The 1950’s and 60’s saw the birth of Mater Dei, North, and Rex Mundi high schools as well as baseball becoming an IHSAA sanctioned sport. Evansville witnessed an unprecedented increase in high profile athletes who excelled in multiple sports. The Evansville papers, the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference, and local community organizations recognized one or two players each season who represented the best that Evansville had to offer in a given sport. This is a compilation of those players who excelled at the highest level and were honored MULTIPLE TIMES as THE LOCAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR.  These players may have made their mark in a single sport, or they may have been recognized in more than one sport as the Player of the Year.. Legendary Evansville sports figures like BOB GRIESE, DON HANSEN, and DAVE SCHELLHASE made their mark in professional careers but were recognized for their abilities as the best that the city had to offer in more than just their chosen professions.

TED LANDER - Lincoln High School - Class of ‘57 : A three time first team All-City basketball player, Lander was twice a UNANIMOUS selection as the best basketball player in Evansville following his Junior and Senior seasons. A 6’1” guard in basketball, he also was an excellent football player and a member of the Lincoln track team.

JERRY BROWNING - Mater Dei High School - Class of ‘59: An All-City first team selection in three different sports, Browning was the MVP of the Sunday Courier & Press Football and Basketball squads following the 1958-59 seasons. He was also a first team selection in baseball that year. As a Junior, he had been chosen for the SIAC, Downtown QB Club, Courier, and Press All-City football teams and was a second team Basketball selection.

DAVE SCHELLHASE - North High School - Class of ‘62: Had the opportunity to be drafted in two professional sports. After graduating from Purdue University, Schellhase was selected by the Chicago Bulls. What few realize, however, is that he was also drafted by the Cincinnati Reds to play baseball after graduating from high school. He was twice selected Player of the Year in basketball (‘60-’61 and 61’-62) and was also the Sunday Courier & Press Player of the Year as a catcher for the Huskies as a senior after having been named first team All-City as a junior.

DON HANSEN - Reitz High School - Class of ‘62: One of Evansville’s most prolific athletes, Hansen was twice named MVP of the All-City football team (‘60-’61 and ‘61-’62) after having been named to the S.I.A.C. All Conference team as a sophomore. An excellent third baseman, he was named as Captain of the All-City team as a senior. A two time selection to the Associated Press first team All-State football squad.

BOB GRIESE - Rex Mundi High School - Class of ‘63: Ranks among the finest all-round athletes that the city ever produced. As a senior, he was first team All-City in three sports: Quarterback of the football team, a Guard on the basketball team, and a Pitcher on the baseball team. Evansville’s first THREE TIME All-State Football player and the first THREE TIME All-City football player since Bill Hillenbrand 20 years earlier. An All Big 10 quarterback at Purdue, he went on to win Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins and his bust resides in the NFL Hall of Fame.

JERRY MATTINGLY - Rex Mundi High School - Class of ‘64: Like Griese before him, Mattingly was a three sport athlete at the highest level of competition. The Mattingly family would be recognized as a force in Evansville athletics for decades to come, but Jerry was the oldest of the Mattingly boys. During the ‘63-’64 school year, he was named CAPTAIN of both the All-City Basketball team and the Baseball team. An excellent receiver, he was also named SIAC All Conference in football as well as All-City by all three papers and the Downtown QB Club. He went on to play baseball in the Cincinnati Reds organization.

CHARLES ‘TOPCAT’ TYLER - Central High School - Class of ‘66: The first Central Bear to break the 1,000 point barrier in basketball, Tyler was named MVP of the ‘64-’65 and ‘65-’66 All City squads—likely keeping either Larry Weatherford or Bob Ford (both All-State players as seniors) from winning the award twice. Tyler broke a 50 year Central record when he scored 40 points against New Albany as a senior. After a brief hiatus from the game, he attended Wabash Valley Junior College and went on to deploy his legendary “smooth” jump shot for the Warriors. He broke multiple scoring records at the the school including a 43 point game in his sophomore season.

VAUGHN WEDEKING - Harrison High School - Class of ‘67: Super fast and super talented, there was not a sport that Wedeking could not excel at. MVP of the All-City Baseball team as a junior in ‘65-’66, he was then named Captain of the All-City Basketball team as a senior. Adding track & field to his resume, he became the first high school athlete in the city to break the 49 second barrier in the quarter-mile dash (48.4 seconds) and won the IHSAA State Meet in the event. He went on with Warrior team mate Greg Nelson to start for the Jacksonville University basketball team that made it to the NCAA finals in 1970.

GALEN AVERY - Reitz High School - Class of ‘69:  A classic Panther ‘single wing’ half back, Avery led the city in scoring in both his junior and senior seasons.  He was named MVP of the All-City team in both ‘67-’68 and ‘68-69 and was chosen as Captain of the S.I.A.C. All Conference football team as a senior as well.

LENNY JACOBS - Memorial High School - Class of ‘70: A three time first team All-City selection as a pitcher, Jacobs had an amazing won loss record of 35 wins against just 4 losses.  He was chosen as the MVP of the All-City team in both his junior and senior seasons (‘68-’69 and ‘69-’70).  Not limited to baseball, he was also selected first team All-City in basketball as a senior when he started at guard for a Tiger team that went to the Semi-state finals.  He went on to pitch for Christian Brothers College in Memphis, TN.