1937 Melrose High School (Iowa) Shamrocks

With an enrollment of only 66, the Melrose Shamrocks[1] were the smallest school ever to win a single-class state basketball title in Iowa.

In 2012, the Des Moines Register recognized the Shamrocks as one of the ten best State tournament teams in Iowa history.

[2] In May 2012, the Iowa House of Representatives officially congratulated the 1937 Melrose Shamrocks basketball team on the 75th anniversary of their championship.

[3] In 1937, the Iowa High School Athletic Association held a single tournament to determine the boys' basketball championship.

He told people that he learned most of what he knew about coaching basketball from a 10 cent paperback book.

Freshman Bernard Lee joined the team part way through the season when Dan Ryan had to quit to help out at home.

The team had two close games at the beginning of the season, when their center Jim Thynne was out with broken ribs.

The tournament used a single elimination format with the semifinal and final games held on the same day.

[6] Some of the Melrose players had problems handling the ball in the first half because their hands were slippery from the hair grease they put on to impress the big city crowd.

The teams played in front of a sold-out crowd of 7,800 fans in the Drake University Fieldhouse.

[2] Coach Hlubek stated afterwards that he was so excited it did not occur to him to substitute some of the other players into the game when they had a big lead.

Years later, Walt O'Connor and Jim Thynne were inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

[9] In May 2012, the Iowa House of Representatives officially congratulated the 1937 Melrose Shamrocks basketball team on the 75th anniversary of their championship.