Wednesday, 10. March 2010 03:20
The purpose of this guest book is to connect people and to share memories and stories. Let us and others know how you are linked with this team and its amazing journey. Thanks for visiting!

I have enjoyed immensely my conversations and e mails with Tom Tomashek over the last couple of years. I found the book to be a gold mine of nostalgia as I was reminded of our Mt. Lake teams great game with the Dutchmen and their subsequent triumphant trip through the State Tourney in 1960. My first words to Tom upon hearing he was writing the book were, " It's about time somebody wrote the story. It is a better story by far than "Hoosiers"."

I have maintained contact with many of my players from the Mt Lake team over the years and we have talked often about the Edgerton team and treasured our memories. I wish I could be there at tournament time this year but will be in Florida until mid April at least. If there is a later reunion in Edgerton I think many of us will try to be there.

I have enjoyed several contacts with Dean Verdoos over the years and had the problem of coaching against Daryl Kreun when I was at Bethel and he was at Northwestern of Orange City, IA. He was still a great shooter and would have been a real force in today's game with the three point rule.

God bless you one and all Dutchmen.

Mack Nettleton, Coach Mt Lake 1960

I would certainly echo the many nice comments about the book. I remember watching the tourney in 1960 with my late Mother and we were both on the edge of our seats during the title game. I did play by play sports for 23 years, so I had my share of exciting games over the years, but from a fans standpoint,the 1960 tourney has no equal. My wife gave me the book for Christmas this year and i read it cover to cover in less than 36 hours. It was wonderful. Thanks.

As a freshman in high school at Jackson in 1960 I envied Edgerton's realization of every prep bb player's dream, not only making it to state but winning it all. Then in 61 they ruined my dream by beating us in the Region 2 finals. Little could I ever dream that so many years later I would marry an Edgerton girl, the former Sandi Pool.

My Uncle was on the 1960 team so I have also heard many references to the most remembered game to ever be played in the state of Minnesota. I was given a copy of "Edgerton, A Basketball Legend" for Christmas. I was so pleased with the gift, I asked my Dad for a second copy (both were signed) to give to a friend of mine who owns a bookstore on Nicollet Mall downtown Minneapolis, Jim Laury. I met Jim through my place of work, and one day he asked me if I was related to Dean Verdoes. I replied yes, he is my uncle. The next thing that came out of his mouth was, "I couldn't tell you who won any of the state tourney 5 years ago, but I bet you $20 I can name the starting 5 of the 1960 Edgerton Basketball team". From that point I knew he was okay. Since the beginning of the year, I have been seeking out the remainder of the signed books to put in his bookstore, by his request. Jim Laury is just one of the thousands of fans I have met in my lifetime who not only remember the game, but actively tell the tale of a few kids who grew into a team that set the benchmark of sportsmanship and courage for all high school teams to follow.

What great memories!! My family had moved from Edgerton to Bloomington in 1957. I remember shooting free throws for Mr. Kielty in the 8th grade and before that, playing driveway basketball many evenings. Two highlights of the championship was the reunion with all the dear friends at church in Bloomington the day after the great victory and the next fall when the Flying Dutchmen played our Bloomington Bears and beat us badly[fall of 60]. My new friends in Bloomington had been saying all the time that the championship was just a fluke and we could beat them any time. It was a great victory!

For 44years I was married to Joyce Zwart, who was a cheerleader during the 1960 championship run. During our married years the championship season was a topic of conversation whenever someone found out Joyce was from Edgerton. We were in Edgerton during the book signing in November of '08. Unfortunatly we found out shortly thereeafter that Joyce was terminally Ill with Cancer. She passed away on February 13, 2009. I will always cherish the many memories from our numerous visits to Edgerton and the memories we shared from the 1960 state championship team.

Wouldn't it be nice to have the smaller schools playing the larger schools again. There is something about rooting for the smaller schools that is special. I enjoyed reading everything about that special Edgerton team of 1960.

In Sept. 1959,we had a new teacher at
Jefferson Jr. High School in Mpls. Mn.
He got a bunch of skinny boys together
and told us he was going to teach us how to play the game of basketball,so began
a 50yr. relationship that went from
teacher/coach/mentor to coaching with him,
to he and his wife becoming like parents to me.
When Edgerton won in the spring of "60",
we talked about being just like you and
wining it all in "64".we dared to think that because the teacher DID teach us how to play the game and so much more!
We didn't make it and it was painful,but
there was a connection to your team,Dean Verdoos showed up one day at practice and showed us how much we DIDN'T know about the game.most of all me.Then there was the "teacher" his name is Ken Kielty
he did finally teach us the"game"and had a profound effect on our lives.
Thanks,
Coach

I had gone to a country(one room) school for 8 years and started as a freshman at EHS the fall of 1959. It didn't take long to get engulfed in our basketball team especially rallies in our "big" gym.
Thanks to Carla Veenhof(our class of '63)to have keep me posted on the progress of the book. As soon as I opened it, I finished it all in one sitting. It was good to see all the pictures since we knew everyone.
Hats off to all those involved in writing it.

You'll love these comments of a friend of mine who grew up in Adrian, Minnesota. I sent him a copy of the book as a gift. He is a life-long Gopher fan and sports fan in general. Following is what he had to say after he received the book in the mail. I thought you'd appreciate these comments as they reflect your good work on the book.

