Vincent Edward Barr
As a high school freshman, Vince didn’t tryout for the Jayvee basketball team, feeling he wasn’t good enough, so he settled for running the scoreboard. Later in the season Coach Longley was told by another teacher that Vince was a better play than most of his Jayvees. Longley remembered that the next season, and invited him out for the varsity. After four games of limited activity, he moved up to starting position, which he held for three years. Third high scorer of the team as a sophomore, Vince went on to lead the North Central Ohio League in scoring as a junior and was chosen on the All-NCO League team at forward. He repeated the performance the next year, setting a new NCO League scoring record. Presented with a trophy for breaking a school scoring record, Vince donated it for the high school trophy case.
At Ashland College, as a sophomore, Vince averaged 13 ½ points a game, nearing Bob Sprague’s total the year before. The next season, averaging 17 points a game, he scored 270 points for the season, 15 less than Jim Richcreek’s total, as a junior, but accomplished in 16 games to Richcreek’s 22.
Barr played second base on the Eagle baseball team and entered military service in 1943, and played on the Fort Jackson, South Carolina company team.
Vince returned after the war for his senior year and set a college seasonal scoring record, eclipsing that of Richcreek, now his coach.
Barr later played basketball with Faultless Rubber and Myers Pumps teams in the “Y” senior league, softball for Faultless and then Christ United Methodist Church from1950 through 1986. He has entered Senior Olympics since 1983, winning 1st and 2nd place ribbons. He coached Little League baseball, church team basketball, and softball in his spare time.
Nominator: Debbie Williams
Presenter: Art Vanosdall
