Hilliard (Gudelsky)
Gates
BORN: DECEMBER 14, 1915, MUSKEGON, MI
DIED: NOVEMBER 20, 1996,
FORT WAYNE, IN
A
graduate of Muskegon High School, Hilliard Gates' 52 years in
sportscasting established himself as one of the finest in the
profession. Christened Hilliard Gudelsky, he adopted the last name
Gates when he got his start in broadcasting at WKBZ radio in Muskegon in
1936. In June 1940, the Muskegon native moved to Fort Wayne to take a
job with WOWO radio, a powerful AM station. Gates switched to Fort
Wayne's WKJG in 1947, where he branched into television and
administration.
While in Fort Wayne, Gates described the games of the
National Basketball Association's Zollner Pistons for 10 years prior to
their move to Detroit in 1957. His abilities behind the microphone led
to network recognition with his coverage of the first NBA All-Star Game
for the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1951. In 1966 and 1967, he worked
on radio coverage of Rose Bowl games for NBC. Showing his diverse talents, he
handled live coverage of the Indianapolis 500 for the Canadian
Television Network for nine years.
While Gates did
the play-by-play coverage of Indiana University basketball for cable
television, he is best known for his years of service as the voice of
Indiana High School boy's and girl's basketball championships. He was
nominated 20 times for the "Outstanding Sports Broadcaster" award and
won the award seven times. He was the first broadcaster inducted into
the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, receiving the Silver Medal Award in
1969.
His experience led him behind the microphone for the 1987 film
"Hoosiers," a David and Goliath story based on the 32-30 upset of
powerful Muncie Central by tiny Milan High School for the Indiana State
Championship in 1954. His role was a logical choice, since he had
announced the play-by-play account of the actual Milan/Muncie classic.
Ray Castenholz, like his Muskegon ancestors (an early local baseball
park was called Castenholz Park), was an influential force in promoting
and preserving the sport of baseball in the Port City. One of the founders
of the Greater Muskegon Little League, Castenholz served as president of
the organization from 1952 through 1959.
A three-time All-State end on
the gridiron at Muskegon High School, Castenholz also established a
Greater Muskegon track record of 53.4 seconds in the 440-yard dash in
1912. On
the baseball diamond, Castenholz also excelled. A catcher for a variety of
teams, he was once considered a major league prospect. However, he
shunned the spotlight to attend Michigan Agricultural College (now
Michigan State University). After
college he returned home to the family's 80-acre fruit farm.
A
skilled golfer and an excellent bowler, Castenholz's interest in sports remained
strong through the years. During his free time, he helped develop an improved statistical rating
system that utilized "average performance" charts for ranking college
football teams. Many of the features of the system are still in use
today.
Muskegon High School's Jim Johnson was possibly the last baseball
superstar to benefit from the tutelage of the Big Reds' veteran coach
Harry Potter, who retired from the school in 1966. Blessed with a strong
arm and impeccable fielding skills, Johnson also starred as a pitcher
and center fielder with the talented Muskegon Pepsis of the United
Baseball League during the summer months.
The
team leader at the plate with a .386 batting average, Johnson led the
Big Reds to a 21-1 season and the Lake Michigan Athletic Conference
crown during the 1963 season. He earned an academic scholarship to
Western Michigan University.
At Western, Johnson also split time between the mound and the
outfield. Johnson carried a .415 batting average and a 5-2 pitching
mark with a 1.71 earned run average during his junior year. In 1966,
the Broncos ended with a 21-5 record paced by the southpaw Johnson's 7-0
record, including five shutouts in eight appearances. His 0.51 ERA in
70 innings ranked third in the nation. He was named to the Mid-American
Conference first team and was selected to the College All-American
second team.
Johnson was drafted by the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers,
but chose to complete his studies at WMU before joining the professional
ranks. In June 1967, he signed with the San Francisco Giants and was
assigned to Medford, Oregon. He also made stops in Salt Lake City and
Amarillo, Texas before joining the Giants' AAA Phoenix Club in 1969.
Johnson was promoted to the Giants' roster in October 1969. He opened the 1970 season as a member of the major league club. In his
only major league decision, Johnson allowed one hit in 1 1/3 innings to
beat the Cincinnati Reds. He was later returned to Phoenix where he
ended with a 6-5 record.
After retiring from baseball in 1970, Johnson entered the
field of education. In 1983, he accepted the position of uperintendent
of North Muskegon Schools. He died of cancer in 1987 at the age of 42.
William "Wild Bill"
McCall
BORN: JULY 29, 1909, MUSKEGON, MI
DIED: OCTOBER 6, 1988,
DAYTON, OH
A two-time All-Stater
at Muskegon High School, Bill McCall led the Big Reds to state football
titles in 1926 and 1927. He was selected by The Detroit News as
quarterback of their third team in 1926, and earned first-team honors
one year later, as a senior
On the basketball
court, McCall led Muskegon to a 20-1 record and a Class A state
championship in the spring of 1927. After the state tourney, the Big
Reds traveled to Chicago to compete in the University of Chicago's
National Cage Tournament, losing to Batesville High School of Arkansas
in the second round.
