Category:North Central Conference

History
N.C.C. Highlights

March 23, 1926, a meeting was held at Kokomo to organize a basketball conference. Principal E.E. Hinshaw of Kokomo presided at this meeting and was elected to be the first president. Principal Catherine Howard of Frankfort was chosen the first secretary. Others present at this meeting were Chester Hill, former Athletic Director of Kokomo; L.V. 		Phillips, Principal of Rochester and past IHSAA Commissioner; Clifford Wells and J.J. Mitchell of Logansport; Everett Case of Frankfort; and Coach Powell of Rochester. Ten schools composed the first membership list, Anderson, Kokomo, Lebanon, Logansport, Tech of Indianapolis, Muncie, Frankfort, Rochester, New Castle and Richmond. Six of this group still are members. Lafayette replaced Rochester and Marion replaced Lebanon. At first basketball was the only sport. Now 20 sports are sponsored by the N.C.C. in both girls and boys athletics.

1926-27		Nine game basketball schedule planned - $5.00 membership dues for each school. Muncie Central was the first basketball champion. Decided opposition offered to new dribble rule. Wilson J-48 official ball for conference. Visiting team to wear white uniforms with 5-inch number on back. Schommer goal shall be used. 1927-28		$15.00 		set as the top limit of officials pay - Football proposed as a NCC sport. Basketball must be laced, lined and valve type. Alva Staggs appointed statistician. Alleys must be reversed in relay races, to be tried in track meet May 5, 1928. 1928-29		Eastern and Western football league suggested. 1930-31		Considerable opposition to the 18-game schedule as passed by legislature. 1931-32		Football adopted as a NCC sport. Rochester dropped their membership because they did not have a football team. Lafayette Jeff was accepted for membership. Any school violating the salary set for officials would be dropped from membership. 1932-33		Basketball, football, track, tennis and golf are NCC sports. A school failing to 		field a team for two years in succession will lose their membership in the NCC. Basketball line-up to be in hands of score keeper 10 minutes before game time. 1933-34		Marion replaces Lebanon in the Conference. 1934-35		Baseball tournament planned. Dickinson rating adopted. 1936-37		Track meet to be rotated alphabetically by cities. Home basketball team will wear white uniforms. A list of officials was selected for NCC games. The rotation of basketball schedules two weeks each two years was discontinued. 1937-38		Officials selected and assigned by the NCC. 1938-39		All Sports trophy awarded for the first time. Scored by points-football, 25; basketball, 25; baseball, 15; tennis, 5; golf, 5. First place 100%; 2nd place 90%; 3rd place, 20% of above, etc. Tennis made a fall sport only. Golf and tennis tourney discontinued. Golf determined by state tourney, tennis by percentage. Basketball officials' list cut to 15 officials. 1940-41		Basketball officials now selected by the schools. 1941-42		NCC recognized sports in football, basketball, track, tennis, golf, and baseball. NCC dues increased to $15.00. There are no dues for 1942-43. 1943-44		An All-Conference Basketball team was selected by a committee appointed by the president. The committee selected a team before the IHSAA tournament. Six teams had baseball teams. 1944-45		Selection of the All-Conference Basketball team was discontinued. Kokomo was 1943-44 runner-up and the committee didn't name any Kokomo players. Dues raised to $25.00. 1946-47		Cross Country and wrestling are now counted in the NCC All Sports Trophy race. Football schedule of 5 NCC games approved. Baseball schedule prepared so that each team is scheduled with every other team. 1947-48		Tennis again made active as a NCC sport. Eight schools have tennis, five wrestling and nine schools cross country. Basketball and football officials pay raised to $25.00. 1948-49		There was no NCC wrestling this year. Anderson wins &quot;All Sport&quot; Trophy. This is five times and gives them permanent possession. 1951-52		NCC wrestling is back. Seven schools out of ten have teams. 1954-55		NCC dues are now $75.00 per year. 1955-56		Mr. Lyman H. Lyboult of Richmond retires as NCC secretary. He was the NCC secretary since 1931-32. Charles A. McConnell of Richmond was elected secretary. 1956-57		Chester Hill, Kokomo Athletic Director and the person who developed the idea of the NCC, retires. The NCC suffered the loss of a most worthy school official in February with the passing of Carl M. Bonge, Director of Athletics, Anderson High School. Chester Hill, Director of Athletics at 		Kokomo, was honored with a lifetime pass to NCC sports events in recognition of his affiliation with the NCC since its organization. Mr. Hill is retiring from teaching. 