looking back, it was great for team building and making sure the senior class of guys was awake.
Obviously winning the Conference, Regional, Sectional and State Championship are wonderful memories.
Your coaches were Gary Bruington, Dave Peck, and John Shay. What did they bring to your team?
Bru was a player’s coach. He allowed us to have fun while working on the game. He expected our best efforts and he also liked to have fun and joke with the players. He took great pride in the field and how it played, wanting us to have the best conditions to compete.
Coach Peck was the perfect assistant coach. He had coached all of us as Freshmen and Sophomores when he was the head Sophomore Coach. I can always remember him coaching third base in those games and when we reached second base with less than two outs you would hear him say and motion, “Don’t get doubled here.”
He also enjoyed having fun and laughing with all of us.
Coach Shay had a way with the pitchers that brought out the best in them. Knowing that he pitched at the D-1 level and his knowledge of the game was a huge benefit for our pitchers and catchers on calling games. Shaybo could throw some mean BP as well. He didn’t throw hard at that point, but his curve and knuckle balls kept you off balance.
Knowing how important the coaching staff is to the overall culture of the team, these three made us all better players and better human beings because of who they were and how they interacted with us.
What are some of the favorite Coach Bru stories you share?
I know we all still talk about the “chip spitting incident” after our one and only Conference loss to East Moline. We didn’t have very many quality at bats in that game and made a few mental and physical errors. In the team huddle after that loss, Bru was eating a bag of chips (probably to keep him from saying a few choice words) and as he was getting a little more heated the chip crumbs started to fly. Luckily, no one was injured from the sharp edges of those Ruffles coming at us like shrapnel.
I also remember the confidence he had in us. None of us knew it, but prior to the State Title game, Bru had a State Champs t-shirt made and was wearing it immediately following the game.
Why were you able to win State? What made your team special?
All of my previous responses — great coaches, teammates and culture — are why we were able to win the State Title. I call these years “The Perfect Storm” that took place to make this team special. Not many High School programs can say they had 5 D-1 pitchers on their roster. Plus we had a few key players move to town due to their parents’ job changes and life situations. Jake Libby, Doug Sholtis, and Al Satunas. Combine those 3 with all of the home grown Galesburg talent and you have the Perfect Storm.
Another factor I think made our team special was the fact that we all played in the Galesburg Little League when it was 9-12 year olds competing against each other all summer. The younger kids playing against the older kids helped in our development.
As you reflect on winning State, how has that season impacted you?
Ask my kids, Kelsi (Kleine) Brackett and Kannon Kleine 🙂 I bring it up every chance I get!
The farther away from that season and being State Champions, the more amazing it is. The fact that the post season is one and done for High School baseball, so many things have to go your way to be the last one standing. It is truly amazing how this team can still have a reunion every 5 years with most of the guys taking time out of their busy lives to travel back to Galesburg and reminisce, laughing and cracking on each other as if it were yesterday, says a lot about the importance of that season. People in the community still bring it up anytime there is a discussion about baseball.
Advice you would have for today’s athletes?
I have stayed in the baseball world by coaching travel teams and helping resurrect the Post #285 Legion Baseball Program. Being a follower of Jesus, I tell my players that they live in a “state of forgiveness.” If you make an error, strike out, fly out, ground out, get thrown out, etc. know that it has already been dealt with and you are forgiven. My hope is this mindset allows them to play anxiety free, because that is when we play our best.
What did you do after high school? What are you up to today?
After GHS, I played baseball at Knox College from 1989-1993. Jimmy Isaacson was the Knox Coach at the time. I got to play with my brother, Chris Kleine, along with Jami Isaacson and Guy Goodman (all GHS grads). Career wise, I worked in the juvenile justice field for 10 years before moving into the insurance and financial services industry with Country Financial in Galesburg. My wife and high school sweetheart, Molly, is an elementary school teacher in Galesburg, getting ready to retire in 4 years. Our daughter, Kelsi (Kleine) Brackett is married to Ryan Brackett and they had our first grandchild in August 2025, Cooper Brackett. He already has his own glove and ball ready to go. Our son, Kannon, was playing baseball (until tearing his UCL) and is now coaching at Middle Georgia State University.
