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Vergil Fletcher

	COACHED 32 YEARS	STATE TOURNAMENT	SOUTHWESTERN CONFERENCE

	1946-47 – 1977-78	State Champions 1960-61, 1964-65	Conference Champions 20

		2^nd Place 1956-57	2^nd Place 2

		3^rd Place 1977-78	3^rd Place 3

		4^th Place 1949-50	4^th Place 2

		14 appearances	5^th Place 3


1940s
What started out to be the fourth Coach in four years in 1946, turned out to be the greatest era of basketball in Collinsville history. Coach Fletcher came to Collinsville with a background in coaching and as an athlete, unequalled by any of the past Coaches. He coached in high school and in the service prior to coming to Collinsville. He started his athletic career as a fifth grade basketball player and continued through high school, college, and for one year played semi-pro and professional basketball. With two regular players back from the 1946 State Tournament team, Coach Fletcher was able to develop a top contender his first year. This team was able to win the Conference with an undefeated record. A first for a Conference team since 1927. The 1947 Kahoks advanced to the State Tournament by defeating a good Dupo team in the East St. Louis Sectional. In Champaign, the Kahoks won their first game defeating Flora, 48-37, but lost a heartbreaker to Pekin in the second round. After leading the entire game, the Kahoks lost on a last second desperation shot, 42-41. The 1947-48 team was rated as the team to beat, and actually was voted number one in the State most of the season. During the season the Kahoks lost only one game, an upset by Granite City, and won the East St. Louis Holiday Tournament, as well as the Southwestern Conference. In post season play, the team easily won the Regional and Sectional Tournaments to advance to the State Tournament. Their first opponent was a red-hot Marion team, a team that could do no wrong, and the Kahoks fell 65-60. The 1948-49 season proved to be another good team for Collinsville. Starting out with players with very little experience, Coach Fletcher was able to put together another contender. The Kahoks won the Conference undefeated and coasted through the Regional Tournament. In the Sectional Tournament they defeated Jerseyville in the first game, but misfortune struck when the big All-State center Norman Schaulat suffered two sprained ankles. Although he scored over half of the points, the Kahoks lost to a very average Nashville team 27-25. The 1949-50 team was considered a rebuilding year and over sixty boys greeted Coach Fletcher to help him fill the vacancies. So well did they fill the spots that they became the team to beat in the area. The Kahoks won the Conference again for the fourth straight year and finished the season with a record of twenty-five wins and seven losses. They also won the Regional and Sectional Tournaments and advanced to the State Tournament. In Champaign they defeated Kewanee and Quincy but lost to Danville 62-60 in the third game played. In the consolation game they also lost to Elgin, 81-65, to end up fourth.

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