Gooch, Boomer and Rusty...And a Season for the Ages

Peterborough High dominated the 1940-'41 Class B all-tournament team: Front: William Turner of Groveton. Second row: Paul Valla of Lebanon and Rusty Ames of Peterborough. Back row: Bob Gooch and Clarence “Boomer” Brenner of Peterborough, and Donald Lambert of Lebanon.

In the first week of March 1941, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” starring Carol Lombard and Gene Raymond, along with a Disney cartoon, were playing at the Gem Theater in downtown Peterborough (what is now the Coopershill/Peterborough Community Theater building). A new Buick could be yours for just $915. Various citizens were advertising why they were running for town office (Overseer of the Poor seemed to be a hotly contested one). The upcoming Town Meeting dinner at the Town House would get you potato and egg salad, sliced ham, baked beans, and choice of bread, pies and coffee—all for 35 cents.

An oh by the way, the Peterborough High boys’ basketball team won another state championship!

Buried among several other front page stories in that week’s hometown newspaper, the account of a remarkable accomplishment—not only a state championship, but an undefeated season and the final game for legendary coach Johnny Clark—seemed to be incredibly understated. Perhaps it was because it was the school’s fifth state championship in 11 years. Winning had become expected. It was good news that week, but it was, in a way, old news.

One can only imagine that if what happened in 1941 were to happen again in our day, there would be no giving the story of a state championship equal weight with Coming Events and the latest on the school budget.

The 1940-’41 state champs weren’t just champs, they were perfect. They steamrolled over all 12 opponents in the regular season, earning them the pick by many around state to win the Class B tournament at UNH in Durham. “Peterborough has met all comers to compile a record which tops any in the state,” noted the University of New Hampshire’s tournament program.

They were led by the likes of sharpshooters Bobby Gooch and Clarence “Boomer” Brenner. In the quarter-finals against 13-1 Pembroke, when the underdogs stunned the hometown boys by holding a first half lead, it was Brenner who helped turn the tables. “The little forward was a big factor in setting up scoring plays in the late drive that spelled victory, as well as taking care of nine points himself.” Peterborough outscored Pembroke 28-19 in the second half to advance to the semis with a 36-29 victory.

With three games played between Friday and Saturday, townspeople and the Rotary Club raised funds so that the boys could stay in Dover and keep rested. That proved to be a big factor in the two grueling games to come.

In the semi-finals, Hanover employed a zone defense to slow down the vaunted Peterborough attack, but Coach Clark’s boys continually found holes that led to close-range baskets. Down 17-8 at the half, Hanover switched to a man-to-man defense that yielded more offensive success, but the tactic failed to slow the Peterborough High quintet as seniors Brenner and Gooch led the way with 16 and 12 points respectively.

But key to the 37-29 victory was the play of senior Rusty Ames, who Coach Clark called “one of the best guards I have ever developed.” In particular, Ames was a tower of strength under the boards, out-rebounding Hanover’s taller players.

The championship game against Lebanon was a nail-biter from the start, and for much of the contest, the prospects did not look good for Peterborough (which, by the way, was nicknamed the Potentate!).

Lebanon stymied the Peterborough attack and built a halftime lead that grew to as many as four in the final minutes of the third quarter. A put-back by Brenner in the last seconds, however, finally gave Peterborough a slim lead at 27-26. The tense final period was “battled at top speed,” with the scored tied four times. After Lebanon went back on top by three late in the game and seemed to be on the verge of a huge upset, Gooch and teammate Don Greene saved the day with clutch foul-line jumpers.

But Lebanon would not quit. They tied the game on a foul shot in the final minute, before high drama prevailed as time wound down…With 22 seconds left:

“Brenner got the ball near the sidelines, about 10 feet from the corner. The big pivot went into the air, the ball sailed up in a high arc and went ‘swish’ through the strings with the two points that won the title. Lebanon drove like mad as the seconds ticked away but Peterborough held while the crowd screamed and [Lebanon] was racing for the basket when the gun ended the game.”

WOW!

Despite the vibe given by that week’s newspaper, the 1940-’41 was a season never to be duplicated in the history of our Conval hoop heritage. In addition to a fifth state championship, a perfect season, the perfect ending for a legendary coach’s career, and scoring more tournament points than any school of any size in the state, Peterborough High placed three players on the Class B all-star team.

Leading the way was Boomer Brenner, who topped all scorers at the tournament, in all divisions, with 51 points in three games. Gooch and Ames joined Brenner in receiving all-state honors.

The Union Leader’s headline was “State’s Finest in Class B Basketball.”

Truth.