1957-58		Principal Loren Chastain of Muncie and Principal H.H. Anderson of Tech retired after giving many valuable years to the NCC. 1958-59		John Gorman of Tech is retiring this year and received a lifetime pass to all NCC contests. 1960-61		The NCC will be reduced to 9 schools in 1962-63. Indianapolis Tech is forced to withdraw by the Indianapolis School Board to play a full city schedule. The NCC will drop the Dickison Rating System and adopt a percentage point system in 1965. 1961-62		NCC dues are now $75.00. Cost of the NCC handbook, trophies, ribbons and medals were $462.00 for the year. The NCC will continue with 9 schools for the present time. 1962-63		Principal J.H. Mertz of Logansport, a charter member of the NCC retired. 1963-64		Mr. Lyman H. Lyboult, a charter, devoted and retired member of the NCC passed away in June, 1964. He was secretary of the NCC from 1932 to 1955. 		 1964-65		NCC dues raised to $100.00. L.V. Phillips a former NCC charter member and former IHSAA Commissioner passed away on May 18th. 1965-66		Frankfort, because of their small enrollment, decides to withdraw from membership in the NCC. Varsity basketball games to begin at 8:00. It was decided to continue with 8 teams for the present. Mr. Charlie McConnell, secretary of the NCC from 1955 to 1966 retired from teaching. 1966-67		Basketball officials to be paid $30.00. NCC raised to $150.00. Cost of NCC trophies, ribbons, and medals for this year were $758.64. &quot;All-Sports&quot; trophy awarded for first time with all sports being equal in importance. 1970-71		Football will select a champion by a round robin schedule. Each sport will select a 'Coach of the Year'. 1971-92		All tickets for football and basketball will be sold for $1.50 at the gate. 1974-75		The NCC was one of the first athletic conferences to add girls' athletic meets. The first girls' track meet was held at New Castle. 1975-76		Officials for football will be paid $27.50 and basketball $32.50. Swimming and track were added as girls' sports. All tickets sold at the gate will cost $2.00 for football and basketball. NCC dues were raised from $150.00 to $200.00. Gymnastics added as a girls' sport. 1978-79		Coca-Cola Bottlers Association will pay the cost of printing the NCC handbook. NCC secretary's fee raised from $100.00 to $200.00 per year. Football officials will be paid $30.00 and basketball $35.00. The NCC girls now have 6 sports (track-1975, swimming-1975, golf-1976, volleyball-1977, 		tennis-1978, basketball-1979). The first GIRLS' ALL-SPORTS trophy was awarded to Lafayette. 1979-80		Girls' Gymnastics was added as a girls conference meet. 1980-81		Chet Hill who first suggested organizing the NCC, died on February 9, 1981. He passed away on his 89th birthday. 1981-82		Officials pay raised to $40.00 for football and $45.00 for basketball. NCC dues raised from $200.00 to $250.00. Ticket prices raised to $2.50 at the gate. 1983-84		Officials pay raised to $40.00 for football and $45.00 of basketball. NCC dues raised to $250.00. Ticket prices raised to $2.50 at the gate. 1986-87		Basketball officials pay raised to $50.00. Softball and cross country added as girls' sports. 1990-91		Jim Jones, longtime basketball and Athletic Director of Logansport, retired. Also Jim Turner, Head Baseball Coach at Logansport retired from coaching by winning his fourth state baseball championship with his final game. Gold passes were given to Frank Moore-Kokomo, Jim Jones &amp; Hank Stephan-Logansport. 1991-92		Basketball officials pay raised to $55.00. Since income from television fees has had a nice increase - no NCC dues for 1991. The NCC football classic was held in the Hoosier Dome, all eight schools participated. Gold passes were given to Dick Baumgartner-Richmond, Jim Turner-Logansport, and Bill Harrell-Muncie. 1992-93		Soccer added as the tenth NCC boys' sport. NCC dues $100.00. Football officials will be paid $50.00 each. Gold passes were given to Mal Cofield and Carl McNulty-Kokomo, Pat McCaffrey-Lafayette, and Roger Whitehead and Norm Held-Anderson. 1993-94		Boys and girls NCC Swimming Meets will be held in the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis. Gate prices raised to $4.00. Gold passes were given to Don Baldini-Logansport, John Lebo-Richmond, and Dick Persinger-Marion. 1994-95		Doug Zaleski hired to be Sports Information Director for NCC. Kokomo hosted the first NCC Sportsmanship Conference for its athletes. 