First NTC Tournament Was In 1935

Kurt Becker, who has been called the National Trail Conference historian, found this article in the December 1935 issue of the Altamont News.

The article talks about the first-ever National Trail Conference Tournament. Here is the article verbatim:

The National Trail Conference's first cage tournament will be staged here this week end with play opening Thursday night and running through Saturday night.

Teutopolis and Altamont have the best records to date, the host having turned in two loop victories while Dutchtown has put over three.

One of the feature games of the tournament will be played on Thursday when Altamont and St. Elmo meet in the second game of the evening. St. Elmo ranks high in the rating of the visiting teams, as but one man on that aggregation is new and four men holdovers from last year's team.

Equipped with the experience of six previous contests, Roy Colin's Stewardson quintet is a factor with which to reckon. Three lettermen are back from last year's squad, Charles Augenstein, Howard Koppen and Jim Brummerstedt, all seniors.

Cowden and Brownstown meet at 7 p.m. Thrusday in the opening clash. Daugherty of Casey and Buchanan of Herrin have been chosen as officials.
Neoga, led by Pat Wallace, now graduated, was the conference champion last season, winning 11 of its 12 tilts.

The schedule is as follows:

Thursday

Game 1 -- Cowden vs. Brownstown at  p.m.

Game 2 -- Altamont vs. St. Elmo at 8 p.m.

Game 3 -- Stewarsdon vs. Neoga at 9 p.m.

Friday

Game 4 -- Teutopolis vs. winner game 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Game 5 -- Winner game 2 vs. winner game 3 at 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 6 -- Loser game 4 and loser game 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Game 7 -- Winner game 4 vs. winner game 5 at 8:30 p.m.

Times have changed since then when seven teams, Cowden, Brownstown, Altamont, St. Elmo, Stewardson, Neoga and Teutopolis opened play.

Since then Teutopolis has left the NTC while St. Elmo and Brownstown co-op and Stewardson-Strasburg and Windsor co-op. Cowden and Herrick joined forces while Beecher City was entered and it is now Cowden-Herrick/Beecer City. South Central and North Clay (Louisville) have joined the NTC.

Teams entered now include St. Anthony, Dieterich,  North Clay, St. Elmo/Brownstown, South Central, Altamont, Neoga, Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg and Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City.

The 82nd Annual National Trail Conference Tournament got underway Monday evening as Dieterich defeated North Clay (Louisville) 66-50.

Dieterich advances to tonight's contest against Effingham St. Anthony at 6:15 p.m. followed by St. Elmo/Brownstown taking on South Central. Other first round games include Altamont vs. Neoga at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday and Windsor/Stew-Stras against Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City follow that contest.

The tournament continues Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and finishes out Saturday with seventh place at 11:30 a.m., the consolation championship following, the third place game 20 minutes after the consy championship and the title game at 7:30 p.m.