Hatchet History
The unofficial nickname of the “Old Gold and Black”
From pioneer A.O. Fulkerson’s influences early in the
20th century to Tyler Zeller’s on-court exploits early
in the 21st, Washington High School has produced a
basketball tradition that rivals any in this hoops-
crazy state.
Three times, back when Indiana’s single-class high
school tournament was the envy of the nation, the
Hatchets reached the top of the IHSAA mountain. No
other school from southwestern Indiana can make
such a claim. The Hatchet tradition doesn’t end with
those state championships in 1930, 1941 and 1942,
though. Rather, they are only highlights of a rich
heritage of the Old Gold and Black.
It all started 103 years ago, in the autumn of 1905.
Professor O.P. West organized the first team at WHS,
with Fulkerson, the “Father of Washington High
School Athletics”, giving assistance.
Zinkan’s Hall, which was located at the corner of
E. Fourth and Van Trees streets, was rented for
practices and games. It was here that Washington
played its very first game, against Vincennes, on Dec.
16, 1905. The Hatchets prevailed that night, 18-12,
and won five of nine games that inaugural season.
For a variety of reasons, basketball was discontinued
after 3 seasons. When the team was reformed —
under the direction of H.A. Sass — in the fall of
1913, the gymnasium in the basement of the newly
constructed Washington High School became the
team’s new home. In response to the public’s growing
interest, Leon H. Moorman became Washington’s
first “full-time” coach the next season. By 1915, the
team was commonly referred to as “The Old Gold and
Black”
In 1917, Washington made its first of 14 trips to the
state finals. It was also the first year that WHS hosted
the sectional. Robert Downey, who was inducted into
the Hall of Fame in 1975 as a coach at Washington
Catholic, led the team in scoring that season.
Washington made the state finals again in 1918, 1919
and 1920. WHS lost first-round games all four years.
Washington’s streak of four straight state finals
appearances ended in 1921 despite Roy Burris’ best
efforts. The senior became the first player to score
over 500 points in a season and finished his career
with 1,124 points and a 58- point game against
Paxton. The 15-14 loss to Sullivan in the sectional
finals is still considered the biggest upset in WHS
history.
Fulkerson, who had coached WHS in 1920 and 1921,
decided to concentrate on his duties as a teacher and
principal. He gave up his coaching position and the
team struggled without him in 1921-22. He returned
the next season as the assistant coach for Harry
Hunter. Although the team did not win a sectional in
1923 and 1924 under Hunter, he led them back to the
state finals in 1925. WHS made it to the final four of
the 16-team event and finished at 25-3.
Excitement over the 1925 team and envious of rival
Vincennes’ 1923 state championship resulted in the
construction of a new 5,200-seat gymnasium at a
cost of $60,000 (today, it is used as the Washington
Junior High School Gym). It was ready for the
1925-1926 season under new coach and hall of
famer Burl Friddle. Friddle was hired by Fulkerson
to win a state title. In October of 1925, Friddle met
with his players to vote on a new name for the team
to coincide with a new uniforms and the new gym.
was being ignored for another one. Fans had begun
using “Undertakers” in reference to the 1925 team
captain James “Bud” Gill’s own nickname. By vote of
the players and approval by Fulkerson, Washington
adopted the official nickname “Hatchets”. Sports
columnist Edward G. Brouillette had used the name
since 1924.
Although they played a tougher schedule to prepare
them for the tournament, WHS did not make it to the
state championships in 1926. (A footnote in history,
John Wooden played in the first game ever held at the
new gym for Martinsville.) But in 1927, Friddle led
the Hatchets to their sixth state finals appearance.
The Hatchets returned to the state finals the next
year, but again fell short. In 1929, WHS made it all
the way to the final four at the state before losing to
Indianapolis Tech. Making their ninth appearance in
14 years, the Hatchets finally won the state title in
1930. Ed “Jingles” Engelhart and hall of famer “Big
Dave” DeJernett led Friddle’s team. The Hatchets
finished 31-1, the best single-season mark in school
history.
Washington made it back to the state finals in 1931,
but lost in the quarterfinal game. Over the next eight
seasons, the Hatchets won five sectionals but never
made it back to the state.
