50th Anniversary Recognition of Cerro Gordo Basketball Teams

TWO BRONCOS TEAMS RECOGNIZED. A special celebration was held last Tuesday evening at the boys home basketball game honoring the 50th anniversary of the 1972-1973 and 1973-1974 Cerro Gordo High School boys basketball team and the CGB Broncos team of 2021-2022 that broke their record which stood for 48 years. Pictured is (Front row) Colin Warren, Romeo Montes, Kade Alumbaugh, Konnor Waterhouse, Carson Brown, Tyson Moore, Brenden Puckett, and Connor Brown. (Back row) Todd Henricks, Dan Morr, Coach Jack Blickensderfer, Randy Niles, Mark Smith, Homer O’Field, Terry Curran, Jim Neff, Larry Pflum, Steve Blickenstaff, Terry Leach, Coach Brandon Willard, Coach Jeremy Moore, and Coach Kraig Rogers. Not pictured from last year’s team was Evan Fogerson.

Cerro Gordo High School celebrated the 50th anniversary of the two greatest boys’ basketball teams on Tuesday, January 17 at the boys home game.

In 1973 the Broncos started racking up accomplishments which included winning the Cerro Gordo Holiday Tournament, the Little Okaw Valley Tournament, both the regional and sectional games, and facing off against Morrisonville in the super-sectional. They defeated Morrisonville and advanced to the Assembly Hall for their first ever state finals appearance.

Mark Mull was selected as a member of the All-State team that year and the Broncos ended the 1972-1973 season with a 28-3 record.

With four starters returning for the 1973-1974 season, the hopes were high that Cerro Gordo could make it back to Champaign. The Broncos would go undefeated in conference play and won the Little Okaw Tournament again.

They went on to win the regional and sectional games and defeated Stewardson-Strasburg in the super-sectional game advancing to the State Tournament once again in Champaign. The Broncos lost in double OT to the eventual state champions, Lawrenceville.

Mark Mull was selected to the All-State team for the 2nd year in a row and the team ended the season with a 28-3 record.

Members from the 1973 and 1974 state finals team that were in attendance included Coach Jack Blickensderfer, manager Todd Henricks, Steve Blickenstaff, Terry Curran, Terry Leach, Don Morr, Jim Neff, Randy Niles, Homer O’Field, Larry Pflum, and Mark Smith.

Those who have passed away were also honored and recognized and included Mark Mull, Mike Gentry, Wes LeHew, Jeff Sawyer, and managers Mike Jackson and Phil Flaugher.

The 1973 and 1974 teams won 24 regular season games which was a Cerro Gordo-Bement record that has stood for 48 years. Last years Broncos boys team was able to tie that record for regular season wins, going on to a final 27-7 record. Members from that team were also introduced and included Kade Alumbaugh, Carson Brown, Connor Brown, Evan Fogerson, Romeo Montes, Tyson Moore, Brenden Puckett, Colin Warren, and Konnor Waterhouse.