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The
Review Magazine
County Hall of Fame Inductees
CLASS
OF 2004 * PART 2
By Jack B. Tany
Review Sports Columnist
The Class of 2004 of the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame
features a pair of golfers, two coaches (Herb Korf and Leo 'Sam'
Franz), two football players (Tom Slade and Brian Pruitt),
four basketball players (Tony Smith, Bob Chapman and Gnatkowski-Vondette),
one softball ace (Ralph Minnis), and a pair of cage teams (Buena Vista's
back-to-back state champions of 1992 and '93).
The
group brings the three-year total of individuals honored to 33, and the total
number of teams enshrined to 11.
The
Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame will hold its third annual banquet
Friday, November
5, 2004, at the
Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw Township. Tickets, which are $35
apiece, can be obtained by calling Selection Committee Chairman Jack Tany
at (989) 753-2951.
The Class of 2004 consists of:
LORI GNATKOWSKI (VONDETTE) *
Lori Gnatkowski was destined for good things early on as she played on
Carrollton High School's junior varsity team as a freshman and scored 300
points. She was the starting point guard on the varsity for the next three
seasons and scored over 1,000 points in her career, while also setting records
for assists and steals.
Gnatkowski earned All-Conference and All-Area awards three consecutive years,
and captured all state and all-America honors both her junior and senior
seasons. She helped the Cavaliers to the Class C state title her senior year
when Carrollton went a perfect 28-0.
Gnatkowski also excelled in track where she was the team's MVP four times and
won the 110 and 220 yard hurdle events at the Herb Korf Meet, the first year
they invited girls to participate.
Gnatkowski also played four years of softball and three years of volleyball for
the Cavaliers. Gnatkowski was awarded a full-ride scholarship at the University
of Michigan - the very first four-year scholarship ever given to a women's
basketball player at the school. She was the starting point guard for four years
for the Wolverines and set records for steals and assists in a game, season and
career.
Gnatkowski received the MVP award her junior year. After her senior year an
award, the Lori Gnatkowski Hustle Award, was named in her honor. She
wound up playing professionally for one year in Australia, earning the team's
MVP award.
HERB KORF *
Herbert S. Korf was born in Olds, Iowa, on March 11, 1905. He attended Iowa
State Teachers College and earned a degree at the University of Iowa. He coached
football and track in Elmhurst, Illinois, for six years, winning four league
titles in football and two state championships in track. He found his way to
Saginaw in 1945 and his track prowess continued.
Korf's track teams won seven Class A state championships in 20 years at the
helm, including and unprecedented four in a row from 1946-49. The Trojans also
won eight Saginaw Valley League titles, and from 1960-64 Saginaw High won five
straight regionals. He also coached football at Saginaw High for 13 years,
winning the Saginaw Valley League championship in 1951. He then turned the
football program over to Jim Blenkhorn, another Hall of Famer.
Korf, a member of the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame, would go on to become
Saginaw High's athletic director from 1964-69. He died in September 27, 1969, at
the age of 64.
One year later, thanks to the efforts of Claude Marsh, Larry Laeding, Ken Gray
and Bob Parson, the Herb Korf Track and Field meet was started, with all
proceeds going to the Herb Korf Scholarship Fund.
Ken McKinnon of Saginaw High was the very first Korf Meet Most Valuable Athlete.
Ironically, his father, K.D. McKinnon, was the first state champion in a long
line of state champions coached by Korf.
He is
buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw.
GARY LEE *
Gary Lee played football and basketball at Arthur Hill High School where he
graduated from in 1956. He played three years of varsity football and basketball
for the Lumberjacks, but it was on the hardcourt where the truly excelled.
Lee, a lightning-quick 5-8 guard, was named first team All-Saginaw Valley League
in 1956, and the Lumberjacks' captain earned All-State honors the same season.
He went on to Central Michigan and had an outstanding career for the Chippewas.
Lee was Central's leading scorer for three years (1958-60), and became Central's
first three-time Most Valuable Player.
