Waterloo in Lawrence County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Waterloo Wonders
Waterloo’s Historic Wonder Five 1934 and 1935 Class B State Champions
Photographed By J. J. Prats, April 16, 2019
1. The Waterloo Wonders Marker, side one
Waterloo was home to the legendary Waterloo Wonders. Coach Magellan Hairston and his Wonder Five captured consecutive Ohio state high school Class B basketball championships in 1934 & 1935, winning 94 out of 97 games, and defeating many Class A and college teams. The 91st Ohio House of Representatives honored the Waterloo Wonders with a resolution following their second Class B State Championship win. The Wonders, known for their colorful passing show, entertained fans with their scoring ability, defense, trick passes, and hardwood antics. Hailing from a small village of 150 with a school male enrollment of 26, the Waterloo Wonders were considered one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled on the Ohio high school athletic scene. After high school, four of the Wonder Five played professionally as the Waterloo Wonders, competing against such teams as the famed New York Celtics, the Philadelphia Sphas, the New York Rens, and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Waterloo’s Historic Wonder Five 1934 and 1935 Class B State Champions: Curtis McMahon, Team Captain. 5'11" (from Greasy Ridge) • Beryl Drummond, 5'8" (Flag Springs) • Orlyn Roberts, 5'11" (Waterloo) • Wyman Roberts, 5'10" (Waterloo) • Stewart Wiseman, 5'7" (Sheritts) • Magellan Hatrston, Coach and Principal of Waterloo High School
Other
this page online
Cheerleaders: Kathryn (Bradshaw) McMahon • Blanche (Vermillion) Spears
School Colors: Black and White
School Cheer: A Basket, a basket, a basket, boys / You make the basket, we’ll make the noise / Yea black, yea white / Yea team, win tonight!
Erected 1994 by Lawrence County Historical Society, Gallia County Historical Society, O.O. McIntyre Park District and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 2-44.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Believe It or Not, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1934.
Location. 38° 42.309′ N, 82° 28.445′ W. Marker is in Waterloo, Ohio, in Lawrence County. Marker is on Waterloo-Mt Vernon Road (County Route 14) west of Ohio Route 141, on the right when traveling west. It is at the Waterloo United Methodist Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12335 Waterloo-Mt Vernon Rd, Waterloo OH 45688, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies
Photographed By J. J. Prats, April 16, 2019
2. The Waterloo Wonders Marker, side two
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. It's about another high-school farm team at the opposite side of Ohio who won the championships in 1950.
Also see . . .
1. Thw Wonder Years. Sports Illustrated Vault website entry:
From 1933 to '35, a high school team from tiny Waterloo laid waste to Ohio (Submitted on March 31, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. The Wonder of the Waterloos Inspires Film. 2008 article by Dave Lavender in the Huntington WV The Herald-Dispatch. “‘It is just one of those stories that you think can never happen, but it does,’ Cheri Russo said. ‘I think those stories represent something great to tell, because it inspires people. These guys did it in the middle of the Depression. They made a basketball out of rags and learned to pass so well no one could beat them. That is a miraculous story. When people hear it, it inspires people to do something great as well.’” (Submitted on April 22, 2019.)
Additional commentary.
via Huntington WV Herald-Dispatch, unknown
3. The Waterloo Wonders
1. Waterloo Wonders 1934 & 1935 Results
Transcript of the sign adjacent to the historical marker shown in Photo No. 4.
1933-34 Results
Cadmus — 35-23
Cadmus — 69-11
Kitts Hill — 45-18
Aid-Mason — 46-23
Aid-Mason — 52-8
Coal Grove — 58-18
Ironton St. Joseph — 56-9
Ironton St. Joseph — 40-14
Chesapeake — 36-23
Chesapeake — 52-14
South Point — 69-9
Windsor — 39-12
Windsor — 36-10
Racine — 49-29
Blackfork — 45-28
Pedro — 41-14
Pedro — 23-10
Marshall Freshmen — 41-35
Rio Grande — ??-??
Rio Grande — ??-??
Lawrence County Tournament
Aid Mason — 49-9
Coal Grove — 51-22
Chesapeake — 34-17
Proctorville — 37-17
Sectional Tournament at Gallipolis
Cadmus — 44-17
Hamden — 50-29
Chesapeake — 39-13
Oak Hill — 32-10
District Tournament at Athens
Piketon — 34-10
Highland — 30-14
New Boston — 23-18
State Tournament at Columbus
Chandlersville — 58-29
Lowellville — 43-32
Mark Center — 40-26
1934-35 Results
Wheelersburg —
Photographed By J. J. Prats, April 16, 2019
4. The Waterloo Wonders Marker
Green Township — 31-22
Columbus Central 34-25
Springfield Public 30-19
Greenfield McClain 24-26
Green Township — 52-19
Waverly — 31-21
Ripley — 47-18
Portsmouth — 33-17
Miamisburg — 43-12
Stewart — 51-23
Marietta — 37-22
Buckskin — 41-21
Buckskin — 19-16
Gallipolis — 52-15
Ashville — 43-22
Terrace Park — 60-11
Dayton Fairview — 30-24
Chesapeake — 47-5
Jackson — 45-24
Pataskala — 49-17
Ironton — — 28-25
Xenia Central — 43-25
Cin. St. Xavier — 46-19
Gallipolis — 33-19
Huntington High — 24-17
Chillicothe — 29-19
Newport Ky — 21-19
Piner Ky — 37-30
Franklin — 25-36
Marietta — 26-25
Ironton — — 18-23
Augusta Ky — 46-31
Wilmington — 39-17
Highland — 19-17
Nelsonville — 42-17
Green's Run — 69-44
Ashland Ky — 30-27
Rome — 40-14
Wheelersburg — 36-12
Leesburg — 32-22
Glouster — 44-12
Chillicothe St. Mary's — 42-18
Canal Winchester — 50-31
Lawrence County Tournament
Rome — 47-9
Coal Grove — 45-14
Sectional Tournament
Photographed By J. J. Prats, April 16, 2019
5. The Waterloo Wonders 1934 & 35 Results
Racine — 48-18
Sciotoville — 55-25
South Webster — 39-15
District Tournament at Athens
Murray City — 42-8
South Webster — 48-24
Sciotoville — 36-22
State Tournament at Columbus
Groveport — 39-22
Fremont St. Joseph — 48-21
Oxford Stewart — 25-22
— Submitted April 22, 2019.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,186 times since then and 790 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 22, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 3. submitted on March 31, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 4, 5. submitted on April 22, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
