Submitted Photo The 1954 Class C boys basketball champion, the Westhope Sioux, was the last Westhope team to win a state boys basketball championship until the Westhope-Newburg team attained the accomplishment March 16 in Class B. In the season that culminated with the 1954 championship, Westhope played 38 games and lost only one by two points during the regular season, according to then starter Cecil Matthews, now of Littleton, Colorado. The team also won games against two Class B teams during the season. Westhope defeated Osnabrock by 20 points in Valley City to win the state title. In addition to Matthews, the starting five on the 1954 team were Darrell Henry, Leonard Lodoen, Jim Bryson and Larry Baumann, all of whom have since passed away. Henry was the grandfather of Walker Braaten, a key player for this year’s championship team. Team members shown from left to right are student manager Don Hedvick, Curt Seiffert, Tom Soland, Cecil Matthews, Ron Lee, Larry Baumann, Jim Bryson, Darrell Henry, Leonard Lodoen, Bob Arden, Jim Brown and Coach Don Schultz.

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