He broke the school's scoring record his senior year (1960) when he captained
the Chippewas. Lee was all conference and all-NAIA for three years before
playing five years for the Holland Oilers and the Grand Rapids Tackers of the
Midwest Professional Basketball League.
He went on to coach basketball at Marysville High School from 1962-68 and was
named Coach of the Year in 1966 by the Detroit News. While at Marysville he
collected five league championships, five district titles and two regionals,
while compiling a 91-31 won-loss record. He also coached varsity basketball for
10 years at his high school alma mater where he had a 50-65 record, before
resigning in 1974. He also coached football and track at AHHS for 10 years. Lee
was inducted into the Arthur Hill High School Letterwinner's Hall of Fame in
1985.
RALPH MINNIS *
Ralph B. Minnis was born January 19, 1920, and attended Arthur Hill Technical
High School before becoming widely known as one of the finest fastpitch softball
pitchers in the area. He set the standard in hurling the softball where he spun
a whopping 127 no-hitters throughout his career, which began in 1936 at the age
of 16, and ended in 1976 at the age of 57.
When he began playing, only the catcher and the first baseman wore gloves. One
of the highlights for his career, however, came in the U.S. Army where he served
during World War II. Minnis played a game in the summer of 1945 in Paris,
France, in front of Gen. George Patton against President Dwight D. Eisenhower's
team.
World War II had just ended and the Army put together a sports program to
entertain the troops. After the game, President Eisenhower gave everyone on his
team an eight-day furlough to Switzerland.
After his stint in the service, he pitched Stearns Motors, a Midland team, to
the state championship. Tagged with the nickname 'Blackie', Minnis played for
more than 35 teams, including powerhouses such as Garber Buick, Nightengale Bar
and Franklin Bar. He had many perfect games in his career including a
seven-inning contest where he struck out all 21 batters.
At Hoyt Park one evening in 1946, Minnis tossed three straight no-hitters.
Minnis also fanned 22 players in a 1956 Midland tournament but lost 1-0 on an
error to a Baker Perkins squad from Saginaw.
Minnis retired three years from 1967-69, but came back strong as ever. He was
inducted into the Michigan Amateur Softball Association's Hall of Fame in 1983 -
the first Saginawian to earn such an honor. He died of heart failure on
December 4, 1996, at the age of 76. He is buried at Cook Cemetery.
BRIAN PRUITT *
Brian Pruitt was a talented three-sport athlete at Arthur Hill High School.
He played basketball, football and ran track for the Lumberjacks, but the 5-10,
195 pounder was a stellar two-way performer on the gridiron for the Hills for
three seasons.
The punishing fullback/defensive end was named All-Saginaw Valley his senior
season in 1990, and also attained Class A all state honorable mention honors.
After graduating in 1991, Pruitt earned a football scholarship to Central
Michigan University where he toiled on special teams his first two years.
After that, Pruitt racked up yards - and headlines - in his junior and senior
seasons. He rushed for 356 yards in a game against Toledo, which established
CMU, MAC and stadium records. His five touchdowns tied Central Michigan and MAC
standards, while his 435 all-purpose yards were team, conference and stadium
records. In his senior season (1994), Pruitt rushed for 1,890 yards and racked
up 22 TD's to set CMU and MAC records - earning the conference's MVP honors as
well as being named first team All-America by the Associated Press.
It
marked the first time a CMU player earned first team NCAA Division I All-America
honors. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent but a cervical
condition in his neck halted his National Football League hopes. He still holds
Central Michigan records for rushing yards, touchdowns and points scored in a
season. Pruitt was inducted into the Arthur Hill High School Letterwinner's Hall
of Fame in 1996.
PATTI SHOOK (BOICE) *
Patti Shook Boice was probably the finest woman golfer to ever compete in
Saginaw County. After graduating from Saugatuck High School (MI), she went to
Valparaiso and began her long and storied golf career by winning the national
collegiate championship.
Boice, the daughter of longtime Saginaw Country Club head golf professional
Loren Shook, won 11 Spring Lake championships in her career, as well as
capturing the women's state championship seven times.
