1971 – The First Of Three

The 1970-71 PHS basketball season was anticipated with great promise.  Third year coach Morrie Goodnight returned three senior starters from the previous year’s club that had finished 15-8.  Seniors Jim Combs, Dennis Horner and Chris Lajcin were the returning starters and they would be joined in the starting five by fellow seniors Robin Berg and Jim Langendorfer.  The team had graduated three seniors off the 1969-70 team, Dave Alvarado, Pete Shaw and Jim Cahillane.  Alvarado had been the team’s leading scoring and all three would go on to play college basketball after providing 43% of the Indians points in that campaign.  The returning seniors had gone 16-2 as freshmen and the following year Combs and Horner played varsity in Goodnight’s first season.  The starting five was tall (all players over 6’1) and experienced.  Expectations were certainly high for an outstanding season.

In the season’s first game the Indians traveled to play rival Valpo.  The Vikings had won 24 of the last 25 meetings against Portage, and the last PHS win was during the 1967-68 regular season.  It was a sold-out crowd in Boucher Gym the night before Thanksgiving that watched Portage fall behind to VHS 23-11 after the first period.  Portage would step up their defense in the next two quarters, giving up only 16 more points and the teams entered the 4^th quarter tied at 39.  It was a battle in the final quarter but the Indians would fall in a heart breaker 53-52.  Lajcin would lead the team with 15 and Combs would add 13.

Three nights later the Indians would host River Forest and despite leading the Ingots 55-48 entering the 4^th quarter, the team would lose another close game 62-60.  Langendorfer would score 22 and Combs and Horner would add 12 and ten each.  The team now stood at 0-2.  In a Gary Post Tribune article after the first two losses Coach Goodnight remarked, “Speed is our biggest weakness.  We just lack quickness.  So far, our shooting has been a disappointment.  You can’t win games by shooting 30%.  Each year our defense has improved.  I was satisfied by the defense we played in the first two games.  Our seniors are all capable of scoring.  It’s a balanced group.  If we can put everything together, we should be an improved team by the end of the year.”

The team would find their winning ways and win their next four games: Highland 71-66, Gary Wirt 71-44, Benton Central 91-83 and Knox 74-66.  After the slow start the Tribe stood at 4-2.  Combs would lead the team in the wins over Highland (27 points) and Benton Central (32), Lajcin against Wirt (17) and Langendorfer against Knox (22).  Lajcin would add 11 rebounds in the Wirt game.  Through the first four games Combs was averaging 17 points, Langendorfer 16, Horner 12 and Lajcin 11.5.  Fellow senior Berg averaged eight.

The Indians would venture to South Bend for their final game before Christmas to play undefeated South Bend St Joseph.  St Joe was led by future All-State and IU player, senior John Laskowski.  Backing him up was junior Tom Abernathy (another future all-state and IU player and a starting member of the 1976 IU undefeated national championship team).   PHS would get another slow start, falling behind 29-14 after the first eight minutes.  The team fought back and would end up losing 74-69, after losing four players to fouls (Combs, Horner, Lajcin and Langendorfer).  Lajcin would lead the team with 20 points.  St Joe’s Laskowski would hit for 34 points, and by the end of the year he would set a South Bend single season scoring record with 637 points, averaging 28.9 points per game.  The South Bend Tribune labeled the PHS team, “a very fine team” in the post-game write-up.  St Joe was an excellent team and would finish the season with a 17-5 record and ranked 13^th in the state.

With an overall record of 4-3, Coach Goodnight had high expectations for the holiday tourney at Huntington.  The Indians would open against New Haven who entered the tourney with a 1-6 record.  The team scored their lowest scoring output of the season in losing to New Haven 47-42 and in the consolation game fell to an average Laporte Slicer team 62-56 (Laporte would finish 10-13 on the season).  The Indians now stood at 4-5.

The Vidette Messenger sports department wrote the following remarks after the holiday losses, “The mystery team in Porter County at this writing is the Portage Quintet.  This Portage team… has run into all kinds of troubles, both on offense and defense in the past few contests.  Look for the Indians to bounce back with vengeance about tourney time.  This quintet is composed of five outstanding young men.”

The losing streak wasn’t over for the team as they lost their next three games to Lake Central (75-70), Gary Andrean (72-64) and then Duneland Conference foe Hobart at home (74-70).  In the Lake Central game, the visiting victors shot 36 free throws, making 27 (Portage was called for 28 fouls, Lake Central 14) in the five-point loss.  Lajcin and Langendorfer would both score 19 points and Lajcin would add 13 rebounds.  In the Andrean loss the next night, the 59ers were 22 of 33 in free throws as again the Indians were called for 23 fouls in the eight-point loss.

