Former Galesburg High School girls basketball coach Evan Massey shares his insights on the game and other topics through his Massey Basketball blog, now featured here on WGIL.
Galesburg High School has a rich tradition in sports. For over 100 years Galesburg has been winning championships. This is a list of Silver Streaks teams in all sports who have:
- Finished in the top 5 in State
- Won Super-Sectional Championships
- Won Sectional Championships
- Made the football play-offs
- Been inducted into the GHS Athletic Hall of Fame
- Won Districts/Regionals Championships
- Won Conference Championships
Streaks Teams- Top 5 Finishes At State
Over 100 years of GHS sports, there have been 27 athletic teams who have finished in the top 5 in Illinois.
*** It should be noted that GHS won the State Golf Championship in 1963. District #205 School Board in a budget cutting measure cut golf for the 1964 season so they were not allowed to compete for a repeat.
The following sports have finished in top 5 at state: Boys Basketball (7), Boys Golf (6), Girls Basketball (5), Boys Track (3), Girls Golf (2), Girls Tennis (2), Boys Cross Country (1).
Streaks Teams- Back To Back Top Finishes
Over 100 years of GHS sports, there have been 7 sets of athletic teams who have finished in the top 5 in Illinois in back to back years. This is based on the IHSA files as they exist.
Streaks Teams- Won Super-Sectionals
Since 1950, the following teams have won Super-Sectionals.
Boys Basketball- 1957. (Thiel)
Boys Basketball- 1959. (Thiel) (3rd State)
Boys Basketball- 1960 (Thiel) ***
Boys Basketball- 1964. (Thiel) ***
Boys Basketball. 1966. (Thiel) (2nd-State)
Boys Basketball. 1968. (Thiel) (2nd State)
Boys Basketball. 1969. (Thiel) ***
Boys Basketball. 1976. (Owens) ***
Girls Basketball. 1995. (Massey) ***
Girls Basketball. 1996. (Massey). (3rd State)
Girls Basketball. 1997. (Massey). (4th State)
Girls Basketball. 1998. (Massey). ***
Boys Basketball. 1998. (Miller). (2nd State)
Girls Basketball. 1999. (Massey) (2nd State)
Girls Basketball. 2000. (Massey) (4th State)
Girls Basketball. 2001. (Massey). (4th State)
Girls Basketball. 2003. (Massey). ***
*** Teams not inducted into GHS HOF.
Streaks Teams- Sectional Champions
This is a list of teams who have won Sectional Championships. (Based on IHSA list for GHS)
Boys Basketball. 1931 (Phillips)
Boys Basketball. 1935 (Phillips)
Boys Basketball. 1936 (Phillips)
Boys Basketball. 1945 (Phillips)
Boys Basketball. 1946 (Phillips)
Baseball. 1946 (Bednar)
Boys Basketball. 1947 (Phillips)
Baseball. 1955 (Bednar)
Boys Basketball. 1960 (Thiel).
Baseball. 1962. (Frank)
Boys Basketball 1963 (Thiel)
Boys Basketball. 1964. (Thiel)
Boys Basketball. 1966. (Thiel) (2nd State)
Baseball. 1966. (Beal)
Boys Basketball. 1968. (Thiel) (2nd State)
Boys Basketball. 1969. (Thiel)
Boys Golf. 1971. (Soper) (1st State)
Baseball. 1973. (Beal).
Boys Golf. 1974. (Soper)
Girls Field Hockey 1975. (Hoehn)
Girls Field Hockey 1976. (Hoehn)
Boys Basketball. 1976. (Owens)
Boys Tennis. 1983. (Mudrock)
Girls Golf. 1984. (Chapman)
Girls Golf. 1985. (Chapman).
Girls Golf. 1986. (Chapman).
Baseball. 1987. (Bruington)
Girls Golf. 1988. (Chapman).
Baseball. 1988. (Bruington). (1st State)
Baseball. 1989. (Bruington). (3rd State)
Girls Golf. 1990. (Chapman)
Bowling. 1994. (Ward)
Boys Swimming. 1994. (Willy)
Girls Basketball. 1995. (Massey)
Boys Swimming. 1995. (Willy)
Girls Track. 1995. (Fisher)
Girls Basketball. 1996. (Massey) (3rd State)
Boys Swimming. 1996. (Willy)
Girls Golf. 1997. (Gottenborg).
