Lon Goldsberry was another of the Wingate greats of the early years.

Lon Goldsberry

            Lon Goldsberry was another in the line of outstanding student-athletes from Wingate in the early days of basketball.  He graduated from Wingate in 1916 as a four year letterman in basketball and baseball.   He was the captain of the 1920 team that won the National Interscholastic Basketball Championship and was named a High School All-American.    After graduating from Wingate, he went on to Wabash College where he quarterbacked the football team for four years even though he did not have the opportunity to play football in high school.  He was captain of the Wabash College National Champions in 1924 and a member of the Wabash 4^th Wonder Five.  He also played baseball at Wabash and helped the team win the Midwest League Championship in 1922.  After graduating from Wabash, he coached at Shortridge for a while before returning to Wabash as an assistant football coach and head baseball coach.   Lon Goldsberry was inducted into the Indiana High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 1972.  He is also a member of the Wabash College Athletic Hall of Fame and the Montgomery County Basketball Hall of Fame.

Goldsberry HOF text

Alonzo E. Goldsberry

“Goldie” a High School All American

High School—Wingate High School 1920

College—Wabash College 1924

Coached at Shortridge, Wabash College, and South Bend Adams…Captained 1920 All-Star American Championship team in an interscholastic tournament…high school All-American…also captain of Wabash College team the won national championship… in ’24 his Wabash team won state championship…also starred in baseball in both high school and college…helped Wabash win the Midwest Baseball League championship…quarterbacked Wabash’s football team 4 years…officiated basketball and football for about 10 years after graduation…moved into coaching, first at Shortridge...assistant football and head baseball coach at Wabash.

Goldsberry HOF text

Alonzo E. Goldsberry

“Goldie” a High School All American

High School—Wingate High School 1920

College—Wabash College 1924

Coached at Shortridge, Wabash College, and South Bend Adams…Captained 1920 All-Star American Championship team in an interscholastic tournament…high school All-American…also captain of Wabash College team the won national championship… in ’24 his Wabash team won state championship…also starred in baseball in both high school and college…helped Wabash win the Midwest Baseball League championship…quarterbacked Wabash’s football team 4 years…officiated basketball and football for about 10 years after graduation…moved into coaching, first at Shortridge...assistant football and head baseball coach at Wabash.

Pictured at the right are the members of the 1917-18 Wingate basketball team that won the Sectional.  Front row, L-R are H. Irwin, H. Crane,  R. Carney, Lon Goldsberry, andH. Bell.  Back row, L-R are C. Crane, H. Kimbell, Coach John Blacker, and Marion Blacker.

 The top picture is a picture of the 1917-18 basketball team.  Lon Goldsberry is top right next to Coach John Blacker.  The bottom picture is a picture of the 1920 National Interscholastic Championship team.  Goldsberry is in the middle of the picture behind the player holding the ball.  John Blacker moved on to Crawfordsville and tried to recruit Goldsberry to play for Crawfordsville.  The player standing at the far left is Marion "Bake" Blacker (no relation to the coach).  He went along to Crawfordsville and lost his last year of eligibility as the IHSAA suspended both Crawfordsville and Wingate from the Association.  Goldsberry almost got swept up in the scandal.

After graduating from Wingate, Lon Goldsberry moved on to Wabash where he had an outstanding athletic career.  He was a four year letterman and member of the 1921-22 National Championship team labeled the 3rd Wonder Five.