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Updated infrequently - sometimes even more than that!
For timely updates see us on facebook: Higginsville/Lafayette County Sports Blog
Twitter: HiggLCSports
For Past HUSKER HALL OF FAME classes - See Archives section
2017 Husker Hall of Fame
Robbie Alberswerth - Football, basketball & track ‘75
4 year letterman in football & track, 3 year letterman in basketball. First team MRVC O-line and D-line end, junior and senior years. Honorable mention district his junior year, All district his senior year and first team all state at defensive end senior year. Basketball first team MRVC and district junior and senior year, honorable mention all state hisjunior and senior years. Medaled at state track freshman and sophomore years in the 880 and mile relays. Senior yera was on the 3rd place mile relay team, placing 4th in the shot put and 5th in the discus. 4 year starter at offensive guard at CMSU. MIAA Honorable Mention twice and 2nd team twice.
Greg “Goose” Berry - Football & Basketball
Three Year letterman in football graduate in 1982. Top ten in the Husker record books with 1,048 receiving yards and 62 receptions. His 28 catches led the MRVC his senior year. Two time MRVC 1st team and districts as a TE and DE and in basketball. Member of two MRVC championship teams, (20-3 record in 1981) and 22-7 in 1982. Memeber of the final four team in 1982. Played D1 Football at Arkansas under Lou Holtz. Starting DE his sophomore year before an injury halted his career.
Rich Cole - Head Girls Basketball Coach 5 years, Head Boys and Girls tennis coach for 10 years.
Took the 1990 Girls baskteball team to the Final Four with team record of 21-8, the first Lady Husker team ever to win 20 games. His Boys tennis team was conference champion in 1988 and District runner up in 1982. He also took a boys doubles team of John Gassen and Wayne Rector to state competition in 1983. At that time only one other Husker singles or doubles team had reached state. Rich served as High School Principal, Lexington’s Student Success Center director and C-1 Board member as well.
Ryan Cornelius - Outstanding track performer for the Huskers. Graduated with nine state track medals. Only runner in class 2 history to win the 800, 1600, and 3200 meter races at state the same year. Holds three individual school records: 1:58 in the 800, 4:20 in the 1600, and 9:41.41 in the 3200. record holder with the 3200
relay team as well. Ran on the collegiate level for Wichita State. Ran on their Cross Country team, and indoor and outdoor track teams.
Burt Elmore - Football, basketball, and track athlete. Graduated in 1973. Junior year team was 7-1-1. senior year 8-1-1 and MRVC Champs. Burt was All Conf., All District and Honorable Mention all state. After 45 years Burt is still in the record book at C1. 6th in carries (207), 5th in Season TD’s (23), 2nd in Season Rushing Yards (1,741), and 2nd in Career Rushing Yards (2,624). He also placed at the indoor state track met in 1971 in the mile relay. Teammate Ray Sutherland said, “Coach Renno’s offensive game plan during Burt’s junior and senior year was simple: Burt right, Burt left, and Burt down the middle!”
Jill Gassen - 1998 - Volleyball, basketball, and track athlete. Four year letterman in all three sports. 1st team MRVC for three years in volleyball and basketball, was all Disttrict in volleyball and second team all state in basketball her junior year. She is the Lady Husker career leader in points (1596) rebounding (1077), free throws (335) and three pointers
made (72). 4 year state qualifier in track. She was a four year starter for washburn university in volleyball and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. She is Washburn’s all-time kill leader with 1732, third in attack attempts (4273), ninth in aces (122), second in blocks (549) and first in points (2,219).
Bryan Nolte - 1992 - Football, basketball, and baseball athlete. Honorable mention MRVC quarterback as a sophomore, 2nd team junior and senior year. He is 2nd in career passing yards (4,987) and 4th in TD passes (41). Third and 10th in season passing yards. 4 year starter in basketball, ending with an MRVC and district championship his senior year on a 23-6 team. First team MRVC and District and Second Team All State as a senior. Member of first district championship team in baseball, and member first MRVC championship team his sophomore year. 2nd team MRVC soph. 1st team junior and senior. Second team all state jnior, 1st team senior. Played college baseball at Butler County (KS) Community College, and D-1 baseball at UNI-Chicago. He was 2nd team all Horizon League Conf. his Junior year.
