Pictured in front of Schneider’s Drugstore in old Valmeyer following a regional title win over East St. Louis are the starters from the 1952-53 VHS basketball team, kneeling in front, from left, Ross Schneider and Norb Vogel; on top of the car are Gene Mentel, Bob Wheat and Dennis Ritzel. (Republic-Times archive photo by Bob Voris)

The inaugural induction of the Valmeyer High School Athletic Hall of Fame will take place Friday, Jan. 29, with four legendary VHS athletes and one amazing team to be honored.

Those inducted during the first-ever ceremony will be: Ray “Bud” Rippelmeyer (Class of 1951), former major league player and pitching coach; Brad Rippelmeyer (Class of 1988), former minor league baseball player and the school’s all-time leading basketball scorer; Ken Meyer (Class of 1960), former minor league baseball player and Mon-Clair League Hall of Famer; and Norbert Vogel (Class of 1953), leading scorer on the legendary 1952-53 basketball team and former SIUC baseball standout.

Also being inducted is the entire 1952-53 basketball team coached by Vern Tomlinson. The Pirates, led by starters Vogel, Gene Mentel, Bob Wheat, Ross Schneider and Dennis Ritzel, finished the season with a school record for victories and won conference, district (defeating Waterloo) and regional titles (defeating East St. Louis) before falling to Collinsville, 66-63, in the sectional. Other team members included Norman Weber, Arlen Harres, Glen Foster, Fred Hotz and Alvis Hoffmann.

The induction will take place immediately following the junior varsity basketball game on Jan. 29, which starts at 5:30 p.m. The varsity gme will follow. After the game, friends, family and fans will gather at St. Mary’s Parish Center for pizza and wings and an informal recognition.

Bud Rippelmeyer
Ray “Bud” Rippelmeyer has been a life-long supporter of local baseball and basketball activities throughout Southern Illinois. Bud’s career has spanned more than 50 years as a player, coach and manager in both the minor and major leagues. Bud’s success began in high school, where he led both the basketball and baseball teams to the school’s first district championships.

After high school, Bud attended SIUC on basketball and baseball scholarships. On the court, Bud led the team in scoring as a sophomore, was named team MVP, was all-conference and was also honored by the university as an outstanding athlete.

He signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1953, but returned to college to finish out his remaining basketball eligibility at Southeast Missouri State. At SEMO, Bud broke numerous records, was named MVP and all-conference for two years, and was an Honorable Mention All-American on the 1955 team. In 2005, he was inducted into the SEMO Hall of Fame.

In 1954, Bud played his first year of pro ball with the Braves, winning 17 games and completing all of them. He pitched successfully as a pro for 11 years, winning 114 regular season games before a farming accident ended his career. He played for the Milwaukee Braves, Washington Senators and San Diego Padres. Bud was later inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame.

He remained in baseball in some capacity for the next three decades, coaching in the minor and major leagues. He officially retired from baseball with the New York Mets in 2007.

Throughout his career, Bud was also a well-respected basketball official in the Missouri Valley Conference and the Big Ten and was six times named Waterloo Country Club Golf Champion.

Brad Rippelmeyer
Brad was a four-year starter in basketball and baseball for the Pirates in the late 1980s, and is the all-time leading basketball scorer at VHS with 1,855 points  and rebounder with 812.

He was a three-time First Team All-Conference selection in basketball, as well as an All-State Honorable Mention, and a two-time First Team All-Conference selection in baseball.

Brad played baseball at Kansas State University from 1988 to 1992, and was named Second Team All-Big Eight as a third baseman.

He was drafted in the ninth round by the Atlanta Braves in 1992, and played for the Durham Bulls, where he hit 19 home runs and was named to the Carolina League All-Star Team that year.

He played professionally for six years and coached three years with the Tampa Bay Rays.

As a member of the Valmeyer Lakers in the Mon-Clair League, he once hit four home runs in one game against Waterloo.

Ken Meyer
Meyer played both basketball and baseball for the Pirates, and was a key member of the 1960 VHS baseball team that advanced to the IHSA Sectional Tournament in a one-class system. Meyer hit .495 to lead his team to victories over Columbia, Dupo and Belleville Township.

Meyer played amateur baseball for Merrimac (1959) and the Valmeyer Lakers (1960-61), before being invited to attend the Pittsburgh Pirates tryout camp.

He started nearly every game for Kingsport, Tenn., in the Class D Appalachian League in 1962, hitting .269, and was second on the team in stolen bases, third in RBIs, second in home runs and third in total bases.

Meyer returned home in the spring of 1963 and played for the Lakers until the end of the 1971 season.

He was named to 10 Mon-Clair League All-Star teams and was inducted into the Mon-Clair League Hall of Fame in 2009.

Norby Vogel
Vogel played both basketball and baseball for the Pirates, and was the leading scorer on the 1952-53 VHS basketball team at 19 points per game.

Vogel attended SIUC on a baseball scholarship, where he lettered in 1955, 1956 and 1957.

He was the top hitter during his sophomore and junior seasons.

Vogel went on to establish the “Norbert Vogel Award” at VHS, which is presented to a male athlete who has played four years of both baseball and basketball, maintains a GPA of 2.7 or higher, and displays outstanding character both on and off the field.