Lajcin in Hobart game

Gary Post-Tribune 1/15/71

Courtesy of Chris Lajcin as is photo

In the Hobart loss, the Indians led 42-30 at the half, and led during the 3^rd quarter by 16 before Hobart battled back in the close loss, but were not able to hold on in the final minute to lose the close contest.  The team now had a 4-8 record.  In the first six games (4 wins 2 losses) the team had averaged 69.8 points and surrendered 62.3.  In the six loss streak the offense averaged 61.8 and surrendered 67.3.  The swing was significant.  With high preseason expectations, a 4-8 record in mid-January had never been considered.  Though it clearly looked dim, things were going to change.

In their next game the Tribe traveled on a Tuesday night to face Calumet, the Warriors sporting a record of 8-3 with six straight games.  It was a hard-fought game and the Indians pulled out a hard fought 78-73 road win.  PHS was 28-34 from the free throw line in the game, but sealed it in the fourth quarter by shooting 15 of 15 from the charity stripe.  Four Indians were in double figures with Lajcin leading the way with 23 points, Langendorfer added 19, Horner 15 and Combs 14.  Lajcin had a double double as he also collected 11 rebounds.  In the post-game interview with the Post-Tribune writer, Coach Goodnight was quoted as saying “finally” in acknowledging the teams snapping of the six-game skid.  In a prophetic bit of journalism, despite Portage sitting on a 5-8 record on the season, the Post Tribune entered the words “Take heed, Valpo” along with the game box score.  It was a great road win and the start of a significant win streak.

The team would win their next three games over Crown Point (77-70), Chesterton (67-56) and North Judson (74-60) to pull even on the season with an 8-8 record.  In the Crown Points game, Combs hit for 21 points and pulled down 20 rebounds.  As a team, the Indians dominated the Bulldogs on the boards with a 55-24 advantage!

Horner vs Crown Point

Chesterton pictures and VM clipping compliments of Chris Lajcin

The team would continue their winning ways with another four wins to finish out the regular season with a 12-8 record.  The Indians would beat East Gary (87-66), Griffith (77-61), Horace Mann (53-43) and Hammond Gavit (89-67).  During the eight-game winning streak to finish the regular season, the team scored at a 75.2 per game average and the defense surrendered at a rate of 62 points (a big offensive upswing from the six previous games).  In four of the last five games, all of the starters hit for double figure (exception was the low scoring contest with Horace Mann, when the Horseman slowed the game down).  And in the final game against Gavit, sophomore Tony Greenway (who was brought up to the varsity shortly after the new year) also scored in double figures (his second of in the season).  In the Gavit game the Indians would sink 31-42 free throws, including 17 of 20 in the second period.  After the final regular season game against Horace Mann the Gary Post Tribune writer wrote, “In case they haven’t noticed in Valparaiso the Portage Indians are continuing their rampage.”  Coach Goodnight was quoted with “We still haven’t reached our peak yet… we’re playing better now, maybe they (Valpo) are too.”

Excitement was high in the school during the eight-game winning streak and students took to showing their artistic talents in support of the team.

Riding the eight-game winning streak, the Indians first game foe in the sectionals would be county rival Valpo who had finished with a 13-7 record.  The Vikings had won 13 of the last 14 sectionals, including beating Portage in the finals the previous year.  The Vidette Messenger gave the Indians a slight favorite edge due to the teams eight game winning streak, but the Vikings had won the last six games between the two teams, including the season opener earlier in the year.

The game was everything and more than expected with Portage winning a thriller, 82-81.  Langendorfer hit 34 for the Indians but was outdone by Valpo’s Tom O’Neill who scored 39, tying the sectionals record for points in a game.    The Vidette Messenger reporter said it best when writing, “…the victory went to the five fine senior boys from Portage High that have played together all through high school.  It was also a victory the gallant Portage fans had coming after many years of despair against the Vikings in sectionals play.”  Unlike the low scoring match earlier in the year, Portage led 44-40 at the half and 57-52 at the end of the third.  And then the wild fourth quarter occurred.  VHS would outscore the Indians 29-25 in the fourth, but it was Langendorfer’s two free throws with 19 seconds left that put the Indians up 82-79.  A late Valpo basket made it the final 82-81.  Portage shot 28-36 from the free throw line, Langendorfer was 18-20.  In the first game of the season PHS was 20-32 from the free throw line, which was a major key in the 53-52 loss.

