SeymourOwls27

Seymour Owls
1926-27

Season Record
21-3
(Offical Record 11-13)
Opp-Score
*Mitchell 59-56
*Salem 54-20
*Crothersville 61-9
*Brownstown 35-26
*Edinburg 57-21
*Shelbyville 37-35
*New Albany 59-27
*Lebanon 38-34
*Indy Manual 60-29
*North Vernon 60-5
Greensburg 43-38
Scottsburg 37-25
Washington 21-36
North Vernon 65-23
Edinburg 46-32
Greenfield 55-33
Madison 39-12
Mitchell 38-39
Jeffersonville 69-24
Scottsburg 35-17

Sectional @ Seymour
Freetown 41-30
Clearspring 48-21
Brownstown 34-31
Cortland 31-32

*These games were ordered to be forfeited by the IHSAA due to Charles Henry being ruled ineligible for the 1st semester

Sources:
-Seymour High School 1927 Yearbook 'The Patriot'
-Seymour Daily Tribune

Seymour's Shields High School in 1927

Head Coach J R Mitchell

Team Captain Albert Judd(left)
Charles Henry(right)

Seymour Tribune headline following the IHSAA order to forfeit the 1st 10 games

Entering the 1926-27 season the Seymour Owls were filled with high hopes. The previous season had brought them a sectional title and now four of the five starters were returning. Adding to the optimism of the Owls and their followers was the addtion of Charles Henry to the team. He had been the star player at Patriot High School and had recently moved to Seymour. The addition of Henry to the already loaded Seymour squad had the players, coaches and fans expecting far more than a sectional title in 1927. Their expectations were nothing less than the state finals at the Cow Barn at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.
     Right from the start, the season went as the Owl's hoped it would. They opened at home with a thrilling come from behind victory over highly touted Mitchell.   The mighty Owl's began to steamroll through the 1st half of the season. They crushed county rival Crothersville 61-9 and neighboring North Vernon 60-5 and highlighted the early season with another thrilling win over a highly touted team, Shelbyville, 37-35.   Then came the bombshell.
     Soon after the rout of North Vernon came word from the Indiana High School Athletic Association that they had determined that Charles Henry was ineligible for the 1st semester as he did not live with a parent or guardian and would not be eligible until he completed a full semester at Seymour. Thus the IHSAA ordered the 1st 10 games of the season to be forfeited.
     Seymour appealed the ruling and Henry accompanied by the Seymour superintendent Norman Lasher and principal Stewart traveled to Indianapolis for a hearing.   But the IHSAA then ruled by 'King' Arthur Trester seldom reversed their rulings and did not do so now. The Seymour appeal was denied.   Seymour's 1st 10 wins were erased.
     With the distraction of the IHSAA ruling weighing on them, the Owls traveled to state power Washington for a much anticipated game. 600 Seymour fans boarded a chartered train for the trip but it was to be a long ride.   Seymour was not able to keep up with the strong Washington team and for the first time tasted actual defeat on the court, 36-21.
     Dispite the loss, Seymour recovered and cruised through the remaining games routing North Vernon once again, then winning easily over Edinburg, Greenfield, Jeffersonville and Scottsburg. Although they met defeat once again at Mitchell in a rematch 39-38 their expectations for a trip to the state finals still seemed well within reach as sectional time rolled around.
     As usual Seymour was the host for the sectional which mostly consisted of Jackson Co schools. Although the Owls did not get the best draw, nobody thought it really mattered.    Most thought that the only team who could possibly give them trouble would be the arch-rival Brownstown. Adding to the flavor of the rivalry was that it was now well-known that it was Brownstown's coach, Earl Chambers, who had turned Seymour in to the IHSAA in the Charles Henry affair. The brackets set up for the two to meet in the semi-final round where everyone thought fireworks would fly.
     The sectional progressed just as expected.   Seymour routed tiny Freetown and Clearspring to face Brownstown in the semi-final.   For the most part cooler heads prevailed in the Seymour/Brownstown match-up and the game was a great barnburner.    In the end Seymour pulled out the thriller in the final minute to win 34-31.   Now the only thing left in Seymour's way to the Bedford regional and beyond was tiny Cortland.
    It seems tiny Cortland was forgotten about even though they had 16 wins in the regular season. As Seymour was packing their bags for Bedford, Cortland jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the championship game.   Seymour answered and the two played a see-saw game throughout the 1st half.   In the final seconds Cortland tipped in a rebound basket and went into halftime with an unlikely 17-13 lead.
    It was no fluke, Cortland held on to the lead in the second half. Playing sure and steady ball they even started to extend the lead late in the 3rd.   By the middle of the 4th quarter Cortland held a 31-20 lead setting the stage for a wild finish.
    Seymour was not about to roll over and die. Indeed they began an incredible rally. With Seymour playing tight defence, Cortland would not score another field goal.   Bit by bit Seymour chipped away at the Cortland lead and with just under a minute left, tied the score at 31.
     But here the tight defence failed them. As Cortland held on to the ball for a last shot, Seymour committed a foul. Cortland drained a free throw and Seymour could not find the bucket again.   Final score Cortland 32 Seymour 31.
    Cortland celebrated their 1st and only sectional title that night in 1927 as the dreams of the Owl's and their fans were gone with the wind.