Dunbar (1970-71)
Lineup: G "Wild" Bill Higgins (Ashland); G Ricky Gates (Kent State); F Cornelius Cash (Bowling Green); F Lorenzo Cash; C Skip Howard (Bowling Green).
Coach: George Galloway.
Record: 24-2; second in state.
Notable: Higgins was an All-American at Ashland and an ABA All-Star.
Alter (1974-75)
Lineup: G Jack Zimmerman (UD); G Doug Harris (UD); F Jim Paxson (UD); F Bob Schaefer (WSU); C Mark Laravie.
Coach: Joe Petrocelli
Record: 24-1; lost to eventual champ Columbus Linden McKinley in Class AAA state semifinals, 59-57.
Notable: Alter seemed poised to win its first state title after beating Middletown and Butch Carter in a memorable regional final in which both teams were unbeaten. McKinley finished 18-8.
Roth (1969-70)
Lineup: G Donald Smith (UD); G Phil Lumpkin (Miami); F J.D. Grigsby (UD); F Henry McBeth; C Larry Hamrick.
Coach: Paul Palumbo
Notable: The Falcons featured an NBA backcourt and couldn't even get out of the district final. That's because Chaminade defeated Roth 64-62 on its way to an unbeaten state title. That was the first high school game ever at sold-out UD Arena (Feb. 15, 1970). Dan Gerhard's 15-footer with four seconds left was the winner. Smith scored 24 points. Both Smith and Lumpkin are deceased.
DAYTON — George Galloway has an idea of what was needed to help Dunbar win the 1971 boys state basketball championship: Another coach.
Galloway landed the Wolverines position after Ben Waterman left to join Ohio State University as an assistant coach.
A longtime Waterman assistant, Galloway insists that had Waterman stayed and coached the group that he had groomed the previous two seasons that Dunbar would be celebrating a 40-year anniversary title team.
“He didn’t get to coach them their senior year,” said Galloway, 80.
“If he had been their coach instead of me — I can say this now — that would have made the difference. He knew them better than I did.”
That’s not provable. But it shouldn’t prevent us from labeling that 1971 Dunbar team as the best area boys high school basketball team not to have won a state title.
Those Wolverines are in great company. Weighing in as my No. 2 all-time best team not to win it all is Alter in 1974-75. No. 3 is Roth of 1969-70.
Chaminade had gone unbeaten to win the Class AA (big school) state title in 1970.
The next season Class AAA was added, and Dunbar was ready.
Its stacked lineup featured guards “Wild” Bill Higgins (Ashland University) and Ricky Gates (Kent State).
The Cash brothers, Cornelius (Bowling Green) and Lorenzo, were the forwards. At center was Skip Howard (Bowling Green).
The Wolverines didn’t just win; they walloped.
But Dunbar needed two overtimes to get past Beavercreek in a tension-filled district final at UD Arena.
It was only three years removed from the 1968 Creek upset of Dunbar at UD Fieldhouse.
Afterward, rioting claimed three stab victims, including a referee and Beavercreek player, and a spectator died in the stands from heart failure.
Dunbar blew through the two-game regional then met its match in a state semifinal vs. Cleveland East Tech at OSU’s St. John Arena.
Columbus Walnut Ridge defeated Akron Central Hower in the other semi.
“That semifinal was a bugger-bear,” said Gates, the superintendent of Jefferson Twp. Local Schools.
“I don’t know if we spent everything, but ... I just wish Walnut Ridge could have played East Tech in the semifinal.”
Cornelius Cash and Howard, so effective in a 76-69 defeat of East Tech, were neutralized in foul trouble against Ridge, which defeated Dunbar 76-63 in the final to finish off a 25-0 season. Dunbar ended 24-2.
“It was like, this team is so great, there’s no way in the world that we can’t win a state championship,” Galloway said.
“We went bam-bam-bam and made it to the finals. But it was like we ran out of gas.”
That was the deepest into the postseason that Dunbar had ever ventured until then, despite fielding several other state-worthy teams.
Dunbar placed second again in 1984 and won its first title three years later. The Wolverines have won three of the last six Division II state titles.
“It was a bittersweet moment,” Gates said of his part in the rich history of Dayton basketball.
And of being the best area team never to win it all?
“That’s not a bad title. We’ll take that.”
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