The Versailles Republican
Sports
January 1, 2009
Eight
Rip. Co. basketball Hall of Fame inductees selected for
the Class of 2009
Gary Franklin, Sports
Writer
As time nears for the 85th annual Ripley County Boys Basketball
Tournament, and the 35th annual Ripley County Girls Basketball
Tournament, the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame
Committee has made its Class of 2009 inductee selection
known
This years nominations include eight former players of
Ripley County. They are: Garry Wayne Bailey, Tony Eisert,
David Galle, Michael Tim Heller, Robert D Moorhead, Melvin
Siefert, Michael Scott Smith and Charles F. Bud Wagner.
The presentation of the Class of 2009 inductees will tbe
made to the public at Batesville High School between the
Ripley County Tournament Varsity Boys consolation and
championship games, on Saturday night, January 10. The
formal induction ceremony will take place at The Bull
Pen in Osgood in April.
A collection of information about each inductee by Mary
Margaret Moorhead follows:
Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame...Class of 2009
Garry Wane Bailey
Bailey attended Versailles High School during his freshman,
sophomore and junior years, but moved to Rising Sun during
his senior year as his parents moved to that area. Playing
two years of varsity basketball for Coach Gus Moorhead
during the 1958-59 and 1959-60 seasons, Bailey ranks fourth
on the list for most points scored in a season at Versailles
High School. His average per game for the two years was
12.2.
Playing out of a guard position, he was considered an
outstanding shooter, exceptional ball handler, and very
capable defensive player. He was named to numerous all-tournament
teams during his tenure at Versailles and had the unique
distinction of being named to the All-Regional team as
a sophomore.
Baileys 1959 team went 25-2 on the season, winning
the ORVC, the Ripley County Tourney, and the IHSAA Sectional.
His 1960 team was 21-6, again winning the conference and
the sectional tournament. Overall he played in 46 winning
games in his two years as a varsity player at Versailles.
A graduate of Ball State University, Garry earned his
bachelors and masters degrees and taught and
coached for two years at Jac-Cen-Del and 28 years at Rising
Sun. He served in the United States Army from 1966-68
and was sent to Korea during the Vietnam War.
He is married to the former Mary Baldwin, also a teacher,
and is the father of two sons and a daughter. The family
resides near Rising Sun.
Tony Eisert
Eisert is a 1946 graduate of Napoleon High School where
he was a three-year varsity starter for the Bearcats.
Playing both forward and guard, he was known to be an
excellent ball handler and an outstanding team leader.
As team captain during his senior year, he led the Bearcats
to the final game of both the Ripley County Tourney and
the sectional.
In 1946 the Ripley County Tourney consisted of eight teams.
Although there was no All-Tourney team selected, an individual
award was given for the most outstanding player. Eisert
received this prestigious award in 1946 for his demonstration
of sportsmanship, leadership and basketball ability.
After high school, he served four years in the United
States Navy, advancing to the rank of Electrician 1st
Class. Once his career in the service came to an end,
he settled in Milan. There he farmed and drove a school
bus for the Milan school system. As his love for basketball
continued, he drove the team bus and fan bus to many of
Milans basketball games over his 32 years as a bus
driver.
He has been married for over 60 years to Marie Eisert,
and they are the parents of two sons, Terry and Mike,
and a daughter, Kim Eisert Barton.
David M. Galle
Galle is a graduate of Batesville High School in 1983,
where he played three years of varsity basketball for
Coach Ron Raver. During his high school career, Galle
scored 1,060 points, leading the team in scoring for two
years and in rebounding for three years. In his senior
year he averaged 21.5 points per game with a 57% field
goal average while collecting 8.5 rebounds per game.
Also in his senior year he was named Most Valuable Player
and named to the All County, All Conference, All Sectional
and All Regional teams as well as the Frist Team Academic
All State for Indiana.
The Batesville Bulldogs in Galles senior year had
a 22-2 record with their only loss to State Champion Connersville.
After high school Gallee continued his basketball career
at DePauw University, where he graduated in 1987. Once
again he excelled in scoring and rebounding with 1,203
career points and 555 career rebounds. He also had 210
career assists and 119 steals. Dave was named to the All
American First Team; the National Association of Basketball
Coaches All America First Team and Most Valuable Player.