Under second-year Hall-of-Fame coach Marion
Crawley, the Hatchets made it to the championship
game of the semi-state before losing to Mitchell 20-19
in 1940. WHS also lost 16-year-old Leo (Crystal) Klier
to graduation that year. He went on to become a two-
time All-American at Notre Dame and played in the
NBA. He was selected to the 1965 Silver Anniversary
Team and inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall
of Fame in 1977. He was named to Notre Dame’s All-
Century Team in 2004.
Led by Hall-of-Fame inductee and Indiana All-Star
Leroy “Hook” Mangin, WHS won its second state
title 1941. The team had an incredible four Hall-of-
Fame players with Mangin, Jim Riffey, Art Grove
and Charles Harmon. After the 1941 state finals,
Mangin paced the Indiana All-Stars with 14 points as
they defeated Kentucky and was named the game’s
“Star of Stars”. Mangin, Riffey and Harmon all were
selected to the Silver Anniversary Team.
With Riffey, Grove and Harmon returning, the
Hatchets won their third state title in 1942 with a
dazzling 30-1 record. Indiana All-Stars Riffey and
Harmon went on to play in the NBA and major league
baseball respectively.
After the state championship season of 1942, WHS
won ten sectionals and two regionals over the next
20 seasons (1943-1962). Only twice during that span
did the Hatchets come close to returning to the state
finals. In 1944 Ray Scott’s Hatchets lost to Evansville
Bosse 40-34 in the semi-state finals. In 1953, Ivan
Hollen’s team lost to Evansville Central 56-45 in the
first round of the semi-state. During this span, WHS
produced two Silver Anniversary Team Members
with Sam Gee (class of 1954) and Hall-of-Fame
inductee Sam Alford (class of 1960).
In the 1963 sectional finals, Steve Craney’s Hatchets
stunned unbeaten and 11th ranked Loogootee 58-51.
Gary Grider led WHS over Jack Butcher’s Lions after
Washington was down 31-22 at halftime. It still ranks
as one of the greatest upsets in Washington sectional
history. The Hatchet starters played the entire game.
Grider went on to play in the 1967 NCAA Final Four
with the University of Houston. Two seasons later,
Craney’s team won its first 16 games and finished
21-2 and won the sectional. Hatchet greats John
Helm and Jerry Flake graduated in 1965. Helm
scored 1,206 points while Flake finished up with
1,108 (837 for WHS and 271 for Wheatland).
In the fall of 1965, Kenny Gray became the only
ex-Hatchet ever to be head coach of the Hatchets.
The 1965-66 Hatchets won the sectional over
Loogootee when Alan Hopewell forced overtime
with two free throws with 13 seconds remaining in
regulation and the Hatchets went on to win 53-46.
WHS finished 22-2 and set a school record by scoring
114 points against Petersburg. On November 23,
1966, Washington opened its new 7,090-gymnasium
with a 75-68 win over Springs Valley. A crowd of
5,000 watched as IHSAA Commissioner Phil Eskew
addressed the crowd followed by Jeff Chambers
scoring the first basket in the new gym. The Hatchets
won their own regional in 1967 over Vincennes
56-54. In a game referred to as “The Great Train
Robbery” by Alice fans, Larry Frye hit a 20-foot shot
with 33 seconds left for the win. Vincennes had a
chance to tie but missed a shot and jump ball was
called with two seconds remaining. Washington’s
6-1 Scott Alford controlled the tip over 6-6 Jerry
Memering to seal the win.
After a sectional crown in 1968, WHS did not win
another during the next seven seasons. During this
time, Hatchets fans witnessed history as Ron Arnold
broke Helm’s scoring mark, amassing 1,209 points
before graduating in 1975. The sectional drought
ended with Don Rogers’ 20-5 team in 1976. Hatchet
sophomore John Brown (a member of the 2003
Silver Anniversary Team) sank two free throws with
seconds remaining in overtime as Washington beat
Loogootee 46-44 for the title. Loogootee had won
the previous six sectionals. The Hatchets won the
sectional again in 1977 and finished the season 20-5.
Assistant coach Stan Neal took over the reigns in
1978 and the team evolved into a powerhouse. The
sixth ranked Hatchets finished 27-2 and won the
Washington sectional and regional championships.
This is the only team in Hatchet history to produce
three single season 400-point scorers with Brown
(575), Steve Bouchie (467) and Steve Miller (404).
Brown finished up his career with 1,049 points.