"Because of our mail forwarding and the timing of all that, I just got your book about Edgerton ( A Basketball Legend) two days ago. I can hardly put it down. What a wonderful gift. Thank you. Marge, you've lived with Norm for 40 years but unless you lived the moment in 1960, I don't think you can understand why this story evokes such passion and memories among the average Minnesota basketball follower of that time. It is simply unique and can never be duplicated. As you know, it will never go away. I personally love it and think it is a great story. It wasn't just the actual winning of the State Tourney and how they did it, it also encompasses the ride home on Monday and how the "parade" got longer and longer as it went through all the little towns in southwestern Minnesota as they got close to Edgerton. It was a lot more than just winning many basketball games. Anyway, I haven't finished the book yet so I'm going to quit this so I can go read."

My father, Arlin Patrick, took Coach Olson's job when he left in 1963. We only lived in Edgerton for three years, but I will never forget the passion that surrounded Edgerton basketball by the entire community. Obviously, we weren't there for that special season, but often times when I mention to someone who follows high school basketball, we lived in Edgerton, they will list the starting line-up. I had no idea as an eight-, nine- and ten-year-old boy just how special it was to live in Edgerton! I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Ken Kielty is my uncle and I was not aware of the Edgerton legend until just today when my Mom told me. I am proud of him for his contibutions and look forward to reading the book. Can't wait for the movie either!!!

Leroy Graphenteen is my grandfather, I am also very proud of him and he is a very good basketball player :) I love the book and show everyone and say, "yup, that is my grandpa!"

Leroy Graphenteen is my grandpa
and I have heard these stories many times and I always loved hearing them.
its really cool having the book and looking at my grandpa when he was little:) I happy because now I can make a book project about my grandpa its going to be soo cooool:) I'm very proud of my grandpa being the youngest player one the team it probably not exactly easy that would be alot of pressure:)

i cant wait till I have children and I can show them this boook and they will show there children and this story will be passed on:)

This is truly one of the great sports stories in Minnesota history. I have all the newspaper clippings of every game (sent to me by the Edgerton library/city a number of years ago). My Dad coached at Cottonwood in sw MN and told me the story of Edgerton right after it happened and I have been a high school basketball junkie ever since! I live 10 miles from Braham and have no doubt that with a one class system, the Braham teams that won 3 straight would have written the same, great story. If you haven't seen the half hour documentary on the Edgerton team, you need to. It has actual game footage, interviews and really captures the moment 'as it happened. I can't wait to get a copy of the book!

I have always been a fan of the great Edgerton story. Coach Kruen was a great inspiration to me as i went to school. I was never quite good enough to make one of his varsity teams (trust me I tried), but just the expirence of watching him teach his players and seeing how unique of a man he was, was just a treat in itself. If the rest of these men were even half as special as coach Kruen was to his players and fans, they truely were a very, very special team.

I consider it a privilege to have known Darrel Kruen while he coached and taught at Gaylord, MN.

I will always remember a card I received from him after I was the first survivor in the world of a ruptured basiliar tip artery brain anyuerism. He said that he was upset about losing a game in the regional tournament and then he heard of my injury and quickly realized how fighting for your life was much more important!

It will be a cherished read and am glad that the whole story will finally be told!

I am one of the volleyball coaches at Grantsburg, WI high school...small town, perennial powerhouse with several trips to state tourney. In a discussion with my dad about the state tourney and divisions based on school size, fairness of private schools from big cities competing against public schools from small towns, etc., he told me about the Edgerton, MN basketball team and how amazing that story was. (He mentioned that players stayed at private homes in Bloomington when they were in town for the state tournament. One stayed with him and his family on Colfax Ave.) Really inspiring story. So I went to the school's website and read all about it here. Thanks for taking the time to post all of this. I love a good sports story.

Dennis Allaman is my dad, a 6'7" center for the Bloomington Bears (1962 grad) who went on to play for U of M, but hurt his back and transferred to Augustana, Sioux Falls, SD on basketball scholarship.

I watched Edgerton win the 1960 Championship. Sometime later, I read an article in the Duluth newspaper about the "Deans of Minnesota High School Basketball" (Dean Verdoes and Dean Veenhoff). I wrote Dean's mother a letter and sent her the clipping. She wrote back a very kind letter and invited me to Edgerton to visit. However, I never made it. Before she died, my mother sent me a box containing my old high school varsity athletic letters, track medals, photos and newspaper clippings. Inside I also found a certificate of achievement from our 1960 youth championship hockey team. This certificate was signed by two politicians, brothers, who were eating in the same supper club that our awards banquet was being held. They introduced themselves, autographed our certificates, and told us they hoped our parents would vote for the older brother in the upcoming Wisconsin primary. Their names were John and Robert Kennedy. However, my biggest treasure in this box of old memories was that letter dated January 12, 1965 from Mrs. Harry Verdoes postmarked Edgerton, Minnesota.

Having graduated from Southwestern Chr. in 1959, I attended Calvin College during the tournament time in MN. However, knowing some of the players and loving Edgerton basketball, I was determined to listen to the games. The only way I could listen to WCCO (?) was in my friend's car and we needed to be moving. We put on many miles listening excitedly to our one time competitors. I am still excited for them.