NEW BEGINNINGS

Two men coached those winning clubs; Kenneth E. Amsberry and Lloyd A. Simester. 

The peak year was the 1946-47 season when both the girls’ and the boys’ club went to the state tournament. At that time Amsberry was coaching the Rockettes and Simester was coaching the Pirates. 

Dominance in high school basketball began with the 1940-41 season with the Rocketts of that year winning their first Pine Lake Conference title. They went on to win the sectional crown, but were defeated in the district. 

Still this was the beginning. In the years that followed Rockette squads won ten conference crowns, eight Pine Lake tournament titles, eleven sectional championships, and eight district titles. 

Kenneth Amsberry came to Steamboat Rock as girls’ coach in 1936. Two years later he was made superintendent of schools, a position he held until he died in an accident on an Minnesota fishing trip on June 4, 1948. 

At the age of 39, Ken Amsberry died of an apparent heart attack while on vacation at Lake Mille Lacs near Brainerd, Minnesota. He was attempting to board a launch from a small boat when the two crafts pulled apart and he fell into the water. He clung to the side of the launch for some time before slipping into the water a few seconds before being rescued by a nearby fisherman. He was dead on arrival ashore. Attempts to revive him by artificial respiration failed. There was no water in his lungs and death was contributed to a heart attack. 

700 friends, both young and old, gathered in the open air at the Steamboat Rock cemetery to pay their respects and farewell to Ken Amsberry. 

Because of the large number attending the funeral of Kenneth Amsberry the service had to be held outdoors. The Rev. D.A. Martens of Dubuque, and Rev. Howard Johnson, pastor of Steamboat’s First Baptist Church, officiated. 

Pallbearers were members of the school board. Seated in the front row were members of the famous coach’s 1948 basketball squad. There were also many members of his former ball clubs and some of the top sports people of Iowa, in attendance. 

Following the service, the casket was opened and for almost 25 minutes a procession passed to view the body. He was then laid to rest in the Steamboat Rock cemetery. 

The Hardin County Index seemed to put into words what so many wanted to say at the time of this tremendous loss to town. The article is included below: 

“Wednesday afternoon of last week Ken Amsberry stopped at the office, as he did quite often, and said, “if you want a LAST CUP OF COFFEE WITH ME, better come on”. We stepped across the street for a final chat before Ken’s departure the next day for a summer of fishing in Minnesota. His words, “LAST CUP OF COFFEE”, took on a shocking significance in retrospect Saturday morning on learning of his death following a tragic lake accident.” 

“It’s unnecessary to build word praise about a man like Ken Amsberry. To those who knew him well, he is not cherished in memory as one of Iowa’s great girls’ basketball coaches. He is not remembered primarily for coaching a state champion, taking a team to the girls’ final tournament six successive years or developing countless all-state players. We knew Ken Amsberry as a gentle and genuine friend and a gentleman in his profession, exerting a wholesome influence on the boys and girls who had the privilege of his teaching. Those who played for him worshiped him when alive and revere his memory now. Yes, Ken Amsberry will be remembered for qualities of manhood which transcends the realm of basketball or any sport.” 

“The Index joins people of Eldora, Hardin county and all Iowa in heartfelt expression of condolence to a great coach’s devout helper, Fern Amsberry, and residents of the Steamboat Rock community who have suffered a great loss.” 

While Amsberry coached girls’ basketball teams at Steamboat Rock, he compiled an enviable record. He was considered an outstanding Iowa coach and was often acclaimed the top instructor of pivot forwards. 

The 1942-43 Rockette team won the state tournament. In claiming their first and only state crown, the Rockettes defeated Seymour, 43-40 in the opening round, stopped Wiota, 33-29, in the second round, and dumped Havelock, 32-24 to win the state championship. That brought their season high record to nineteen wins against one loss (to Seymour 28-23) and a three year record to 60 wins in 65 starts. 

Members of the “big six” were forwards Frances Gast, Marjorie Bolar and Jean Folkerts, and guards Lucille Green, Louise Finger and Vivian Taylor. 

The Rockettes of the previous season were also at the state tournament, but were defeated in the opening round by Wiota, 38-37. 

A Steamboat Rock girls’ team was in each state tournament beginning in 1942 through 1947. They failed to make the trip in 1948, losing to Radcliffe, in a district final, and in 1949 but returned to Des Moines the next two years. 

In the 1944 state tournament, the Rockettes also lost in the first round of play, this time to Hartley, 45-43. The following year, they lost to Wiota in the semifinals, then won the consolation crown. 

In 1946, the Rockettes lost to Coon Rapids in the semifinal game, 47-40, but once again were able clinch the consolation title. 

The 1947 team lost to Numa, in the semifinals. In 1950, the Rockettes were defeated by Winterset in the second round, 64-61, and in 1951, the last year a Steamboat Rock team went to the state tournament, they lost to Monona in the semifinals, 67-61, before defeating Deep River, 65-58, to win the consolation title. 

Over the years of the of state tournament play several Rockettes were named first team “All-Staters they include: Lucille Green, 1943; Marjorie Bolar, 1943; Verdelle Schuenman, 1945; Marjorie Gast, 1946; Darlene DeVries, 1947; Jo Ann Johnson, 1948; and Ann Hemmen, 1951. 

Concurrently, Steamboat Rock boys’ teams were dominating the basketball picture, especially within Hardin county. 

Pirate squads won six Pine Lake conference titles, four Pine Lake tournament titles, eight sectional tournaments, two districts, one sub-state, and appeared in one state tournament. 

The only Pirate team to reach the state contest was the 1946-47 club, coached by Simester. 

They won their sectional title at Iowa Falls and a district at Cedar Falls as they dumped Our Lady of Victory Academy (Waterloo), 47-37 and got by Denver, 31 -26. 

The sub-state tournament at the same site saw them eliminate Arlington, 43 -24, and clip their traditional rivals, Wellsburg, 35-31. 

In the state tournament, they were given the underdog rating against West Waterloo in the opening round but came up with a 29-23 win. Their defeat however, came in the next round against Ottumwa, who sidelined them, 32-29 and went on to win the title. 

The Pirates closed the season with a 28-4 record. Jesse Knight was named on the United Press all-tournament team. 

One other Pirate team, the 1948-49 club, won a district title. But they fell out of the tournament running in sub-state play.

In 1926 Steamboat Rock Pirates, coached by Willard I. Sayer, had an undefeated season, but lost to Wellsburg, in the sectional, a team they had twice defeated during the regular season. The loss established a rivalry between Steamboat Rock and Wellsburg that would last until 1986, when the two teams became one.