Earning a bachelors and masters degree in
business, Dave is Vice President of Operations for Enkei
in Columbus, Indiana.
He and his wife Jamie are parents of Luke, Megan and Alex
Galle.
Michael Tim Heller
Heller is a graduate of Milan in 1961, where he was a
starter for the Indians and the teams high scorer
during his high school career. Although Milan lost to
Coach Dale McNeeleys New Marion Panthers in the
final game of the Ripley County Tourney by a score of
46-44, Tim was named to the All-Tourney team while collecting
many honors during his senior year.
In addition to playing in a championship game, Tim has
the distinction of coaching the Sunman Tigers to a Ripley
County championship in 1968. Along the way, his Tigers
defeated Batesville 68-55 to reach the finals, where they
beat Jac-Cen-Del 77-70 for the title.
Noted for his leadership qualities as well as his athletic
ability, Tim made countless contributions to his Milan
Indian team and is remembered as one of the Ripley County
players to be listed for Most Points Scored by a Player
and Most Field Goals by a Player.
After graduating from Milan High School, Tim received
his Bachelors Degree from Morehead State, his Masters
Degree from Indiana University, and his EDS from Ball
State University. His outstanding career in education
includes teaching and coaching, being a high school principal,
an assistant superintendent and superintendent.
Heller retired from the State of Indiana after 32 years
in education. His last 12 years were with the Muncie Community
Schools. He is currently superintendent of McCracken County
Schools in Paducah, Kentucky, where he has served for
the past nine years.
Married to Judy Grinstead Heller since 1968, Tim has been
an active member of his community and is the proud father
of two daughters, Josie, who resides in Indianapolis,
and Jackie, who is a high school teacher in New Castle.
Robert Daniel Moorhead
Moorhead was a three-year varsity player for the South
Ripley Raiders, where he played for Coach Ted Ahaus on
his sectional and regional championship team in 1981.
A highlight of his career took place in the last 40 second
of the regional championship game when as a sophomore
he made two free throws- the last coming with the score
tied 62-62 with 23 seconds to play- giving the Raiders
a 63-62 victory and advancing them to the semi-state.
In his junior year, Rob maintained his role as a pressure
shooter, making free throws and baskets to send games
into overtime or give the Raiders the win. That year he
averaged 14 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and was the
top-free throw shooter with a 63% average.
Although the Raiders were plagued with injuries and illnesses
during Robs senior year, the season ended with a
10-10 record and a career high 30 points for Rob against
South Decatur. He averaged 18.5 points per game, 10.4
rebounds, and led the team in free throw shooting with
77%. Over his three-year career, Moorhead played in 53
games, scored 777 points, grabbed 470 boards, had 59 assists
and a career 68.5% FT average.
He was named to the all-sectional team all three years,
the all-regional team in his junior year when he was named
MVP of the Connersville Regional, the all Ripley County
Tourney and the ORVC teams in his junior and senior years.
As a senior he won the prestigious William Tiny Hunt Memorial
Award and a Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association Scholarship.
While attending Hanover College, he played four years
for Coach John Collier and was the recipient of the first-ever
Leadership Award for Basketball in his senior year. He
graduated as valedictorian of both his high school and
college classes with a 4.0 GPA and maintained his GPA
during his masters and EDS classes at Xavier University.
His career in education has included teaching, coaching
and administration at South Dearborn High School. As head
basketball coach, his South Dearborn Knights won the 1995
Sectional and were runners-up in the Columbus Regional,
losing on a last second shot to Shelbyville. In 2003 he
was named principal at South Dearborn, a position he still
holds.
Rob is married to Lisa Keith, and they are parents of
two sons, Bradley, age 14 and Trenton, age 12. The family
resides in Aurora.
Melvin Siefert
Siefert, a 1981 graduate of Batesville High School, has
earned many honors during his years as a player and as
head basketball coach for the Batesville Bulldogs. He
was a varsity player in high school, earning a reputation
as a leader and a fundamentally sound player.
After being named to many all-county, all-conference,
and all-tourney teams, Mel continued his educational and
athletic pursuits at Butler University, where he earned
his bachelors degree, and Xavier University, where
he received an MS in Guidance and his EDS degree.