Tim Opfer - 2007 Graduate, Football, Basketball and Track. Senior year: 1st team MRVC O and D line. 1st team all state Offensive line. Member 23-5 MRVC and district hampion team. Holds school record in the discuss at 180’ 5”. Second in state in the discus his junior year and won the discus his senior yera setting a new state reciord (173’ 10”). Member of the University of Missour’s track team where he was a team captain and NCAA sectional qualifier in 2010 and 2011 in the discus. His senior year at MU he was named Varsity M Alumni Association Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
65-66 Basketball team
23-5 record, MRVC and district tournament champs.
State Quaterfinalists
Won 21 straight games, longets winning streak ever until the 2012 team won 22 straight.
Charles Haynes, Kip Farmer, Steve Wonderly - 1st Team MRVC
Phil Leech - Honorable Mention
Coached by Jim Perrine
74-75 Wrestling Team
9-4 dual record
2nd place MRVC tourney
Won Marceline, West Platte, District and Regional tournaments
1st place MRVC tourney finishers were Mike Haggerty, Brad Gadt, Bryce Kappleman, roger Soendker, Paul Gadt, and Reid Opfer
Mike Swigart, jim Wagner and Tuim Thurmon - 3rd place. District placers: Haggery, Brad Gadt, Kappleman, Soendker, and Paul Gadt first.
Wagner and Opfer took 2nd and Hough 3rd. Regional placers: Haggerty and Kappleman - 1st. Paul Gadt - 2nd.
Brad Gadt - 3rd. Hough, Wagner - 4th. State medalists: Haggerty and Paul Gadt - 1st. Kappleman - 4th. Team finished a close third at state.
Coach - Jim Cooper
82-83 Boys Basketball
School’s 4th Final Four team
19-9 regular season record
3rd in the C-1 Tournament2nd in the Knob Noster and Odessa tournaments. Dale Treece was 1st team MRVC, District and State. Mike Moss was
1st team MRVC and 2nd team All District.
Coach - Bob Gibson
Updated infrequently - sometimes even more than that!
For timely updates see us on facebook: Higginsville/Lafayette County Sports Blog
Twitter: HiggLCSports
For Past HUSKER HALL OF FAME classes - See Archives section
2017 Husker Hall of Fame
Robbie Alberswerth - Football, basketball & track ‘75
4 year letterman in football & track, 3 year letterman in basketball. First team MRVC O-line and D-line end, junior and senior years. Honorable mention district his junior year, All district his senior year and first team all state at defensive end senior year. Basketball first team MRVC and district junior and senior year, honorable mention all state hisjunior and senior years. Medaled at state track freshman and sophomore years in the 880 and mile relays. Senior yera was on the 3rd place mile relay team, placing 4th in the shot put and 5th in the discus. 4 year starter at offensive guard at CMSU. MIAA Honorable Mention twice and 2nd team twice.
Greg “Goose” Berry - Football & Basketball
Three Year letterman in football graduate in 1982. Top ten in the Husker record books with 1,048 receiving yards and 62 receptions. His 28 catches led the MRVC his senior year. Two time MRVC 1st team and districts as a TE and DE and in basketball. Member of two MRVC championship teams, (20-3 record in 1981) and 22-7 in 1982. Memeber of the final four team in 1982. Played D1 Football at Arkansas under Lou Holtz. Starting DE his sophomore year before an injury halted his career.
Rich Cole - Head Girls Basketball Coach 5 years, Head Boys and Girls tennis coach for 10 years.
Took the 1990 Girls baskteball team to the Final Four with team record of 21-8, the first Lady Husker team ever to win 20 games. His Boys tennis team was conference champion in 1988 and District runner up in 1982. He also took a boys doubles team of John Gassen and Wayne Rector to state competition in 1983. At that time only one other Husker singles or doubles team had reached state. Rich served as High School Principal, Lexington’s Student Success Center director and C-1 Board member as well.