McCall moved on to Dartmouth University, where he earned the nickname
"Wild Bill" because of his reputation as an "all-purpose threat." He
showed his versatility in a 33-all tie against Yale in 1931, scoring
three touchdowns, including a 93-yard kickoff return, an 85-yard pass
reception and a 65-yard interception return. McCall, who scored 90
points during his senior year, was a strong candidate for Grantland
Rice's All-American team. His point total ranked fourth on Dartmouth's
all-time list.
McCall also led Dartmouth's basketball team to a 15-6 record
during his senior year. In three years of cage action, he scored 146
points in 31 games.
Gil and Gordon McKellen
GIL - BORN: MARCH 28, 1916, GLENN, MI
DIED: JULY 29, 2001, DENVER, CO
GORDON - BORN: OCTOBER
10, 1918, MUSKEGON, MI
DIED: AUGUST 21, 1997, DALLAS, TX
The McKellen brothers
began their rise to stardom by spending countless hours as "rink rats"
on the ice of Muskegon's old Mart Auditorium in the 1930s. Those many
hours of strenuous skating gave the McKellens the opportunity to create
a unique act of tumbling that attracted the attention of Sonja Henie,
three-time Olympic Champion. They were offered a contract with the
Henie's Ice Revue, but turned it down because they were still in high
school.
Three years later, the Ice Follies brought their show to
Muskegon's Mart. Between acts, the McKellens performed for the
management of the show and were offered a contract, which they accepted
in February 1938. Jumps, flips and tumbling acts were a part of the McKellens' program. It also included a hand-to-hand stand in which
Gilbert would carry Gordon above his head around the ice.
In 1943, the brothers hung up their skates and joined the
United States Army. Upon their discharge in 1946, the McKellens went
back to work with the Ice Follies. A year later, they joined Tom
Arnold's Stars on Ice. A trip to London included a performance for
England's royal family. In 1948, the brothers signed with Henie's Ice
Revue. They performed four shows a day in New York over a three-week
period.
They returned to the West Michigan area in 1954 to skate
before 6,000 spectators in the Grand Rapids Stadium Arena. The McKellen
brothers retired in December 1955, but they did reunite for one last
local encore performance at Muskegon's L. C. Walker Arena with the Ice
Varieties in the 1960s.
Gordon's son, Gordon McKellen Jr. was a US Men's Figure
Skating champion in the mid-1970s.
Cliff Taylor
BORN: FEBRUARY 28, 1928, SPRING LAKE, MI
A 13-time winner of
the Muskegon District Amateur Golf Tournament, Cliff Taylor
dominated the local golf for 40 years.
In 1950, at the age of 22, Taylor fired a two-round 146 for
his first district crown. The Spring Lake resident added a second title
in the spring of 1957. A two-round sudden death victory in the 1960
tournament was the beginning of a seven-year championship run by
Taylor. Among the consecutive crowns was a record-breaking four-under
par 140 in 1965. A victory in 1968 pushed his total to 10 district
titles in the 20-year history of the event. Two-stroke victories in 1976 and in 1978 boosted Taylor's total to 12 districts. From that
point on, he
began concentrating on the senior amateur tournaments, having turned 50
in 1978.
In 1983, Taylor
missed the U.S. Senior Amateur by one stroke. He advanced to the
final eight in 1984. In 1985, he reached the semifinal round. That accomplishment gave him a spot in the United States Golf
Association's 1986 U.S. Senior Open in Columbus, Ohio. With a
two-round score of 153, Taylor advanced to the final two rounds. He also has competed in the
British Senior Amateur Tournament and the U.S. Senior Amateur.
In
1991, Taylor returned to win his 13th district title against a field
crowded with younger players. The 63-year old emerged with a
one-over-par 145 to win the event. Later that year, the Golf
Association of Michigan named him to the first Senior Honor Roll.
Bill
Wolski
BORN: MAY 23, 1944, MUSKEGON, MI
DIED: MARCH 5, 2006, ATLANTA, GA
Captain of the
1961 Muskegon Catholic Central gridiron team, Bill Wolski earned
first-team All-State honors as a running back. Following graduation,
the 5-10, 194-pound prep star continued his football career at Notre
Dame. Wolski broke into the Irish starting lineup in the third game of
the 1963 season. The sophomore back notched 87 yards in 16 carries as
Notre Dame defeated Southern California 17-14.
The following season, the Irish rolled to a 9-1 mark under
the guidance of new coach Ara Parseghian. The junior halfback Wolski
led the team in rushing with 657 yards in 136 attempts and in scoring
with 11 touchdowns. A 20-17 loss to USC in the final game kept the No.
1 Irish from claiming the national championship.
In 1965, the Irish posted a respectable 6-5-1 record. Wolski's eight touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions gave him a
team-leading 52 points. His five-touchdown performance against
Pittsburgh that year ranks second in the all-time Notre Dame record
book. He also tied Paul Hornung for most kickoff returns in a
season with 16.
Following
graduation, Wolski was named to the roster of the East-West Shrine
game. The NFL Atlanta Falcons drafted him in the fifth round. He also
received an offer from the New York Jets of the American Football
League. Wolski signed with the Falcons, but an injury to his right knee
in pre-season drills sidelined him for much of the 1966 season. He
returned to Atlanta following successful off-season surgery, but in late
July, he then injured his left knee. After the 1967 season, Wolski was
released at his request and he retired from pro football.