Named head basketball coach at Batesville High school
for the 1992-93 season, Mel began a 16-year career that
resulted in 262 wins and 97 losses. The Bulldogs set new
records under his leadership by winning eight Ripley County
Tourney championships, four consecutive Ripley County
Tourney championships, and eight Eastern Indiana Conference
Championships.
During his coaching career, Sieferts teams won 10
IHSAA Sectional titles, four Regional championships and
in 2001 advanced to the State Finals, where they were
runners-up.
Coach Siefert has been very active in the Indiana Basketball
Coaches Association throughout his tenure and served as
vice president of that organization in 2007-2008.
His reputation as a winning coach and quality teacher
includes his developing a reading program for his high
school players to travel to Batesvilles Intermediate
School to read to fourth and fifth graders. Also for several
years he and members of his team volunteered time at the
food pantry in Cincinnati during Christmas break. Siefert
currently serves as principal at Batesville Middle School.
He and his wife Amy are the parents of two children, Ben
and Lauren.
Michael Scott Smith
Smith is a 1983 graduate of Jac-Cen-Del High School, where
he was a four-year letter winner for the Eagles and is
one of only five JCD players to collect 1,000 career points
and 500 rebounds.
As a player for Hall of Famers Dave Porter and Kelvin
Comer, Smith averaged 20.6 points per game in his senior
season with a total of 433 points. His career total of
1,066 points ranks him seventh on the JCD scoring list.
Smith received many honors during his four years as an
Eagle basketball player. He was three times All Ripley
County, three times All-Sectional, and two times All-Ohio
River Valley Conference. In his senior year, he was named
conference MVP after averaging 27 points per game in conference
play.
After high school Smith attended Danville Community College
and Ivy Tech Community College, playing basketball there
for two years. He later graduated Cum Laude from Northern
Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Returning to his home school, Smith has coached for 11
years, three as a varsity boys golf coach and six as the
girls varsity basketball coach. His girls teams have won
four sectionals, a Ripley County Tourney championship,
and two ORVC championships. Among his other honors, Smith
has been named Conference Coach of the Year twice and
has posted an 85-51 record in his coaching tenure. Smith's
'08 Lady Eagle varsity team, with their 15th straight
season win, earned Smith his 100th coaching career victory
with a 46-43 win over the Switzerland County Lady Pacers.
Smith has been the controller for Bruns-Gutzwiller Construction
for over 20 years. In 1983 he married Vickie Black, and
they are parents of two children, Heather, whom Scott
coached in 2001-2002, and Trent, a seventh grader at Jac-Cen-Del.
Charles F. Bud Wagner
Wagner compiled an outstanding career as a basketball
player at Osgood High School. Graduating in 1947, Bud
earned a varsity letter his freshman year and was a starting
guard his sophomore year. During his junior and senior
years, he not only earned letters but was also elected
team captain.
Known for his versatility, Wagner could play starting
guard or forward or jump center and was continually the
leading scorer and rebounder. His 30 points led the Cowboys
to a Ripley County Championship in his junior year, when
he was also choosen for the all-county and all-sectional
teams.
During his senior year he combined 91 field goals and
69 free throws for a 251 total. He was high scorer for
the Cowboys in 14 games and second in two. Regonition
came in his choice for the all county, all sectional,
and all tri-county teams.
Other athletic pursuits during his high school career
included four letters in softball and one in track. He
tried out for the University of Kentucky basketball team
and Coach Adolph Rupp, but got to play only five minutes
and never touched the ball.
At Hanover College, Wagner played junior varsity and varsity
basketball and second base for the baseball team. Later
he transferred to DePauw University, but returned to Hanover,
where he earned his athletic jacket his senior year.
After graduating from Hanover, Wagner joined the U.S.
Air Force and graduated from Officer Candidate School
as a second lieutenant. When his service career ended,
he joined the family bottling business and moved to Muncie
to manage the RC Bottling Company.
Wagner sold the bottling business and opened the Great
American Restaurant, which he and his wife Betty ran until
they purchased an HWI hardware and grocery store, from
which he retired. The couple returned to Osgood, where
they presently live. They are the parents of four children,
one of whom is deceased.