ZEIGLER — It's been a full four decades since Jim ("Jimmy") Mitchell dominated the Black Diamond Conference in basketball.
Forty years since his Zeigler-Royalton ballclub notched 22 consecutive league wins and earned back-to-back league titles, as well as the school's only two regional championships.
kAm|:E496==[ H9@ DE@@5 e\766E[ b :?496D E2== 2?5 H6:8965 23@FE a__ A@F?5D 2D 2? FAA6C4=2DD>6? 5FC:?8 E96 `hfg\fh 2?5 Vfh\Vg_ 42>A2:8?D[ H2D 2 3CFE6 :?D:56 E96 A2:?E[ J6E A@DD6DD65 '6=4C@\=:<6 92?5D 2?5 @?6 @7 E96 D@7E6DE D9@@E:?8 E@F496D 2C@F?5]k^Am
kAmQy:>>J H2D 2 3:8[ DEC@?8 <:5 C:89E 7C@> E96 DE2CE[Q D2:5 7@C>6C +\# 9625 4@249 pCE qC2?5@?[ H9@ C6>2:?D 4=@D6 E@ |:E496== E@ E9:D 52J] Qw6 >256 E96 EC2?D:E:@? E@ 9:89 D49@@= 32== BF:4<=J 2?5 =62C?65 9@H E@ A=2J H:E9 9:D 324< E@ E96 32D<6E] %92E H2D E96 3:886DE E9:?8 7@C 9:> :? E6C>D @7 9:D DF446DD]Qk^Am
kAmqC2?5@? D2:5 96 <?6H 62C=J @? @7 |:E496==VD 23:=:EJ E@ FD6 6:E96C 92?5 ?62C E96 32D<6E 2?5 9:D 6IE6?D:@? E@ C63@F?5 67764E:G6=J]k^Am
kAmQy:>>J @44FA:65 E96 DA246 W:?D:56 E96 =2?6X] w6 H2D 23=6 E@ 42E49 E96 32== :? EC277:4 G6CJ H6==] ~?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D H6 H@C<65 @? E96 >@DE :? AC24E:46 H2D 9@H 2?5 H96? E@ >2<6 E96 6?ECJ A2DD E@ y:>>J] qJ 5@:?8 E92E[ H6 H6C6 23=6 E@ <66A 6G6CJ3@5J 6=D6 :? E96 7=@H @7 E96 @776?D6]Qk^Am
kAm|:E496== D2:5 2? :?;FCJ 2E 2? 62C=J 286 24EF2==J 36?67:E65 :? 9:D 56G6=@A>6?E 2D 2? 2==\2C@F?5 A=2J6C]k^Am
kAmQx H2D @C:8:?2==J =67E\92?565[ 3FE 3C@<6 >J 2C> E9C66 5:776C6?E E:>6D :? 8C256 D49@@=[Q |:E496== D2:5] Q%92E 7@C465 >6 E@ =62C? E@ E9C@H C:89E\92?565] x C6>6>36C A:E49:?8 H:E9 3@E9 92?5D :? {:EE=6 {628F6] p?5 E92E <:?5 @7 42CC:65 @G6C E@ 32D<6E32==] x 4@F=5 D9@@E H:E9 6:E96C 92?5]Qk^Am
kAm|:E496== D2:5 96 925 Q?@ :562Q 96 H@F=5 >2<6 E96 G2CD:EJ 2D 2 7C6D9>2?[ >F49 =6DD DE2CE]k^Am
kAmQx? D6G6?E9 8C256[ x 4@F=5?VE 496H 8F> 2?5 H2=< 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[ 3FE 3J 6:89E9 8C256[ x 3642>6 >@C6 4@@C5:?2E65 2?5 DE2CE65 :>AC@G:?8 BF:E6 2 3:E] x H@C<65 6DA64:2==J 92C5 E92E DF>>6C 367@C6 >J 7C6D9>2? J62C] x @H6 2 =@E @7 4C65:E E@ E96 @=56C 8FJD @? E96 E62> — 8FJD =:<6 s6??:D sCFDE 2?5 q2CCJ r@=D@?[ 7@C 6I2>A=6] %96J 96=A65 >6 2 =@E >J 7C6D9>2? J62C] !=2J:?8 H:E9 E96> H2D 2 8C62E 9@?@C]Qk^Am
