Following article about Steve Farney's book appeared in the Hiawatha Daily World. New book to feature Brown County basketball history Posted: Tuesday, November 24, 2015 8:31 am Hiawatha Daily World.
By Adam Clay Hiawatha World
Kansas author and basketball historian Steven Farney is at it again. After success with recent books, such as 2014’s Streakin, which detailed historical winning streaks in Kansas high school basketball history, and featured the Hiawatha women’s team from the late 1970s, Farney is mining the state’s past once again for his newest work, Once Upon a Time. The two volume collection will be organized by county, with the A-L edition being released first, and will detail the greatest state tournament team that ever came from schools that no longer exist.
There were once as many as 729 high schools in Kansas, and more than 400 of those schools are no longer open. It was passing one of those schools that got the ball rolling for Farney.
“I got the idea,” says Farney, “when driving to a basketball speech. I went through a very small town and saw a dilapidated gym standing in some weeds. I thought about all the teams that played in that place, especially the really good ones. I wondered what was the greatest team that ever played in that town". Once Upon a Time will be Farney's fifth work chronicling Kansas basketball history, and for his book, he is asking for help from his readers. He is asking for anyone with pictures from the teams he is focusing on in Brown County to contact him at Steven.Farney@yahoo.com, and is specifically looking for yearbooks and newspaper clippings. In Brown County, Farney is looking for information on the following teams: Fairview, 1914; Fairview, 1961; Everest, 1955; Powhattan, 1942; Powhattan, 1952; Hamlin, 1948; Hamlin, 1950; Morrill, 1937.
By Adam Clay Hiawatha World
Kansas author and basketball historian Steven Farney is at it again. After success with recent books, such as 2014’s Streakin, which detailed historical winning streaks in Kansas high school basketball history, and featured the Hiawatha women’s team from the late 1970s, Farney is mining the state’s past once again for his newest work, Once Upon a Time. The two volume collection will be organized by county, with the A-L edition being released first, and will detail the greatest state tournament team that ever came from schools that no longer exist.
There were once as many as 729 high schools in Kansas, and more than 400 of those schools are no longer open. It was passing one of those schools that got the ball rolling for Farney.
“I got the idea,” says Farney, “when driving to a basketball speech. I went through a very small town and saw a dilapidated gym standing in some weeds. I thought about all the teams that played in that place, especially the really good ones. I wondered what was the greatest team that ever played in that town". Once Upon a Time will be Farney's fifth work chronicling Kansas basketball history, and for his book, he is asking for help from his readers. He is asking for anyone with pictures from the teams he is focusing on in Brown County to contact him at Steven.Farney@yahoo.com, and is specifically looking for yearbooks and newspaper clippings. In Brown County, Farney is looking for information on the following teams: Fairview, 1914; Fairview, 1961; Everest, 1955; Powhattan, 1942; Powhattan, 1952; Hamlin, 1948; Hamlin, 1950; Morrill, 1937.
Steven Farney, on the left, is writing a book about High School Basket in Kansas. He has requested records and other information about the teams that played while Johnnie Corrigan was coach.
Steven Farney was born and raised near Wilson, Kansas, and was a three-year basketball letterman for the Wilson Dragons. As a junior in 1972, he was assigned a term paper and while researching that assignment, he stumbled on a story about the greatest Wilson Boy's Basketball Team, the 1929 Dragons. As he read the story, he wondered who remembered the team, the coach and the magical season that culminated with the Dragons earning the school's first trip to the state tournament. It was an important moment for him and he decided then and there: If the chance ever presented itself, he was going to write a series of basketball history books that feartured teams and towns, players and coaches in the state who had been forgotten with time.
Fast foward 32 years. In 2004, the opportunity arose and since then he has authored three books on basketball in the state of Kansas. In August 2006, he released "Title Towns: Class BB Boys Basketball Champions of Kansas (1952-68). In August 2007, he authored the second book in the series, "It's Time to Play: Jack Gardner, Basketball and Kansas State University". Both books detailed forgotten basketball stories in the state. "Club 50" is the third book in the series with more books hopefully to follow.
In addition to writing, Farney has appeared on Kansas State University's Basketball DVD, "Tradition of Champions: The History of Kansas State University Basketball," and also travels the state giving speeches about basketball history and his research.
He is author of three books, Title Towns!, It's Time to Play!, and his newest book, Club 50. For information about ordering books click here:http://www.stevenmfarney.com/stores.htm.
Steven Farney was born and raised near Wilson, Kansas, and was a three-year basketball letterman for the Wilson Dragons. As a junior in 1972, he was assigned a term paper and while researching that assignment, he stumbled on a story about the greatest Wilson Boy's Basketball Team, the 1929 Dragons. As he read the story, he wondered who remembered the team, the coach and the magical season that culminated with the Dragons earning the school's first trip to the state tournament. It was an important moment for him and he decided then and there: If the chance ever presented itself, he was going to write a series of basketball history books that feartured teams and towns, players and coaches in the state who had been forgotten with time.
Fast foward 32 years. In 2004, the opportunity arose and since then he has authored three books on basketball in the state of Kansas. In August 2006, he released "Title Towns: Class BB Boys Basketball Champions of Kansas (1952-68). In August 2007, he authored the second book in the series, "It's Time to Play: Jack Gardner, Basketball and Kansas State University". Both books detailed forgotten basketball stories in the state. "Club 50" is the third book in the series with more books hopefully to follow.
In addition to writing, Farney has appeared on Kansas State University's Basketball DVD, "Tradition of Champions: The History of Kansas State University Basketball," and also travels the state giving speeches about basketball history and his research.
He is author of three books, Title Towns!, It's Time to Play!, and his newest book, Club 50. For information about ordering books click here:http://www.stevenmfarney.com/stores.htm.