New book chronicles 1960 Gildford state championship

The author of a book chronicling Gildford High School’s 1960 Class C state championship in boys basketball will be making the rounds in the coming days.

Frank Spragg, a Montana native, recently authored the book “Two Moments of Glory,” which features the 1960 Gildford championship run, as well as the 1961 championship run of Bozeman-Rosary High.

According to a book review on Amazon.com, Spragg’s book follows Gildford’s run to an improbable state title. The review says: “On March 18, 1960, Gildford High School, despite having its gym burn down and having to play all games on opponents’ courts, defeated Holy Rosary to win the Montana State Class C basketball championship. Exactly one year later, Rosary turned the tables , this time upending local-rival Belgrade for the same crown. In ‘Two Moments of Glory,’ author Frank Spragg offers us not only the history leading to these two championships, he paints a portrait of small towns everywhere, with their public and parochial schools, goofy old gyms, ego clashes and political struggles. Grounded in meticulous research and extensive interviews, these pages contain far more than a recap of games and tournaments, of offenses and defenses, of stars and strategy. They tell a very human story of the camaraderie, rivalry and enduring legacy that high school sports programs bestow on all involved.”

The book also features many men who played on that fateful Gildford squad, included Don Miller, who Spragg said was instrumental in his research for the book. Spragg also touches on more recent Hi-Line history, including the back-to-back Class C state championships the K-G KouGars won in 1998 and 1999, under the late Charlie Robinson.

The book also details the many changes the towns along the Hi-Line have undergone since Gildford’s 1960 state championship.

Spragg will be available at several book signings around the area next week. On Wednesday, he’ll be at Tilleman Motors from 1 to 3 p.m. and at Havre-Hill County Library at 7 p.m. He’ll have three appearances Thursday. Spragg will be at Don Miller’s residence in Gildford from 10 to 11:30 a.m., then the Rudyard Senior Center from 1 to 3 p.m. and finally, the Havre Lions Club at 6:30 p.m.