Jammy Taylor
Some of your favorite memories from the ’88 season.
My favorite memories were how dedicated and determined as a team or unit to put in the necessary work to win the 88 championship after falling short of that at the 87 state tournament, not wasting any time after the embarrassing loss — working hard over the summer, fall.
Then winter inside Cooke School gym (writing our goal on the board in the gym “88 State Champs”) until the 88 season started in the spring, bound and determined to let nothing get in the way of that accomplishment with everyone on the same page until we got the job done, and we did.
Great and awesome memories of and with a great and awesome group of guys/teammates and coaches on the same mission and did it, We won — We were the “88 State Champion”!!! Something we set out to be and accomplish one year before when we were struggling and hurting from the loss in the 87 State tournament.
It was the best and Greatest Memories of being one unit and team.
Your coaches were Gary Bruington, Dave Peck, and John Shay. What did they bring to your team?
All of them together brought everything we needed in each part/area of the baseball game we needed to win and also what kind of men we needed to be outside of the game also.
Each Coach knew the game. Coach Bru teaching us all the basics and going over all the basics. How to play each position and the duties and responsibilities in those positions by constantly going through repetitions and different scenarios to prepare us for game days. And also bring humor and fun and comfortability to the table for good team morale.
Coach Peck helped in the pitching area and more, teaching us how to keep our calm/our heads focused on the game, helping us stay focused on our duties in the position we were playing and to stay focused on that when we made mistakes, helping to pick up heads and be ready for the next play.
John Shay brought hardness, toughness to the game in all areas that we needed in the heat of the battle of the tough games, to win those battles by grinding them out and not giving up until we get the job done, doing all this with respect as a competitor.
Each coach also taught us how to be respectful men outside of the baseball field by how they lived their lives and held us accountable for our mistakes also.
What are some of the favorite Coach Bru stories you share?
Just him being Coach Bru when he needed to be, being a mentor when he needed to be, being a father figure when he needed to be and being a friend when he needed to be.
And him being a jokester, having a nickname for most of us. Calling me Jammy as it looks instead of Jamie as it is pronounced. Calling Corny — Fred (Fred Sanford because of how he moved and walked I assumed). He would call Guy — Lyndell (his dad’s name). Can’t remember off hand all the other names, but you better believe he had one for all of us. And there are so many more great memories of Coach Bru — a great man, husband, dad, mentor and coach amongst other things good to say the least. An all around great man, love and miss him. “I Thank God that He created Coach Bru and placed him in my Life!!!”
Why were you able to win State? What made your team special?
We had a complete all around team with great coaching: an awesome offense (in all categories) especially hitting — a tough batting line-up to pitch to from top to bottom. Awesome Pitching: Two of the top (shut down a line up) ace pitchers in the state in Corny Stanley and Jake Libby along Eric Gillenwater’s high IQ and great accuracy on the mound to place pitches where they needed to be to get much needed outs. Also Kelly Healy, Doug Sholtis, Sergio Interial and others who started games, came in for relief or to close games out. We had great base stealers, speed on the bases and in the field for awesome defense having one of the best outfield coverages in the state with some of the best arms in the state along with one of the best catchers in the state, if not the best, in Toby Davis in the infield and an awesome infield play up the middle and the corners to say the least.
As you reflect on the achievement, how has that season impacted you?
The older I get I realize what a great accomplishment and great honor it was to be a part of a State Championship Team like this and what it took to get it done. I thank God for my teammates, coaches and everyone that was a part of this accomplishment and that we will always have a connection together and be a family forever. I give all Glory to God the Father for all of this!!!
Advice you would have for today’s athletes?
