Basketball anything but small here

In age of consolidations, 84-student Hartem doing just fine, thanks

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

By Bo Ryan

of the Journal Star

"Well, I was born in a small town. And I live in a small town. ��������������������������� ��

Prob'ly die in a small town. ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ �������

Oh, those small communities . . ."

 

- from John Mellencamp's hit single "Small Town"

NORMAL - Don't call them Cinderella and don't compare them to David, of David and Goliath fame. The Hartsburg-Emden boys basketball team wants no part of those analogies.

Size is not an issue to the Stags. It's all about playing basketball, which is something this school, with an enrollment of 84, does quite well.

Never mind that there are only 24 schools in the state smaller than Hartem, and 14 of those are termed academies with a religious preference, schools with open boundaries or institutions that service the disabled (such as Jacksonville Illlinois School for the Deaf).

"We don't feel size is a factor," senior guard Curtis Conrady said. "We feel people are out to get us because we were 48-9 this summer and did very well against the big schools."

Athletic success at the Logan County school, which combines the communities of Emden (population 540) and Hartsburg (330), is surprising.

Despite the lack of numbers in the school district, the boys basketball team has won more than 20 games each of the last two seasons. The volleyball team finished third in this year's Class A state tournament and has 326 victories since 1995.

"Right now there is simply a lot of talent in the school," hoops coach Josh Nauman said.

Tuesday at the 27th annual State Farm Holiday Classic, Hartem won its 10th game in 11 tries with a 59-50 triumph over Olympia, a school encompassing eight communities and with a student population nearly eight times the size of Hartem.

Nauman admits going through the entire season with just one or two losses is probably unrealistic.

"It's tough being as small as we are, but (the team) doesn't let it bother them at all," said Nauman, whose team has "Who said size matters anyway?" on their shooting shirts.

Neighboring schools San Jose, Easton and Mason City lost their identity in the consolidation that created Illini Central. Armington, Atlanta, Danvers, Hopedale, Minier, McLean and Stanford did the same years earlier, forming Olympia High School.

Nauman said there is no consolidation talk at Hartem.

"As of now, we're in pretty good shape financially," he said. "There's no talk and I'm not sure where we would go if it were being discussed.

"Playing in March, that's goal for this season," Nauman said. "'Nineteen forty-eight, 1995, and 200?' - that's what (the team) wanted on the back of their practice jerseys. It represents the two years the school has won a regional title and something for the seniors who have never won a regional to strive for."

Bo Ryan can be reached at 686-3214 or [email protected].