Here’s Gridley High School Coach Clarence “Merk” Kyger readying his varsity squad for the 1953 McLean County Basketball Tournament, which for many years was the biggest event on the local sports calendar.Gridley would go on to defeat Octavia (now known as Ridgeview) 50-45 in the Jan. 23, 1953 title contest. The Redskins (Gridley’s anachronistic nickname) were led by Frank Grusy (first row, middle) and Dale Wiegand (back row, first left), both of whom scored 12 points.
