How may I assist? (or a record for the ages)

Posted: 02/28/2012 - by matt madsen

Jerry MathiasenThe tag line from the classic 1973 film “American Graffiti” posed the question, “Where were you in ’62?”

Since many of you were not yet born SASF won’t ask where you were, but if others of you were among us perhaps you can recall February of ’72.  Maybe you were preparing to see the newly released Godfather movie (the first one, with the horse’s head in the bed—poor Khartoum) or perhaps following the unorthodox training regimen of Ron ‘The Bluffs Butcher’ Stander as he prepared to battle ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier for the World Heavyweight Title on 5/25/72 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium?    Maybe you went to a Falcons hoops game and watched some other historic event.  (Sorry, Saintes not yet in existence.)

On Saturday February 19, 1972 St. Albert Senior Jerry Mathiasen set an Iowa record for assists in a boys basketball game that would stay in the St. Albert family and stand for 40 years.  (Or so we thought—more on that later.)  Amazingly, this record was equaled in 1981 by another Falcon, Steve Johnson.

For now let’s stick to ’72.  (In nine years we’ll laud the 40th anniversary of the Johnson feat.)  The 15-3 Hawks of Omaha Paul VI came calling on the 10-7 Falcons.  The Falcons had played Sioux City Heelan as well as Omaha Metro Conference schools Creighton Prep, Gross, Northwest, AL & TJ. LC was next on the schedule.

The coach was John LaBonia, the affable but hard-nosed guy from the Italian enclave of Des Moines’ South Side.  Varsity basketball was in its seventh year at SA (all under LaBonia) and featured four seniors—Mathiasen, the late Tom Burke, Tom Wettengel and Ed “Fizz” Robinson from Neola.  The leading junior on the squad was the savvy, sharp-eyed Tim “Boomer” Cannon, the current mentor of the Omaha Bryan hoops powerhouse.

SASF had a chance to sit with Mathiasen last month to hear him recount the feat.  He graciously provided us with an article from the Council Bluffs Nonpareil (not ‘Daily’ then—no Saturday edition; let’s not talk about Mondays).  These days Jerry is an executive with the Iowa West Foundation and a former adviser to Iowa Governor Terry E. Branstad.

The first thing Jerry wanted to talk about were the two guys who were hot that night—Cannon (19 points) & Robinson (28).  Cannon had incredible range and most of his shots would have been “3’s” if the line existed.  When Paul VI honored “Boomer’s” range the middle opened up for “Fizz”.  However, Fizz didn’t need much help.  An incredible leaper, if he missed, he simply got his own rebound and put it back for a score.  When Jerry had the ball that night, he fed the beasts.  To keep the Hawks honest Jerry tallied 13 point of his own, nailing all three free throws.

In that era juniors and seniors played varsity.  There were two freshman teams, a sophomore team and a team of reserves.  Rarely would a sophomore work his way on the varsity floor and juniors logged significant time on JV.  The night of the 21 assists sophomore Matt Walsh (CB City Councilman now) scored a point and classmate Mike Shudak logged some late time.  The next year all bets were off when super-soph Marti Wolever starred along with Cannon, Brian Sweeney, Kevin Carroll, Shudak , Walsh & others as the Falcons marched to the Sub-State Final only to fall to Harlan.  This was in the higher of two basketball classifications.  Vanquished tourney foes that year included AL & a terrific TJ Yellow Jackets team.  (TJ soph Bob Higgins set the Metro Conf. single game scoring record that year.)

Back to the assist record, though.  Jerry is rightfully proud. He’s pleased that only another Falcon tied it.  However, the ending is not exactly Hollywood for Jerry and (Steve) Johnson.  In researching the story (as the Madstatter does only reluctantly) I found that in 2000 Jack Brownlee from Ft. Dodge St. Edmund had 24 assists in a game.  I printed the page from IHSAA and compared it to the page Jerry had printed months earlier.  Sure enough, Brownlee’s 24 were not on what Jerry had printed.

Only one thing to do--contact Budd Legg at IHSAA to find the answer.  Minutes later (truly!) Budd hit my mailbox back with and explanation and an apology.  Failing to list Brownlee’s feat was his oversight, discovered only in December of 2011 by the coach at St. Ed’s.  Budd routinely asks coaches for verification.  In fact the on-line list even had a note regarding the recent discovery.   

What’s the lesson here: Catholic school ballplayers are good at sharing (the ball)?  St. Ed’s is trying to one-up us?  If a record falls and it’s not posted, does the old one stand until the new one’s posted?  (If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around does it make a noise?  Yes, since woodland creatures scurry at the sound.)

Some lessons in the Statter’s mind:  Jerry and Steve’s feat typifies the teamwork we want from Falcon and Sainte basketball; nine or 28 or 40 years are all impressive lengths of time to hold or share a record; thousands of kids play ball every year in Iowa almost as many dream of records.
Here’s another take-away:  attend games on a regular basis.  Those who stayed home on Saturday 2/19/72 may have seen Mary Tyler Moore & Archie Bunker but missed something truly special.  So get out to see goals scored, homers hit, interceptions, record times, musical numbers & stirring soliloquies.  You’ll be glad you did.

I want to thank Jerry for sharing his memories with SASF--that he cares reminds us all to support our students.

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Now, take a gander at the clipping.  I’m impressed by the reportage of Sports Editor Ken Sewing.  This was a regular game toward the end of a long season, but Sewing reported it like little else mattered.  Having praised Ken, let me say that under Kevin White’s mentoring Western Iowa coverage approaches that level.  Not always have the student-athletes received such attention.

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Click here to see the Council Bluffs Nonpareil article from Sun., Feb. 20, 1972.

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