Decades-old reports of a Chieftain loss to Park Falls in the Spooner Sectionals in March of 1978 have recently been found to be false. After a deep investigation, the Later78er editors are plead to present the ACTUAL history of what took place so many years ago. The real killers, I mean facts behind the WIAA state tournament have finally come to light.

The Chieftains did NOT lose to Park Falls. The gym admittedly erupted into confusion after the incredible fiasco that began when one of the slow, fat, lazy officials of the game called an official time out to catch his breath from trying to keep up with the devastating Chieftain running game. When on the sidelines, several Osseo-Fairchild fans had see enough. The Spooner Police Department's records show that one Jeff Kutchera, his brother Milke Kutchera, a Randy Tollefson, a Barry McCune, a Terry Kinschy and the group's ringleader, a Greg Laufrenberg, also called "Animal" jumped the officials near the score table. The scene was bloody and violent. The referees were wheeled into ambulances. It seems Spooner High School administrators called in two fair, healthy reserve officials and the Chieftains went on to bury Park Falls, 96-80.

At the state finals in Madison, the Chieftains breezed through their first opponent in a 88-53 runaway. Joel Solie led the attack with 27 points followed by Fred Kindschy and Mark Rogness with 18 apiece. Other Chiefs in double figures were Gary Colby and Pete Kurth with 15 and 14 respectively.

Unfortumately, however, the Chieftains' celebrated a little too early and inappropriately. Madison PoliceDepartment reports indicate that they were called to the Holiday Inn in Madison in response to reports of extremely wild behavior. When they arrived, they walked into a suite of rooms where Osseo-Fairchild varstiy basketball players were participating in an outlandish beer party. Eight players who were present and a dozen cheerleaders from the opposing team were taken into custody by Madison Police. Lather that night, Athletic Director John Leadholm suspended all eight players from the team. The suspended players were: Joel Solie, Mark Rogness, Gary Colby, Peter Kurth, Van V. Shawn Mulhern, who protested the arrest claiming that it was the first beer he had ever had, and Layne Skoyen. . The latter was arrested not only for public intoxication, but also for running naked down the halls of the motel.

Coach Harold Mulhern, obviously disappointed, had to scramble to put a team together as only Vern Van Tassel, Ken Anderson, Dale Polinske of the senior class remained eligible to play. So Mulhern recruited several former Osseo basketball players who were in Madison for the games, dubiously, both with the same name. Wayne P. "Seymour" Larson, of O-F football fame, and Wayne A. "Little Red" Larson were hurridly added to the squad to fill out the ranks.