Letter: Team was magic

Just a few notes about last week’s story about the 1963 Cloquet boys basketball team. A few years ago the Carlton County Historical Society had a program about this team and season. They had on display the actual state runner-up trophy. It was quite an impressive trophy, and as the runner-up, it far exceeds the trophies given out at today’s tournaments. Today, what I see on TV is that it seems all of the places, champions, runner-up, third, etc., get the same size and design trophy; only what is engraved on them is different. That seems like it makes winning the big prize a moot point.

My dad was able to get tickets for the Region 7 title game that put Cloquet into the state tournament. What luck to see a game by this team in real life. At one point during the game, I glanced up at my dad, and he had a grin on his face and shook his head in amazement as he said, “By golly, that team, they’re just like a machine.” And that they were. You’ve heard the term “a magical season” — I think that season qualifies.

Dan Unulock,

Cloquet