In a post-game interview with the Post Tribune Goodnight remarked “I can’t tell you how much our boys wanted to win this one.”  Also saying, “We played about the same game we played the night they beat us at Valpo.  We kept our zone hustling in hopes of shutting off their underneath shots.”

Next up for the team would be Chesterton in the semifinals.  Just like the Valpo game, this one would be a thriller.  Chesterton held a six-point lead at half, 34-28.  In the third stanza, the Indians would outscore Chesterton 20-13 and held a slim lead 48-47 lead entering the final eight-minute period.  The Vidette Messenger labeled it a “wild thriller” as Portage held on to win 58-57 on a Langendorfer jump shot with under a minute to play.  Both teams would turnover possession on traveling calls in the final minute and the game ended with Langendorfer blocking a shot by Chesterton at the buzzer.  In a post-game interview with the Post-Tribune Goodnight exclaimed, “I hope it’s destiny that we are pulling the close ones out of the fire.”

The Indians advanced to the sectional finals against Morgan Township.  Though Morgan was the smallest school in the county (83 students) and the second smallest in the state, in the sectional semifinals the previous year, the Cherokees had battled Portage in a double overtime game before falling to the Indians 84-83.  Morgan, the victors over Wheeler in the other semifinal, returned all five starters from the previous years team.  Leading by 49-40 entering the final period, the Indians outscored Morgan 27-13 to win going away, 76-53.  The Vidette Messenger story on the game began with, “Portage High School’s splendid five defeated the Morgan Cherokees…”  Each of the senior starters would score in double figures, Horner leading the way with 20, Combs (18) Lajcin (12), Langendorfer (12) and Berg (10).

Following the victory, after Coach Goodnight made two trips through the showers at Goldsborogh Gym in Chesterton and after a police escort back to Portage, the team and their fans would meet in the school gym for further celebration.  Mayor Art Olsen would speak as would the players.

Four of the seniors would be selected for the All-Sectional team by the Gary Post Tribune

In winning the school’s 2^nd sectionals title in 15 years, the team had won 11 straight games.  During the streak Langendorfer had averaged 18.7 points per game, scored in double figures all 11 games, and led the team in scoring six times.  Horner averaged 13.8 points, double figures 10 times and led twice.  Lajcin was at 13.7, eight and two.  Combs 11.5, seven and two.  Berg had averaged 9.1 points and been in double figures six times.  Contributions were coming from all the players.

In a post sectional interview with the Gary Post Tribune, Coach Goodnight offered his views on the turnaround that had led to the 11-game winning streak and sectional title.  “I knew we had to work on our shooting during that losing spell.  We tried to instill a positive psychology in the boys so they’d really believe they could shoot.  We were down to a low 30 percent from the field and you can’t win ball games like that.”  Th Coach had also turned over the duties of tutoring the Indians at the free throw line to Assistant Coach Larry Casbon.  It had worked as the team shot 80.5 from the free throw line in the sectionals.  Evidence of improved shooting, 33 of 60 in fields goals in the win against North Judson (55%) and 29 of 33 in free throws (87.8%) in the win over East Gary.

For only the second time in school history, there was a pep rally in support of the team moving on to regionals.

In the first game of the regional the Indians would be facing seventh ranked South Bend Adams, who had defeated SB St Joe in the semi-finals, a team that had defeated Portage earlier in the year.  The Eagles had a 20-4 record and were led by Tony Lawrence averaging 20 points a game and three others averaging 18, 17 and 11 points respectively.  Adams had won what was arguably the toughest sectional that year with four teams ranked in the top 16 in the state.  The regional would be played in Notre Dame’s Convocation Center.

During the Tuesday practice in preparation for the Adams game on Tuesday, Horner injured his right knee.  It was touch and go on whether he would be able to play, but on Saturday (after confirming there was no structural damage) Horner took the court with his fellow seniors wearing a leather brace and a lot of tape over the injured knee.

The Indians started slow and Adams led 19-12 after the first period.  Adams took a 34-23 lead during the second period but aided by a 12-0 run by PHS, the Indians led at half 37-36 at half. It was a nail biter the rest of the game.

Adams regained the lead at the end of three quarters 56-55.   Portage led 70-66 with 53 seconds left.  Adams would score twice in the last minute to tie the score and the game would go into overtime tied 70-70.

PHS would go up by four in the extra period but Adams would go ahead by a steal and a basket by sophomore Jim Webb with 31 seconds to go (Webb had also stolen the ball and made a basket to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation).  Things looked bad as Portage turned the ball over and quickly fouled the Adams player with eight ticks on the clock.  The Adams player missed the free throw, Portage rebounded and called timeout with six seconds left.

