Steve Hoelscher Loved Sports, Neoga Junior High, High School

Steve Hoelscher in earlier days sits at the bench running the scoreboard.

He loved sports and so, for 43 years, he became a part of the Neoga sports scene. Steve Hoelscher ran the clock for junior high and high school girls basketball and volleyball until he became too ill to do so.

Hoelscher passed away Friday, March 1, but members of the Neoga and surrounding communities will always remember him sitting behind the scorers table, keeping things running smoothly.

“Steve was always prepared and professional,” said Neoga Athletic Director Mike Taylor. “He was very easy to work with. One thing that stood out to me was the tiny post-it notes he would use for tournament games. He would write the names of the teams that were playing on the little post-it notes and put them by the home or away score button to make sure he put the score up for the correct team.

“I only knew Steve for seven years but in that time it was obvious to me why he was inducted into the IBCA Hall of  Fame. Neoga is very fortunate to have had a guy like Steve.

"He is someone who will be missed by the community. He could always be counted on to help out, especially when it was for the benefit of the kids in Neoga.”

“Steve was not just our scoreboard operator, he was a part of our team and our basketball family,” said Neoga High School girls basketball coach Kim Romack. “We’ve been very fortunate here at Neoga over the years in having quality people who are good at what they do when it comes to the scorers table. Steve was one of those people.

“He was dependable and we always knew that he had things ready to go and taken care of when it came to working ballgames. He was a kind, mild-mannered, loyal member of the community and sports programs. He not only kept the clock running smoothly, he would also announce the starting lineup and make sure the officials and teams knew when we were getting close to the three-minute mark at halftime. He always had a friendly smile and a warm welcome.”

Teri Hoelscher, Steve’s wife, worked for many years as the secretary at Neoga High School.

“I started in July of 1978 and I think he just started helping out when they needed him,” said Teri. “He started first with girls basketball when Terri Biggs was coaching and kept the box. He and Glenda Zimmer. Then it expanded from there, when they needed someone in junior high volleyball and boys basketball.

“He would have kept it for the high school boys basketball, but he couldn’t keep his mouth shut,” laughed Teri. “So he just would fill in once in a while.

“There were times before he retired he’d leave Fedders early to do the 4:30 junior high volleyball games. He did the first home volleyball game this year but then it was too much and he ended up in the hospital the next night. That was the last one he did.”

“Steve knew and understood both volleyball and basketball,” said Coach Romack. “He enjoyed watching kids compete. It was never about him, it was about providing a service to allow the kids to play sports and getting a front row seat to do so. If he wasn’t at the scorers table, you could find him in the gym watching boys basketball or on a cross country course, track or ball field watching his grandkids. 

“We had great talks of Cardinals baseball, family, how to save the world and he would always ask about our upcoming junior high and high school basketball seasons. He wanted to know what the team looked like and what my prediction of the year was.”

Hoelscher was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010.

“Dad did love sports,” said daughter Stephanie Finney. “My mother worked at the high school for 40 years as the secretary. On nights she worked the gates and took money, my dad would go and work the scoreboard and it just stuck. It was helping the community plus making a little bit of extra money.”

Steve and Teri, who had been married almost 55 years, had two other daughters along with Stephanie, Jennifer Mast and Erica Ozier and seven grandchildren, five who are now playing sports. The youngest is 10 and the oldest is 20.

“My sisters and I did cheerleading and dance,” said Finney. “We played volleyball in junior high. He spent a lot of time in the gym, his second home.

“He did so much for the community. He was on the park board and commissioner of the boys and girls softball and baseball leagues for years. He always volunteered for stuff at school and church.”

“Steve was Stage 4 cancer before he was diagnosed,” said Teri. “He just went in for a yearly physical and found out. It was a complete and total shock. He had prostate cancer and then it went into the bone marrow.”

Although he is gone, Neoga will long remember his dedication and enjoyment.

“When you have people that are as dedicated, professional and enjoy their jobs as much as they do, people notice and want to get involved,” said Taylor. “We were very fortunate to have had a guy like Steve Hoelscher.”

"We were blessed to have him," said assistant girls basketball coach Seth James. "Our scorer’s table in this district has been second to none!  He was such a nice balance or complement to Mary Sur (she was also an IBCA Hall-of-Famer who kept the book for us) for many years. He had a graceful and steadying disposition towards what was sometimes a not-very-easy job!

"He was able to take the input of the “helpers” from our home-side of the court; and deal with those more critical or harsh comments from behind him on the guest-side. He dealt with, or accepted, everyone’s passion and intensity, kept his head, and made sure the job was done super-effectively.

"He was always conscientious, making sure the clock score was accurate, and the time on the clock was what it needed to be. He wanted a smooth game, played fairly. I always felt fortunate and confident in having him over there. He was more than "up" for the technicalities of the job; but more importantly, an even better friend to the players, coaches, officials, and fans he served. We'll miss him!"

Memorials in his honor are suggested to the family in care of Teri Hoelscher, 227 W. 10th Street, Neoga, IL 62447 to be used for a Neoga scholarship fund in Steve ’s honor.

Steve Hoelscher receiving his IBCA Hall of Fame plaque.