Boys Golf. 1997 (Ferguson)
Girls Swimming. 1997. (VanHootegen)
Girls Basketball. 1997. (Massey) (4th State)
Boys Swimming. 1997. (Willy)
Girls Swimming. 1998. (VanHootegen)
Girls Basketball. 1998. (Massey)
Boys Basketball. 1998. (Miller) (2nd State)
Boys Swimming. 1998. (Willy).
Boys Track. 1998 (Albright)
Girls Golf. 1999. (Gottenberg)
Girls Basketball. 1999. (Massey) (2nd State)
Boys Swimming. 1999. (Willy)
Girls Basketball. 2000. (Massey) (4th State)
Boys Swimming. 2000. (Willy).
Girls Basketball. 2001. (Massey) (4th State)
Girls Basketball. 2002. (Massey)
Girls Basketball. 2003. (Massey).
Boys Swimming. 2004. (Willy)
Boys Swimming. 2005 (Willy)
Boys Tennis. 2006. (Wagher)
Boys Golf. 2007 (Cheesman)
Boys Golf. 2008. (Cheesman)
Boys Swimming. 2009. (Willy)
Girls Swimming. 2010 (VanHootegen)
Girls Track. 2010. (Chapman)
Boys Track. 2010 (Hillier)
Baseball. 2010 (Gonzalez)
Girls Basketball. 2011. (Massey)
Girls Swimming. 2012. (VanHootegen)
Girls Track. 2012. (Chapman)
Boys Golf. 2014. (Cheesman)
Girls Golf. 2015. (Gross)
Girls Golf. 2016. (Gross)
Boys Swimming. 2023. (VanHootegen)
Boys Swimming. 2024. (VanHootegen)
Boys Swimming. 2025. (VanHootegen)
Sectionals by Sport: Boys Basketball 14, Boys Swimming 12, Girls Basketball 10, Girls Golf 9, Baseball 9, Boys Golf 6, Girls Track 3, Girls Swimmiing 3, Field Hockey 2, Boys Tennis 2, Boys Track 2.
Consecutive Sectional Championships: Girls Basketball 9, Boys Swimming 6.
Streaks Football- Playoff Teams
Year- Coach- Regular Season- Playoff
1976. (Kane). 7-2, 0-1
1980. (Kane). 8-1, 0-1
1983. (Kane). 7-2, 0-1
1987. (Bolinder) 6-3, 0-1
1991. (Stiles). 8-1, 0-1
2002. (Shay). 5-4, 0-1
2012. (Dougherty) 5-4, 0-1
2014. (Dougherty) 5-4, 0-1
2016. (Dougherty) 8-2, 1-1
Streaks Teams- District/Regional Champs
It should be noted that at one time the first series in all IHSA tourneys was called a “District Tourney.” For sports like basketball and baseball, the first tourney’s name was changed to a “Regional Tourney.” In those sports, only small schools played “Districts” to advance to “Regionals.”
In other individual sports such as tennis, often the IHSA still called the first tourney a “District,” but they had no Regional or Sectional. The “District” might advance to State.
Today if the number of schools participating in a sport is low and they need only one tourney before State, that tourney is labeled as “Sectional.” So some sports actually never play in a “Regional.”
Here is a breakdown of each sports District & Regional Championships thru the year.
Sport. # of Titles. Last Title
Boys Basketball. 60. 2013
Baseball. 36. 2022
Boys Golf. 31. 2018
Girls Basketball. 29. 2025
Girls Golf. 24. 2017
Wrestling. 11. 1973
Boys Track. 10. 1973
Girls Tennis. 5. 1982
Boys Cross Country 4. 2010
Volleyball 4. 2008
Boys Soccer. 3. 2025
Boys Tennis. 3. 1972
Softball. 2. 2019
Bowling. 1. 2024
Girls Track. 1. 1976
Consecutive District/Regional Championships
18. Girls Basketball (1988-2005)
16. Boys Basketball (1955-1970)
10. Boys Basketball (1920-1929)
9. Boys Basketball. (1931-1939)
9. Wrestling. (1962-1970)
8. Boys Golf. (2008-2015)
7. Boys Golf. (1969-1975)
6. Girls Golf. (2001-2006)
6. Baseball. (1964-1969)
Streaks Teams- Conference Champions
Galesburg originally competed in the Big 9 in the 1940’s. This conference included- Galesburg, Canton, Kewanee, Monmouth, Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Geneseo, and Princeton.
