Running Past Basketball

1964, the first of a several state championships in cross country and track for Peterborough High.

Before its merger into Conval High in the fall of 1970, basketball was king at Peterborough High—with five state championships, and no other sport coming close.

Until the fall of 1964.

Led by the determination and expertise of Coach Bill Yeo (pictured at right), the Hilanders won their first of four consecutive Class M-S (D3-4) cross country state championships.

It marked the first time since 1941 that a state championship, and other than basketball, had come to Peterborough.

Participating in the 1964 trophy presentation were (pictured above, from left): Ken Taylor, Coach Yeo, Murray Latti, Nat Mason, Steve Gorski, Jack Thibeault, Jim Kearney and Ken Sutcliffe.

Coach H. William “Bill” Yeo, who served as a science/biology teacher at the high school since 1959, was instrumental in igniting the most successful sports program in Peterborough High history. He recruited in the hallways, and told unsuspecting junior high students with long legs, “you’re going to run for us.”

His methods worked, and then some. At one point, more than 60 students—an unheard of number in a relatively small high school—tried out for his teams. But while the PHS cross country teams held home meets with starting-finish lines in front of the old high school on High Street, all track and field meets were held at the opposing school.

Peterborough High did not have its own track facility, but athletes set up hurdles and other events in the athletic fields to practice. In the spring of 1965, despite having no home field, Coach Yeo’s track and field team remarkably won the first of four consecutive state Class M-S championships.

Peterborough’s dynasty in state cross country and track continued throughout the mid and late 1960s, ending in the 1969-’70 school year when the Hilanders grew from Class M-S to Class I (D2). 

But basketball, and other sports, were key to Coach Yeo’s success. The Peterborough Transcript reported he “hopes to keep his runners in shape during the winter through skiing, some running, and at least in one case, basketball. Dick Cuddihee is a bright prospect for the the hoop varsity. Taylor, Kearney and Gorski are all good skiers, as are several other members of the squad. When the snow goes off, he expects to have most of the cross-country boys out for spring track.”

Did he ever.

In the dynasty years of the mid-1960s, cross country meets were held in front of the high school on High Street.