| School History |

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WC Basketball History

Cutline: 1983 WC basketball team-From left to right: Front Row: Tim Schnaible, Greg Wright, John Olson, Kirk Waugh, and Chad Morgan. Second row: Kelly Countryman, Dennis Nelson, Steve Steffen, Mike Rogers, Lynn Ferdig, Wade Wubben, Chuck Campbell, Rick Zarkos, Louis Manker, and Keith Eyer

By Jameson Mandl

Starting in 1979, Mr. Galloway, a Woodbury Central history teacher, coached the boy’s basketball team for another 10 years. When he first started, he recalls, there was no three-point field goal beyond an arc of 19’9”. It wasn't until the 1982-1983 season that Iowa adopted the use of a three point shot; Iowa was the first state to do this. It was also the year that WC's boy's basketball team tied for Maple Valley Conference Champions.

The three-point shot “made the game much more interesting,” says Mr. Galloway. “Strategy wise,” he adds, “there is much more motion offense today and fewer structured plays.”

Mr. Galloway thinks of other differences today from his days of coaching. Today’s uniforms are showier and the shorts go down to the players' knees, he remembers. “The uniforms are not as nice as today’s,” he says. “They were royal blue and white, and the shorts were very short.”

WC's current middle school gym was the high school gym when Mr. Galloway coached. “Obviously the practice facilities and locker rooms we have today are far nicer,” he says. He adds that the team only had two main baskets and two portable baskets that they brought out. They also had an auxiliary little gym that was also a lunch room. The area has since been converted into elementary classrooms. “It had two baskets but was really too small to do much in,” Mr. Galloway comments.

The first four years Mr. Galloway coached “were pretty good,” he says; the 1980-1981 team won 17 games. Shortly thereafter, the team tied for Maple Valley Conference Champions. Mr. Galloway chooses not to mention any names from those teams because “I don’t want to leave off a player by accident.”

 Mr. Galloway had five assistant coaches while he coached at WC: Chuck Kronaizl, Larry Miller, and then Archie Arvin, who “ran Archie’s Diner on West 7th Street in Sioux City,” Mr. Galloway comments. Mike Kobliska, a current elementary teacher at WC, was his next assistant coach; he was followed by Rick Braby. 

Two-story schoolhouse on Elm Street.

The first school in Moville was held in 1888 in a store building on Elm Street. Mrs. Laura Smith-Leviness was the first teacher. In September 1888, the township schools were redistricted into nine districts; each in a two mile square. From then until 1954 those boundaries were maintained. District #9 was the southwest corner of the township in the district where Moville is located. On March 30, 1889 a settlement was made with Arlington Township concerning school properties. The four sections in Moville; the town property and school property there on was valued at $32,141. Settlement was made with the township, and the Independent School District of Moville was established.

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In the spring of 1889 the first class graduated from the school. The graduates were Charles Larkin, Clifford Larkin, Mayme Harney, Frank Mohler, Judd Dewey, Fred Dewey, Ethel Boyde, and Maude McElrath (Kusian.) Moville was now an Independent School District with four sections of land and a two-story schoolhouse on Elm Street. The north end of Fourth Street had one finished room on the first floor and one teacher. The first teacher was A. F. Bryant. From that time until 1923, the facts are taken from memory of people still living who were here during this period. All records were destroyed because of a fire in 1921. Soon the second floor of the building was finished and two teachers were hired. The building became too small, for a time grades were housed in a wooden building on Main Street.

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High school baseball was played in the early 1900's. The first high school football team was organized in 1908. Mr. Pierce was the sole teacher in high school at that time. In 1909 the first girls basketball team was organized. Ed Marlan was superintendent. Edna Adams (Spencer) taught third, fourth, and fifth grade. Allie McElrath had been added that year to high school staff. Together these two teachers coached the girls team. Members of the team were: Eva Hall (Dewey,) Gertrude Park (Nash,) Pearl Hobbs (Anderson,) Martha Dewey (Bosworth,) Anna Beard (Madison,) Anna O'Leary (Sanford,) Lillie Cooper (Riser,) Violet Anderson (Hodgen,) Orpha Jackson (Bledsoe,) Alice Anderson (McElrath,) Anna Rathsach (Rowland,) Lillian Bruce (Badgerow,) and Ruth Leesley (Schubert.)

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James Graham, editor of the Moville mail, was the first music teacher. There was an organ in the high school room used every morning for the singing of the opening exercise, but Mr. Graham did not use it for teaching. He used a pitch pipe, taught the Toni Sol Fa System in reading music, and singing was acappella. Until the fall of 1909 there were only four teachers in the school.

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There were eleven grades until two teachers were added to the high school. Allie McElrath, who taught English and history, was one of the teachers that was added. The 1920 class was the first class to graduate from twelve grades. This class had four graduates. They were: Eva Hall (Dewey,) Lottie Day (McDermott,) Mina Dunning and Russell Draphal.

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In 1910 the first Alumni Association was founded. The officers were Rollin Beard (president) and Eva Hall (secretary-treasurer). The last class to graduate from the old wooden building was the class of 1912. The class had two members, Laura Smith and Archie Dodd.

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The school had outgrown its building. In 1912 a new brick building was erected. It was first occupied in January, 1913. The old wooden building was purchased by James Hobbs. The new brick building had a full basement with a furnace, a playroom, and two toilets. The first floor had four rooms, one unoccupied. The second floor had a large assembly room using the whole east half of the upstairs.

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In 1915 more room was again needed. During World War I babies were ready for school and the town was growing. Three small buildings were placed on the space where the old school had been. Each taught one grade.