Written by Marcella Shirai in collaboration with Alex Peck
Spearville is a small agricultural community. However, it has created a lot more than farming equipment. Sports are a central pastime in rural communities across the country, but Spearville takes it to a different level. A huge portion of Spearville’s fame was created through the invention of the foldable basketball hoop, the mechanism for which was later derived into widespread agricultural tools through Crustbuster Incorporated. This is only a fraction of how the community interacts with sports though. Most community engagement goes through standout athletics programs, facilities, and students at Spearville High School, home of the Lancers. These programs ensure student success and engagement, and for some, set them up for their future careers as athletes.
Professional Athletes from Spearville
Willie Cauley-Stein is an American basketball player whose career spanned 11 years. Cauley-Stein was born and primarily raised in Spearville up until his sophomore year of high school when he transferred to Olathe Northwest. He gained notoriety for his skills and his height, standing at 6’8” as a freshman in high school. By the time he became a collegiate athlete at the University of Kentucky, he stood 7’0”.1 After several years playing college basketball, Willie was signed to the Sacramento Kings from 2015-2019, playing a total of 295 games.2 After his contract was completed, he became a free agent, signing a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors in July of 2019.3 Cauley-Stein played for the Golden State Warriors for one season, playing a total of 41 games before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2020 as a second-round pick. Willie played for the Dallas Mavericks for 2 years, playing a total of 88 games.4 He then went on to play for two other professional leagues and one international team between 2022 and 2024.5 Willie has played as a center across each team that he has played for, being moved from a bench center to the starting center in his freshman year at Kentucky. Today Cauley-Stein is retired, though he has stated that he does one day hope to return to the game.6
Rick Dvorak was also a standout student athlete, and an American NFL player with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins between 1974 and 1977. In 1977 Dvorak was a Miami Dolphin, though he only played for one game. For the two years prior, Rick played for the New York Giants in a total of 54 games.7 In Dvorak’s early years, he attended Spearville High School as one of the Spearville Pirates (before its mascot was eventually changed to the Royal Lancers). During Rick’s years in school, he played football for all four years (1966-1970). This was not the only activity he participated in; he was a multitalented player and student. In addition to his football career, he played basketball and ran track. He was an all-conference player for basketball in his senior year and an all-conference player in football both junior and senior year. Keeping in his multitalented theme, Rick did choir all four years, French Club and FFA freshman and sophomore year, and was a member of varied positions of student government all throughout high school (including class president and vice president). He was in the school’s letterman club from sophomore to senior year and additionally participated in theatrical productions junior and senior year. Rick graduated high school in 1969 and went on to become a Shocker at Wichita State. He played for their football team throughout his three years of college and set the standing record at Wichita state of 27 unassisted tackles in one game.8
Women’s Basketball
These are examples of exemplary male athletes, but the girls’ sports are often looked over. However, Spearville has had many outstanding female teams and athletes. Our girls had their first basketball season from late 1974 to 1975. At this time, Spearville was behind on girls’ sports. Even though the girls had started later than the rest of the teams in their league, they played their hardest and ended with a season record of 8 wins and 8 losses. There were 20 girls that made up the first female basketball team. Out of those first 20 girls, seven were seniors, one was a junior, five were sophomores, and another seven were freshman. The team was led by Gloria Hornung from Amarillo, Texas. She played basketball in high school and in college. She was a graduate of Saint Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City.
Then-sophomore Joan Heeke said that being on the very first team was exciting. She described the uniforms and how they were chosen prior by someone higher up, and how the shoes were made for each individual girl by the Converse footwear company. She says that when she went out to play, she would get on the court and do what she needed to do.
This pioneering team was able to pave the way for future female athletes looking to play basketball and expand opportunities for more women’s sports in Spearville.
The male players didn’t initially cheer much for the girls’ basketball team; they were too busy warming up during half time. They would play after the girls’ games were done. Some boys did cheer on the girls from in the stands though, and it began to catch on. As the years progressed, the boys became more supportive and cheered more often. The administration was supportive of the girls and what they were doing for the sport. The girls’ games started at 5 PM. Sometimes the girls would have to play games at the same time as the boys. Coach Gloria would prep the girls on the bus, and when they arrived, the girls would change and start their matches. Joan Heeke says, “It was exciting to be a part of something new.”
