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Editor’s note: The Bureau County Sports Hall of Fame, which was discontinued as part of the BCR Tribute to Sports program in 2004, is being brought back with this year’s induction of the 1948-52 DePue Little Giants basketball teams. See page 13A for a list of past honorees.
DEPUE — There was a time when the DePue Little Giants were true giants of basketball in the Illinois Valley and surrounding region.
From 1948-49 to 1951-52 seasons, the Little Giants won four straight regionals in the old one-class system in the IHSA basketball state tournament. Three times they reached the sectional finals, only to fall one step away from reaching the Sweet 16 in Champaign.
All four teams were coached by the late Gaston Freeman, who was a combat infantryman in Europe in WW II. He guided the Little Giants to a combined 99-18 record in that span before departing for Streator.
Tom Dobrich, a Little Giants standout from the class of 1965 and noted DePue basketball historian, said those teams were the talk of the town for many years.
“They were at the time, one of the best teams definitely in our part of Illinois if not the state,” he said. “They played large schools, schools from Chicago the Quad Cities. They were renown.”
“Each sports season has its ups and downs. … That final game of sectional wining it would have meant going to the Sweet 16, or state at the time.”
Those Little Giants teams are earning their due with an induction into the Bureau County Sports Hall of Fame.
1948-49 (21-6)
Freeman wasted no time when he arrived to DePue, directing the Little Giants to the 1949 regional championship at Mendota, 44-40 over Hall. DePue ran into a dynamite player at sectional from tiny Forrest in the form of Clive Follmer. The Future Fighting Illini scored 41 points to lead Forrest past DePue 60-54 in the sectional opener at Ottawa.
The Little Giants finished the season with a 21-6 record. Team members were Virgil Abbott, Boni Cerda, Roger Cowell, Davey Garcia, Angel Suarez, Bob Padilla, Bob Pearson, Gerald Perra, Bill Rettko, Gene Talbot and Manuel “Coco” Venegas.
1949-50 (23-5)
The Little Giants repeated as regional champions, defeating St. Bede 59-43 at LaSalle. They advanced a step further in the postseason, defeating Wenona 51-47 to reach the sectional finals for the first time only to fall to Kewanee 57-50 at LaSalle. Roger Cowell led the Little Giants in defeat with 20 points.
The Little Giants finished with a season record of 23-5. Team members were Chuck Abbott, Virgil Abbott, George Bachio, Jim Bezely, John Camp, Alex Casteneda, Roger Cowell, Lelo Delgado, Gilbert Hensey, Norm Holmberg, Angel Suarez, Vince Suarez, Gene Talbot.
1950-51 (27-4)
The Little Giants won its third straight regional title, defeating Mendota 65-55 at Princeton. They opened sectionals at Ottawa by defeating Minonk. In the sectional finals, the Little Giants fell to St. Paul of Odell 57-53. Lupe Rios led DePue with 18 points and Don Talbot had 14.
The Little Giants finished with a season record of 27-4. Team members were Chuck Abbott, Bob Booker, John Camp, Alex Casteneda, Gilbert Hensey, Rich Hoffert, Norm Holmberg, Mickey Leonard, Minch Marquez, Carlos Marroquin, Frank Montez, Lupe Rios, Don Talbot and Gene Talbot.
1951-52 (28-3)
This team was regarded as the best of Freeman’s four DePue squads, receiving lofty state rankings. It was the same season another group of Giants from Tiny Hebron would win state and the DePue Little Giants were equally as renown.
The Little Giants defeated regional rivals Mendota (76-50), Hall (55-40) and L-P (58-55) at the St. Bede Regional. Lupe Rios led DePue to victory with 28 points.
At the L-P Sectional, DePue, which trailed by as much as 11 points in the first half (34-23), rallied for a 66-61 semifinal win over Lexington. DePue suffered heartbreak in the sectional finals once again, falling to Ottawa 59-55. Mickey Leonard led DePue with 16 points, Chuck Abbott had 14, Don Talbot 10 and Lupe Rios 10.
Team members were Chuck Abbott, Bob Booker, Ron Chiesi, Joe Franco, Chips Giovanine, Rich Hoffert, Mickey Leonard, Roger Marple, Carlos Marroquin, Frank Montez, Lupe Rios, Gene Suarez and Don Talbot.
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