by Ron Johnston
As a Beatles song played on the turntable, the telephone rang in the dining room.
“Will somebody turn that music down and get the phone,” a voice yelled from the kitchen.
Since I was closest to the ringing, I responded, “Sure, mom, I’ll get it.”
But The Beatles played on.
“Hello,” I said, answering.
“Hey, Ronnie,” a voice said at the other end of the line.
“Hi Rog,” I said, recognizing the voice. “Hang on a second while I get somebody to lower the music.”
Laurie, my younger sister, just happened to be nearby as I cupped the receiver.
“Hey, Laur, could you turn that (music) down a little bit?” I said.
Laurie looked at me and without saying anything walked over to the record player and lowered the volume.
I nodded to her and then resumed the telephone conversation.
“What’s up, Rog?” I inquired.
Roger “Rog” Pimm, my best friend, lived across the road from our house in Riga Center.
“Hey, do you wanna go to a basketball game tonight?” he asked.
I paused momentarily. It was a winter’s Saturday night, and nothing else was going on. Better, I thought, than watching The Lawrence Welk Show on TV with my parents.
“Who’s playing?” I said.
“Roberts Wesleyan,” Rog replied.
“What time?” I said.
“We gotta get going soon,” Rog said. “My dad (Joe Pimm) will drive us to the school (Churchville-Chili Senior High on Buffalo Road).”
“I’ll be right over,” I said.
Roberts Wesleyan College did not have a home basketball court on its campus, so the Redhawks played all their home games at CCSHS.
The year was 1965, and Roberts Wesleyan fielded a really good men’s basketball team. When Rog and I arrived on the high school grounds, the gym, not surprisingly, was packed. Before the opening tip-off, the Bill Hughes-coached Redhawks treated fans to a dunking exercise. Nine of the players on the team could slam it.
The Redhawks won that night and were paced by the one-two punch of scorer Frank Carter and rebounder Bill Bachmann. The team roster also featured Keith Moore, Ralph Roach, Bob Ahlin, Glen Schultz, Darwin Chapman, Herman Schwingle, Paul Crowell, Dave Scribner, Noel Smith, Ken Curtis, Dale Easterly, Stan Ziblut, assistant coach Harry Hutt, and team manager Paul Mroz.
Many years later, that Redhawk squad would be inducted into the Roberts Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame, And, this year, Scribner, the RW point guard, would write a book, Against All Odds, about the team. And, as a published author myself, I would definitely recommend it as a excellent read.
Rog and I got home late that winter evening with snow flakes dancing in the crisp air.
After high school graduation, Rog attended Roberts Wesleyan while I continued my education in Ohio.
Note: Ron Johnston, a 1966 Churchville-Chili graduate, is the author of One-Game Wonder.