Mary Lou Kirmer says that the girls would sing on the bus to pass time and boost morale before games. She also commented that when new girls’ sports were made, Spearvillians knew that they wouldn’t be as good as the boys who had played the sports long before them; however, due to their early efforts, many different sports in Spearville now have both a male and female team. Mary says that young people should get into sports and challenge themselves with something. Even if they don’t want to do a sport, just getting into an extracurricular activity is good for a person’s development. Many female athletes are now recognized as outstanding, such as a standout baton twirler, an incredible women’s track team with a 4x400 girl’s track relay team placing school records, and the many extracurriculars that girls could be a part of during that time.
Sports are an essential part of the Spearville culture. From community involvement in high school games to the notable athletes who have grown up on local soil, athletics are a part of what makes the community special. The community’s history is dotted with major sports innovations and players in elite sports leagues. In equal measure, it benefits from the simple joys of watching a high school game. One thing is certain; Spearville would not be the town it is if not for the many athletes across its history, their fans, and those who play on today.
Footnotes
1 Wikipedia Contributors, “Willie Cauley-Stein,” Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation, November 4, 2025), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Cauley-Stein.
2 Steven Wilson, “Kings Select Willie Cauley-Stein in the First Round,” Kings (NBA, June 26, 2015), https://www.nba.com/kings/kings-select-willie-cauley-stein-first-round.
3 Andy Fahey, “Warriors Sign Free Agent Center Willie Cauley-Stein,” Warriors (NBA, July 9, 2019), https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/cauley-stein-signing-20190708.
4 Dwain Price, “Mavs Pick up Team Option on Cauley-Stein’s Contract,” Mavericks (NBA, August 2, 2021), https://www.nba.com/mavs/cauleysteinreturns.
5 Pallacanestro Varese, “WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN È IL NUOVO CENTRO DELLA PALLACANESTRO VARESE,” Pallacanestrovarese.it, 2023, https://www.pallacanestrovarese.it/news/willie-cauley-stein-e-il-nuovo-centro-della-pallacanestro-varese; Wikipedia Contributors, (2025).
6 “Ex-Warriors, Kings Player Cauley-Stein Reflects on Past Drug Addiction,” NBC Sports Bay Area & California (NBC Sports Bay Area & California, September 2024), https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/willie-cauley-stein-drug-addiction-recovery/1776303/.
7 Pro Football Archives, “Rick Dvorak pro Football Stats,” Profootballarchives.com, 2025, https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/d/dvor00400.html.
8 Joel Soria, , Wichita State Athletics, “Rick Dvorak (Football, 1970-74),” Wichita State Athletics, June 23, 2002, https://goshockers.com/news/2015/6/23/ATH_0623152920.aspx.
Bibliography
Fahey, Andy. “Warriors Sign Free Agent Center Willie Cauley-Stein.” Warriors. NBA, July 9, 2019. https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/cauley-stein-signing-20190708.
Pallacanestro Varese. “WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN È IL NUOVO CENTRO DELLA PALLACANESTRO VARESE.” Pallacanestrovarese.it, 2023. https://www.pallacanestrovarese.it/news/willie-cauley-stein-e-il-nuovo-….
Price, Dwain. “Mavs Pick up Team Option on Cauley-Stein’s Contract.” Mavericks. NBA, August 2, 2021. https://www.nba.com/mavs/cauleysteinreturns.
Pro Football Archives. “Rick Dvorak pro Football Stats.” Profootballarchives.com, 2025. https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/d/dvor00400.html.
Soria, Joel. “Ex-Warriors, Kings Player Cauley-Stein Reflects on Past Drug Addiction.” NBC Sports Bay Area & California. NBC Sports Bay Area & California, September 2024. https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/willie-caule….
Wichita State Athletics. “Rick Dvorak (Football, 1970-74).” Wichita State Athletics, June 23, 2002. https://goshockers.com/news/2015/6/23/ATH_0623152920.aspx.
Wikipedia Contributors. “Willie Cauley-Stein.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, November 4, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Cauley-Stein.
Wilson, Steven. “Kings Select Willie Cauley-Stein in the First Round.” Kings. NBA, June 26, 2015. https://www.nba.com/kings/kings-select-willie-cauley-stein-first-round.