During the timeout Coach Goodnight called for a pick to free Horner up for the jump shot.

With two seconds left, Horner would hit a 22-foot jump shot for the game winner, 78-77.

The Portage fans in the stands and team erupted in celebrating the school’s first regional victory.

Once again, in pulling off the upset, all five seniors scored in double figures.  Lajcin led with 23 points, followed by Combs (19), Horner (13), Langendorfer (12) and Berg (11).  Langendorfer and Combs would also have double figures in rebounds with 12 and 10 respectively.  The team set a school record of 23 assists (28 field goals total) during the contest.

It is believed that the win over the 7^th ranked Eagles was the first over a top 10 ranked opponent in school history.

Following the game, the team had several hours to recover in a South Bend area hotel in preparation for the regional finals against Michigan City Elston.  In their regional semifinals game Elston had defeated Knox, 82-69 to improve their record to 19-4.  Elston was an outstanding team and came into the finals averaging 89.4 points game and had gone over 100 points four times and 90 an additional nine times.   Senior Rick Whitlow was averaging 25 points per game for the Red Devils and junior Al Fleming added 19 per contest.   Assistant Coach Larry Casbon recalls the Elston fans making noise at the hotel to keep the Indians from getting much needed rest.

Physically and emotionally spent, the Indians would fall to Elston 85-62 in the finals.  Legendary Elston Coach Doug Adams would tell the press postgame, “It was one of our best efforts all season.”  After 12 wins, Portage had been beaten by an outstanding team that played one of its best games of the year.  Lajcin would lead the team with a double double, 17 points and 11 rebounds.  Lacjin would make the All-regional team.  The Red Devils were led by  Whitlow 25 points and 15 rebounds, senior Benny Edwards 23 points and Fleming 20 points and 15 rebounds.

In looking at the all-regional team, PHS fans should be aware of the talent of two of the players joining Lajcin on the All-Regional team.  Jim Webb, then a sophomore, would finish his senior high school season in 1973 as an Indiana All Star and hold both the South Bend schools career scoring and single season records.  1,767 and 684 points for each.  He would hold the career scoring record until 2018 when it was broken.  Of course, during the Webb area there was no three-point shot.  Al Fleming would be an Indiana All Star in 1972 and would go to the University of Arizona and when he graduated, was the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.  He would be drafted and play professionally.  Whitlow from Elston who did not make the all-regional team, would go on to star at Illinois State and when he graduated from ISU would be the school’s 4^th  career scorer.  The South Bend regional was loaded with talent.  Hoops fans may recall that the following week in the semi-state, Michigan City would be beaten by eventual undefeated state champions, East Chicago Washington.  A team many historians regard as the best basketball team in Indiana history.

In postseason articles Goodnight would say “They were a pleasure to Coach”… (he) boggled at the thought of trying to select a most valuable player from this superbly talented bunch of athletes. “It’s been a team effort all year.”

Finishing the season with a record of 16 wins, only seven teams had won more games in the first 47 years of school history.  Only four more have won more games in the last 50 years.  The 12-game winning streak is the fourth longest in school history, surpassed only 23 straight by the 1942-43 team, 19 by the 1941-42 team, and 14 by the 1987-88 team (which won the school’s first regional title).

For the season Langendorfer had led the team with 421 points for a 16.8 points per game average.  Following were Lajcin 374/15.0, Horner 317/12.7 and Combs 297/11.9.  At the time Langendorfer’s 421 points in a season ranked sixth and Lajcin’s 374 ranked 11^th.  Langendorfer’s 16.8 points per game then ranked seventh and Lajcin’s 15.0 ranked 15^th.

At the end of the 1971 season, senior Chris Lajcin was seventh on the all-time PHS career school list.  For someone who did not play organized basketball until his 9^th grade season and only two full years of varsity (he played four games as a sophomore), his 652 points and seventh place when he graduated was remarkable.  But, three of his teammates weren’t far behind.    Dennis Horner was 15^th at 615 points, Jim Combs 17^th with 582 and Jim Langendorfer was tied for 21^st with 540 points.

The 1970-71 Portage team wasn’t the first team in school history to win a sectional title, but they went  into the record books in other areas, including being the first to win a regional game and as this article is about, the first of  three consecutive sectional titles.

In the week following the regionals, the Vidette Messenger summed up the Portage post season effort, a fitting tribute to a stellar ball club.