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Bureau County Prep Sports

Basketball: The Joe Ruklick-Grady Thompson watch

Joe Ruklick (left) and Grady Thompson

Joe Ruklick held the Princeton High School’s boys scoring record for 68 years, scoring 1,306 points as a member of the Tigers’ 1953-54 and 1954-55 state basketball teams.

His record came to an end Tuesday night.

Princeton senior Grady Thompson overtook Ruklick, scoring 15 points to run his career totals to 1,315. He now sets his sights on the school’s all-time record of 1,506 by Tiah Romagnoli (1996-99)

A prep All-American, Ruklick scored 944 points in his senior season alone, leading the Tigers to a fourth-place state finish in the one-class system.

He went to become an All-American at Northwestern and played in the NBA. He is most famous for having the assist on Wilt Chamberlain’s 100th-point basket for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962.

Kevin Hieronymus

Kevin Hieronymus

Kevin has been sports editor of the BCR since 1986 and is Sports Editor of Putnam County Record. Was previously sports editor of the St. Louis Daily News and a regular contributor for the St. Louis Cardinals Magazine. He is a member of the IBCA and Illinois Valley Hall of Fames. He is one of 4 sportswriters from his tiny hometown Atlanta, IL