kAm(96C62D :E H2D 9:D 72E96C[ E96 =2E6 r92C=:6 |:E496==[ H9@ 96=A65 E6249 9:D D@? 23@FE E96 G2=F6 @7 2E9=6E:4D[ :E H2D 9:D 9:89 D49@@= 4@249[ qC2?5@?[ H9@ D2?565 @77 E96 C@F89 6586D 2?5 >256 9:> :?E@ E96 A=2J6C 96 3642>6]k^Am
kAmqC2?5@? D2:5 E92E H92E D6A2C2E65 |:E496== 7C@> @E96C 7:?6 A@DE A=2J6CD :? E96 C68:@? H2D 9:D 23:=:EJ E@ D9@@E 7C@> E96 @FED:56 H96? ?646DD2CJ]k^Am
kAmQx C6>6>36C 2 82>6 2E r9C:DE@A96C @?6 ?:89E] %96J Wq62C42ED[ 4@24965 3J %@> (966=6CX H6C6 3:8 2?5 A9JD:42= 2?5 :E H2D 86EE:?8 2 =:EE=6 :?E@=6C23=6 F?56C E96 32D<6E[ D@ y:>>J H6?E @FED:56 2?5 <?@4<65 5@H? D@>6 3:8 D9@ED] %92EVD H92E H@? E96 82>6 7@C FD] w6 4@F=5 3C:?8 E96 32== 5@H? 282:?DE AC6DDFC6] w6 4@F=5 A2DD] w6 4@F=5 C63@F?5 2?5 96 4@F=5 D9@@E]Qk^Am
kAmqF:=5:?8 @? 2 `e\H:? D62D@? 9:D D@A9@>@C6 J62C[ |:E496== 2?5 E96 %@C?25@6D 6IA=@565 @?E@ E96 D46?6 9:D ;F?:@C J62C WVfg\VfhX[ 8@:?8 ad\b] %92E D62D@? :?4=F565 E96 D49@@=VD 7:CDE\6G6C C68:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A 2E (2=E@?G:==6 Wfg\fe` @G6C E96 9@DE $A2CE2?DX] %92E 677@CE H2D 7@==@H65 FA H:E9 2? @A6?:?8\C@F?5 H:? 2E E96 }@CC:D r:EJ $64E:@?2= @G6C E96 9@DE r2C5:?2=D 367@C6 72==:?8 E@ s2G:5 %23@C? 2?5 E96 DE2E6\3@F?5 r2CC:6C |:==D (:=542ED[ gg\eg] %23@C? E2==:65 bf @7 9:D E62>VD gg A@:?ED @? E92E ?:89E] |:E496== 925 cb @7 +\#VD eg]k^Am
kAm%96 Vfh\Vg_ 8C@FAVD DF446DD @? E96 92C5H@@5 G:CEF2==J >2E4965 E96 AC6G:@FD J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 %@C?25@6D 7:?:D965 ac\c[ :?4=F5:?8 a`\b 5FC:?8 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?] +\# 42AEFC65 E96 sF "F@:? #68:@?2=[ 362E:?8 2 G6CJ 8@@5 r9C:DE@A96C E62> 7@C E96 ?:?E9 4@?D64FE:G6 E:>6 :? EH@ D62D@?D[ eb\cg] %96J H6?E @? E@ FAD6E |6EC@A@=:D W?@E 4@?D@=:52E65 :?E@ |2DD24 r@F?EJ 2E E96 E:>6X[ ea\e`[ 367@C6 72==:?8 E@ $@FE9 $6G6? r@?76C6?46 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6[ q6?E@?[ fc\d_]k^Am
kAmQ(6 925 F?36=:6G23=6 4C@H5D E9@D6 EH@ J62CD[Q qC2?5@? D2:5] Q(6 A24<65 E96 8J>D 6G6CJH96C6 H6 H6?E] x C6>6>36C D66:?8 D@>6 A6@A=6 D:EE:?8 @? E96 7=@@C 2C@F?5 E96 8J>] (6 6G6? 925 A6@A=6 G@=F?E66C:?8 E@ 5C:G6 E96 3FD 3642FD6 E96J H2?E65 E@ 6IA6C:6?46 E92E E9C:== @7 G:4E@CJ @? E96 C:56 9@>6] xE H2D 2 @?46\:?\2\=:76E:>6 6IA6C:6?46]Qk^Am
kAmqC2?5@? 25565 E92E DF446DD7F= DA@CED E62>D =:<6 +\#VD CF? :? 32D<6E32== 2C6 @7E6? D9@CE\=:G65 H:E9 D>2== D49@@=D[ H9:49 >2<6D E96 CF? E92E >F49 >@C6 >6>@C23=6]k^Am