The 1978-79 Hatchets lost four starters from the
previous year but still finished 18-9 and made it to
the Evansville Semi-state finals on the strength of
the 1979 Mr. Basketball Steve Bouchie. He ranks
second in career scoring with 1,311 points and first
in rebounding with 823. He wore number 1 for the
Indiana All-Stars and was named Parade Magazine
High School All-American. He played on the 1981
NCAA Champion Indiana Hoosiers. He is a member of
the 2004 Silver Anniversary Team.
The Hatchets re-emerged as a power to be reckoned
with in 1982-83. Led by Indiana All-Star Craig Neal,
Washington finished 25-2 and made it to the Terre
Haute Semi-state finals. Neal set school scoring
records for single season points (745), career points
(1,440), single season scoring average (27.6 ppg) and
career scoring average (20.0 ppg). He went on to play
and coach in the NBA.
Kelly Garland (1,069) and Morry Portee (1,012)
entered the 1,000-point club in 1992 and 1998
respectively. Brandon Smith (917) just fell
short of the 1,000-point plateau in 2001. Bernie
Butcher’s 1990 and 1992 teams went 16-7 and 13-8
respectively.
Coach Dave Omer fielded some very good teams
(the 1995 Hatchets were 19-4, the 1997 team 16-6,
the 2002 team 14-7, and the 2003 team 18-4). The
2004 Hatchets finished 18-5, as Luke Zeller became
the first junior to score 1,000 points. Coach Omer’s
123 wins at WHS ranks third all-time. Only Friddle
(192 wins) and Neal (133 wins) have more. In 2005
Luke Zeller lead the Hatchets to their 4th State title.
During this season Luke also was given the title of Mr.
Basketball for his efforts throughout the season.
In 2008 Luke’s brother Tyler followed in the family
tradition one of their greatest seasons ever. The
Washington Hatchets (23-2) capped off a record-
setting season by crushing #6 Fort Wayne Harding,
84-60, at Conseco Fieldhouse to claim the Class 3A
state title. The Hawks (22-4) had no answer for
the McDonald’s All-American and Mr. Basketball
frontrunner Tyler Zeller, who scored a state finals
record (in any class) 43 points while grabbing
16 rebounds. His 6-11 counterpart Seth Coy was
dominate in his own right with 20 points and 16
rebounds. Tyler also set a 3A state finals record
for field goals made with 14 and tied 3A records
for free throws made (15), free throws attempted
(18) and blocked shots (4). It was Washington’s
21st consecutive win. Only Muncie Central (8) and
Marion (7) have more state titles than the Hatchets.
The Hatchets are 5-0 all-time in state championship
games, also winning the title in 1930, 1941, 1942 and
2005.
Tyler averaged an incredible 36.0 points per game
during the 6-game postseason and finished his senior
year with 828 points, the 24th highest single season
mark in Indiana High School history. His school
record 33.1 scoring average led the state in 2008.
The Seven-Foot senior closed out a brilliant career at
Washington with 1,624 points, second only to Luke
Zeller’s 1,727 points.
Also, Tyler’s 47-point game (he did it twice this
season) is the second highest single game output
ever at Washington. Additionally, Tyler ranks
second in career field goals made with 628, third
in career rebounds with 696, fourth in career free
throws made with 367, and fifth in career free throw
percentage at .783.
The team set a school record for field goal percentage,
making 58.0% of its shots, shattering the old mark
of 53.1%. Also, for the first time in school history,
the Hatchets were ranked first among all teams in
all classes in the final Sagarin power ratings poll.
Coach Gene Miiller’s 61 wins at Washington is the
best 3-year start ever by a Hatchet coach. His .836
winning percentage at WHS is the highest mark
ever. Coach’s 529 wins overall ranks 22nd all-time
in Indiana.
Seth Coy set the single game record with 26 rebounds
against Owen Valley. Seth’s field goal percentage
of .665 this season is the 4th highest single-season
mark ever at Washington. In addition, his career field
goal percentage of .627 ranks second only behind
Tyler. Cody Osmon’s 37 3-pointers this year was the
7th highest single season mark ever at WHS. Both
Cody and Kyle Price each hit five 3-pointers in a game
this season, the 9th best output ever at WHS.
article and facts taken from;
http://www.hatchets.net/bbasket.htm
Look at those skills.
www.hatchets.net Washington Hatchet’s Tyler Zeller attacking the basket!

Basketball