Got to have unity (all together on the same page) as a team and have the same goals and work hard at succeeding to accomplish those goals as a team. Encourage each other and help each other in all areas of the team and not get down on each other and work on your weak areas together to strengthen those areas as a team so you will have no weaknesses or have help in those weaknesses. Work hard and hang in there with each other and don’t give up. It’s a team effort!!!
What did you do after high school? What are you up to today?
Life after HS — education: 2 years at Carl Sandburg College. Played baseball: played 2 years at Carl Sandburg College and then on to several years of softball. Career: Worked at Hill Correctional Center for 27 years as a Correctional Officer and a Corrections Supply Supervisor I, II and III. Family: Married to Julie Taylor, 2 daughters, 1 son and 10 grandbabies. I am retired, a Godly Husband/still married, a Godly Father and Grandfather, a devoted follower of Jesus Christ still living in Galesburg.
Brandon White
Some of your favorite memories from the ’88 season.
Beating Rock Island and the other Western Big 6 teams, some of the bus trips to away games, the friendships, advancing through the regional, sectional and playing/winning a championship. It was an amazing season that started in winter weather (inside the old Cooke gymnasium for off season workouts) and involved weights/training at 6am at Northgate, practice/games, and the ultimate reward.
Your coaches were Gary Bruington, Dave Peck, and John Shay. What did they bring to your team?
Stability, Strategy, Leadership, Focus on the goal at hand, and the discipline to get the job done.
What are some of the favorite Coach Bru stories you share?
Some fun bantering with Coach Bru about the Cardinals vs. Cubs (I was/am a Cardinals fan and Bret and Coach Bru are/were Cubs fans) and we would stir the pot with each other from time to time.
Why were you able to win State?
I believe our team just came together at the right time. We knew we had a solid team, but we had an expectation to have a great season and to win. We had timely hitting, great pitching, and our team put it together during each game (regional/sectional/championship) and played our style of game.
Great pitching, hitting, defense, depth, aggressiveness, along with the will and desire to win. I also believe we had/have great respect for each other. Many of us played either on the same team or against each other from Little League on up.
The 1988 season was special for all of us. We worked for a goal and we were able to achieve it. It gave us great confidence in each other and ourselves.
Advice you would have for today’s athletes?
Be coachable, be humble in your accomplishments, do your best to improve your game/abilities as often as possible, be solid citizens in your community, and help the next generation of athletes like your coaches did for you.
What did you do after high school? What are you up to today?
I graduated from Carl Sandburg College (Associates of Science) and Western Illinois University (Bachelor’s of Science & Master’s of Science). I played 2 years at CSC and played summer softball in Galesburg for 18 years on Friday nights. I live in Peoria and have been an insurance agent for almost 28 years. Galesburg will always be home, and I visit whenever possible.
Jake Libby
What position?
I was starting RHP. I batted right-handed, however I didn’t swing very often unless hitting “fungos” to the infielders counts. If that’s the case, I swung a lot. I actually did bat for myself the first game (went 2 for 4). We had this guy on the bench that quickly became our everyday DH and he did go on to be the MVP of the State Championships, so I guess that was a good call, lol.
What are your favorite memories?
It’s hard to pick one. We had so many as a team. That team was on a different level. We played hard, we played for each other, and we had a ton of fun doing it. Obviously winning the state was a team highlight. Doing so in dominating fashion was special. The battles with Rock Island were epic. Both teams were good and there may have been a lot of friendly banter back and forth. Being the new guy to Big 6 baseball (high school baseball in general having never played), I wasn’t sure what to expect. From a personal standpoint, to be as effective as I was pitching against many quality programs was rewarding. Due to a bout with Mono I only pitched against Quincy, East Moline and Moline during the conference regular season. During those conference games I gave up 1 hit, 2 hits (a loss) and threw a No-hitter respectively.
What role did the coaches play?
