Gonzalo Barajas
Gonzalo “Gonzo” Barajas almost did not play organized football. Small in size in comparison to the other boys his age at J.C. Knight Elementary School in Jonesboro, his mother would not allow him to register to play little league football from fear that he would get hurt. It took the urging of a neighbor friend and the promise to look over and protect him to convince his parents, Gonzalo and Juanita, to allow him to play. He was drafted and coached by three former football alumni, Willie Vallarde, Max Leavitt, and Jeff Young, and the rest, as they say, is history. Gonzo proved to b...Read more
Yvonne Blackmon
Yvonne Blackmon was born in Grenada, Mississippi. However, Marion has been her home for most of her life. While growing up in Marion she developed the love for running without her shoes. Racing people in the streets was her specialty and Washington Street was her track. Her father was the first to notice her running abilities and encouraged her to run track at Marion High School. Yvonne was also approached by Sally Leyse, who was her physical education teacher and the girls track coach at Marion. Yvonne started running varsity as a freshman and still owns sch...Read more
John Chin
John began playing all sports at an early age. At 12, he was named the most valuable player in the Lincoln Little League. At Jones Jr. High, he was a starting guard on the 7th, 8th, and 9th basketball teams, all of which were undefeated. He was also the starting quarterback for the 7th and 8th grade teams losing only one game. Entering Marion High School, John was a three year starter at shortstop on the baseball team and a member of the 1968 State Runner up Team. In his senior year he was named Captain, Batting Champion, MVP, and NCC All Conference. In basketball, he was a three year...Read more
Perry Frank
Perry Frank graduated from Oak Hill High School in 1974. His senior year he averaged 24 points and 16 rebounds per game as Oak Hill posted a record of 17-4 and won the MIC with a perfect record of 7-0. He was named conference player of the year among many other honors. He went on to play for Indiana Wesleyan University (then Marion College) graduating in 1986. He is Indiana Wesleyan’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder compiling 2,452 points and 1,691 rebounds. He was named MCC all conference 4 years, NCCAA All-American four years, and NAIA all-district four years. He ...Read more
Reece Peacock
While in high school, Reece lettered in football three years, basketball three years, track four years and baseball for one year. He held the pole vault record at 12’10” for several years. At Ball State University, he was on the basketball team his freshman and sophomore years. During his freshman year, Don Shondell, the men’s volleyball coach encouraged Reece to try out for volleyball. Reece heeded his encouragement and played volleyball for 4 years. His senior year, Reece was named MIVA Conference 1st Team and MVP of the Ball State team. Upon graduation...Read more
Jay Smithley
Jay became interested in tennis at the age of eight and was introduced to the game by his father, Jim. Jim would take Jay to Matter Park’s tennis courts and he would play there almost every day. By the time he was 12, he started playing in the USTA sanctioned tournaments, and at 18, he was ranked #1 in northern Indiana. During Jay’s tenture at Marion High School, he achieved a 66-7 record and became the first Marion Giant to earn first team All-State Honors. After high school, Jay accepted a tennis scholarship to play at Indiana Wesleyan. He was the #1 play...Read more
Dave Spargo
Dave attended Penn High School in Greenville, Pennsylvania where he participated in baseball, gymnastics, football and wrestling. The day after graduation he enlisted in the Navy in 1945. While in the Navy he played on the baseball team as a catcher, where he caught Carl Erskine. After being discharged from the Navy, Dave entered Thiel College for one semester, but college was interrupted because of a paralyzing stroke suffered by his father. He worked in a factory for three years, then heard about Marion College. Dave enrolled at Marion College, attending cla...Read more
Craig Sullivan
Craig Sullivan attended Madison Grant High School lettering nine times in his high school career in basketball, baseball, track, and cross country. In basketball, the 6’6” center established twelve different Madison Grant records his senior year 1972-73. He led the Argylls to a 19-6 season winning the Grant County Invitational and the Marion Sectional Tourney for the first time in history. “Sully” led Madison Grant in scoring and rebounding his senior year. Madison Grant High School individual basketball records include: 1971-72 most points (game) 37 ...Read more
Steve Ward
Growing up in Marion, Steve Ward saw basketball everywhere and played frequently with his cousins and friends. His interest in the game solidified while playing at Clayton Brownlee Elementary. In High School, Steve took advantage of the opportunity given by Coach Jack Colescott. He averaged 17.5 points per game as a senior on the 1965 Marion team that won 18 straight. He was named to the All-North Central Conference and the All-Grant County teams. In addition, he was the leading scorer in the 1965 Marion Sectional while earning a spot on the All-Sectional and All-Regional teams. As a r...Read more
Hack Wilson
The lanky O.L. “Hack” Wilson was a standout at Noblesville High School in football, basketball, track and baseball. His senior season he combined with his younger and taller brother Mel to win the 1929 Noblesville Sectional Basketball Championship. Hack went on to play college ball at Central Normal College in Danville, Indiana. On the gridiron, he played end with Grant County players Art Gross and Charley Steidel. Hack sat out a couple of years when he married Grace Miller of Upland who had just graduated from the IU School of Nursing. When their first child Teil arrived during ...Read more
Team Category
1982 Oak Hill Football Team
Oak Hill was primed for a state football championship run when coach Jim Law departed in early 1982 for Taylor University. Terry Lichtenberg was a young man in a hurry. Lichtenberg left Cincinnati Moeller High School’s program to replace Law, and the Golden Eagles’ state title aspirations became real that fall following a wild tournament run. To this day, the 1982 Eagles remain the only Grant County team to win a state football title, and only Marion twice (1988 and 199...Read more