IRON MOUNTAIN — Iron Mountain High School aims for a fourth state boys basketball championship today.

The 1928 Mountaineers got the first one with a 23-17 win over Dearborn Fordson. The second came in 1933 when IM topped Stambaugh 22-18.

IM’s 1939 Class B state title was of the miraculous variety. Entering the tournament after an 8-6 regular season record, Coach George Mason’s Mountaineers headed to the regional after beating Menominee (42-22) and Escanaba (24-21) in the district.

The regional or UP state finals at Northern State Teachers College in Marquette (later NMU) was delayed a week by a blizzard. Imagine that? Snow screwing up a basketball schedule.

In the semifinals, Gerald “Kootchie” Nelson hit one of his sensational regional shots with seven seconds left to rally Iron Mountain past Marquette 28-27. Iron Mountain News sports editor Buck Erickson wrote that “all hell broke loose” in the crowd of 1,700 fans.

Nelson, who brought the “biggest nose of ’em all to the tourney” according to Marquette Mining Journal sports editor Wilbert “Waba” Treloar, nailed shots from three-quarters court and half-court against Marquette.

Another three-quarters court shot from Nelson, this one banked in with two seconds left, sent the Mountaineers past Iron River 32-30 for the crown. The Redskins, coached by Iron Mountain native Jim Crummey, held an 18-9 halftime lead but four long fourth-quarter field goals from co-captain Paul Beauparlant sparked the IM comeback.

Beauparlant, described as a “poker-faced lad” by Iron Mountain News writer Ron Kramer for a 1978 story, led the Mountaineers with 12 points in the game.

Other Mountaineers on that 1939 title team were Grant Franson, Bob Ericson, George “Chin” Fornetti, Jim “Gunner” Hoag, Roy “Red” McKinnon, Clem Feira, Leo Paoli, Frank Ladwig and manager Bernard Cesario.

Good luck to the 2019 Mountaineers of Coach Bucky Johnson in bringing home a fourth state championship.