1966 Manual Boys BasketballSince the State Basketball Championships began in 1922, there have been few undefeated teams, but the 1966 Manual Thunderbirds are one of those teams.
In fact, they became the first “big” school undefeated champions when they capped a 20-0 season in 1966. One DPL historian considers this team to be the “best ever” from Denver.
The team had few “close” games that year outside DPL play, including wins over Sterling (88-50), Jefferson (83-50) and Fairview (92-48), Ranum 91-45), Canon City (99-37), Air Academy ( 85-46) and Hinkley (106-62). The Hinkley win set a set scoring record for a single game.
That impressive non-league run propelled the Thunderbolts to a perfect run in the DPL as they went 7-0 to gain the top seed in the league tournament. The closest games they had that year were a 9-point game with South and a 6-point win over Thomas Jefferson.
In the state tournament, Manual scorched Grand Junction (89-66) in the preliminary round, then downed Wheat Ridge (77-65) to square off against Pueblo Centennial, a game won 91-71 to cap that special championship season.
Three players were named to the All-Tournament Team – Carl Ashley, Don Edwards and Horace Kearney. Those three plus Harold Minter were named All-State.
They were coached by two of DPS’ legendary coaches, Al Oviatt and Earl Sandstedt. The players on the team included Ashley, Edwards, Kearney, Minter, Isaac Lee, Charles Maloy, Everett Moon, John Osborne, Don Papin, Orzo “Skip” Riley, Tom Winkler, Lewis Brown, Tim Wedgeworth, Vernon Yarber and Ed Calloway, Jr.
