1918 OSA Basketball Champions

Top Middle: Ezra Taft Benson. Bottom right (laying down): Clarence Mitchell. Other people in the picture remain unidentified. If you recognize one of them, please comment and help us find out who they are.

Wearing uniforms made for them by the home economics class, the members of the 1918 OSA Championship Basketball Team and their coaches pose for a picture. This picture was provided by Kathy Goble, of Salt Lake City, through her nephew Scott Mitchell, of Cache Valley.  Goble is the daughter of Clarence Mitchell and Wilba Greene, both of Riverdale, a small farming community northeast of Preston.

Frank Gilbert played basketball for OSA

Frank Gilbert, born in Fairview, Idaho, in 1894, to Daniel and Amelia Gilbert, attended the Oneida Stake Academy and played basketball for the school's team.

Following is the text from an article that appeared in the Box Elder News on March 16, 1911. Gilbert would have been almost 16-years-old, and may have played in this game.

BASKET BALL LEAKS

The B E H S is one of the most graceful loosers of any basketball team of the state the boys started off at a pretty fair gate but fate seemed to be against them as the season wore on and drubbing after drubbing followed in spite of the good playing the team did.

Last Friday night coach Roskelley took his Colts to Preston, Idaho and played a game with the Oneida Stake Academy five losing the game by two points. The boys put up a marvelous game, however, when it is known that is the first ten minutes playing the academy piled up a score of 17 to the high school 1. The home boys were carried off their feet to begin with but they warmed up and went after it hammer and tongs, and they did things, so that when the final whistle blew the score stood 34-32 favor of the academy. Coach Roskelley attributed the failure of the boys to land the game to the absence of Tingey who could not go along. Wright played a fast game but could not for the life of him, throw baskets, and he had many good opportunities.

The team came on down to Logan Saturday and played the B Y college
in the evening the score being 29-34 favor of the college.

The boys came home Sunday beaten but not disheartened. They have
got used to that.