The coaches were great. I truly believe they had a feeling we were dealing with something special that season and made sure that we had fun but stayed grounded and focused on the tasks at hand. You don’t end a season 32-5 if you get sloppy and lose focus.
What made this team special?
The thing about this team, unlike any other team I played on — we remain a tight group. Life happens and we all get pulled many directions, however we have made attempts to get together about every 5 years since that time. A callout to Spanky Kleine for always being the “glue” behind this. The get togethers are an absolute blast. A lot of stories told from the past that tend to get a little more elaborate over the years. So many laughs those nights. Always some Big Bru stories in there. IYKYK that me getting to Galesburg and being able to play wasn’t as simple as showing up and enrolling. It came with a little work done by the governing body to ensure everything was legit. Coach Bru being the good guy he was made a trip up the road in the fall of ’87 to watch a kid play QB for his high school football team. Not everyone was happy to see him there apparently. We can leave it at that. It worked out the way it was supposed to.
What made you able to win State?
We were an extremely deep team in all facets of the game. We had strong starting pitching. We had guys that could come into the game in critical situations and get outs from the bullpen. We had pitchers that quite honestly couldn’t get the innings on the mound they deserved and would have been 1’s or 2’s on many of the teams we played. We had very good defense. When balls were put in play, we made the plays. We didn’t give the opposing offense additional outs. Offensively we were consistent and scored runs in bunches. We could get guys on base, be aggressive on the basepaths and got clutch big hits. We were solid fundamentally all year and it showed in the 3 games we played in Springfield.
How did winning State impact you going forward?
As we roll through life, the term “TEAM” is part of what we do. Whether it’s work or family, TEAM is important. I was fortunate to play on many good ones and the opportunity to do your best to help a larger group achieve goals is important. We all like to win and to see people put individual merits aside to achieve something bigger is special. Coming from a smaller school and to be able to have success at GHS and with Post 285 helped shape me for my post high school athletic career.
Advice to today’s athletes?
Work hard, be the best version of yourself to help the team achieve success. The friendships you make can truly last a lifetime. We are coming up on 40 years since the title and I can’t wait for the next time we get together as a group. Many stories will be told and some of them will be true, lol.
What did you do after high school and what are you up to today?
After HS I attended Bradley University and played 1 season of baseball. I had a 4-3 record as a starting pitcher. I transferred to Monmouth College and played 3 seasons. Lil Bru was on the teams with me at Monmouth. Gilly came in after Bru and I were done. Getting to play against Spanky and Goody at Knox was always fun. We had some good battles. I was fortunate to enjoy much success going 27-3 over those 3 seasons and earning a spot in the school’s Athletic HOF. Although my degree of Sports Administration would have kept me involved in athletics post college, I have taken the manufacturing path and held different levels of leadership with Butler MFG, John Deere and now Corteva Agriscience. Currently we live outside Oneida (back in ROWVA country). I’ve been married to Heidi (she’s an individual State Champ in the shotput and the best athlete from our household) for 30 years. We have a daughter Hannah and a son Dane.
Bret Bruington
Best memories from that season?
There are so many memories from that season. Honestly the whole season was memorable.
What made the coaches successful?
Definitely knowledge of the game and how to play the game the right way.
Best Bru stories?
Bru loved his Whiteys and whenever we played at UT or Moline, he would always go to Whiteys between games of our double headers.
What made this team special?
Since our childhood we were all pretty close to each other. As we got into high school everybody understood their role as a player on that team.
What made you able to win State?
There were great teams at GHS before and after that 88 team. However the bond we share as teammates on a team that won a State Championship is really special.
Advice to today’s athletes?
Practice and practice hard. Slow the game down and let it come to you. Understand your role on a team and work hard to maximize that role.
After GHS and today?
Played baseball at CSC and then went on to play at Monmouth College. I work for Dick Blick and referee high school football and basketball.
Follow Evan Massey:
Blog: masseybasketball.blogspot.com
Twitter: @MasseyBball
Facebook: facebook.com/MasseyBball