In 1965, Boice became the first woman to golf in the Saginaw District Golf
Association's tournament held at the Saginaw Country Club. That same year she
went on to become the state amateur champion.
Boice was inducted into the Michigan Amateur Hall of Fame in 1982, and the
Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 1985. She currently resides in Spring Lake, MI.
TOM SLADE *
Tom Slade was born in Detroit and came to Saginaw after being adopted by
Russell and Geraldine Slade. Fittingly, he was raised on Carter Street, exactly
200 yards from the doors of Saginaw High School where he played football,
basketball and tennis for the Trojans.
Slade earned all-state honors in football as a strong-armed quarterback his
senior year in 1970 as he threw for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also
ran for nine touchdowns that year. The 6-1, 190 pounder also played defense and
handled the kicking chores for Saginaw High, including booting a 40-yarder his
senior year.
He fulfilled a childhood dream when the University of Michigan recruited him to
play football. During his sophomore year he was shifted to tailback by coach Bo
Schembechler and also was the holder on extra point kicks. But because of an
injury to starting signal caller Kevin Casey, he was moved back to quarterback.
In his first career start he quarterbacked the Wolverines in a nationally
televised game against its inner-state rival Michigan State University, a 24-13
victory. Michigan would go on to win all 11 regular season games that year,
earning a trip to the Rose Bowl where they lost 13-12 to Stanford in the final
13 seconds. After college he played for the Flint Sabres in the Midwest Football
League. Slade worked for a number of years on the Wolverines' radio network as a
color analyst.
He is now Dr. Thomas Slade, a successful dentist in the Ypsilanti area.
TONY SMITH *
Tony Smith was one of the finest pure shooters to ever come out of Saginaw
High School, not to mention the state of Michigan. His cage prowess began early
as he averaged 32 points-per-game in junior high, including pouring in 62 points
in one game. A three-year starter on Saginaw High's varsity basketball team,
Smith averaged double figures all three years he played for the Trojans,
including 23.3 points and nine assists his senior season.
He was the Saginaw Valley League East Division's Most Valuable Player, and the
slender 6-1 guard finished his career with 1,287 points. But laurels did not
stop there. Besides earning all-league honors, Smith captured all-area,
all-state and All-America second team honors (Parade Magazine), and was named
the state's top player (the predecessor to the Mr. Basketball award) by United
Press International in 1974.
The Trojans were 50-3 his final two years in high school. After being contacted
by over 400 colleges, the crowd-pleasing long-range shooter chose the University
of Houston. After his freshman season he transferred to the University of
Nevada-Las Vegas. He would go on to become one of the Runnin' Rebels' finest
players, averaging double figures over the next three years. I
In his sophomore year he helped guide UNLV into the final four, losing to North
Carolina by one point. Following his junior year, the Cleveland Cavaliers
drafted Smith but he returned his senior season to co-captain UNLV. After
leading the team in scoring with a 17.1 average his final season, Smith was
drafted by the New Jersey Nets but was released.
He
played one year (1979-80) for the Harlem Globetrotters. His son, Damain, played
for the Rebels from 1993-97. Smith is the nephew of Ernie Thompson, an inaugural
member of the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame.
He currently resides in the Las Vegas area.
BUENA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS *
Buena Vista High School's varsity basketball team won back-to-back state
championships in 1992 and 1993. But what makes these two teams so significant is
that they were so dominant, they won 55 consecutive basketball games - and a
number of those wins were against highly regarded Class A opponents.
The Knights' streak began December 27, 1991, and ended five games into the
1993-94 season when the Knights lost a four-point game to Wooster High School
during a Christmas Tournament in Ohio.
After the loss, they reeled off an additional 18 consecutive victories. Along
the way BV won two straight Class B state championships. In 1991-92, the Knights
toppled Grandville Calvin Christian 54-44, while beating Muskegon Heights 69-52
in 1992-93.
Chester Surles, Shedrick Murrell, Terrance Roberson and Ramont Roberts were just
a few of the standouts on those Knight teams, who were coached by Mr. Norwaine
Reed.
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