Junior High News - We have an enrollment of 31 students. Officers elected: Pres. - Pat Fitzgerald; V. Pres. - Shirley Altes; Sec.-Treas. - Georgiann Briles. Our library staff is: Jane Ballard, Sheryl Smith, David Derby. Seven band members: Dorothy Hand, Saundra Smith, Mary Wiese, Sheryl Smith, Darwin Luing, David Derby, Dean Ellingsen; News Staff - Jane Ballard, Sharon Stratton, Shirley Altes, Georgiann Briles.
Sectional Baseball Tournament at Collins: First round - Collins - Bye.
Semi-finals - Collins 1 Farrar 0. Collins won another thriller in the last half of the 8th inning against Farrar 1-0 on Kilgore's home run. Vasey pitched 8 innings. Runs - 0; hits - 3; strikeouts - 13; walks - 3. Nichol caught. Lineup: Gene Fitzgerald (3b) 1 hit; Ronnie Long (2b) 0 hits; Jack Kilgore (1b) 1 hit; Jerry Nichol (c) 2 hits; John Vasey (p) 0 hits; Jim Dodd (ss) 1 hit; Gary Coughenour (cf) 1 hit; Dale Derby (rf) 0 hits; Bill Ballard (lf) 1 hit.
Finals - Collins over Elkhart 8-0 for Sectional Tournament championship. John Vasey pitched a no-hitter. Lineup: Gene Fitzgerald (3b) 0 hits; Ronnie Long (2b) 3 hits; Jack Kilgore (1b) 1 hit; Jerry Nichol (c) 0 hits; John Vasey (p) 2 hits; Jim Dodd (ss) 1 hit; Gary Coughenour (cf) 0 hits; Dale Derby (rf) 0 hits; Bill Ballard (lf) 1 hit.
District Baseball Tournament at Slater: First round - Collins lost to Slater 1-0. John Vasey pitched excellent game, 7 innings. Runs - 1, hits - 3, strikeouts - (?), walks - 1. Nichol caught. Slater scored their run in the last of the 7th by an error, stolen base and a base hit. Jim Dodd had the only hit for Collins. Lineup: Gene Fitzgerald (3b) 0 hits; Ronnie Long (2b) 0 hits; Jack Kilgore (1b) 0 hits; Jerry Nichol (c) 0 hits; John Vasey (p) 0 hits; Jim Dodd (ss) 1 hit; Gary Coughenour (cf) 0 hits; Dale Derby (rf) 0 hits; Bill Ballard (lf) 0 hits.
Fall 1953 Baseball Season Summary: Collins had successful season, winning 5 and losing 1, the only loss was to Slater 1-0 in the district tournament. John Vasey was our only pitcher. In six games he allowed 18 hits, pitching a no-hitter against Elkhart and two 2-hit games. The team batting average was .231. Leading hitters were - Ronnie Long .444, John Vasey .355, Jim Dodd .285. Jack Kilgore and Jim Dodd each hit one home run, Dodd and Long hit a triple apiece. Collins scored 33 runs to opponents' 15. Refer to Spring 1954 Baseball Summary.
October 1, 1953 School Work - School work is what you make it. A pupil may get A's and B's through grade school and then may say, "What's the use in working so hard when I can get by with doing hardly any work." When he (sic) gets into high school, he will begin to realize that his habits are catching up with him and is having more difficulty in receiving passing grades. If each pupil, from the time he comes into junior high until he graduates from high school, would form the habit of using his spare time industriously, and work for the highest possible grades, practically everyone could get a B average and many pupils could get A's. ~ George Keagle.