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Once There Were Giants: How Tiny Hebron Won the Illinois State Basketball Championship and the Hearts of Fans Forever
Everyone loves a story about a little guy overcoming the odds and winning it big. Maybe that's why Hebron High School's rise to the state championship in 1952 struck a chord with so many fans across the state and the nation.
But no victory comes without sacrifice, without hard work, without a little drama. The Hebron story mixes talented twins, spurred on by a pro-athlete older brother; a reed-thin, 6-10 1/2 center, coming late to basketball but getting better with every game; two hot-handed outside shooters overcoming challenges of their own; and a "Little Napoleon" of a coach, utterly focused on putting together just the right ingredients to win a state championship and more importantly, to best his mentor.
Desire, devotion, dedication -- it all came together for the Green Giants in 1952. They did what it took. They won it all.
But no victory comes without sacrifice, without hard work, without a little drama. The Hebron story mixes talented twins, spurred on by a pro-athlete older brother; a reed-thin, 6-10 1/2 center, coming late to basketball but getting better with every game; two hot-handed outside shooters overcoming challenges of their own; and a "Little Napoleon" of a coach, utterly focused on putting together just the right ingredients to win a state championship and more importantly, to best his mentor.
Desire, devotion, dedication -- it all came together for the Green Giants in 1952. They did what it took. They won it all.
247 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
13 people want to read
About the author
Scott Johnson
216 books6 followersLibrarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 18, 2009
A local book about the 1952 Illinois High School Basketball program, the Hebron Green Giants. Nothing special here unless you're from the area.
That being said, I love this era in America - the dress, the music, the way people talked so that was probably the highlight for me. The authors did a lot of interesting research which is in the appendix and then used to tell the stories.
But all in all, just a good, light read.
That being said, I love this era in America - the dress, the music, the way people talked so that was probably the highlight for me. The authors did a lot of interesting research which is in the appendix and then used to tell the stories.
But all in all, just a good, light read.
January 21, 2014
Terrific book. Memories of another era of Illinois high school basketball. The Hebron Green Giants.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews