1967-68 &1968-69 Ottawa Hills High School Boys Basketball

Induction Year: 2002

The 1968 and 1969 Ottawa Hills High School basketball teams won back-to-back MHSAA state titles in Class A under Head Coach Bob Hendrickson.
The 1968 team was 18-5 overall and 10-4 in the City League. It shared the City title with Catholic Central and then marched through the state tournament and beat Ypsilanti Central High School’s team in the state championship game 76-68.
The 1969 team was 22-1 overall and 13-1 in winning the City League championship. It went on to win the state tournament and beat the 1969 Ypsilanti Central team in the state championship game, 67-64.
In both 1968 and ’69 Ypsilanti Central High’s teams came into the state title game unbeaten.
When inducted in 2002, Ottawa Hills, Holland and Grand Haven high schools were the only Grand Rapids area schools that had won Class A state titles dating to 1925. The 1997 Ottawa Hills team won a third state title for the school. In 2003 Rockford was the fourth area school to win the Class A title. Several area schools have won Class B, C and D titles.
Members of the 1968 Ottawa Hills High School basketball team were Eddie Trice, Larry Donston, John Cryer, Thomas Hampton, Otis Smith, Steve McCreary, David Pierucki, Marshall Purnell, Assistant Coach Ken VandenBerg, Head Coach Bob Hendrickson, Manager Bob Korten, Herman Green, Percell Singleton, Ernie Johnson, Larry Ike, Dave Donker, Dave Harmelink, Pat Smith, Ernie Cryer, Assistant Coach Everett Griffin, and Manager Bill Sterkenburg.
Members of the 1969 Ottawa Hills High School basketball team were Larry Donston, Dave Harmelink, Pat Smith, Larry Ike, Ernie Johnson, Eddie Trice, Wade Johnson, Jimmy Charlton, L.C. Burrell, Assistant Coach Ken VandenBerg, Assistant Coach Jim Steeby, Randy Lorenz, David Saurman, Dave Donker, Dave Ellis, Walter Johnson, John Cryer, Bob Walters, Manager Bill Sterkenburg, Manager Gary Neilson, Manager Mike Jazzar and Head Coach Bob Hendrickson.

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