When Geneseo and Princeton opted out of the conference, the remaining schools formed the Northwest Conference. At one time, it included Galesburg, East Moline, Moline, Canton, Kewanee, Rock Island, and Monmouth. It dissolved in 1956.
After 1956, Galesburg, Canton, Kewanee, Monmouth would sometimes in basketball refer to themselves as the Northwest Conference, while each played in a second conference.
In late 1950’s until 1969, Galesburg participated in the Illini Conference. While it was a conference, it was not highly structured. In football not all of the teams played each other. In basketball schools played different amounts of conference games. One school might play some of the schools twice but other schools only once. This conference was made up of Galesburg, Limestone, Canton, Richwoods, Pekin, East Peoria, and Kewanee.
The Western Big 6 was formed in 1969.
Western Big 6 Conference Champions by Sport
Girls Golf- 24 WB6 Championships
1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016
Baseball- 16 WB6 Championships
1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1988, 1989, 1993, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Girls Basketball- 13 WB6 Championships
1980, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007
Boys Swimming- 13 WB6 Championships
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2023, 2024, 2025
Boys Golf- 12 WB6 Championships
1970, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2014
Girls Swimming- 12 WB6 Championships
1997, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2024
Boys Basketball- 6 WB6 Championships
1976, 1983, 1984, 1998, 2016, 2020
Boys Tennis- 5 WB6 Championships
1973, 1974, 1983, 1998, 2008
Football- 5 WB6 Championships
1976, 1980, 1983, 1991, 2014
Girls Tennis- 4 WB6 Championships
1976, 1978, 1979, 1980
Boys Cross Country- 2 WB6 Championships
1984, 2006
Girls Cross Country- 1 WB6 Championship
1986
Volleyball- 1 WB6 Championship
2006
Girls Bowling- 1 WB6 Championship
2021
Following sports have not won a WB6 Championship: Boys Track, Girls Track, Girls Soccer, Boys Soccer, Wresting, Softball.
Consecutive WB6 Championships
8. Girls Swimming. (2007-2014)
7. Girls Golf. (1984-1991)
6. Girls Golf. (2000-2005)
6. Boys Swimming (1994-1999)
4. Girls Golf. (2008-2011)
4. Baseball. (2012-2015)
Streaks Teams- GHS Athletic HOF
GHS has played sports for over 100 years. There have been many great athletic teams. These are the teams who have been inducted into the GHS Athletic HOF.
(It should be noted there are individuals from relay teams who are also in the HOF.)
1906 Football (Toulon)
1912 Boys Basketball (Callihan)
1913 Boys Basketball (Hayes) State Champions
1916 Football (Callihan).
1931 Boys Basketball (Phillips)
1956 Boys Basketball (Adams).
1957 Football (VanDyke).
1959 Boys Basketball (Thiel)
1963 Boys Golf (Hungerford) State Champions
1966 Football (VanDyke).
1967 Football (VanDyke).
1966 Boys Basketball (Thiel)
1966 Boys Golf (Soper)
1968 Boys Basketball (Thiel)
1971 Boys Golf (Soper)
1972 Boys Golf (Soper) State Champions
1980 Football (Kane).
1988 Boys Baseball (Bruington) State Champions
1989. Boys Baseball (Bruington).
1991. Football (Stiles).
1995. Boys Golf. (Ferguson).
1995. Boys Swimming (Willy).
1996. Girls Basketball (Massey).
1997. Girls Basketball (Massey).
1998. Boys Basketball (Miller).
1999. Girls Basketball (Massey.
2000. Girls Basketball (Massey).
2001. Girls Basketball (Massey).
2008. Boys Cross Country (Hillier)
2009. Boys Track (Hillier).
2010. Girls Swimming (VanHootegen)
2015. Boys Track (Hillier).
2015 Boys Golf (Cheesman).
Click here to visit Evan Massey’s blog Massey Basketball.
Previously on Massey Basketball: Streaks Scrapbook- 1979/1980 Girls Tennis
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