1995-96		Longtime NCC stalwarts retire from Anderson High School, Principal Horace Chadbourne and Athletic Director Jack Macy. 1996-97		NCC dues raised to $425. This will include $125 for SID. Principals Denny Blind of Lafayette Jeff and Joe Kinnett of Muncie Central retire after many years of service to the NCC. Jan Blackburn, former Head Girls' Basketball coach at Logansport, retires. 1997-98		NCC adopted Girls' Soccer as its twentieth sport beginning with the 98-99 school year with six schools having girls' soccer, Kokomo, Lafayette Jeff, Logansport, Muncie, New Castle, and Richmond. Anderson community consolidates into two high schools, Anderson and Highland. 1998-99		Muncie Central won their second consecutive state championship in volleyball (4A). Ken Craig retires as Conference Secretary after 26 years of service, the longest tenure in conference history. Terry Downham replaces Red as secretary. The conference implements an Academic All-Conference team. The team will be selected after each season, with each individual receiving a conference certificate. The criteria are: senior, varsity letter winner, 3.5 GPA. Those people receiving gold passes this year are Terry Hitchcock, Muncie Cent. Head Football Coach, and Larry Ruch, Kokomo Head Football and Boys' Track Coach, Ken Craig, Conference Secretary, and Mike Smith, Logansport Athletic Director. 1999-2000		The second NCC Sportsmanship Conference was held in August at Muncie Central, and the second NCC Football Classic took place in the RCA Dome in September. Muncie Central won their third straight state championship in volleyball (4A). Marion won the state championship in boys basketball (4A). Richmond stopped Lafayette Jeff's 18-year reign of winning at least a share of the girls All-Sports championship. Jim Dixon, longtime Muncie Central tennis mentor, received the NCC Gold Pass. 2000-2001		The North Central Conference Website (www.nccsports.org) was initiated. Lifetime Gold Passes were presented to Gordon Newlin (retiring 		Logansport Principal), Jim Regenold (Anderson Principal), and to the family of Joe Heath (former Head Coach, Athletic Director, and Principal 		at Lafayette Jeff), who died in March. 2001-2002 Jim Fricke, a veteran of 26 years as Athletic Director at Marion High School, retires and is awarded the N.C.C. Lifetime Gold Pass. Also receiving the Lifetime Gold Pass were Bob Bushong (Kokomo Boys Track), Bob Croll (Kokomo Boys Swimming), Sue Huggler (Kokomo Girls Basketball and Volleyball), Mike McCroskey (Kokomo 		Girls Basketball), Dave Pettay (Kokomo Boys Golf), Mike Smith (Kokomo 		Baseball), Larry &quot;Butch&quot; Jones (Logansport Baseball), Lee Gaumer (Logansport Football), Dale Sullivan (Logansport Cross Country), and Boyd Gundrum (Logansport Support Staff). 2002-03 Lafayette Jeff announced that they are leaving the North Central Conference after having been a member since the 1931-32 school year. Huntington North will replace Lafayette Jeff in the conference for the 2003-04 school year. State championships were won by 		Muncie Central in volleyball, Kokomo in girls basketball, and Richmond in boys golf. Lifetime Gold Passes were awarded to Al Thomas (Logansport 		Wrestling), Don Geozeff (New Castle Principal), David Clark (New Castle 		track), and David Pryor (New Castle cross country).  2003-04  The inaugural All-Sports Award, a beautiful traveling trophy that combines the Boys’ and Girls’ All-Sports standings, is won by Muncie Central. The New Castle Trojans win their first Girls’ All-Sport trophy.  Bob Straight, former coach and Principal at Huntington North and IHSAA Board Member, is awarded the N.C.C. Lifetime Gold Pass.  Eric Harmon was hired as the N.C.C. Supervisor of Basketball Officials for next season.  2004-05</b> Starting times for NCC football games were moved to 7:00 p.m. unless mutually agreed otherwise. Ticket prices for football, volleyball, girls’ basketball, and boys’ basketball were set at $5. Officials’ pay for basketball was increased to $70.  Jim Callane</b> retires after an 18-year stint as the Athletic Director at Kokomo High School and is awarded the N.C.C. Lifetime Gold Pass. Muncie Central won the IHSAA State Championship in volleyball, and Huntington North won the Girls’ All-Sport Trophy in their first full season in the N.C.C. The first Male and Female Sport Coach of the Year Awards were presented to Matt Fine and Wes Lyons, respectively. Both are from Muncie Central. <p class="MsoNormal"> 2005-06 New Castle won the IHSAA State Championship in boy's basketball, their first since 1932. It was the 30th state title for the N.C.C. in boy's basketball. Rich Wild (Logansport) and Don Slauter (Muncie Central) were awarded N.C.C. Lifetime Gold Passes. The first N.C.C. Male and Female Athlete of the Year Awards were presented to 		Huntington North's Chris Kramer and Muncie Central's Vanneisha Ivy</b>.