kAmQ%96 <:5D 82G6 :E E96:C 2== 2?5 D@ 5:5 E96 4@>>F?:E:6D @7 +6:8=6C 2?5 #@J2=E@?] !6@A=6 H6C6 ;@J7F= H96? H2E49:?8 FD A=2J] xVG6 ?6G6C D66? 2?JE9:?8 =:<6 :E 367@C6 @C D:?46] pD 7@C y:>>J[ 96 AFE :? E96 H@C< E@ 36 DF446DD7F=] w6 42? 36 AC@F5 @7 H92E 96 2?5 2== @7 FD 244@>A=:D965]Qk^Am
k9bm!~$% +\# p%w{t%xr$k^9bm
kAm|:E496== H2D C64CF:E65 92C5 3J =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ 4@==686D y@9? p] {@82? 2?5 #6?5 {2<6 2?5 49@D6 {@82? :? E96 6?5]k^Am
kAmQx 925 D@>6 8@@5 82>6D[ 3FE =@@<:?8 324<[ x >:89E 92G6 8@EE6? >@C6 A=2J:?8 E:>6 :7 x 925 8@?6 E@ #6?5 {2<6] $E:==[ :E H2D 2 8@@5 6IA6C:6?46 E@ A=2J 2E {@82?] x 8@E 2 =@E @7 C2KK:?8 :? E96 J62CD 27E6C E92E[ E9@F89[ 7C@> y@9? zC6EK W#6?5 {2<6 2DD:DE2?E 4@249 H9@ C64CF:E65 9:>X] (6 A=2J65 2 =@E @7 D@7E32== E@86E96C[Q |:E496== D2:5]k^Am
kAm|:E496==[ H9@ 62C?65 2 568C66 2E {@82? :? >:?:?8 E649?@=@8J[ ?6G6C 5:5 H@C< :? E96 >:?6D 2D :E EFC?65 @FE] x?DE625[ 96 H6?E E@ H@C< 7@C !6AD: 2?5 E96? =2E6C p?96FD6C\qFD49 2?5 |:==6C 367@C6 2 42C 244:56?E @? E96 ?@CE9 6?5 @7 +6:8=6C D:56=:?65 9:> — 2=>@DE A6C>2?6?E=J — @? pAC:= `h[ a_`_] %@52J[ |:E496== DA6?5D >F49 @7 9:D 52J :? 2 H966=492:C 2E 9@>6]k^Am
kAmQxE WE96 244:56?EX 492?865 >J =:76[Q |:E496== D2:5 2D E62CD H6==65 FA :? 9:D 6J6D] Qx 4@F=5?VE 92G6 8@EE6? E9C@F89 :E[ E9@F89[ H:E9@FE >J H:76 Wv2J=2X] (96? x 8@E H@F?565[ D96 8@E H@F?565[ E@@] $96VD E2<6? 42C6 @7 >6 6G6C D:?46]Qk^Am
kAm|:E496== :D 2=D@ AC@F5 @7 9:D EH@ D@?D Wp?5C6H 2?5 %J=6CX] p?5C6H :D 2? :?7@C>2E:@? E649?@=@8:DE :? E96 >:?:?8 :?5FDECJ] %J=6C :D 2 E62496C^4@249 2E ~5:? w:89 $49@@=]k^Am
kAmQy:>>JVD 2 E@F89 8FJ[ 2 3C2G6 8FJ] w6 =:G65 E9C@F89 E92E 244:56?E 2?5 >2?J @E96C :DDF6D D:?46 E96?[Q qC2?5@? D2:5] QqFE =:<6 96 5:5 2D 2 A=2J6C[ 96 92D H@C<65 92C5 E@ 86E 2 =:76 324< E@ H96C6 96 42? 6?;@J 9:D <:5D 2?5 8C2?5<:5D] x 4@F=5?VE 36 >@C6 AC@F5 @7 9:>]Qk^Am
kAm|:E496== D2:5 9:D 32D<6E32== A=2J:?8 52JD DE:== 3C:?8D 2 D>:=6 E@ 9:D 7246]k^Am
kAmQx ;FDE C6>6>36C 9@H 92C5 E96 H@C< H2D[ H9:49 >256 E96 H:?D D@ D2E:D7J:?8] xV5 =:<6 E@ E9:?< x 925 2 8C62E 42C66C] (92E >@C6 4@F=5 x 92G6 5@?6n qFE 2D :>A@CE2?E E@ >6 2D H:??:?8 H2D]]] E96 7C:6?5D9:AD x >256 2=@?8 E96 H2J >62? 6G6? >@C6] x 2> G6CJ E92?<7F= E@ >J E62>>2E6D[ 2 4@249 H9@ 36=:6G65 :? >6[ 2?5 E@ E96 72?D H9@ DFAA@CE65 FD]Qk^Am