Ryan Cornelius - Outstanding track performer for the Huskers. Graduated with nine state track medals. Only runner in class 2 history to win the 800, 1600, and 3200 meter races at state the same year. Holds three individual school records: 1:58 in the 800, 4:20 in the 1600, and 9:41.41 in the 3200. record holder with the 3200
relay team as well. Ran on the collegiate level for Wichita State. Ran on their Cross Country team, and indoor and outdoor track teams.
Burt Elmore - Football, basketball, and track athlete. Graduated in 1973. Junior year team was 7-1-1. senior year 8-1-1 and MRVC Champs. Burt was All Conf., All District and Honorable Mention all state. After 45 years Burt is still in the record book at C1. 6th in carries (207), 5th in Season TD’s (23), 2nd in Season Rushing Yards (1,741), and 2nd in Career Rushing Yards (2,624). He also placed at the indoor state track met in 1971 in the mile relay. Teammate Ray Sutherland said, “Coach Renno’s offensive game plan during Burt’s junior and senior year was simple: Burt right, Burt left, and Burt down the middle!”
Jill Gassen - 1998 - Volleyball, basketball, and track athlete. Four year letterman in all three sports. 1st team MRVC for three years in volleyball and basketball, was all Disttrict in volleyball and second team all state in basketball her junior year. She is the Lady Husker career leader in points (1596) rebounding (1077), free throws (335) and three pointers
made (72). 4 year state qualifier in track. She was a four year starter for washburn university in volleyball and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. She is Washburn’s all-time kill leader with 1732, third in attack attempts (4273), ninth in aces (122), second in blocks (549) and first in points (2,219).
Bryan Nolte - 1992 - Football, basketball, and baseball athlete. Honorable mention MRVC quarterback as a sophomore, 2nd team junior and senior year. He is 2nd in career passing yards (4,987) and 4th in TD passes (41). Third and 10th in season passing yards. 4 year starter in basketball, ending with an MRVC and district championship his senior year on a 23-6 team. First team MRVC and District and Second Team All State as a senior. Member of first district championship team in baseball, and member first MRVC championship team his sophomore year. 2nd team MRVC soph. 1st team junior and senior. Second team all state jnior, 1st team senior. Played college baseball at Butler County (KS) Community College, and D-1 baseball at UNI-Chicago. He was 2nd team all Horizon League Conf. his Junior year.
Tim Opfer - 2007 Graduate, Football, Basketball and Track. Senior year: 1st team MRVC O and D line. 1st team all state Offensive line. Member 23-5 MRVC and district hampion team. Holds school record in the discuss at 180’ 5”. Second in state in the discus his junior year and won the discus his senior yera setting a new state reciord (173’ 10”). Member of the University of Missour’s track team where he was a team captain and NCAA sectional qualifier in 2010 and 2011 in the discus. His senior year at MU he was named Varsity M Alumni Association Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
65-66 Basketball team
23-5 record, MRVC and district tournament champs.
State Quaterfinalists
Won 21 straight games, longets winning streak ever until the 2012 team won 22 straight.
Charles Haynes, Kip Farmer, Steve Wonderly - 1st Team MRVC
Phil Leech - Honorable Mention
Coached by Jim Perrine
74-75 Wrestling Team
9-4 dual record
2nd place MRVC tourney
Won Marceline, West Platte, District and Regional tournaments
1st place MRVC tourney finishers were Mike Haggerty, Brad Gadt, Bryce Kappleman, roger Soendker, Paul Gadt, and Reid Opfer
Mike Swigart, jim Wagner and Tuim Thurmon - 3rd place. District placers: Haggery, Brad Gadt, Kappleman, Soendker, and Paul Gadt first.
Wagner and Opfer took 2nd and Hough 3rd. Regional placers: Haggerty and Kappleman - 1st. Paul Gadt - 2nd.
Brad Gadt - 3rd. Hough, Wagner - 4th. State medalists: Haggerty and Paul Gadt - 1st. Kappleman - 4th. Team finished a close third at state.
Coach - Jim Cooper
82-83 Boys Basketball
School’s 4th Final Four team
19-9 regular season record
3rd in the C-1 Tournament2nd in the Knob Noster and Odessa tournaments. Dale Treece was 1st team MRVC, District and State. Mike Moss was
1st team MRVC and 2nd team All District.
Coach - Bob Gibson