Inductees

There are high school teams that win a lot of games, and then there are teams that leave a mark that never fades.

In Forsyth, the conversation always comes back to 1973. It was the year a small Taney County town watched its boys basketball team climb all the way to the top of Missouri, turning a postseason run into a memory that still defines the program.

Nearly 53 years later, people in Forsyth still talk about the grit of that group. They talk about packed gyms, big games and the way the Panthers embraced the underdog role. They talk about the names on that roster the way other towns talk about legends. They talk about the championship banner that hangs in the gym today, a reminder of what can happen when belief and toughness come together.

Most of all, they talk about how that team set the standard. And that is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted the 1973 Forsyth High School 1973 Boys Basketball State Championship Team with the Class of 2025.

Coached by Charlie Campbell (MSHOF 2003), the Panthers of 1973 became the first and still the only state championship team in Forsyth High School history. The run captured the attention of southwest Missouri and cemented the program’s place in state basketball history.

The Panthers finished 26-8 and won their final 13 games, a streak that included eight victories in only 12 days. The roster featured Stephen Dunn, John Stecz III, Gene Harmon, David Strang and Rick Turner. Other team members were John Dees, James Steele, Randy Stuart, Alan Sulgrove, Dale Webie, Don Reynolds, Dean Harmon and Al Raetz. Team managers were Rex Boone and Roy Boone. Assistant coach Steve Holland helped guide the group through a demanding postseason that tested the team’s toughness.

In the Class S state championship game, Forsyth faced defending state champion Advance. The Panthers were a heavy underdog, and Advance entered the night 32-1. But Forsyth delivered an early surge, racing to a 29-15 lead late in the first half and taking a 31-20 advantage into the locker room.

Advance responded behind standout John Rhodes, who scored 12 points in the third quarter and helped trim the Forsyth lead to 46-41. The game tightened even more in the fourth when Advance pulled even at 48-48. Moments later, with just over 4 minutes remaining and Forsyth holding a 50-48 lead, center Gene Harmon fouled out.

It could have been the moment the Panthers unraveled, but it became another example of what made them champions.

Dunn and Stecz hit key shots to steady the team. Turner added two crucial free throws in the closing minutes. With 13 seconds left, Reynolds stepped to the line and hit two more free throws to seal the win. Forsyth finished 25 of 34 at the line and out-rebounded Advance 37-32, controlling the boards when it mattered most.

Harmon led all scorers with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Dunn added 12 points. When the final seconds ticked away, Forsyth had delivered the biggest upset in school history.

The 1973 team also earned the Sportsmanship Trophy from the state tournament, an honor that recognized not only the players but also the cheerleaders and pep club. For many in Forsyth, that award reflected the character that defined the group, and town, as much as the championship itself.

Five decades later, those traits still echo through the school’s hallways. The championship banner hangs in the gym, and current players see it every day. Forsyth hosted a throwback and reunion night in 2023 to celebrate the 50th anniversary, complete with replica jerseys worn by the current roster. After the game, the players signed the jerseys and presented them to members of the 1973 team.

For athletic director Jeff Walls, the legacy of the group is impossible to miss.

“The 1973 team is the gold standard for all of our teams,” Walls said. “Every day at practice, our current basketball players can look up and see the banner commemorating our 1973 championship and the team members honored by it.”

Walls said the community could not be more proud of the team’s induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

“Forsyth schools and the Forsyth community as a whole are extremely excited and appreciative of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame recognizing our 1973 state champion boys basketball team,” Walls said. “It is truly an immense honor to have our greatest team enshrined forever in Missouri sports lore.”