Seneca honors former players in return game at West Campus Gym

Each former Seneca boys basketball player who walked through the doors and onto the floor had their year of graduation and accolades announced over the P.A. system.

The cheers from the crowd rang in their ears, and their smiles were as big as a basketball as they lined up across the court.

Seneca High School held a throwback night Jan. 5 to play in the West Campus gymnasium one more time and honor the players that called the gym their home from 1950-1980.

The current Fighting Irish used a combination of pressure defense, transition offense and dominating rebounding to take a 29-point first-half lead on the way to a 62-37 victory over Henry-Secachwine to the joy of more than two dozen former Irish players.

“This is the first time I’ve been in this gym in 44 years,” said Tony Hutfles, a 1980 graduate who came all the way from his home in San Antonio for the event. “Some things have changed, obviously, some baskets on the sides missing, no lower bleachers here on west side, the team benches were always over on the stage side and no 3-point line. To be honest with you, I have a lot of memories of practicing and playing in this gym, but right now they are all kind of mixing up with one another.”

Hutfles, who served in the Air Force for many years after graduation, said one of his memories in the gym was an unfortunate one.

“The other team got a steal, and I’m chasing the guy dribbling towards his basket. I’m figuring he’s going to be going all the way in for a layup, but then all of a sudden, for whatever reason, he pulls up to take a jump shot at the free-throw line. I just remember running into him, and so hard that he ended up flying all the way into the wall under the basket. He missed the shot and only made one of his two free throws”

Todd Larson, a 1981 graduate who came back for the event from Wisconsin, was the last player to make a basket in the gym until Paxton Giertz’s 3-pointer two minutes into the throwback game and he scored the first basket in the current gym.

“I remember the last game here before tonight, we lost to Serena in a very close game,” said Larson of the 54-53 loss Feb. 19, 1980. “It was like taking a trip back in time when I walked through those front doors and then again when I walked into the gym for the first time in decades. So, so many memories continue to flash back tonight when I see a former teammate, or hear them tell a story, or look at one of the copies of the yearbook here up on the wall. It’s been a fantastic night, and I’m honored to have been asked to come back for this.

“For me, I’m not sure how much I thought about the last game here back then, maybe a little bit. But of course, my senior year we had the new, I guess current gym, and that is just how it was and just where we played. That said, I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s team play in here tonight.”

Tom Kaufman, a 1965 graduate who averaged 17.7 points his senior season, said he was honored to be asked to come back for the event.

“I have so many memories, I think it would be hard to pick one that is my favorite or really sticks out,” said Tom Kaufmann as he looked at old photos and season recaps for the yearbook hung in the hallway just outside the gym. “It’s been a while since I’ve been back in here. I’m not even sure how long it’s been.

“It’s very nice Seneca High School and the boys basketball team is doing this. It’s fun to look at all the old photos and game records on the wall here and think back to those times. It’s also been so great to see some of these guys I haven’t seen or talked to in 30 or 40 years.”

For Jack Kaufmann, the gym was the site of one of his finest games and one that people still talk about. In his senior season Feb. 10, 1976, Jack scored a school-record 51 points against Dwight, making 22 of his 31 shots from the field and going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line.

“That night, especially in the second half, I just knew I wasn’t going to miss,” Jack Kaufmann said. I was just in the zone that night, and it’s something I’ll never forget.

“We have a big family, and it always seems someone within the family works at the school in one way or another. So, when we’d get together a lot of times, for a family reunion or whatever, it would be here, so we’d shoot around. But the school and the team having a night like tonight where all of us who played here are being honored is something pretty special for all of us.

“I’m excited to have been a part of this.”